6-7-11 Me at the market in Chinatown

Hey Young Chefs!

I got back from Hawaii less than a week ago! Hawaii is an AMAZING place to go visit for a vacation!!!

On this day, we went on a food tour with Hawaii Food Tours. We toured different local restaurants. This is spam musubi, marinated tuna, and fresh mango. Spam musubi is spam and sticky rice wrapped in nori, which is seaweed.

6-7-11 Spam Musubi, Marinated Tuna, and Mango

Next, we went to a noodle factory in Chinatown. This is what the noodles look like after they’re folded. It was so cool to see them make the noodles. We also ate rice noodles with chicken and rice noodles with shrimp. It was delicious!

6-7-11 Fresh stack of noodles on a cookie sheet

We tasted so many different foods that day, but my favorite is manapua. In Hawaiian that means flower power. Manapua is sweet bread with a sweet or savory filling inside. I ate a coconut manapua. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

6-7-11 Me in front of a big batch of manapua

After the food tour was over and we went back to our hotel, we swam at the hotel’s beach! The water was so cold. You get used to it after a while. The water was super clear and very pretty.

6-7-11 My mom and I at our hotel's beach

Then we went to Uncle BobKat’s house for dinner. For dinner, we had homemade pizza.

6-7-11 The fresh homemade pizza that my mom's Uncle BobKat made

This is the best pizza ever!!!

Cool Kids Cook and Go on Food Tours!

Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana

Hey Young Chefs!

Today, Mommy and I made her yum! yum! Chicken Tortilla Soup. We boiled the left-over left-over carcass (chicken bones) from the 40 Clove Garlic Roasted Chicken to make the chicken stock. Above, I am cooking 2 lbs. of chicken breast to add to the soup. This recipe only takes 30 minutes. It’s super simple and delicioso!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breast, cubed and cooked with Mexican seasoning
4 c. chicken stock
1 14.5 oz. can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 10 oz. can mild Rotel tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can corn
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot. Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. Place 1/2 c. shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese in small bowl. Pour soup over top. Garnish with a handful of crushed tortilla chips. Finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

Remember cool kids cook so get creative en la cocina (in the kitchen)!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Hey Young Chefs!

Tonight Mommy and I made 40 Clove Roasted Chicken with sauteed mushrooms, polenta, and spinach salad. Above, I am placing the garlic in and around the whole roasting chicken. We also stuffed the inside with a bunch of uncut chives. It’s a super simple recipe with totally yum! yum! flavor! Here is the table I set.

40 Clove Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken
Seasoning Blend of your choice
40 cloves of garlic (skin on)
1/2 small onion, sliced or bunch of chives

Directions:
Clean and season chicken on both sides (remove parts from inside cavity). Place in roasting pan. Stuff onion or chives inside the chicken’s cavity. Place 40 cloves of garlic in and around chicken. Place covered in 400 degree oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. When chicken is done, remove cover and return to oven for 10 minutes to crisp skin if desired. Garlic can be squeezed out of skin and spread on chicken. Delish!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Hey Young Chefs!

It’s dinner time! On tonight’s menu — “Veggie-licious Stuffed Chicken Breasts.” Stuffing your food is a great way to add yum! yum! flavor! The cool thing about this recipe is that even though the chicken is loaded with veggies, all you taste is tons of flavor. In the picture above, I am cooking the stuffing. In the picture below, I am seasoning the chicken with Eliana’s Magic Seasoning Blend.

Next, I stuff the boneless chicken breasts.

Here’s the recipe:

Veggie-licious Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
4 whole boneless chicken breasts, butterfly fileted
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. diced artichoke hearts
1/4 c. diced roasted red peppers
4 green olives, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in sautee’ pan. Add spinach and garlic. Cook until wilted. Next, add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and olives. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, to let flavors marry. Let cool. Stuff chicken breasts. Place in oven uncovered and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle top of chicken with Parmesan cheese and broil for last five minutes.

Note: You can use any of the following veggies (they all make a good stuffing): mushrooms, cabbage, squash, corn, asparagus, or your favorite veggie. We used almond stuffed olives. You can also use garlic stuffed olives (add less garlic to the stuffing) or pimento stuffed olives. Our sides with this meal were wild/brown rice and green beans.

Cool kids cook with veggies! Get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Hey Young Chefs!

Today, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen! I helped Mommy make dinner. On the menu tonight was Paneed Chicken with an Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce over whole wheat rotini (the swirly, corkscrew pasta). Paneed means “pan fried” and is pronounced pon-aid. To prepare paneed chicken, you must start with thin chicken breast filets. Mommy pounded the filets with a kitchen mallet. She put 2 sheets of wax paper over the chicken to keep it from being so messy. I breaded the chicken and plated the food. Here I am, plating the pasta.

Next, we pour the sauce and then top it with the paneed chicken. Then we garnish (top with pretty edibles).

Here’s our recipe:

Paneed Chicken with Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Ingredients for Paneed Chicken:
4 chicken breast filets, butterflied and pounded to 1/4″ thick
2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp. olive oil

Directions for Paneed Chicken:
Mix salt with breadcrumbs. Dip chicken in egg mixture. Dredge through breadcrumbs, coating both sides of chicken. Pan fry in olive oil until both sides golden brown. Blot on paper towels.

Ingredients for Sauce:
1 15 oz. container Crema Mexicana (Mexican table cream)
1/2 c. roasted red peppers
1/2 c. artichoke hearts
4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions for Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
In a small sauce pan, sautee artichoke, red peppers, basil, and garlic in a dash of olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Using thunderstick, blend mixture (or place in blender and puree). Add Crema Mexicana. Use thunderstick to blend artichoke pepper mixture into cream. Add salt. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to thicken sauce.

Pour sauce over pasta. Place paneed chicken on top. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley. Yum! Yum!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana