katy cuisine september 2011 final lo res single pages

cusne Katy

september 2011

9

simple tailgating tips for beginners

5 great websites for

Grill Recipes

8

fun ways to get your kids to eat their veggies

Get Organized

for the New School Year

c ntents

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4 6 10

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9 Simple Tailgating Tips for Beginners 5 Great Websites for Grill Recipes Get Organized for the New School Year!

katycuisine.com

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8 Fun Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies

Recipe Corner

EDITOR

Shannan Parker Tel: 281.781.4727 shannan@katycuisine.com www.katycuisine.com

sales

Shannan Parker sales@katycuisine.com

The Pomegranate Demystified

DESIGNER

Fran Sherman 314.275.2208 fran@shermanstudios.com

Patio Pets

photogrpahers Shannan Parker

Football Party Food

School Lunch Safety

September 2011

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9

simple tailgating tips for beginners

that will make you feel like a pro

by Nicola Kennedy

M 4

any people nowadays are getting interested in tailgating. If you haven’t tried ir and you want to throw a successful tailgating party that no one will ever forget, then this article is for you. katycuisine.com

Here are 9 things you need to consider as a beginner in tailgating:

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2 3 4

Before having a party, be sure that you have already packed up the things you need. Assess all the things you need like chairs, tables, trash bags and other things that you think you might need and pack them into your vehicle. Make sure also that you are ready with the foods that you will be bringing.

You should learn the proper way of packing the foods. The last food to be packed must be the first one to use. Being prepared will ensure a smooth running tailgate party, an essential aspect for any party.

Checking the location where you are planning to do your tailgating should be done a day before you plan to party. Make sure that you have the correct space for a big party.

Filling up your propane tanks for cooking should be the one thing you should never forget.

Do not just assume that it is full, instead you should go and check it out and see for yourself.

Separating your raw meats and your ready-to-eat foods and beverages should be observed.

You should have a separate cooler for each of them in order to avoid bad smells and spoiling the food.

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It is more advisable to the beginners to have freeze-bottled water or drinks to be use for cooling rather than putting loose ice. In this way, you can observe cleanliness and orderliness while tailgating. There will be no water scattering on the floor because of the loose and melted ice.

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Fly flags, balloons or anything that can be use for recognition in order for your guests to have an easy way in locating you.

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Food should always be ready so that anytime your guests or participants wants to eat, you are ready and you will not be panicking to cook to order.

8 9

After grilling, you should remove the ashes and keep them in a heavy-duty foil and dip them completely in water before allowing it to be placed in a container which is non-combustible in order to observe cleanliness.

Lastly, remember that after the party is over, you should clean up your own mess. Bring plenty of trash bags and recycling bags to be able to dispose all your garbage cans and bottles. Put everything in its proper places.

By doing all of these things, you can consider yourself as one of the pros in tailgating.

About The Author Nicola Kennedy has been organizing tailgate parties and picnics for nearly 12 years. Her site TailgaterEssentials.info offers news, tips and great tailgating tips.

September 2011

5

5 great websites for

grill

ou have found the perfect grill, selected the tools you want to use when grilling and chosen a reason to fire up your new grill. The new burning question on your mind is “What should I cook?�

There are many, many websites on the internet that have barbeque recipes and searching through all of them is time consuming. Listed below are five fantastic websites that you will find yourself going to time and time again for culinary inspiration. Peruse the sites yourself and add them to your favorites. You will not be sorry that you did.

6

katycuisine.com

l recipes

by Jenny Khoo

1.www.foodnetwork.com This particular website has a specific tab located at the top of the home page that concerns all things grilling related. Alton Brown offers a crash course on barbeque basics, including a video called “How to Grill Like a Pro.” If you are already familiar with the basic aspects of cooking on a grill, you can skip that part and head right to Bobby Flay’s section that includes his ten best recipes.

September 2011

The website includes different toppings for hotdogs and choosing vegetables that are in season to keep your meals fresh and interesting. If you are tired of the same old pasta salads that you have been making for years, the site offers 100 pasta salad recipes as well. Food Network’s site is full of fun and inspirational techniques and recipes to keep you grilling all year long.

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katycuisine.com

2.www.womansday. com There is a tab at the top of the homepage that is labeled “Food and Recipes” If you click on this tab, you will be brought to a page that has a search box for the recipes. Typing “Grill” into the search section yields 78 results. The recipes include everything from chicken to grilled banana splits. This is a versatile site that is user friendly.

3.www.goodhouse keeping.com At the upper right hand side of this site there is a search engine. You can choose to search the whole site or simply the recipes by clicking on the recipes tab over the search box.

Simply typing the word “barbeque” into the search field yielded 584 recipes.

Paula Deen has recipes on the website as well as the Barefoot Contessa.

There is also an advanced search option that allows the user to select the different ingredients that they want to use. For example, clicking on the boxes for “beef”, “all vegetables” and burgers brings up 19 results to choose from.

This is a great way to use what you already have to prepare a fun meal.

September 2011

4.www.bbqrecipe secrets.com This website is run by “Barbeque Bob” Quinn and is brimming with information on all things barbeque.

There are sauce recipes, food recipes, articles and videos. This is a fantastic page and includes recipes such as a tomato less barbeque sauce, barbequed duck and many other inventive and interesting recipes.

5.www.recipes.com This is a recipe search engine that will direct you to many other sites online.

They are sponsored websites so the results of the search word “grilling” will bring you to sites such as Hebrew National and Kraft as well as specific websites devoted to grilling. This is a great site to use to add to your recipe collection, but to find what you want may take some time due to having so many choices of links to explore.

Wherever you begin your search for the perfect barbeque recipes, you will definitely find a plethora of options on any of these five sites. The most difficult part will be which technique to try first.

9

new school year. new schedules. get them

10

orga

katycuisine.com

anized!

A

by Alicia Rockmore & Sarah Welch

h, the sound of nothing. Simon and Garfunkel called it the sound of silence. Ask any mother what her house sounds like after the kids are packed off to their first day of school and she’ll tell you it is pure, unadulterated bliss. Is there anything better than the sight of that school bus after a long summer?

A new school year is a blessing, but just when you thought things were working out bam! it’s also a bit of curse. Suddenly, after several months of lackadaisical schedules and weakened rules, kids are put right back in the middle of the action. Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, double-check the homework. It’s all enough to make a tween or teen lose their summer glow. The same goes for parents.

Suddenly, you need to put your General’s hat back on and issue all kinds of orders. The question is how do you go from lazy summer days to a productive school year without the battle cries?

September 2011

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Five Ways to Figure it Out without Fighting: 1. There is no right answer.

Talk to your friends and your kids’ friends and you’ll find that everyone thinks they have the answer. Do the homework right off the bus, save it for after dinner, don’t do it at all (no, not really), everyone thinks their way is the right way. The truth is that each kid is different. Some kids need to blow off steam after school, so let them do their thing and unwind a bit.

If your kid wants to get everything done right away, then go for it. Make

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the routine around their individual personality and there will be fewer squabbles.

2. Get a Stopwatch for Sports.

We’re not suggesting a literal stopwatch, but placing a time restriction for sports and activities helps make them work with, rather than against, the schedule. Your child doesn’t need to do it all, so limit activities to favorites to avoid over-scheduling (and exhausting) your kids. katycuisine.com

3. Hand over the Reins.

Kids really do respond when you let them make their own decisions. It’s really not your responsibility to see that they make soccer practice or finish their spelling homework.

Teachers and administrators expect your kids to be responsible for themselves, so why not employ that a little more at home? Sit down with your kids, ask them what they have to do and want to do and let them determine what it will take to get it all done. Step in when they need some guidance, but in general, let them find their path.

Working parents who might not be home in time to sit down with their kids at the end of each school day can schedule a phone call at the same time each day.

4. Calendar.

Get a calendar for the family and put it in a central location, like the September 2011

kitchen or mud room. Make every person in the household over the age of 10 responsible for posting their must-attend events for the upcoming week by Sunday evening. Also establish a system for communicating schedule changes. For example, all schedule changes need to be made in red or noted on a special “Notes” board next to the calendar and texted to mom and dad. Once something is put on the master calendar, employ the no-tolerance rule. If it’s on the public calendar, it’s public knowledge; if not, it’s not. If someone whines “I forgot to put it on the calendar,” that’s their problem to fix, not yours. Trust us, they’ll learn quickly.

5. Control the Clutter.

If you have a child in elementary school, you’re more than familiar with the projects, drawings, and otherwise indescribable objects that come home, but all kids in all grades come home with lots of stuff that can quickly become a clutter pile. Make a concerted effort to review items when they come and dump the stuff that doesn’t need to stay. The baking soda volcano can go - just take a pic with your kid for posterity and you’ll have the memory without the mess.

Get a bin for important documents (like permission slips, teacher notes) and get your kids in the habit of sorting their stuff when they get home.

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katycuisine.com

8veggies fun ideas to get your kids to eat their

by Susanne Myers

D

o you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? I sure do.

My daughter used to be great about trying and eating just about anything…and then she turned 2 ½. Now it is pretty much impossible to get her to eat anything other than corn when it comes to vegetables. So I had to come up with some fun and sometimes sneaky ways to get some veggies in her. Here are a few of my favorites.

Make big pot of vegetable soup, and then add some fun noodle shapes. You can use alphabet noodles or look for some fun novelty shapes.

You may be able to find some cartoon characters, toy and sports shapes etc. I have even seen pumpkin and Christmas tree shapes.

With a little luck your kids will be too busy spelling words, or identifying the shape to notice all the veggies they are eating in the soup.

September 2011

If you can’t make them eat it, make them drink it. Pour some vegetable juice over ice and add a straw, a cocktail umbrella or a stick of celery and watch them drink it up. Your kids may not get as much fiber as eating the entire vegetable, but getting them to drink their vegetables is better than not getting any vegetables in their system.

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Have you tried offering them some raw vegetables with some ranch dressing to dip them in? Many kids who don’t care much for cooked vegetables will eat them up if they can dip them. Just grab a bag of baby carrots and cut up some red and yellow peppers and some cucumber. Arrange them on a plate with a little bit of ranch dressing or your favorite vegetable dip on the side.

Take it even a step further and let them create artwork out of their vegetables.

Offer raw vegetables in different colors and shapes and encourage them to make a vegetable collage on their plate. You can easily make a face using slices of cucumber as eyes, a baby carrot as nose and a slice of red pepper as a mouth. You can use watercress or shredded carrots or even some cheese as hair.

Before you know it, you’ll find them sampling their “art supplies”.

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To get them to eat more vegetables at dinnertime try a little salad bar. Put out some lettuce, some sliced or chopped tomato, slices of cucumber, shredded carrot, slices of red and yellow peppers, small broccoli flowerets and anything else you can think of. You may also want to offer them some choices when it comes to salad dressing. Favorites in our house are Ranch, Italian, Catalina, and French.

To top it all of set out some croutons and shredded cheese.

Get the kids together and make a cold vegetable pizza. Start out with a can of crescent rolls. Unroll the dough, but don’t pull the triangle shapes apart.

Instead push the seams together and bake on a baking sheet according to the package directions. Let the sheet of dough cool completely, then spread with some crème cheese (we like a vegetable or herb flavored one) and top with some thinly sliced raw veggies. Cut into squares and serve. katycuisine.com

Get them involved in the kitchen especially when it comes to cooking. Ask them to wash the vegetables, if they are old enough let them cut veggies (under your supervision of course), let them help you stir, or anything else you can think of that would be age appropriate. You’ll be amazed at how proud they will be of their finished product. Believe me, they’ll try just about anything if they made it.

About The Author Susanne Myers together with Christine Steendahl, owns and publishes the Healthy Menu Mailer.

Each week, we provide you with 7 dinner recipes.

Sign up for a free sample menu at http://www. healthymenumailer.com/ sample-newsletter-signup. html.

September 2011

If everything else fails, hide the vegetables in other food.

My mom used to make us some special orange mashed potatoes. We thought it was very fancy, but all she did was to cook some carrots with the potatoes and mashed them right in there. You can also cover broccoli with tomato sauce or cheese. Think of a dish your child really enjoys and sneak a little bit of vegetable in there.

Give a few of these ideas a try and see which ones work best for your children. Keep at it and sooner or later they will start to develop a taste for vegetables.

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recipe

c rner

tomatillo

salsa verde

Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos, husked 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 serrano chile peppers, minced 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste 2 cups water

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Directions

1. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chile pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Using a blender, carefully puree the tomatillos and water in batches until smooth.

Source- allrecipes.com

katycuisine.com

recipe

c rner

enchiladas cheese Ingredients

2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce 1-1/3 cups water 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 16 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Shredded lettuce, sliced ripe olives and additional sour cream, optional

September 2011

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each tortilla.

2. In a large bowl, combine the Monterey Jack, 2 cups cheddar cheese, onions, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over top.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350째 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce, olives and sour cream if desired.

Yield: 16 enchiladas.

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recipe

c rner sweet ‘n spicy

chicken wings Ingredients

Directions

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce 1. Stir the picante sauce, honey and ginger 1/4 cup honey in a large bowl.

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2. Cut the wings in half at the joints to make 12 chicken wings (tips removed) 24 pieces. Toss the wings with the picante sauce mixture. Place them in a foil-lined shallow baking pan.

3. Bake at 400 degrees F for 55 minutes or until they’re glazed and cooked through, turning and brushing often with the sauce during the last 30 minutes of baking time. Discard any remaining sauce.

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katycuisine.com

recipe

c rner

cookies

chocolate chip Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons hot water 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped walnuts Source - allrecipes.com

September 2011

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt.

Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

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recipe

c rner

easy Ingredients

chili

1 pound ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 4 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno chile peppers 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine the ground beef, onion and bell peppers. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain excess fat.

2. Add the chili powder, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, chile peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans and heat through.

Serves 6

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23

pomegranate the

demystified You may have passed it in the supermarket, just beyond the mangoes – that elusive, red, grenade-shaped mystery fruit – the pomegranate. Other than being the delicious ingredient in grenadine syrup, it wasn’t much known outside the Mediterranean until recently.

Why take a chance with this odd-looking fruit? For one, pomegranate contains substances that have antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-tumor activity. It may also be helpful in maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and has compounds that play a role in osteoarthritis and prostate health.

Ah, now you want one. To prepare, cut off the “crown”and slice into several pieces into a bowl of water. Break apart the rind and membranes – these will float to the top for discarding. The plump, juicy seeds are left for you to enjoy.

24

katycuisine.com

ALL THREE LOCATIONS ARE LOCATED IN THE VILLAGIO TOWN CENTER • 22764 Westheimer Pkwy @ Peek • Katy, Texas 77450

Bistro 829 IS BACK!!

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25

patio pets by tiffany robinson

Is your desire to dine with your dog keeping you in these days?

You’ll soon have to come up with a different excuse to keep your hermit habit. As of this month Houston’s Health Department will be reviewing the dogs-on-patios rule with a City Council subcommittee. The Health Department will then make any changes requested by City Council and the new rule can be implemented immediately. Looks like your favorite restaurant could easily have pooches on their patio just in time for fall. Of course they will still need to apply for a variance, pay a fee, and follow the rules. No matter which side of the patio you fall on, wanting or not wanting to dine with your dog, there are a few things to keep in mind. Some of these are rules; others just make for a pleasant dining experience for everyone involved:

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• It’s up to the restaurant to allow dogs on their patio. Just like the smoking on patios rule, allowing dogs on their patio will ultimately be up to restaurant owners. While they have to apply for the variance and pay a fee, the power to choose is in their hands.

• Find the place that suits your needs. If you can’t imagine dining without your four legged friend you’ll soon have options to make that happen! Not too keen on the idea of eating in front of your pooch’s pleading eyes? No problem. There will still be plenty of places that aren’t open to the canine patron. It’s all about choice.

And the choice to dine or not dine will still be yours.

• Know your pet’s limits! Not every dog is meant to dine on a public patio. Make sure your pet wants to katycuisine.com

Colourful Waterplay

Now here’s

one of those activities for kids that is fun but

a bit messy so kids must play it outdoor with an apron. Head outside with bottles of water and a

variety of food colorings. Then let your kids mix and match the colors until everyone has the same uniform color in each bottle.

Bookworms

If you’re thinking of activi-

ties for kids that are not only fun but also enriching, then consider reading books to them. And

yes, books aren’t just read in your bedroom. A shaded part in your yard can be a perfect place

to enjoy a book with your child. Spread a rug and take out those books.

Be Sandy

Let your little ones go wild in

their imagination by making anything such as

pizza, cake and even castles using sands. Just supply them with small buckets, your old kitchen utensils, and biscuit cutters. This is indeed one of those activities for kids that can bring out the

be there. The last thing you want to do is make them feel like they are stuck in a perpetual “timeHidey-Hole And when you think you’re out”. running• out of ideas fun activities for akids, Clean up! Ifofyour pet makes here’s onemess you should really trypick makeup anafter outdoor be sure you home using a sheet anddoesn’t some chairs. them.

This apply to just the bathroom variety either! It couldYoung be as simple mop- Make Let Your ArtistasShine ping up their spilled water the most out of a sunny day, by settingbowl. a table Restaurant owners and staff are outside. Next, arrange an easel, spread the craytaking a chance on Houston pets; ons, the glitter glue and encourage your kids to let’s show them how much we be crafty. appreciate it!

Regardless of where you fall My on listthe of fun activities forthe kids ends here. great debate, best part Actually, the list beisendless if you just add about thiscan is it still your choice.

Youactivities chooseinwhether want your own this list oryou even maketoyour dine al fresco with pet in tow, own variations. What is most important or is that keep humans only. you and youritkids will have fun!Wherever you and your pooch go, just remember to be mindful of posted rules, respectful of your environment, and have a little fun.. best in them.

September 2011 12 | www.katycuisine.com

27

party food football

For your main dish, grilled shrimp is easy to prepare.

Peel shrimp leaving tail section intact. Pour one small bottle of Italian dressing in an 8 1/2 x 11-inch pan. Place shrimp in pan. Sprinkle a splash of teriyaki sauce on each shrimp. Lightly sprinkle garlic salt across the entire pan. For extra zest, splash lemon on shrimp.

Chill in refrigerator for two - three hours to marinade, then grill for 10 minutes. Turn occasionally for browning effect. Do not overcook, as shrimp will get tough.

For you beverages, you could prepare summer time punch.

Mix 2 cups of water, ¼ cup powdered iced tea mix, 3 cups orange juice, 1 cup unsweetened pineapple

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juice, ¼-cup grenadine, 1 ginger ale and the raspberry sherbet and add a champagne or white wine for extra taste. This will be great drink for your party.

Finally, for your desert, try the apple peach pie. This is just easy: combine a cup of sugar, ¼ tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of flour. Then add 1 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp. cinnamon and the sliced apples. Add the top crust add seal around edges. Cut slits in top. Bake it at 425 degrees for 40 minutes and let it cool for 15 minutes.

Before the time has come for the party to start and your friends to arrive, you are already done preparing the foods and drinks. All you have to do is sit back relax and enjoy.

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1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine all

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June 2011 | 25

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September 2011

29

safety school lunch

Perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus, bicycle, on foot, in a car, or on the subway. After arriving at school or work, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime.

Why? Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “danger zone” (the temperatures between 40° F and 140° F). So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. Here are safe handling recommendations to prevent food-borne illness from “bag” lunches.

1. Perishable food, such as raw or cooked meat and poultry, must be kept cold or frozen at the store and at home. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home.

2. Transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At the destination, keep it cold. Food should not be left out at

30

room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90° F).

3. Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept refrigerated.

This includes luncheon meats and smoked ham which are cured or contain preservatives. katycuisine.com

If using paper lunch bags, create 4. At lunchtime, discard all used food packaging and paper bags. layers by double bagging to help insulate the food. An ice source should Do not reuse packaging because it be packed with perishable food in could contaminate other food and any type of lunch bag or box. cause food-borne illness.

8. Prepare cooked food, such as 5. Pack just the amount of perishturkey, ham, chicken, and vegetable able food that can be eaten at lunch. or pasta salads, ahead of time to That way, there won’t be a problem allow for thorough chilling in the about the storage or safety of left22758 Westheimer Pkwy, refrigerator. Divide large amounts of overs.

(At Westheimer & Peek) H FISfast CR AWfor food into shallow containers 6.

It’s fine to prepare the food the Suite 270 Katy, TX, 77450 IL BO chilling and easier use. Keep cooked night before and store the packed Sunday PPY 281-395-3473 food refrigerated until time to 12 leave lunch in the refrigerator.HA Freezing th ne Ju HOURcold. home. sandwiches helps them stay til Un Daily Mon - Thurs: 10. To keep lunches cold away However, for best quality don’t freeze 7:00PM 4PM - 2AMcontaining mayonnaise, from home, include a small frozen sandwiches Fri - Sat: gel pack or frozen juice box. Of lettuce, or tomatoes. Add these later.

11AM - 2AM soft-sided lunch boxes course, if there’s a refrigerator avail7. Insulated, able, store perishable items there or bags Sun:are best for keeping food cold, metal or plastic lunch boxes upon arrival.

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