Aspiring junior chefs can up their cooking skills this summer by enrolling in Sur La Table’s Summer Series, an assortment of cooking classes available online and in-person, designed for kids and teens. The four and five day series include Bake Shop, Open Your Own Restaurant, and Cooking Adventure and are taught by Sur La Table’s exceptionally well-trained and experience. The small-sized classes ensure that young chefs have plenty of active participation.
The complete kids and teens schedule is available online now here for June-August 2022 and enrollment is now open. Online classes start at just $29 per class and in-person classes start at $249.00 for a 5-Day series. Young cooks can explore menus full of exciting discoveries, from how to prepare favorite dishes to new twists on classic dessert. Classes are about two to two-one-half hours each. Class size is limited to 16.
Use surprise ingredients to craft your own recipe.
Teens’ 5-Day Summer Series: The Academy of Cuisine
Day 1: All About the Apps
Vietnamese Fresh Rolls with Dipping Sauce
Caprese Bruschetta
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Day 2: Savory Starches
Pad Thai
Gnocchi with Fresh Tomato Sauce
No-Knead Bread with Homemade Butter
Day 3: Power Up with Protein
Chicken Parm with Homemade Pasta
Carne Asada Tacos with Homemade Tortillas
Veggie Fried Rice
Day 4: Living the Sweet Life
Fruit Galette
Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
Day 5: Make Your Own Menu
Create recipes using surprise ingredients!
Please note, Sur La Table is taking serious COVID-19 protocols for in-person events for the safety of their guests and masks are required at all times in stores. In-person classes are offered in all store locations.
Spoiled by her mom’s cooking and too tired to cook herself after working all day Yumna Jawaddecided after getting married to change all that. Calling her mom—there was no Facetime back then–Jawad would have her stay on the phone and tell her step by step how to make a meal. It took just two weeks and from there Jawad, who moved to Kalamazoo, and now lives in Grand Rapids, used her new skills not only to cook for her family but as a springboard to creating Feel Good Foodie, her healthy, quick, and creative food blog. She also keeps an active Instagram account with three million followers.
I came across her blog when researching healthy recipes since I’ve moved on during the pandemic from trying all those dessert recipes I’ve been clipping and saving for years and was very impressed. Besides recipes, she also offers nutritional information, substitutions, how to videos, how long does it take to make the recipe and links to similar recipes. So I emailed Jawad and she responded within ten minutes even though it was late at night but then judging by how often she updates her blog, she may not sleep much if at all.
It turns out that she worked in Branding and Research & Marketing for consumer packaged foods and the retail food industry and eight years ago began sharing recipes on her Instagram account. She now has over two million followers which is pretty amazing. I have like 2000. Her blog has 400,000 visitors a month. So I asked her why she thought she was so successful.
“When I first started sharing recipes on social media, my photos were all taken on an iPhone and it was always the meals I made that day for myself or my family,” she says. “The food wasn’t styled or edited, but it was easy and approachable. I think it resonated with a lot of people seeking ways to eat healthier that was attainable and easy-to-manage. And when others tried recreating my recipes, they had similar results without ‘Pinterest fails’. That encouraged them to try more and share more, which I believe helped me establish credibility in my brand and recipes. And all of that was before I even knew that I was even building a health and wellness brand.”
The Flavors of the World
Jawad has an international background that adds to the creativity of her recipes. She was born in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also lived in Sierra Leone until age 11. When Civil War broke out there, the family moved to Dearborn, Michigan. After marrying, she and her husband, a cardiologist, moved several times as well before ending up in Kalamazoo and now Grand Rapids She first learned to cook traditional Lebanese food but now has exponentially expanded her repertoire but there’s often a Middle East/Mediterranean aspect to her recipes because of their focus on vegetables and healthy ingredients.
Her culinary inspirations, besides her mother include Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame.
“While not all of Ina’s recipes are low calories/low fat, I love her realness, approachability, and passion for cooking,” says Jawad. “She inspires me to be who I am and allow that passion to come through with my recipes without any fluff.”
Curtis Stone is also another food idol because, she says, he is all about eating unprocessed and unpackaged foods as much as possible, which is actually healthier and cheaper.
“This is something that I focus so much on with my wholesome home-cooked meals,” she says.
And because, as the mother of two children, she likes meals that are quick to prepare, she’s a fan of Rachel Ray.
“Rachel rally popularized the idea of 30 minute meals that made home cooking so accessible for so many people; and that is directly in line with my thinking,” says Jawad.
Currently she adds three recipes a week to her blog—meals she’s been making for her family since she learned to cook 12 years ago. Some are inspired by tradition, others by watching cooking shows, reading food magazines, and following social media and focuses on new approaches creating healthy wholesome meals.
“This includes, for example, trends like quinoa crust breadsticks, or cauliflower pizza or sweet potato toast,” says Jawad. “I keep up with the latest trends and test new ideas myself and then add my own twist to them, usually by making the prep easier or by swapping some ingredients to personalize the recipe.”
Recipe Data Base
She’s also adding to the recipe data base on her blog.
For those who wonder how to incorporate new foods into their kitchen repertoire, she has some tips. When she used to discover new produce at farmers’ markets, she’d ask the grower for suggestions. Now, Jawad uses the vegetables or fruits in a way that makes it more connected to what she knows.
“I recommend experimenting with it in a way that you normally eat other similar foods,” she says. “For instance, since rutabaga is a root vegetable, I would prepare it similar in a similar way to other root vegetables by roasting it because I know I would naturally enjoy that more than steaming it. I would also recommend trying something new in smaller quantities and having others to share it with. It makes the process more enjoyable to try a new ingredient or recipe with other taste testers. When it comes to kids, the same advice applies. But also, I strongly recommend having kids help in the purchase and preparation of ingredients. It gets them more excited about what they make because they feel more invested in the process. When all else fails, mask it in a smoothie or blended soup.”
The following recipes are courtesy of Yumna Jawad.
Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 onion diced
3 large carrots peeled, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
3 celery stalks small diced
2-3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 cup orzo pasta
1/8 teaspoon turmeric optional
Juice of 1-2 lemons to taste
Fresh parsley
Place chicken and scraps from the outer layers and end of the onions, carrots, and celery along with a couple bay leaves in a large stock pot. Add bay leaves and 8-10 cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken and shred; then strain the chicken broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetable scraps and bay leave
Heat oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, orzo, rosemary, and turmeric (if using). Then return the broth to the stockpot and bring a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the orzo is cooked, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with fresh parsley or mint, if desired.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice each potato into even 1/4 inch thick sticks.
Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper.
Cook in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your basket without overcrowding the pan until they’re crispy. I recommend 12 minutes, turning halfway. This may vary based on your air fryer.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce
Quinoa Patties
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
½ red onion finely chopped
½ cup mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup breadcrumbs
Water as needed add moisture
1 tablespoon canola oil
For the Avocado Yogurt Dip
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
½ cup yogurt
½ avocado extra ripe
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in onions, cheese, garlic, and cilantro. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Feel free to add water if the mixture feels too dry. Form the mixture into 6-8 patties.
Frying Instructions:Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Place add quinoa on the heated pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan and cook until the patties are golden color, about 7 – 10 per side minutes.
Baking Instructions:Place the quinoa patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the oil on top of the patties. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes, until golden.
To make the avocado yogurt sauce, whisk together the cilantro, avocado and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the cooked quinoa patties.
Notes
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the patties before or after cooking them.
To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook per instructions.
To freeze them after cooking, simply store them in an airtight bag after they’ve cooled. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
Instead of eggs, you can use a flax eggs. For each regular egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water.
Any type of shredded cheese can be used in place of mozzarella.
If you prefer not to use breadcrumbs, you can use a gluten-free flour like almond flour or oat flour, or you can also use panko breadcrumbs.
“Satisfy your sweet tooth with a plant-based treat in under 10 minutes,” Jawad says about the following recipe. “3-ingredient chia pudding is the perfect pick-me-up. High in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, this recipe is as good for you as it tastes.”
3-Ingredient Chia Pudding
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup almond milk or milk of choice
1 teaspoon honey or other sweetener
Strawberries, blueberries, or other fruit
Pour all ingredients into a Mason jar and mix well. Let sit for a few minutes and then stir again until it is smooth and there’s no clumping.
Cover the jar and store in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
When you’re ready to eat, top with your favorite fruit and serve.
Here’s what I learned about Buddy Valastro aka the Cake Boss and star of TLC’s Cake Boss and Kitchen Boss, after meeting him and watching him cook a fantastic meal for the five grand winners of the KitchenAid Make the Cut Sweepstakes by hhgregg at the Senior PGA several summers ago in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The first is that he’s warm and witty, the second he can whip up a multi-course dinner in an amazing short period of time, and the third is he doesn’t measure.
Chopping up a big pile of pancetta (a type of Italian bacon and no, we didn’t learn how much), he adds it to a big pot (“I like to cook family style”) along with finely chopped shallots and minced garlic.
“If you don’t have shallots, you can use onions,” he says. “It ain’t gonna kill you.”
Next come the tomatoes that the Valastros can each fall – some hundred bushels and a large pile of basil – an ingredient he describes as the most important.
“When you cut it,” he says. “It releases all the flavors.”
And next – well, let’s just say it was lucky there wasn’t a heart specialist in the group.
“You’re going to go crazy when you see how much salt I put in this,” he says, scooping up what looks like a huge handful of salt from a bowl and throwing it into his pasta sauce. “But believe me you need it.”
Watching Valastro, we all wonder how much salt he used.
“I don’t measure,” he says after someone asks. “I ain’t going to lie to you.”
Indeed, when Buddy cooks, several of his crew watch him, trying to estimate the amounts he uses to translate them into recipes for his food shows and cookbooks.
“Anytime I cook with tomatoes, I always put in a little sugar,” he says. “Maybe because I’m a baker, maybe because I’m a sweet guy.”
He also likes to keep a piece of bread nearby to dip in the sauce to taste for seasoning.
While he’s talking, he brings us up to speed on Cake Boss, the reality show based upon Carlo’s Bakery, his fourth generation bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. There are now more Carlo’s Bakery locations as well as Carlo’s Bake Shop Vending Machines including one in Las Vegas.
“It’s pretty wild,” he says. “I do a life sized Betty White cake.”
Next, he adds cream to the pasta sauce so the red turns pink.
“Sometimes I do what my dad used to do which is whip the cream before adding it,” says Valastro. “This is old school Italian.”
After throwing in a “smidge” more basil and telling us we can add as much cream as we want, we get to eat the sauce after he ladles it over bowtie shaped pasta. Served with a round of polenta, a caprese salad – freshly made mozzarella layered with tomatoes and basil leaves and drizzled with olive oil, Buddy starts on the cannoli – rolled pastry shells stuffed with a thick rich cream made of ricotta cheese, cream, sugar and a touch of cinnamon oil.
“Don’t be cheap with the cannoli cream,” he says, using a pastry bag to extrude a large amount into the rolls. “The trick to making the rolls is lard. But it’s hard. You have to fry them and wind them around a stick. I did a demo of it once at DisneyWorld and I was like stressing. This is one of the recipes in my book that I say good luck. Better to buy some good shells somewhere.”
Buddy Valasco with big smile.
When Buddy finally is finished cooking a meal that seems like it should have taken days – the elapsed time is about an hour — he has produced a warm tomato basil soup, garlic cheese bread, veal picante, the pasta dish, the caprese salad, polenta as well as cannoli for dessert.
“I want to bring back a time,” he says in closing, “I want to let the basil talk, the garlic talk, I want to cook from the heart. That’s what it’s all about.”
Caprese Salad
2 ripe tomatoes, cut 1/4″ slices across the equator
1 pound best quality fresh mozzarella cheese, cut 1/4″ slices
Fresh whole leaves of basil, approximately 15-20 leaves of assorted sizes
Best quality flavorful extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Coarse salt
Coarse grindings black pepper
On a serving platter, lay down the slices of tomato and sprinkle with salt. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes until tomatoes exude some juices. Lay mozzarella on top of the tomatoes, season with sprinklings of salt and grindings of pepper.
Drizzle olive oil to taste over all. Oil will mingle with the tomato juices to create a flavorful sauce.
Scatter fresh basil leaves decoratively over all.
Pasta with Pink Sauce
½ pound pancetta
2 – 4 shallots
28-ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
1 to 3 cloves garlic
½ cup or more fresh basil
¼ to ½ cup grated Romano cheese
½ to 1 cup heavy cream
Salt, pepper and sugar, to taste
1 pound farfalle or bowtie pasta
Finely slice up the shallots and garlic. Cut the pancetta into chunks. Sauté the shallots over medium heat.
After a couple of minutes add in the garlic and the pancetta. Cook for a few minutes and then add tomatoes.
Add a dash of sugar, salt, pepper and bring it to a roaring boil for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
Next add the heavy cream. You can cook your pasta at any time but you only want to cook it al dente because it’ll continue to cook in the pan with the sauce.
Cook for another couple of minutes. Then drain the farfalle and dump it right into the pink sauce.
Cook it at high heat for another minute so that it absorbs the sauce.
Finish with fresh basil and some grated Romano cheese.
Leftovers make me feel guilty. More than they should, they frequently sit and sit in my refrigerator until, as my mother would say, “they’ve served their time” and can be thrown out for good reason—they’re no longer edible. There must be a better way.
The trick, says Garcia, a holistic nutritionist who created the blog Fed + Fit, is to create twin recipes such as Dry-Rubbed Barbecue Brisket and then transform it into a second meal–the very yummy Cheesesteak-Stuffed Peppers and her leftover Roasted Garlic Turkey Breast becomes Spiced Turkey Potato Soup. Both twin meal shave different flavor profiles but enough commonality that it’s easy to adapt each one of a series into a second day dinner without fuss.
In one dinner series, Garcia takes simply roasted cauliflower florets, transforming them into what she describes as a “craveable, nourishing General Tso’s take on cauliflower and then into the most satisfying tacos inspired by tinga, a Mexican stew.
The bold flavors of the sauces and the way we quickly re-crisp the cauliflower creates the magic. You will not be bored by these dishes, and I bet you’ll find yourself craving them often.”
She also provides tips, substitution ideas, and a list of categories such as dairy-free, egg-free, freezes easily, gluten-free option, and nut-free to help those on special diets know which recipes will work for them.
“I really like the idea of being able to bridge tonight’s effort into a meal in the future,” says Garcia, who lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband and two children. “If you don’t get ahead, you’ll feel like you’re constantly catching up.”
We can all identify with that.
The recipes below are from Cook Once Dinner Fix by Cassy Joy Garcia.
MEAL 1
General Tso’s Cauliflower
Serves 4
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
4 medium heads cauliflower (21/2 pounds total), cut into florets
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
11/2 cups uncooked white rice, rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1⁄3 cup honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (see Tip)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (sliced on an angle), for garnish
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, for garnish.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Toss the cauliflower florets with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, then divide them between two rimmed baking sheets, arranging them in an even layer, and sprinkle with the salt. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops of the florets start to brown.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package instructions.
In a large skillet or wok, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, cornstarch, and broth and whisk until well combined and smooth. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Transfer half the cooked cauliflower (about 6 cups) to an airtight container and refrigerate to use for Meal 2 (it will keep for up to 5 days). Add the remaining cauliflower to the pan with the sauce. Toss to combine, then remove from the heat.
Serve the cauliflower over the rice, garnished with the green onions and sesame seeds.
TIPS
Garcia says to ook for chili garlic sauce, a bright red Vietnamese condiment, in the international foods aisle. She uses the Huy Fong brand with the rooster on it– the same brand as her favorite Sriracha.
If you like less heat, use just 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce to make the dish milder.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, use a vegan fish sauce.
MEAL 2
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
Serves 4
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
About 6 cups roasted cauliflower (reserved from Meal 1; see page 244)
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 avocado, thinly sliced, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a large bowl, whisk together the chipotles, tomato paste, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and 6 tablespoons water. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly.
Spread the cauliflower evenly over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cauliflower florets start to darken.
Divide the roasted cauliflower among the tortillas. Top with the avocado, cilantro, and onion and serve, with the lime wedges alongside for squeezing over the top.
Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Fresh Arugula Salad
Serves 2
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
For the Roasted Chicken
1 (4- to 4 1/2-pound) whole chicken
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Roasted Potatoes
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Fresh Arugula Salad
4 cups arugula
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the butter and garlic until well combined.
Rub about half the garlic butter over the outside of the chicken. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and smear the rest of the garlic butter under the skin.
Place the chicken in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips under the joint where the wing meets the chicken’s body. Using about 6 inches of kitchen twine, tie the ends of the drumsticks together.
Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the juices run clear and/or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of a thigh registers 165°F. If the skin starts to brown too deeply, tent the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil.
Meanwhile, roast the potatoes: In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Spread them out over a rimmed baking sheet and season with the salt.
When the chicken has been in the oven for 35 minutes, put the potatoes in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until they start to look golden brown.
When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven, tent it with foil (if it’s not already tented), and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the arugula salad: Place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and massage the dressing into the leaves. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Carve the legs, thighs, and wings from the chicken, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate to use for Meal 2 (it will keep for up to 5 days). Carve the chicken breasts from the chicken and divide them between two plates.
Serve the chicken with the potatoes and arugula salad alongside.
MEAL 2
Butter Chicken Bowls with White Rice
Serves 2
Active time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Cooked chicken legs, thighs, and wings (reserved from Meal 1), skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter or ghee
1 tablespoon grated garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from about 1/2 inch)
2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (from one 18-ounce can)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 cup uncooked white rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat in the spice mixture.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and caute for 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant but not browned.
Add the seasoned chicken to the pan, reserving any spice mixture left in the bowl, and sear, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom, then stir and sear for 3 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, whisk together the tomatoes, yogurt, cream, lemon juice, and any remaining spice mixture until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until fragrant and slightly reduced in volume.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package instructions.
Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes more, then remove from the heat.
Serve the chicken over the rice, garnished with the cilantro.
Looking for a last minute Halloween treat that’s not only yummy, but healthy to counteract all that Candy Corn, caramel corn, and other candies we’re going to overeat? We’ve got good news for you. Catherine McCord has you covered. McCord, founder of Weelicious, a website created as a motivating guide combining her own experiences in creating healthy and delicious meals with fact-based research on children and food.
McCord, the author of Weelcious: One Family. One Meal featuring 140 original “fast, fresh and easy” recipes and Weelicious Lunches: Think Outside the Lunchbox, takes one of her childhood favorite desserts—pudding cups and recreates it into Chocolate Tofu Pudding Cups served in small clay flowerpots for a perfect Halloween treat. And honestly, it’s so good, no one will realize that it’s healthy.
Chocolate Tofu Pudding Cups
14-ounce package soft silken tofu (McCord suggests House Foods soft silken or Mori-Nu firm silken)
1/3 cup pure cocoa powder
1/3 cup agave nectar (feel free to use a little more if you want it sweeter)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
24 chocolate wafers (McCord likes using Famous Chocolate Wafers)
Gummy Worms (Okay, it’s candy so we’re open to suggestions for a wholesome substitute that people would want to eat. But until then, either skip the Gummies and lose the great visual presentation or just focus on how healthy tofu is for you,)
4 small clay flowerpots
Place the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine.
Scrape down the sides of the food processor. Blend again to make sure everything is incorporated.
Place 4 whole chocolate wafers in the bottom of the clay pots so none of the pudding goes through the hole at the bottom of the pots.
Divide the chocolate tofu pudding between the 4 pots.
Place the remaining 20 wafers in a Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin, crush into small pieces resembling dirt.
Sprinkle the crushed wafers on top of the pots and then place the gummy worms in the pots.
Serve.
Pizza Mummies
2 English muffins, cut in half
8 teaspoons pizza sauce
2 mozzarella cheese sticks
3 green olives with pimentos
Preheat oven to 400℉.
Place the English muffin halves on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove muffins from oven and spread 2 teaspoons of the pizza sauce onto each English muffin half.
Peel the mozzarella sticks into strings and decoratively arrange them on top of each English muffin. Slice the green olives into 1/4 inch thick rings and place them on top of the cheese to create eyes.
Bake mummies for 3 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Only six or so when she started helping out in the kitchen, Tiffani Thiessen grew up in a family where dinners were a gathering time to enjoy great cooking and conversations. She upped her game from traditional American fare when she and other stars from “Saved by the Bell” toured in Europe.
“It definitely impacted me,” says Thiessen who played Kelly Kapowski on the hit TV show and was 16 at the time. “I learned all about wine, cheese and all types of different foods when we traveled in France, Italy and Holland.”
This love of food and conviviality was so intense that though Thiessen continued with her acting career (she was Valerie Malone on “Beverly Hills 90210” and starred for four years in the series “Alexa & Katie”), she also segued into cooking, hosting both the long running “Dinner at Tiffani’s” on the Cooking Channel and “Deliciousness,” the MTV show that looks at food blunders, restaurant fails, and other funny food and drink moments. As if that wasn’t enough to keep any mom of two young children busy enough, Thiessen spent three years writing Pull Up a Chair: Recipes from My Family to Yours(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $30), which was released several years ago but remains as fresh and innovative, warm and inviting as ever.
Describing cooking as therapeutic as well as artistic and creative, Thiessen’s recipes include new dishes, those she collected through the years and family favorites, some that she tweaked including her mom’s beef stroganoff which the family ate once a week when she was young.
“I wasn’t a big fan,” says Thiessen, adding that her mom’s stroganoff was very traditional and included stirring sour cream in at the end so that it took on the appearance of dog food—her words not ours, Mrs. Thiessen. Tiffani’s tweaked it into a beef and mushroom Stroganoff with creamy polenta, spinach and a touch of brandy. The sour cream is served on the side.
Did that hurt you mom’s feelings? I ask.
“No, I have one of the most supportive families,” she says.
There’s also a cowboy twang to some of her dishes such as the short rib beef enchiladas and three cheese queso, since husband Brady Smith is a meat-loving Texas boy. Her son Holt gobbles up her mac and cheese and Thiessen says Harper her eight-year-old daughter loves to decorate pizzas.
“I don’t think of myself as anything but a home cook and my recipes are easy but everything I cook is with love and passion and that’s what Pull Up a Chair is all about,” says Thiessen, who, during our phone interview, calls me sweetheart and dear.
That friendliness as well as the sumptuousness of her cookbook—125 recipes and lots of full page color photos of both luscious-looking food and family (and yes, her husband is handsome and her children adorable), makes me long to get an invitation to dine at her house.
Since that won’t be happening, I did a little pre-interview stalking watching videos of Thiessen cooking in her kitchen and then displaying part of her cookbook collection.
“I love cookbooks, I love the look, the aesthetics of them” she says when I mention my sleuthing. “Most people I’m close to would say I have a problem. I don’t use some of them that much, as my husband points out, but there’s just something I like about having them around.”
I can identify with that having heard similar comments from both my husband and daughter. Another reason to get that dinner invitation. But until then, I have the cookbook and can create the recipes in my own home.
Pickle & Potato Salad
Serves 6
1½ pounds tricolored small potatoes
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the potatoes
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup chopped sweet pickles
3 tablespoons pickle juice (from the jar)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Paprika, for garnish
Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them rest until they’re cool enough to handle. Cut each one in half.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sweet pickles, pickle juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
In a separate large bowl, combine the halved potatoes, eggs, and red onion and toss with the dressing. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and garnish with the parsley and paprika.
Honey-Ginger Chicken Wings
Serves 6 to 8
½ cup honey (preferably wildflower or mesquite)
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus more zest for garnish
In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, scallions, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Reserve ¾ cup of the mixture in the fridge.
Pour the remaining marinade into a 2-gallon zip-top bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Massage the marinade into the wings. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Before cooking, let the wings stand at room temperature for about 2 hours.
When ready to cook the wings, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the wings from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Season the wings with salt and pepper and place them skin-side down in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spoon some of the marinade over them; discard the remaining marinade. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the wings, basting with the pan drippings. Rotate the pan and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the honey has caramelized and the skin is a dark amber color.
In a small saucepan, bring the reserved ¾ cup marinade (from the fridge) to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the liquid turns into a thick, syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes.
Coat the wings with the glaze, arrange them on a serving platter, and garnish with scallions and lime zest.
“Between my family, my website, my cookbooks, and my TV show, I make a lot of food around here,” writes Ree Drummond about the subject of her newest cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks—Super Easy!“As much as I’ve always loved cooking—and of course, eating. It seems that more and more these days, I’m looking for ways to simplify my life in the kitchen. I find, because they free me up to have more time–and energy–for other areas of my life. This also makes cooking less of a chore and more of a pleasure—exactly what cooking should be.”
Creating 120 shortcut recipes, Drummond offers myriad recipes that can be quickly assembled for a delicious meal. Think Sheet Pan Quesadillas, Grilled Pineapple with Cream, Waffle Sandwiches, Roasted Greek Salad, and Cheeseburger Pizza, to name just a few.
“I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this new generation of recipes,” continues Drummond, “including Butter Pecan French Toast, Buffalo Chicken Totchos, Speedy Dumpling Soup, Broccoli-Cheese Stromboli–so great for kids, and an entire section of pastas and grains, such as One-Pot Sausage Pasta and colorful and fresh Hawaiian Shrimp Bowls.”
At 7 p.m. CT, October 21st, she’ll be at Anderson’s Bookshop to celebrate her newest book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy! All books will be pre-signed; the event will include a presentation and talk from Drummond. The event is being held at Anderson’s Bookshop at Community Christian Church, 1635 Emerson Lane, Napierville, Illinois. Reservations are required and space is limited. Click here to register. To see other stops on Drummond’s book tour, click here.
White Turkey Chili
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 generous tablespoon Tex-Mex or taco seasoning
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
Two 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles, undrained
Two 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
Hot sauce (such as Cholula or Tabasco)
2 tablespoons masa harina (corn flour)
½ cup heavy cream
One 10-ounce bag frozen fire-roasted corn (no need to thaw)
Kosher salt
Sour cream, for serving
1 avocado, sliced
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 limes, cut into wedges
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, sprinkle in the Tex-Mex seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and stir to combine. Add the green chiles, beans and chicken broth. Add a few dashes hot sauce. Stir and bring mixture to a gentle boil.
In a measuring cup, combine the masa and heavy cream; stir with a fork into a thick paste. Pour the masa mixture into the soup then stir and let chili cook and thicken for about 10 minutes. When the chili is thick and bubbling, add the corn. Stir until the corn is hot, about 2 minutes. Taste and add salt and more seasoning if needed.
Serve topped with sour cream, avocado, hot sauce and Monterey Jack. Have lime wedges for squeezing.
Makes 6-8 servings
From “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy!” by Ree Drummond
Years of fame from authoring best selling cookbooks, hosting TV cooking shows, opening restaurants and gourmet food stores, including the many Eataly stores including the one in Chicago that opened eight years ago, and creating her own line of pastas, sauces and readymade foods hasn’t even slightly dimmed Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s enthusiasm for spreading the word about the glories of Italian cuisine. Indeed, if she had her way, we’d all be experts in Italian cooking.
“Italian food is very simple,” Bastianich tells me as we chat about her cookbooks including one of my favorites, Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking: 150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Anyone Can Master (Knopf $35), which she co-authored with her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali. “It’s all about good ingredients and not fretting about the recipes.”
Passing on the traditions learned from helping her mother and grandmother cook, Bastianich revels in the email and comments she gets from fans crediting her with teaching them how to cook Italian.
“People think I don’t know how to make an artichoke or risotto or pasta,” she says, “and when they learn, they are so excited. At one of my book signings, a woman told me that when her kids get home from school and they ask what’s for dinner, if she says I’m cooking Lidia, they’re happy.”
In her book, Bastianich expounds on using our judgment when it comes to cooking.
“We all have commonsense in life, in the kitchen we all have it too, this book brings it out,” she says. “It’s straightforward. Recipes are not law. It’s okay to change a recipe according to what we have in the house. I want people to be comfortable with food.”
Intense food memories of her grandmother’s Italian kitchen mix with those of coming to America at age 11 at a time when the Italian ingredients we take for granted now—fresh ricotta, pasta and mozzarella, a wide selection of Italian charcuterie, the Arborio rice necessary for making risotto and high end canned tomatoes—were difficult if not impossible to find. Bastianich describes herself as feeling “yanked from a cocoon.” And indeed life was much different. From milking goats and helping harvest the seasonal garden bounty, she instead wanted to be American which meant eating like an American.
“I was intrigued by Jell-O and TV dinners because that’s what being Americans was— heat up a TV dinner and sit in front of the TV to eat,” she recalls. “Sometimes my mom would give me a fried zucchini sandwich for school. I was so embarrassed. In high school and college you did what your peers do. My mother was very upset.”
Fortunately, not only for her mother but for American home cooks, Bastianich, realizing she had a heritage that was rich, reconnected to her roots and became an advocate for real food versus what she calls American “utility” food.
“My father never would have eaten a TV dinner,” she says. “Food has given me so much. If I can share that it’s a great gift.”
Sidebar: Mega Italian
Partnering with her son Joe as well as several others, Bastianich opened the 50,000-square-foot Eataly in Manhattan over a decade ago, the group then brought the concept of all thing’s Italian cuisine-wise to other cities including Chicago. The two-story 60,000-square-foot store features a plethora of restaurants, cooking classes a gelateria for gelato lovers and enough retail food vendors to send even the most blasé foodie into overdrive. On October 22 & 23, Eataly is presenting their Tuscan Wine & Cheese event, a focus on artisanal cheeses, regional wines, and seasonal bites on October 22 & 23, Eataly Restaurant Fest until October 31, and How to Eataly offering tips for living and eating better as well as getting the most out of fall until November 1. As for other events, there are cooking classes, market tours, and more all the time.
The following recipes are from Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking.
Chicken Breast with Orange and Gaeta Olives Pollo con Olive ed Aranci
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds thin sliced chicken cutlets
1 teaspoon kosher salt
all-purpose flour for dredging
1 large red onion, sliced
1 cup pitted Gaeta or Kalamata olives, halved
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fennel powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and lightly dredge it in flour. Lightly brown the chicken in the skillet (you want the chicken to end up with a blonde-colored crust and slowly build the color, and flavor, up) on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Cook the chicken in batches, if necessary, depending on the size of your skillet. Remove to a plate as it is colored.
Once the chicken is colored, add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the olives, orange juice and zest, white wine and fennel powder. Add chicken back to the skillet and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce coats the chicken, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with remaining salt, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.
Food Network Ina Garten Panettone Bread Pudding
Lidia’s Pear Bread Pudding
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream, plus more to whip for garnish
4 cups day- old 1/2-inch country- bread cubes, crusts removed
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the baking dish with softened butter. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the vanilla, and lemon zest, and whisk to lighten the mixture. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Add the bread and pears, and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the almond slices.
Bake until the pudding is set and puffy and the top is golden, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes; serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with whipped cream.
Serving Size
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Apple Cake
Serves 4
2.2 pounds golden delicious apples
2 eggs
3.5 ounces flour
3.5 ounces sugar
3.5 ounces Amaretti
3.5 ounces butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 pack yeast for baking
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an -8– or -9–inch springform pan.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and white sugar until pale and light, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and fluffy, another minute or two. Beat in the vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer with the lemon zest, and mix until just combined. In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, and walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and then sprinkle with the apple mixture.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a rack, then unmold, and cut into wedges to serve.
Red, white, and blue food is always part of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and so this year, I turned to Catherine McCord, founder of Weelicious, a website and cookbooks dedicated to healthy eating, getting kids into the kitchen and to the table. She also is co-founder of One Potato, the first organic home meal delivery kit service designed getting family meals together in 30 minutes or less and that are kid-friendly so that children can help. All the ingredients for One Potato are pre-prepped, making it easy indeed.
A former model, actress, and culinary school graduate McCord, the mother of three, who has been on the cover of such magazines as Glamour and Elle magazines, also appears as a judge on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games.
Named by people magazine as “one of the 50 most influential “Mommy Bloggers.” She updates her blog with a new recipe a day. Visit her at www.weelicious.com
The following recipes are courtesy of McCord.
Fourth of July Parfaits (makes 8 parfaits)
Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 0 mins
Angel food cake (store bought or homemade, recipe below)
1 cup strawberries, stemmed & quartered
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
Coconut whipped cream (recipe below)
Homemade Angel Food Cake:
1 cup cake flour, sifted
2/3 cup powdered sugar
12 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cut the angel food cake into 2-inch cubes.
Alternately layer the angel food cake, coconut whipped cream, and berries in clear glasses or mason jars so you can see all the colors and textures.
Homemade Angel Food Cake:
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Whisk the flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium-low speed for about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high until the egg whites are very foamy and barely form soft peaks, about 45 seconds longer. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat on medium-high speed until whites are firm and glossy and hold stiff peaks (if you over beat, the meringue will look dry and curdled). Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice.
Sift one-third of the dry ingredients over the meringue. Continue to beat on low speed until just incorporated. Continue the sifting and mixing process 2 more times. Remove the bowl from the standing mixer and fold batter several times with a large spatula to make sure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Pour half of the batter into ungreased tube pan. Using a spatula push the batter all around the pan as it will help with a more even cake after baking. Scrape remaining batter into pan and spread the top evenly.
Bake the cake about 40 minutes or until top is puffy and golden. Immediately invert the pan onto a baking rack. Allow the cake to cool at least 1 hour. Turn the cake right side up and using a thin metal spatula, cut around sides and loosen cake. Release the tube from the cake pan. Using thin metal spatula, loosen cake from bottom. Invert cake onto a plate or cake stand and remove bottom. Allow to cool thoroughly before cutting into cubes.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Makes 1 ½ cups
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Place the jar of coconut milk in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
Being careful to not shake the can, open the coconut milk.
Spoon out the thick coconut cream into a large bowl, which is about 2/3 of the can. Once you get to the liquid, stop and discard or save for smoothies.
Beat the coconut cream with a handheld electric or stand mixer for 1 minute.
Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 30 more seconds.
Fruit Wands
1 watermelon
2 pints blueberries
20 skewers
Slice the watermelon into 1/2 inch round slices, and then cut out star shapes using a three-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.
Gently slide the blueberries on wooden skewers* and finally place a watermelon star on the top.
Place the skewers in a tall glass or in decorated floral foam as an eatable centerpiece.
Red, White & Blue Pops
Makes 8 Popsicles, depending on the size of your molds
Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 0 mins
12-ounce bag frozen blueberries, defrosted
6 tablespoons agave, divided (you can also use honey)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk (you can use cow’s milk, almond, rice or soy)
12-ounce bag frozen raspberries, defrosted
Place defrosted blueberries and 2 tablespoons agave or honey in a blender and puree until smooth.
Pour the blueberry puree 1/3 way up each popsicle mold and freeze for 30-45 minutes.
Combine the yogurt, milk, and 2 tablespoons of agave or honey in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Pour yogurt mixture 2/3 way up the popsicle molds on top of the blueberry mixture, gently tap to even out the yogurt layer, and freeze for another 30-45 minutes.
Place defrosted raspberries and 2 tablespoons agave or honey in a blender and blend until smooth.
Finish the popsicles by pouring the raspberry puree over the yogurt, place sticks in and freeze 6 hours to overnight, until frozen through.
*Because all popsicle molds are different sizes, you may have left overs. You can refrigerate the remaining berry purees and use as toppings for yogurt, granola, pancakes, etc.
This article also appeared in the Food section of the Herald Palladium.
Amy Zitelman takes tahini, a ground sesame paste used in making hummus, to the next level in her new cookbook, The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal(Agate 2021; $29). Zitelman, CEO of Soom, a Philadelphia-based company that makes tahini products, is part of the ever expanding hummus craze. You don’t have to think that far back to remember when hummus, the Arabic word for chickpeas, was just a plain Middle Eastern chickpea dip usually served with warm pita bread. Now hummus, whose historic roots go back to 13th century Egypt where the climate and soil are just right for growing chickpeas, comes in more than 20 flavors such as beet, roasted red pepper, basil tomato, and chipotle.
The world hummus market, according to Market Research Future, is forecast to grow at a rate of nearly 13% per year until 2027. That’s a lot of chickpeas. But Zitelman, who founded Soom Foods with her sisters Shelby and Jackie, wants it to be more than an ingredient for just one single dish no matter how popular it is.
The three sisters formed Soom after a trip to Israel where they tasted a carrot cake made by Jackie’s mother-in-law. It was so delicious that they wanted to make it back home in the U.S. but couldn’t find the type of tahini needed. Since then, Zitelman has been named to Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” class of 2018 and their products featured in the New York Times and food magazines such as Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. Soom specializes in tahini products such as their single source origin premium tahini and Soom Chocolate Sweet Tahini though they’ve also added another Middle Eastern ingredient– Silan Date Syrup–a natural sweetener made exclusively with dates from the Jordan Valley. They source their sesame seeds from the Humera region of Ethiopia that is considered the prime place to grow them.
The cookbook, co-authored with award winning writer Andrew Schloss, rifts on various ways you can used tahini which makes a great substitute for eggs, mayonnaise, cream, and cheese. Vegan and kosher, Soom’s tahini is also gluten, paleo, and dairy free. Divided into seven chapters– tahini basics, savory and sweet sauces, hummus and other dips, breakfast, main dishes, sweets, sandwiches, salads, and sides– Zitelman has created easy recipes for each category. Included are the carrot cake recipe that started it all that Zitelman describes as super moist and rich with the tahini giving it a nutty aftertaste. Another plus, because using tahini reduces the amount of oil in the recipe, cake never gets greasy the way many carrot cakes do. There’s also chicken schnitzel, sugar cookie that’s similar to, according to Zitelman, a classic peanut butter cookie crossed with shortbread.
Sesame seeds date as far back as 5000 BCE to India says Zitelman.
Her goal is to make tahini with its ancient roots a favorite of American home cooks. If that sounds farfetched, consider the increasing popularity for condiments such as Tabasco, Sriracha and pesto as well as a variety of flavored mayonnaise, barbecue sauces, and mustards.
Tahini Chicken Schnitzel
Serves 4
2 cups Creamy Tahini Vinaigrette (below)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon harissa seasoning or other dried hot pepper seasoning, divided
4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs or cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Mild vegetable oil, such as grapeseed, for frying
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, dill, or thyme (optional)
Mix the tahini vinaigrette, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of the harissa in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (one with a handle and a spout). Pour half of vinaigrette mixture into a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag and set the rest aside.
Flatten the chicken breast halves by pushing down on the thicker parts with the flat of your palm, until each piece of chicken is no more than 1 inch thick at its thickest part. Try to make the thickness the same for each piece to keep the frying time consistent. Put the chicken in the bag with the vinaigrette mixture. Seal the bag, leaving an inch open at the corner, and squeeze the empty parts to force out any air. Zip it fully closed. Massage the bag to disperse the liquid all around the chicken and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour; longer (up to 24 hours) is better.
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, mix the breadcrumbs and all-purpose flour, salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of harissa on a plate.
Set a wire rack on a rimmed sheet pan or on a sheet of aluminum foil beside your flour plate. Designating one hand for only the dry flouring and one hand for only the wet chicken, use the “wet” hand to lift one piece of chicken from the marinade, allow any excess to drip back into the bag, and put the chicken in the flour.
With your “dry” hand, flip the flour all around the edges of the chicken. Without touching the wet parts, use the same hand to flip the chicken over. Keep flipping until the chicken is well coated. With the same dry hand, lift the chicken and shake it gently to remove any loose flour, then transfer it to the prepared rack. Repeat this process with the rest of the chicken pieces, remembering to use your designated hands to prevent battering your fingers.
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and fill with 1 inch of oil. Warm until an instant-read thermometer registers 355°F, about 5 minutes. (If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the temperature by sticking the end of a wooden spoon into the middle of the oil. If bubbles form within a few seconds, it’s up to temp.) Turn the heat down to medium-low. Set a clean wire rack over another sheet pan or sheet of foil next to the stove.
Gently slip the breaded chicken into the hot oil, being careful not to splash. Fry until golden brown on the bottom side, about 3 minutes. (If it’s still not brown at 5 minutes, turn up the heat a little.) Flip the chicken pieces over and fry on the other side until browned, about 3 minutes more. Be patient when frying. Rushing will make the crust too dark and hard. We’re going for a lightly golden and delicately crisp crust.
Drain the chicken on the clean rack for a few seconds, then transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle some of the reserved vinaigrette mixture over the chicken and serve the rest on the side. Scatter the herbs (if using) over the top and serve right away.
Creamy Tahini Vinaigrette
Makes about 1¾ cups
⅓ cup premium tahini paste
2 tablespoons brown or Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced with coarse sea salt
½ cup ice-cold water
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk the tahini, mustard, garlic, water, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. It should be the consistency of a creamy salad dressing, like ranch.
Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Tahini Sugar Cookies
Makes 30 cookies
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup premium tahini paste
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons raw sugar, such as demerara or turbinado, and/or sesame seeds (optional)
Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Turn the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Beat the butter, tahini, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until just combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a small bowl, then stir the flour mixture into the batter until it is no longer visible.
Scoop the batter with a 1-tablespoon measure and arrange as mounds on the prepared pans, about 1 ½ inches apart. You should be able to fit 10 cookies per sheet. Wet your hands and flatten the mounds so that each is about ⅜ inch thick. Sprinkle the tops with the raw sugar or sesame seeds (if using).
Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 10 minutes, switching the pans between racks halfway through. Cool the cookies on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. When the pans are at room temperature again, form the remaining batter into cookies and bake in the same way.
Store in a closed container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Reprinted with permission from The Tahini Table by Amy Zitelman, Agate Publishing, November 2020.
