Cooking Class Number Three!

A few weeks ago, we had our third quasi-bimonthly cooking class! The cooking was made very efficient by our increased class size (yay!) and everyone's willingness to pitch in.
After examining the ingredients (nearly all local), the recipes, and splitting into two groups (one for each dish) we were all assigned jobs--washing, chopping, beating, frying, &c. At the end, Tess and Ms. Powell surprised us with a lovely dessert of baked cinnamon apples!
We sat down to the cafeteria table and spent five minutes practicing mindful eating; eating slowly, contemplatively, silently. Mindful eating is an extremely important part of taking control of the food that you eat. It encompasses not one's only eating habits themselves, but also being mindful of what your food is and where it comes from. Mindful eating not only increases awareness of how the food system affects your daily life, but also makes eating a more pleasurable experience.
After our five minutes, we had a brief discussion about how we had been affected by the experience. All of us said that we noticed the flavors much more richly and complexly than we ordinarily do. Meal Three was an exercise in food as it should be; prepared and enjoyed slowly, with care, and with friends.


Here are the recipes we used.

Delicious Fritatta
Makes 4 servings***

Ingredients
8 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion halved and thinly sliced
1 all-purpose potato (7 ounces), cut into 3/8-inch cubes
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 cup small cauliflower florets
¼ cup diced herbs of your choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in medium bowl.

Heat oil over medium heat, in medium nonstick (10-inch) sauté pan. Add onions and potatoes and cook until onions are softened, 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in broccoli and cauliflower; cook until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low and pour in egg mixture. Add herbs and cook for about 2 more minutes

Transfer to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the eggs have just set in the center. Note that if you are using a skillet with a nonmetal handle, wrap it with double-thickness aluminum foil before placing in oven. Remove from oven and slide out of pan onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.














Quinoa and Arugala Salad

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Preparation time: 15–20 minutes

Quinoa, a unique whole grain, was the staple food of the Incas. It is rich in calcium and iron, and has 10.5 grams of protein per cup.

Salad
1 cup dry quinoa
pinch sea salt
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 bunch arugula
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds



Dressing
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu

Rinse quinoa well with warm water and drain. (Quinoa has a natural coating of saponin, the bitter taste of which repels insects and birds. Rinsing with warm water removes the saponin.) Place rinsed quinoa, salt, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Fluff into large salad bowl and allow to cool.

Prepare vegetables and dressing. Combine garlic, lemon juice, oil, and tamari or shoyu; pour over quinoa and toss well. Wash and spin-dry arugula leaves and chop into bite-size pieces or thin strips. Add arugula, carrots, seeds, and parsley to quinoa. Toss gently. Serve at room temperature or chilled.










Baked Apples
Serves 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30-40 min

Ingredients
4 large good baking apples, such as Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, or Jonagold
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup boiling water


Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash apples. Remove cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. It helps if you have an apple corer, but if not, you can use a paring knife to cut out first the stem area, and then the core. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4-inch to an inch wide.

In a small bowl, combine, cinnamon, and nuts of your choice. Place apples in a 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with this mixture. Top with a dot of butter (1/4 of the Tbps).

Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.