Spring will be coming our way soon, March 20th to be exact! And with the change of season, there are so many fresh produce options that will be in season as well. The vegetables and fruit we are highlighting, have the ability to be incorporated into many different dishes They could be used to make a delicious side dish as well as a wonderful fresh addition to your spring picnic basket! Here's some spring produce, their health benefits, and few ways to use them.
Cabbage
Benefits:
Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin K, and it is a fiber-rich vegetable which can improve your digestion
How to eat it:
You can saute cabbage and add some potatoes and sausage for a yummy dinner
You can also shred it and make a side dish of coleslaw or use the shredded cabbage to top your baja fish tacos
Kiwi
Benefits:
Kiwifruit is rich in antioxidants It also contains an abundant amount of Vitamin C which can reduce the risk of heart disease
How to eat them:
Kiwi serves as a great complimentary ingredient in many different recipes It can be combined with avocado to make salsa it can be combined with tangerine to make jam and it is a wonderful topping on shortcake
Spinach
Benefits:
Spinach is an extremely nutrient dense food It contains lots of Vitamin A & K and calcium which is beneficial for bone health
How to eat it:
There are so many different ways that you can use spinach in your meals and snacks all throughout the day In the next segment we are going to give you different ideas and recipes for how to use spinach in creative ways
8 ounces stale whole wheat sourdough bread (7 to 8 thick slices)
4 ounces shredded fontina, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced chives
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Prep this strata the night before you plan to serve it. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Peel and cut the sweet potato into 1/4-inch cubes. Toss them with the onion, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan, and roast until the sweet potatoes are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Place the spinach in a large bowl and scoop hot sweet potatoes and onions top. Stir, letting spinach wilt just slightly from the heat of the roasted vegetables. Cube the bread and add to the bowl, along with 2 ounces of cheese, the rosemary and the chives. Toss the mixture until well combined.
Lightly grease a 9x9-inch (or 2 1/2 quart) baking dish. Scoop the bread mixture into the pan, evenly distributing the spinach and sweet potatoes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over the bread mixture, pressing down on the bread to submerge it completely in the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove strata from refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the strata for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with remaining 2 ounces of cheese, and continue to bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until the strata has puffed and the cheese is browning. Serve with an extra sprinkle of chives.
Fun Fact/ Did You Know??
RemedyKitchen RecipeoftheMonth
RoastedTomato&SpinachFlatbread
Directions
Ingredients
2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
5 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups spinach (for tomatoes and spinach)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
3-4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Flatbread
2 cups (250g) all purpose flour (plain flour)
1 ¼ cups (250g) plain yogurt
2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix gently. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 7-12 minutes
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray
In a skillet on medium heat add 2 T olive oil, and spinach, saute for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Turn heat off and set aside.
In a large bowl mix all the flatbread ingredients, using your hands to bring it together.
Knead the dough until a sticky ball is formed.
Divide it into six equal pieces. Using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll each one out onto a floured surface.
Fun Fact/ Did You Know??
Heat a frying pan (without oil) until hot. Cook each flatbread for a few minutes on each side until lightly golden spots appear and it puffs up. (Under cook slightly because you will bake after you add toppings)
Spread cheese out on flatbreads, add the tomatoes and wilted spinach
Bake for 9-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are browned and slightly crisp.
TIPS & TRICKS: KNIVES TIPS & TRICKS: KNIVES
by Chef Collins
Kitchen knives are arguably the most important tool in the kitchen Whether you're a professional chef, an avid cook, or just like occasionally cook at home, good quality knives are essential in the kitchen. Here are three tips/tricks to take your knife skills to the next level. It's important to know that different knives are created for different jobs. Using a knife created for its job is great for ease of use and efficiency. For example, there are knives that are specifically made to process large cuts of meat, cut vegetables, slice bread, etc You can do research on the different types of knives, but I will tell you that if you only could have one knife that could do it all, that would be the mighty Chef's knife!
KNOW YOUR KNIVES KNOW YOUR KNIVES
KNIFE CARE KNIFE CARE
To help prolong the life of your chef's knife, you want to know how to sharpen, clean, and store your knife properly
Sharp knives not only cut better, but they are safer to use Clean your knives by handwashing them. Store your knives in a knife block, knife roll, or other knife storage system that keeps the blades separate
CUT LIKE A PRO CUT LIKE A PRO
There is actually a right and a wrong way to hold your kitchen knives Most people hold a knife the wrong way
KNIFE HAND:
Your thumb and first finger grip the blade just beyond the handle
NON-KNIFE HAND:
The fingers are curled under to protect the fingertips. The side of the blade (but not the edge) rests against the middle knuckles of your NON-KNIFE hand
SKILLS SKILLS SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT
RAFI RIVERA
en Rafi joined the Army, he went to Fort Lee in Virginia for d service training After training, he served as a cook in the my; working in all parts of the kitchen (the meat room, the d room the vegetable room and short order) Initially it took some time to adjust to the schedule (4:00-19:00), and to preparing food for such a large of people (800-1000) But the training, combined with support from people who had experience in his position helped Rafi get his footing
Eventually, Rafi became a Food Service NCO in the Army In that position he was in charge of running the kitchen; he was responsible for training new soldiers on cooking methods, the use of kitchen tools, and proper grooming and hygiene when working in the kitchen He also ordered the food, made sure all the cooks were following recipe cards, as well as made sure meals were presentable and on time
After his time in the Army, Rafi worked for a hospital as well as a headstart program
"I was able to make dishes to cater to the community, which was 70-90% hispanic We received an enormous amount of excellent feedback based on the menu changes In headstart program a lot of kids were excited to see food they would eat at home at the headstart program "
And while Rafi isn't currently working in the food industry, he still enjoys cooking! "I enjoy using different types of ingredients, flavors and seasonings with normal day to day type food And creating something out of the ordinary I love the art of it It's my cognitive therapy (creative outlet) Cooking is my art and my instruments are my utensils and my pots and pans Just the joy of watching others eat the food and how they enjoy it is what really motivates me to keep going "
