*NEWS! Kids Can Cook program will be held on Thursdays ONLY for the Fall Semester. Starting September 22 at 3 p.m  Hope to see you there! 

After School Program

Fun in the kitchen with macrobiotics and fresh local whole foods, sewing creations, crafts and dance!

I’m very excited to be spending time with your wonderful children. I hope they all enjoy the fall program with me. We will be dancing, making crafts and doing lots of cooking! All of our projects will be hands on, using local organic ingredients as much as possible and recycled goods for our craft projects.

September 16-December 14th 2010

All Elementary School kids -Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00-5:30

All Junior High students- 3rd Tuesday of the month from 6:00-8:00 p.m

$15.00/a day

Please contact me for further information. Sign up today!

Location:Charlottetown Prince Edward Island

Telephone: 902-367-9491

AN INTERACTIVE COOKING CLASS SERIES

WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, FALL

This month it’s all about TOFU! 

Thursday September 15th at 6:30 p.m

Tasty whole foods supper club. Fun, interactive cooking classes.

After all the washing,sorting, chopping, slicing, sauteing, flipping and frying you get to sit down and enjoy our creations.

With humor and guidance we will collectively make the meal together.

We’ll make a party out of it!

THE THIRD THURSDAY EVENING  OF EVERY MONTH AT THE ST PAUL’S CHURCH COMMUNITY KITCHEN ON THE CORNER OF PRINCE AND RICHMOND ST CHARLOTTETOWN 6:30 P.M  $25.00 PER PERSON CALL 902-367-9491 FOR MORE INFO or e-mail me here..

Whole foods cooking class CBC interview

Fried Tempeh with Apricot Mustard

light sesame oil
8 ounce block of tempeh, cut into 1-inch triangles
apricot mustard
4 tablespoons stoneground mustard
4 tablespoons unsweetened apricot preserves
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
1-2 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced

Place enough sesame oil in a skillet to generously cover the bottom.Turn the heat to medium and when the oil is hot (you’ll see patterns forming in the oil, known as ‘dancing’) begin pan-frying the tempeh until browned, turning once, cooking 1-2 minutes per side. Drain on paper and set aside.

For the sauce, simply place all ingredients in a small sauce pan, using salt to your taste. Warm over low heat until the preserves and rice syrup thin, creating a thick sauce, about 1 minute. Do not cook until the mixture foams. As soon as the apricot mustard thins, stir in tempeh to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and serve garnished with minced parsley.

-This dish is very satisfying, the tempeh has a good crunch and the sauce is tangy. There was not a crumb left!

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello

Asian Tofu Salad with Roasted Peanuts

About 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 Cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
3-4 Shallots, halved, thinly sliced into half moon pieces
5-6 Thin slices fresh ginger, finely minced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Soy sauce
1 Red bell pepper, roasted over an open flame, peeled, seeded, diced
1 Carrot, fine matchstick pieces
1/2 Cup mirin
1 (8ounce) packaged baked tofu
1 Bunch watercress, rinsed well, finely diced
Brown rice vinegar
One half cup Valencia peanuts
2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup
Pinch sea salt
1 Mango, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced

Place about 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add garlic, shallots, ginger and lemon zest, a splash of soy sauce and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in red pepper and carrot, another splash of soy sauce and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add one half cup mirin, season lightly with soy sauce and reduce heat to low. Cook vegetables, uncovered, until liquid has reduced to a thin syrup, 10-12 minutes. Stir in baked tofu and lay watercress on top. Cover and turn off heat. Allow watercresss to steam until just wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a sprinkle of brown rice vinegar.

To make the peanuts, place the peanuts in a heat-resistant bowl. Bring rice syrup and salt to a foaming boil over high heat. Pour over peanuts and stir well to coat. Immediately stir sweet peanuts into tofu dish. Transfer cooked tofu mixture to a serving platter and arrange sliced mangoes around the rim of the dish.

-This dish was sweet and spicy and sour. I got my Kids Can Cook group to make it and we loved it! I served it with rice and yesterdays aduki beans.

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello

Lemon And Ginger Spiced Adzuki Beans

1/2 Cup dried adzuki beans, sorted and rinsed well

2 Cups Spring or filtered water

1-Inch piece kombu or bay leaf

About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 to 2 Cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

2 Shallots, finely minced

Sea salt

5 to 6 Slices fresh ginger, finely minced

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Mirin

1 to 2 Sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Place the beans and water in a heavy saucepan. Add the kombu. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Boil for about 5 minutes, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook the beans until just tender, about 45 minutes. Drain away the remaining liquid from the beans, discard the kombu and set the beans aside.

Place the oil, garlic and shallots in a skillet over medium heat. When the shallots begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and saute until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger, lemon zest and a generous sprinkling of mirin. Season to taste with salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the beans, adjust the seasonings to your taste and remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve hot.

-Again I soaked and cooked the beans a lot longer, more like soaked overnight and cooked for 2 hours. This dish was very good and the cooking liquid that was poured off I put it into a mug and drank it.

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas

1/2 Cup dried chickpeas, sorted, rinsed well and soaked for 1 hour

2 Cups fresh spring or filtered water

1-Inch piece of kombu or 1 bay leaf

1-Inch cinnamon stick

About 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 Yellow onion, diced

Sea salt

1 Small carrot, diced

1 to 2 Stalks celery, diced

2-Inch piece fresh ginger, grated, juice extracted

Pinch ground saffron

Generous pinch turmeric

Generous pinch cayenne

1 Ripe tomato, diced

2 to 3 Sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, finely minced

Drain the beans, discarding the soaking water. Place the beans and fresh water in a heavy saucepan. Add the kombu. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook the beans until tender, about 1 hour. When the beans are done, drain off any remaining liquid, discard the cnnamon stick and kombu and set the beans aside.

Place the oil and onion in a deep skillet over medium heat . When the onion begins to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery and pinch of salt and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger juice and spices and season lightly with salt. Stir in cooked chickpeas and season to taste with salt. Remove from heat and stir in diced tomato. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley.

-I disagree with Christina’s cooking time with the beans. I like to soak them overnight then cook them for 2-4 hours. This was a lovely tasting dish!

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello

AN INTERACTIVE COOKING CLASS SERIES

WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER , FALL

This month is all about lebanese food! May 19th at 6:30 p.m

Tasty whole foods supper club. Fun, interactive cooking classes.

After all the washing,sorting, chopping, slicing, sauteing, flipping and frying you get to sit down and enjoy our creations.

With humor and guidance we will collectively make the meal together.

We’ll make a party out of it!

EVERY THIRD THURSDAY EVENING AT THE ST PAUL’S CHURCH COMMUNITY KITCHEN ON THE CORNER OF PRINCE AND RICHMOND ST CHARLOTTETOWN 6:30 P.M  $25.00 PER PERSON CALL 902-367-9491 FOR MORE INFO

Whole foods cooking class CBC interview

Kale And Black -Eyed Pea Soup

1 to 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced

1 Yellow onion, diced

Sea salt

2 to 3 Stalks of celery, diced

1 Carrot, diced

1 Teaspoon sweet paprika

1 Bay leaf

4 Cups spring or filtered water

11/4 Cups canned diced tomatoes with liquid

2 Cups cooked black-eyed peas

2 Teaspoons white miso

1 Cup cooked brown rice

2 Cups finely shredded fresh kale

Place the oil, garlic, and onion in a soup pot over medium heat. When the onion begins to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and saute for 1 minute. Add the celery, carrot, paprika, bay leaf and another pinch of salt and saute for 1 minute. Add the water and tomatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and cook for 5 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth and use to dissolve the miso. Stir the miso mixture into the soup and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the brown rice and kale and simmer, uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes to activate the enzymes in the miso, heat the rice and lightly cook the kale.

-I used a red onion in this . It worked fine. We really enjoyed this soup!

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello

Spicy lentil Soup

1 to 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

1 Small yellow onion, diced

Sea salt

1 Carrot, diced

1 Small sweet potato, diced

1 Small red chili, crushed

1 Teaspoon ground cumin

1 Teaspoon  turmeric

1 Cup Green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed well

1 Bay leaf

4 Cups spring or filtered water

2 teaspoons white miso

2 to 3 sprigs fresh basil, finely minced

Place the oil, garlic and onion in a soup pot over medium heat. When onion begins to sizzle, add a pinch of sea salt and saute for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, sweet potato and another pinch of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until shiny with oil. Add the chili, cumin and turmeric and stir well. Add the lentils, bay leaf and water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until lentils are quite soft, about 45 minutes. remove a small amount of broth and use to dissolve the miso. Stir the miso mixture into the soup, remove the bay leaf and simmer the soup uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes to activate the enzymes in the miso. Stir the basil into the soup and serve immediately.

-Again I added an extra cup of water to this soup. I guess I like my soups extra soupy. The kids loved this soup, I served it with sourdough bread. Also my house smelled amazing!

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello

Adzuki Bean And Farro Soup

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 to 5 Slices of fresh ginger, finely minced

1 Small leek, split lengthwise, rinsed well, thinly sliced

3 Small carrots, diced

1 Cup adzuki beans, sorted and rinsed well, soaked for one hour

1/2 Cup farro, rinsed well

4 Cups spring or filtered water

2 Teaspoons barley miso

2 to 3 Scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish

Place the oil, ginger and leek in a small soup pot over medium heat. When the vegetables begin to sizzle, saute until the leek is just limp, about 1 minute. Stir in the carrots and saute until shiny with oil. Add the beans, farro and water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove a small amount of broth and use to dissolve the miso. Stir the miso mixture into the soup and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes to activate the enzymes in the miso. Stir well and serve garnished with the scallions.

-OK I have to admit that I had to Google Farro.. and since I don’t have any in my cupboard, I have decided that barley would be a suitable substitute.

This recipe is printed with permission from Christina Pirello