Ms.Glaze's Teen Cuisine

Crudités with Spinach Dip

Picture by Elspeth Abel

This recipe, besides being simple, is a great way to teach kids how to properly handle a knife and cut safely. Remember dull knives are MORE dangerous than sharp knives due to the increased amount of pressure that one must exert. Big knives should be held with your hand around the bottom part of the blade and top part of the handle, not the back of the handle.

Techniques:
1. Cutting vegetables uniform into sticks
2. Using a food processor

Ingredients:
One cup package frozen chopped spinach
1-2 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
3 Medium carrots
3 Celery sticks
1 Basket cherry tomatoes
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Add the spinach, onions, and garlic to the wet ingredients. Pulse in a food processor until mixed. (spinach must be thawed and drained). Spoon into a bowl and season with salt.
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
3. Serve in a bowl of bread loaf with top cut off. Use bread from inside the bowl for dipping.
4. Carrot sticks: peel carrots and cut off both ends. Cut carrot into equal thirds. Cut a thin slice lengthwise from one side of carrot so that it lies flat on the cutting board. Now do the same to the three remaining sides so the carrot sections are rectangles. Repeat with the other sections. Next, cut the carrot sections into 1/2" sticks and if necessary, those sticks in half lengthwise.
5. Celery sticks: with a vegetable peeler peel off the outer fibers of the celery. cut into three equal sections to match the size of the carrot sticks. Cut each section into matching sticks like the carrots.
6. Cherry tomatoes: wash and leave whole.

kids cooking
spinach dip

Nachos With Salsa Fresca

Picture courtesy of David Schloss

Salsa Fresca means fresh salsa! Be careful when mincing the serrano chili and do not touch your eyes afterwards or they will burn. All pieces should be the same small size (around 1/4") because nobody likes eating big chunks of onion or peppers. If necessary you might have to re-microwave or broil the nachos to get all the cheese to melt.

Techniques learned
Dice: cut piece's evenly into 1/4" strips. Turn strips and cut into even cubes.
Mincing: cut into the smallest cubes possible. Like dicing, but even smaller.
Grating: using big holes on a grater, press cheese against holes in a downward motion.
Broiling: top browning in an oven. Set oven to the highest temperature or to 'Broil'. Place rack on the second rung from the top or so that the dish is 5" away from the top coils. Do not let nachos touch the top or they will burn.

Ingredients:
3-4 tomatoes
1 quarter yellow onion chopped
Five sprigs of cilantro minced
1/2 serrano chili minced
1/2 lime (just the juice)
Salt to taste
Tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Dollop of sour cream
One shallow baking dish

Directions:
1. Cut tomatoes in half. Seed by ripping out the inside pulp with fingers. Press tomato half flat on a cutting board and dice. if possible use a serrated knife so it's easier to cut through the slippery skin.
2. Quarter onion and dice by cutting quarter into strips lengthwise (follow the onion stripes) and then across.
3. Wash cilantro gently and pat dry, pick leaves off sprig, mince.
4. Cut serrano chili in half and rip out seeds. Press chili half flat and mince by cutting into thin long strips and then across.
5. Squeeze 1/2 lime over salsa and toss lightly. The lime will marinade the onion and take away some of it's strong flavor.
6. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Adjust as necessary, the salt will cut some of the lime flavor if it's too powerful. Remember you can always add salt, but you can't take it away, so add slowly.
7. Put chips in baking dish
8. Grate cheese and put over chips
9. Broil for three minutes or until cheese melts
10. Take out with pot holders and spoon salsa over with a dollop of sour cream
11. Eat and enjoy!!!!

kids cooking
salsa fresca