6 minute read
Little Chefs, Big Flavors
Little Chefs, Big Flavors
RECIPES AND TIPS FOR FAMILY FUN IN THE KITCHEN
By Lydia Zerby
Unlocking the magic of the kitchen with children is a journey filled with laughter, learning and delicious discoveries. Cooking together isn’t just about making meals; it’s a bonding experience that fosters essential life skills and ignites a lasting passion for wholesome and nutritious food.
Depending on the child’s age, various tasks can be given to involve children in mealtime making. Younger kids can help with finding ingredients, measuring, pouring and mixing. Elementary school children are at an ideal stage for learning knife safety and honing their skills by cutting soft items such as mushrooms, bananas and hard-boiled eggs. Older kids can help with browning meat, stirring ingredients over a hot stove, baking in the oven and more. Of course, use your discretion for the child’s individual skill level to ensure safety.
Read on to discover several kid-tested and approved recipes. Knowing Iowa farmers grow and raise many of the featured ingredients makes these recipes even more delicious and highlights the connection to Iowa’s agricultural vibrancy.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
• ½ pound ground pork
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 cup diced mushrooms
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups cooked white rice for serving
• Toppings: sliced green onions, black sesame seeds, crispy wonton strips, gojuchang mayo
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the pork until most of the pink has gone, stirring and breaking up the pork as you go.
Add in the diced red onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become tender.
Add in the pre-shredded green and red cabbage and shredded carrots. Stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies start to soften.
In a bowl or glass, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir to combine everything. Cook for one minute.
Using a wooden spoon, make a well in the middle of the pan, pushing the veggies and pork to the sides.
Crack four eggs into the well and allow to cook. Stir occasionally, until the eggs are scrambled and nicely cooked. Allow them to sit for a minute between your stirring so the eggs can set up (if you stir them too much you will have crumbly scrambled egg pieces).
Stir everything together.
Serve with cooked white rice and top with sliced green onions, black sesame seeds, crispy wonton strips and spicy mayo.
Cottage Cheese and Fruit Blender Ice Cream
• 1 ½ cups frozen berries or mango chunks
• ½ cup banana (about 1 small frozen banana), diced
• 1 cup cottage cheese, fat level of choice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Optional: 2-3 basil or mint leaves
Combine frozen fruit in a food processor or high-speed blender and process until the mixture resembles a thick puree.
Add the cottage cheese, honey and herbs (if using) and continue to puree until the mixture is thick and smooth.
For soft-serve-style ice cream, serve immediately with an additional sprig of fresh herbs, if desired.
Alternately, the ice cream can be frozen into a loaf pan for hard-scoop ice cream or frozen into molds for popsicles.
Tip: For perfectly scoopable ice cream, allow loaf pan to thaw in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
Pork Nuggets
• 1 pork loin (1 ½ to 2 pounds)
• 1 box (7-ounces) Cheezits (baked snack crackers)
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup water
• Vegetable oil, for frying
Cut pork into bite-sized pieces.
Pour crackers into a food processor or blender and pulse until they’re fine crumbs; set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs and water; set aside.
Take a piece of pork, dunk in egg mixture, then coat in cracker crumbs; repeat until all pork pieces have been coated.
Use one of the following methods to cook the pork nuggets.
Fry: Pour vegetable oil into a pan until it’s at least 1 ½ inches deep. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F and then fry several pork nuggets at a time for about 3 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees F. Remove the pork nuggets and place on a paper towel-lined plate and repeat until all nuggets are cooked.
Air fry*: Place the nuggets in an even layer in the air fryer, making sure to give some space between the nuggets. Air fry at 375 degrees F for about 6 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees F. Remove the pork nuggets and repeat until all nuggets are cooked.
*Air fryers vary greatly, so you may have to adjust the time and temperature depending on the brand you have.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pork nuggets on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the largest pork nuggets are 145 degrees F.
Serve pork nuggets warm with dipping sauce of choice. Serves six (¼ pound of nuggets each).
Breakfast Bites
• 6 eggs
• ½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon skim milk
• 8 ounces Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles
• Optional: 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, 2 tablespoons diced red or green bell pepper
Crack six eggs into a large bowl. Whisk eggs until yolks are blended in. Add all-purpose seasoning, shredded cheese and skim milk then stir until combined. Add Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles. If desired, mix in green onions and bell pepper.
Spray mini-cupcake pan with nonstick spray. Fill each cup a little over halfway with the egg mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until muffins have risen and are golden brown and set. Remove breakfast bites from pan.
Let muffins cool on a wire rack, then transfer to an airtight container and store in fridge. Before eating, warm two bites in the microwave for 30 seconds.
