This last week, I had the honor of teaching a really special group of people some basic culinary techniques. I was invited by a local girl scout troop to help some Brownies and Juniors earn badges for learning about healthy snacks and how to prepare basic meals. With only an hour together, these lovely young ladies and I took a kitchen tour, explored essential kitchen tools and equipment, and prepared four separate recipes. We even had enough time to eat lunch.
The first thing that I taught them was to get a good handle on their surroundings. We explored the kitchen making a special note about the stove and oven, where ingredients are kept (pantry and refrigerator), where to wash our hands and clean up our messy dishes, and where to find the necessary equipment to prepare a meal. The ladies worked together to gather up all of the various tools that they were going to need by completing a kitchen scavenger hunt to find cookie sheets, a spatula, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, an oven mitt, parchment paper, a blender, tongs, and a mixing spoon. Then we arranged all of our ingredients into groups sorted by which recipe they were used in. Finally, we got down to business focusing on some healthy recipes.
The girls learned about “Mise en Place,” the term used in professional kitchens to describe
the organizing and arranging of the workspace, ingredients, and equipment before beginning to
cook. It translates directly from French as “to put in place." There are generally five steps to being prepared before cooking: read the recipe all the way through; prepare your workspace; prepare your equipment, make sure everything is clean; gather your ingredients; prepare your ingredients.
The first recipe we made was a blueberry, vanilla, almond trail mix. We preheated the oven to 325 degrees and toasted the almonds for five minutes before mixing them with maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Once the almonds were thoroughly coated, we baked them again for 15 minutes until they were sticky, crunchy, and delicious. The almonds were combined with freeze-dried blueberries and dried apples to make a savory and sweet nutritious snack.
The second recipe we prepared was a throw-back to my days as an 80’s era latchkey kid. We made English muffin personal pizzas. Each gal got to customize her pizza by topping them with sauce, seasoning, and cheese. Then into a 400-degree oven, they went to get melty and gooey. While the pizzas were cooking, we completed our lunch by preparing a tasty salad. The girls mixed salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado dressed with a raspberry vinaigrette. Finally, we made a delicious smoothie with frozen strawberries, local honey, a banana, and coconut milk.
I was so happy to be able to provide a little bit of guidance, encouragement, and inspiration to these young ladies. At the end of the afternoon, they told me that they all felt confident that they could make these recipes again on their own (or with their parents). I hope that this weekend’s experience inspires them to try cooking other recipes and exploring their creativity in the kitchen.
Here are the recipes for our Girl Scout tasty trail mix and delicious fruit smoothie:
Blueberry & Almond Trail Mix
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole natural almonds
1 T olive oil
1 T maple syrup
1 t pure vanilla extract
1/4 t sea salt
1 cup freeze-dried blueberries
1 cup apple chips
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Spread almonds on baking sheet, bake for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt. Pour warmed almonds into the bowl and stir to coat. Spread almonds on baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the almonds are a nice golden brown.
Remove baking sheet from oven, cool almonds for 15 to 20 minutes. Once cooled, mix almonds with freeze-dried blueberries and apple chips. Store in an airtight container for 1 to 2 weeks. The almonds are crunchiest during the first week.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 banana
1 ¾ c coconut milk
2 T honey
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a blender
Puree until smooth.
Comment
Comments