After-School Chefs: Localicious

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of touring the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley. Students at Martin Luther King Jr Middle School spend class time each week in this incredible garden. What makes this garden extra special is the kitchen on the far end where students learn to cook using their harvested ingredients. This edible schoolyard setting inspires many little chefs and soon students are begging to try out their new dishes at home for family meals. Let them be your after-school chefs! This dream of having the kids cook dinner has stuck with me and now seems like a wonderful luxury. There are not many things better than having a night off from making dinner.

Child-prepared meals benefit the usual family meal maker as well as the child, especially if that child is a picky eater. Little chefs feel proud of what they have made and are eager to have their family try it. As their passion for cooking grows the picky eaters’ food aversions slip away.

While we may not have a special curriculum or garden of the Edible Schoolyard, we do have access to simple recipes that can inspire the young people in our lives. Below are some ideas to get the creative foodie juices flowing in your house. This may be the perfect once-a-week after-school activity for your family to bond over.

Depending on age and skill level, recipes may need supervision and parental participation.

Quesadillas With Homemade Guacamole

Makes four servings

• 8 6-inch tortillas
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn thawed frozen or canned
• 2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey jack, Colby jack, or cheddar)

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Mix black beans and corn together in a bowl. Place four tortillas on a sheet pan. Evenly spread ¼ cup cheese on each tortilla. Spread ½ cup black bean and corn mixture over cheese tortillas. Add another ¼ cup cheese and top with the remaining four tortillas.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove and let cool five minutes. Optionally, quesadillas can be individually microwaved instead of baked, one minute or until cheese is fully melted.

Top finished quesadillas with guacamole.

Homemade Guacamole

• • 2 ripe avocados
• • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• • 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
• • 1 teaspoon salt
• • ¼ teaspoon cumin

Cut avocados in half and use a spoon to scoop fruit into a bowl. Discard pit. Add remaining ingredients. Mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth and chunky.

Meatballs With Noodles

Makes four to six servings

• 1-pound ground chicken, turkey, or beef
• 2 cups grated zucchini (leave the peel on and squeeze out some of the liquid with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel)
• 2–3 green onions, sliced
• 3–4 tablespoon cilantro, minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet in parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together ground meat, zucchini, green onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Scoop meatballs with a cookie scoop or by the heaped tablespoon and gently place meatballs in rows on cookie sheet. Makes at least 20 meatballs depending on size.

Bake 15–20 minutes, or until cooked through. If desired, place under the broiler for an additional 2–3 minutes to brown.

Noodles

Fill a medium stew pot half full of water and turn stovetop burner on high. When water is boiling pour your family’s favorite noodles into the pot. Stir noodles occasionally and use a fork or spoon to remove a test noodle for doneness. Allow test noodle to cool before tasting it.  If noodle tastes done remove pot from heat. Place a colander in the sink and pour noodles into it. Rinse with cool water. Can toss noodles with olive oil and salt or serve plain. Top with meatballs.  (adapted from onelovelylife.com)

Frittata Muffins

Makes 12 servings

• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups veggies roughly chopped (onion, zucchini, carrot, spinach, etcetera)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 cloves fresh garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• Optional topping:  1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, Parmesan, or your favorite

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin cups.

In a blender or food processor add chopped veggies and water. Blend until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add all remaining frittata ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour mixture into the muffin tin and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake 30–35 minutes or until muffins are domed and slightly golden brown.  (groundedandsurrounded.com)

Localicious is a monthly column celebrating food in the North State. If you would like to suggest a food-related business or organization, email us at  localicious@northstateparent.com.