Written by Jodie Fitz
I love getting the kids in the kitchen around the holidays. There are many recipes and activities for them to dig into and help create. As they get involved, there are many valuable life lessons they can learn throughout the process. I discovered my own love for cooking as I helped my grandmother prepare for holidays as a child.
This year we are serving up two sides and a great dessert at the Price Chopper/Market 32 Kids Cooking Club for Thanksgiving yum. Enjoy….
Roasted Veggies
¼ cup PICS canola or olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon PICS onion powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 bunch asparagus
1 small yellow squash
1 small zucchini
1 small head broccoli
1 small head cauliflower
1 carrot
1 red bell pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Stir the oil, crushed garlic, onion powder and sea salt together in a small bowl.
Wash the asparagus and remove the tough end. Toss with a light coat of the oil mixture. Place the asparagus on a pizza round on one half to create the outer feathers of a turkey.
Wash the zucchini and yellow squash. Cut them in half first and then cut into thin strips, and then toss in a light coat of the oil mixture. Lay the squashes as the next two layers of feathers; first green then yellow.
Wash the broccoli and cut into florets keeping a bit of the stem intact. Toss them in a light coat of the oil mixture. Place the broccoli as the next layer of feathers.
Wash the cauliflower. Cut it in half and place half as the body of the turkey. Either save the other half for a future vegetable use or roast it separately. Baste the cauliflower body with a light coat of the oil mixture. Note: It will break a part easily after it has roasted for serving purposes.
Peel a medium sized carrot, remove the top. Cut in half lengthwise and place it under the cauliflower body as a turkey head poking out. Baste with the oil mixture.
Cut strips of a red pepper to serve as legs and a beak and baste with the oil mixture as well.
Roast the veggie turkey for approximately 30 – 40 minutes; until vegetables are tender.
Mashed Potato Cupcakes
2 medium white potatoes
2 small sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons PICS butter
1 teaspoon PICS onion powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Full Circle organic coriander
Peel, wash and dice the potatoes. They should yield 5 – 6 cups of diced potatoes. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring them to a boil. Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until tender.
Drain the water. Mash potatoes with the butter using a potato masher.
Add the onion powder, salt and coriander to the potatoes and mix with an electric mixer; until smooth. Let cool a bit.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Place the cooled mashed potatoes in a gallon-size snap and seal storage bag. Clip one corner and pipe the potatoes into the liners to create potato cupcakes (and individual servings).
Bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes.
Note: Have a tray ready with fresh decorative liners all set when you remove the potato cupcakes from the pan. Simply pick up each cupcake by its paper edge with two hands and place into the added liner for serving.
Pumpkin Pie in a Jar with Maple Cream
1 – 15 oz. can pumpkin, 100% pure
12 oz. can PICS evaporated milk
2 large PICS eggs
½ cup PICS brown sugar
1 tablespoon PICS maple syrup
1 teaspoon Full Circle organic cinnamon
1 teaspoon Full Circle vanilla extract
½ teaspoon all spice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using an electric mixer, mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and all spice together.
Pour the mixture into 8 oz. size bell jars until they are approximately three quarters full. Note: This mixture will fill six jars.
Place the jars onto a baking sheet and bake the pumpkin mixture for 40 – 45 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.
Maple Cream
8 oz. PICS whipping cream (or heavy cream)
¼ cup PICS maple syrup
½ teaspoon Full Circle vanilla extract
Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, maple syrup and vanilla extract together until it forms stiff peeks.
Serve on top of the pumpkin pie.
The Kids Cooking Club is visiting the following schools this month:
Castleton Elementary School, Castleton, NY
O’Rourke Middle School, Burnt Hills, NY
Broadalbin Middle School, Broadalbin, NY
McNulty Elementary School, Amsterdam, NY
Saddlewood Elementary, Albany, NY
Tanglewood Elementary School, South Glens Fall, NY
If you would The Kids Cooking Club to visit your school or event please email me at: [email protected]
Cheers to a Tasty Month ~ Jodie
P.S. I can’t wait for next month’s recipe shares.