“Mommy, you make the best bread!” Top Gun said as he happily munched on a slice of baked Boston brown bread. We made this to go with our slow cooker Boston baked beans, and the boys later enjoyed slices of it with butter as an after school snack. And like those baked beans, this bread is another easy recipe that the kids can help make, or even make on their own.

Traditional Boston brown bread is steamed in cans for a couple hours, something you may remember your mother or grandmother doing. I’ve been tempted to try it, and I hate to sound cranky, but cans aren’t what they used to be with all the modern coated linings which I would not want to put in a hot oven with my bread. So I bake in pans instead, and we’re happy with the flavor and texture, even if it’s not exactly like the method we fondly remember.

Recipe Notes

I use rye flour, but you can also use whole wheat or graham flour. Many original recipes for Boston brown bread call for melted shortening, but I use canola oil instead. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by pouring a couple tablespoons of lemon juice in a measuring cup then adding lowfat milk until you have two cups, then letting it rest on the counter for about 5 to 10 minutes until it sours.

Baked Boston Brown Bread

Adapted from Yankee Magazine.

Makes 2 loaves.

Equipment

1 large mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl
2 9×5 loaf pans, well greased

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups (180 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (113 g) rye flour
1 cup (170 g) cornmeal
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (160 g) raisins
1/3 cup (80 ml) canola oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (180 ml) unsulphured molasses

Preparation

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F/175° C.

2. In the large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rye flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and raisins. In the medium mixing bowl, stir together the canola oil, egg, buttermilk, and molasses. Stir into the flour mixture, just enough to mix it all together completely, but do not over mix.

3. Pour into the prepared loaf pans, distributing the batter evenly. Baked in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

More Easy Bread Recipes

More Whole Grain Bread Recipes From Around the Blogs

The Perfect Pantry – Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread with Golden Raisins

Cooking on the Side – White Whole Wheat Walnut Bread

Wild Yeast – 70% Rye with Whole Wheat Bread

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Baked Whole Wheat Flatbread with Olive Oil and Za’atar

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Putting a pot of beans in the slow cooker overnight is a great way to cook a meal and have it ready the next day, and it’s also a good way to get the kids to help make the meal, too. Our son Hockey Guy, 9 years old, helped make a pot of Boston baked beans that cooked in the slow cooker, then we put them in the refrigerator and saved them for another day and reheated them in the slow cooker and they tasted even better after another couple hours of cooking.

Traditional Boston baked beans are cooked on low in the oven while covered for about eight hours, then you remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to brown the bacon and the top of the beans. With the slow cooker method you won’t get the same kind of browning, but you can achieve something similar by removing the lid for the last 30 minutes and allow some of the liquid to cook off. Serve with Boston brown bread or brown rice and a salad and you have a complete meal.

Here’s how to make it, as demonstrated by Hockey Guy.

After soaking and simmering the beans, slice the bacon (or salt pork if you can find it) and chop the onions. We used pork jowl bacon this time.

Put the onions and half the bacon in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the soaked beans in on top.

Sprinkle the rest of the bacon on top of the beans.

Stir together the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper, and pour it all over the beans and bacon, then pour in two cups of boiling water. Put on the lid and cook on low for 8 hours, then remove the lid for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the liquid to cook down some before serving.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, stirring, pouring, chopping.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as rinsing the beans and measuring the ingredients for the molasses mixture to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives alone. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager supervises, or does the chopping.

SLOW COOKER BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

large pot with lid (for soaking beans)
colander
4-quart slow cooker or Crock Pot

Ingredients

16 ounces (454 g) navy beans, rinsed well and picked over
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces (227 g) salt pork or bacon, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups boiling water

Preparation

1. In the large pot, cover the navy beans with water and allow to soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water and add the baking soda. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the beans. (Quick soak method: Cover the beans with water, add the soda, and boil for 3 minutes. Then set aside tightly covered for 1 hour. Drain and continue to Step 2.)

2. Put half of the diced salt pork or bacon and all of the diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker pot, then add the drained beans. Sprinkle the rest of the salt pork/bacon around the top of the beans. Stir together the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper, and pour it on top of the beans. Pour in 2 cups of boiling water and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours and remove the lid for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the liquid to condense a little before serving.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Baked Beans Recipes From Around the Blogs

Chez Us – Homemade BBQ Baked Beans

Use Real Butter – Dinosaur-Style Bar-B-Que Beans

Dinner with Julie – Slow Cooker Guinness Baked Beans

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

We’re doing a special Thanksgiving edition of The Kids Cook Monday, because what better time to get the whole family in the kitchen than for one of the most festive meals of the year? There are several parts of the traditional Thanksgiving meal that the kids can help with, and one of our boys’ favorites is the cranberry sauce. It’s also a great make-ahead dish, so you can have it ready in the refrigerator up to three days before.

This cranberry sauce includes golden raisins and is sweetened slightly with maple syrup and flavored with orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and cloves. It makes a good size batch that will serve 6 to 8 people, and it’s easy enough that a 9-year-old can make it.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: zesting, measuring, pouring, stirring.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as washing the cranberries and pouring in the ingredients, to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.
  

  Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle zesters, as they are extremely sharp. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager does the zesting.

MAPLE ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Serves 6 to 8.

Equipment

4-quart heavy bottom saucepan with lid

Ingredients

2 (12-ounce/340 g bags) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup (160 g) golden raisins
1 cup (240 ml) maple syrup
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
zest of 1 orange, plus extra for garnish

Preparation

1. In the 4 quart saucepan, stir together the cranberries, raisins, maple syrup, water, and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook while stirring, until the cranberries begin to pop, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest and bring back to a simmer. Continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving. Garnish with strips of orange zest.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Cranberry Recipes From Around the Blogs

Gluten-Free Goddess – Red Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Cranberries, and Pecans

What We’re Eating – Baked Camembert with Cranberry Orange Relish

Inspired Taste – Roasted Acorn Squash with Walnuts and Cranberries

Leite’s Culinaria – Wild Rice with Roasted Chestnuts and Cranberries

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Rice is a common side at our house since we eat lots of Asian and Mexican food, and our pantry is stocked with several different types. For Asian dishes we cook with brown jasmine or brown basmati rice or a couple different kinds of short grain rice, depending on the dish. This traditional Indian basmati rice dish is flavored with cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, and bay leaves and goes well with a variety of Indian dishes. We make it with brown basmati rice, but you can also use white basmati rice.

This is a super easy dish for the kids to make, whether you cook it on the stove or in a rice cooker (both methods below). Soaking the rice is important so the grains can expand fully and the kids can manage that task very easily, just rinse the rice first then soak in water for 30 minutes and drain before cooking. In fact, this is one dish that kids can make almost completely on their own.

Here’s how you make it, as demonstrated by Top Gun, 7 years old.

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak it in a bowl of water for 30 minutes and drain well.

Put the rice in the cooker or pot, add the spices and liquid, then cook.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new.
• Explain stove safety if cooking rice on the stove.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Make sure an adult or older child turns on the stove.

INDIAN SAVORY YELLOW RICE

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

medium bowl
strainer
rice cooker or 4-quart pot with lid

Ingredients

2 cups (370 g) brown basmati rice
1-1/4 teaspoons sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2-2/3 cup (640 ml) homemade or low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or water)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Preparation

1. Rinse the rice in the strainer, then transfer it to the medium bowl. Add water to cover and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Drain well.

2. RICE COOKER METHOD: Add the rice, salt, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the bowl of the rice cooker, then add the broth and cook according to your manufacturers directions.

3. STOVE METHOD: Add the rice, salt, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the 4-quart pot, then add the broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover with the lid and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 25 minutes, then turn off the heat. Allow the rice to rest undisturbed for about 10 minutes.

4. SERVE: Remove the cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Cut the butter (if using) into small pats and gently stir in with the rice.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Rice Recipes From Around the Blogs

Cooking on the Side – Red Beans and Rice

Gluten-Free Goddess – Gluten-Free Beef and Mushroom Rice Casserole

A Life (Time) of Cooking – Coconut Rice. An Aromatic Recipe from Bali

Herbivoracious – Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Ranchera. Say it. Try flipping the “r”. I still have trouble making that sound, even after living in a Spanish-speaking country for two years and developing an accent that could almost pass for a native. The Rs always gave me away. When I first moved to Colombia I couldn’t speak any Spanish except for the numbers I’d learned from Sesame Street, and to further complicate matters I’d recently finished a semester studying Japanese. Add that to my high school German and all the languages I used to sing in at college, and my early Spanish was a mess. I’d try talking with locals at the shops, asking for certain things, and instead of Spanish a mix of English/German/Japanese/Spanish would flow forth. I got some very confused looks those first couple months.

Even if I can’t quite say it like a native speaker, I still love ranchera sauce. It’s the classic sauce for eggs in Mexico, but there’s no one right way to make it. This version, which was inspired by a recipe from Chef Roberto Santibañez, is my favorite because the fresh tomatoes are roasted and then cooked with onions, garlic, chiles, and a stick of cinnamon. Sublime, I say. Chef Santibañez broils the tomatoes whole and removes the skins after roasting, whereas I halve the tomatoes before roasting on high heat and leave the skins on in the sauce because they add a bit of smokiness, which I like. My sauce is a little bit thicker, but not too much. If you use a Mexican cinnamon stick as Santibañez recommends, make sure to wrap it in cheesecloth because it tends to fall apart. Other kinds of cinnamon sticks remain intact while cooking.

After I made the sauce, Hockey Guy got in the kitchen with me and helped cook the eggs for Sunday brunch. He even plated up the dish for the photos, not bad for an 8-year-old food stylist. The sauce is easy to make, just have the older kids help with halving the tomatoes and be sure an adult is around to supervise all the cutting and blending.

Many traditional recipes for huevos rancheros have you briefly fry the tortillas in oil to soften them, but instead I dunk the tortillas in the hot sauce. Less mess and one less pan to clean.

To serve, dunk each tortilla into the sauce just long enough to soften it, about 30 seconds or so, then stack two on a plate. Pour on more sauce, add a fried egg, then top with a little more sauce and eat with your favorite Mexican rice, beans, and some avocado.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: cutting, blending, using the oven.
• Onions can be a little tricky to grasp while chopping, so let an adult or older child take on that job if you are making the salsa with young children.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knifes. Teach older children knife safety, such as keeping fingers back from the blade, and laying the knife down on the board when not in use.
• Wear protective gloves while working with hot chilies. Keep chilies and gloves away from your face.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Inspired by Rosa’s New Mexican Table, by Roberto Santibañez. (review)

Makes about 4 cups.

Equipment

baking sheet
blender
3-quart saucepan with lid
cheesecloth (optional)

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.36 k) ripe plum tomatoes
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 Mexican cinnamon stick wrapped in cheesecloth (or other cinnamon stick)

SERVE WITH
corn tortillas (see below)
Mexican rice
beans
fried eggs
avocado slices

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 475° F/250° C. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds and juices. Arrange them cut side down on the baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until the skins are evenly black all over, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Discard the skins and transfer the tomatoes and the juices to the blender. Blend with the chiles and garlic until smooth.

2. While the tomatoes roast, heat the canola oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook while stirring until the onion is soft and translucent, and 4 minutes. Add the tomato puree, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt and cinnamon stick, reduce heat, and cook uncovered at a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. If sauce thickens too much, like a paste, reduce the heat slightly and add water a tablespoon or two at a time.

3. Taste for seasoning and add more salt to taste.

4. TORTILLAS: Dunk each tortilla in the sauce for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to warm and soften, then lay each tortilla on a plate.

5. SERVE: Spread some sauce on the tortilla, then lay a fried egg on top and pour some more sauce on the egg. Serve with Mexican rice, beans, and sliced avocado.

6. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Mexican Style Eggs Recipes From Around the Blogs

Gluten-Free Goddess – Santa Fe Huevos on Polenta aka Eggs Rancheros

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Mexican Baked Eggs with Black Beans, Tomatoes, Green Chiles, and Cilantro

Pinch My Salt – Butternut Squash Hash with Mexican Chorizo and Eggs

The Perfect Pantry – Black Bean, Green Chile and Tomato Frittata

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Every year we plant a few new (to us) tomato varieties to see how they grow in our garden, and one of our new favorites for this year is the Amish Paste, a meaty plum tomato that doesn’t have too much juice, so it’s perfect for sauces and salsas. Our plant has grown huge, over 9 feet tall, and has been a prolific producer of smallish 2-ounce tomatoes.

Hockey Guy and I picked some to make this salsa fresca, a simple no-cook salsa that young kids can help with and older kids can tackle on their own. The work is all in the chopping, and Hockey Guy had a fun time practicing his knife skills on the tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro, while I chopped the onion and jalapeno.

He did a fine job dicing the tomatoes.

And he really liked juicing the limes.

The salsa makes a great appetizer, or you can spoon it over any kind of Mexican food, an omelet, or scrambled eggs.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: slicing, chopping.
• Onions can be a little tricky to grasp while chopping, so let an adult take on that job if you are making the salsa with young children.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives. Teach older children knife safety, such as keeping fingers back from the blade, and laying the knife down on the board when not in use.

SALSA FRESCA

Makes about 3 cups.

Equipment

1 quart serving bowl

Ingredients

1 pound meaty plum tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and deveined, finely chopped (or more to taste)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or more to taste)
pinch of sea salt

Preparation

Toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, then serve. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Salsa Recipes From Around the Blogs

Herbivoracious- Smoked Pineapple and Tomatillo Salsa

No Recipes – Fire Roasted Corn Salsa

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Kiwi, Mango, and Cucumber Salsa with Lime and Jalapeno

Use Real Butter – Salsa del Norte

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Update August 15, 2011: Thanks to Dash Recipes for featuring this recipe!

Update September 12, 2011: Thanks to The New York Times for featuring this recipe!

It’s summertime and our garden is bursting with tomatoes, peppers, and basil, so we decided to sauté our homegrown vegetables with some yellow zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and garlic as a summery side dish for The Kids Cook Monday.

Builder Guy (8) wanted to continue working on his knife skills, so he practiced slicing zucchini with a chef knife and cutting up tomatoes with a serrated knife while I prepped the rest of the ingredients.

The only real work on this dish is all the slicing and chopping, but it goes by pretty quickly, just keep an eye on any junior chefs as they practice knife skills, and make sure they keep their fingers out of the way of sharp blades.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: slicing, measuring, stirring, pouring.
• Demonstrate how to properly hold the knife and keep fingers out of the way of the blade.
• Discuss knife safety tips.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• An adult should be in charge while a knife and the stove are in use.
• Young children should not handle sharp knifes and hot pans.

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI WITH TOMATOES, MUSHROOM, PEPPERS, AND BASIL

Serves 4.

Equipment

12-inch nonstick pan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 head of garlic, all cloves peeled and sliced
1 1/2 pounds yellow zucchini (about 3 medium), thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 ounces fresh white mushrooms, diced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
12 basil leaves, chiffonade
grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Warm the pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl it around, then add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions soften and glisten, about 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the sliced zucchini and cook stirring until the zucchini starts to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms and continue cooking until all the vegetables are nearly fork tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir, cooking just until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and cook for 1 more minute, then transfer to a dish and serve with (optional) Parmesan cheese and basil leaves for garnish.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Zucchini Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Roasted Baby Summer Squash with Feta and Thyme

Two Peas & Their Pod – Baked Zucchini Fries

A Veggie Venture – Zucchini Fritters

Gluten-Free Goddess – Maple Sweetened Almond Zucchini Mini-Muffins

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Now that Builder Guy is almost 9, we decided he was ready to learn some kitchen knife skills, something a little more advanced than spreading butter and jam. So I thought of some fruits and vegetables that he could learn on, things that weren’t too difficult and would allow him to easily handle it while learning to use the knife. Bananas and scallions were the first thing that came to mind, and then when I saw some okra in the grocery store I thought it would be perfect. When he saw the okra, Builder Guy was very interested and dove right in, and with a little help he managed to keep all his fingers intact.

We made a Cajun-style smothered okra with tomatoes, onions, and a bit of hot sauce, though this particular hot sauce is pretty mild. Go for whatever level of heat you prefer.

The boys all gave it a thumbs up, and the most hilarious comment was from Builder Guy, ‘”Mommy, it tastes like chicken and rice!” Kids say the darnedest things…

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, stirring, pouring, chopping.
• Assign the simpler tasks to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives or hot pots, though this is a good recipe for beginning knife skills.
• The oil in the pot will be hot, so be careful when adding the vegetables and watch for splatters.

SMOTHERED OKRA

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

3 to 4 quart heavy bottom pot with lid

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
2 pounds (about 900 g) okra, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste

Preparation

1. In the pot, sauté the onion and tomato in the olive oil until the onion starts to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sliced okra, stir, and cover. Cook about 45 minutes, until the okra is tender and not stringy.

2. Season with the kosher salt, black pepper, and hot sauce. Serve immediately with extra hot sauce on the side.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Okra Recipes From Around the Blogs

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Roasted Okra

Viet World Kitchen – Grilled Okra

Homesick Texan – Spicy Pickled Okra

eCurry – Curried Okra with Chickpeas

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Chow fun is a classic Chinese noodle dish often served with beef. The fresh rice noodles (ho fun) typically used are very wide and sliced into strips before cooking, but I’ve never seen them in our local international groceries, so I substitute L or XL bahn pho (dry Vietnamese rice noodles). Though not authentic, it’s very close and works for us, but if you can find them I highly recommend giving it a try with the real thing.

Chow fun is an easy dish to make with the kids. Builder Guy, age 8, helped with mixing the sauces, rinsing the bean sprouts, and hydrating and draining the noodles, while I cut the chicken, ginger, and green onions and did the woking. We made a good team and he was very proud of the finished dish.

Because I was doing the final cooking, I set my Canon 40D on a tripod, cranked it up high, handed the wireless remote to Builder Guy, and asked him to take the photos while I cooked. He had a blast! He climbed up on the step stool next to the tripod and shouted, “Abracadabra!” while pointing the remote like a wand every time he pushed the button. In the end, we had over 70 pictures of the approximately 7 minutes it took to me to finish the dish, and he was so proud of every single one of them.

When we served the chow fun, we heard mostly approving comments from the boys:

“This is good!” (Builder Guy)

“Awesome!” (Top Gun)

“Can I have cheese on top?” (Monkey Boy)

No cheese on this ingredient list, just some basic widely available Chinese condiments. Younger children can help with simple tasks such as:

rinsing the bean sprouts…

and mixing the sauces.

Of course let an older child, teen, or adult take over at the wok.

And enjoy!

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, stirring, pouring, chopping, stir-frying.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as mixing the marinade and sauce and washing the bean sprouts, to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives or hot woks. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager does the chopping and stir-frying.
• The oil in the wok will be hot, so be careful when adding the chicken and watch for splatters.

CHICKEN CHOW FUN

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

4- to 5-quart pot with lid
wok
2 small bowls
medium bowl or glass pie plate
colander

Ingredients

1 pound (454 g) XL bahn pho (dry Vietnamese rice noodles)
1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons light soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
5 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 pound (454 g) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
3 slices ginger, peeled
3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Preparation

1. Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil. Remove from heat, put the dry noodles in the hot water, and allow them to soften about 5 minutes, but do not allow the noodles to get too soft or they will break apart in the wok. Drain well and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine 1 table spoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Pour over the chicken in the medium bowl and stir to coat.

3. In the other small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon rice wine.

4. In the wok, heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil over high heat. Stir fry the chicken until it just turns white, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the wok. Add the bean sprouts and stir just until lightly coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and scallions and stir-fry until the sprouts are just limp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.

6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the wok along with the noodles. Spread the noodles around the wok and let them rest until slightly crusty on the bottom, about 1 minute. Stir-fry the noodles gently so they do not break until light brown, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken and bean sprouts to the wok and pour in the oyster sauce mixture. Gently stir-fry until it’s all heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

Traditional recipes call for fresh broad Chinese rice noodles known as ho fun, just separate them and cut into long strips 1/2-inch wide.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Chinese Noodle Recipes From Around the Blogs

Nook & Pantry – Chinese Fried Noodles

Use Real Butter – Chinese Cold Noodles

Tezcape – Braised Chinese Noodles, Steamed Noodles

Viet World Kitchen – Taiwanese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

When I started making quesadillas for lunch several years ago, I had no idea how much our boys would fall in love with the classic Mexican cheese sandwich. They hang around and watch as I lay a tortilla on the skillet, sprinkle the cheese, and top it with another tortilla, and they keep an eye on it and tell me when it’s ready to flip. And Builder Guy is now into burritos, filling them with everything he loves about Mexican food.

Tortillas were originally made with lard, and if you have access to good lard from a local pig farmer you could give it a try it, or render it yourself then make the tortillas for a weekend project. If not, vegetable shortening is a good substitute. And either way, you’ll have fun learning how to make your own tortillas without a bunch of additives and preservatives. And it’s easy enough that an 8-year-old can do it.

Just mix together whole wheat flour,

salt,

lard or shortening,

and warm water.

Let the dough rest, then roll it into balls,

flatten,

and cook.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, rolling the dough, pressing the tortillas.
• Make sure an adult or older child or teenager works with the food processor

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives or work on the hot stove.

For more information on how to start cooking with your whole family, visit The Kids Cook Monday website.

WHOLE WHEAT TORTILLAS

Makes 8 to 10 6-inch tortillas, depending on how thick you like them.

Equipment

food processor
medium mixing bowl
plastic wrap
tortilla press
wax paper
cast iron griddle
warm platter + tea towel, or a tortilla warmer lined with wax paper

Ingredients

2 cups (256 g) white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (51 g) lard or vegetable shortening
2/3 cup (160 ml) warm water

Preparation

1. In the bowl of the food processor, mix together the flour and salt. Cut the lard or shortening into small pieces and add to the flour. Pulse about 10 times, until it is well distributed throughout the flour. Add the warm water and pulse again about 10 more times, until the dough comes together.

2. Turn out into the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for about 2 hours to allow the flour to fully absorb the liquid and soften.

3. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead for about 1 minute. Divide dough into 8 or 10 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.

4. Warm the griddle over medium heat. Use the tortilla press (or the bottom of a cast iron skillet) to press each dough ball into a tortilla between 2 pieces of wax paper. When the griddle is good and hot, place one tortilla on the griddle, and wait until you see it start to bubble and the bottom start to brown, about 20 seconds. Turn it over and cook for about 15 seconds more. Place the warm tortillas on the platter and cover with a tea towel or place in a tortilla warmer. Continue with the rest of the dough.

5. Tortillas will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days, or you can freeze them for up to 2 months.

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