Thanks everyone for coming out and supporting Cat Food and Barista of Bloomfield Ave. at yesterday's farmer's market. I had such a great time - I hope you all did too!
Over the next couple of weeks Cat Food will be expanding with more cooking classes - ingredient resource information - nutrition information and lots more recipes! The new segment Cat in the Kitchen that is launching at Barista will be expanded here to include NYC restaurants and tours of all kinds of food related businesses in and around the New York metro area. Check back often to get the latest scoop!
As promised - here's a recap of the recipes from yesterday's healthy breakfast demonstration. Try them with your kids and let me know what you come up with!
Mixed Fruit Granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ginger
½ cup brown sugar
½-¾ cup orange or apple juice
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
½ cup coconut
Pinch of salt
1) In a saucepan warm the juice with the brown sugar and spices till the sugar melts
2) In a large bowl toss the oatmeal flakes, almonds & coconut with the sugar/juice mixture till it's all coated
3) Spread out on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes till it starts to get a golden color
4) Remove from the oven and stir in the chopped fruit and let it all cool together
5) The granola will be a little sticky at first but will crisp up as it cools
6) Store in an airtight container for up to a month
Gingerbread Waffles with Warm Fruit Compote
Waffles
Makes about 5 waffles
2 cups Flour
3 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Cloves
½ tsp. Nutmeg
'4 Tbs. Brown sugar
1 Tbs. molasses
1 egg
¼ cup canola oil
1½ cups milk
1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine
2) In a separate bowl whisk the egg till it's frothy then add the brown sugar, molasses, oil & milk and mix to combine
3) Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until it's smooth
4) Pour about a half a cup of batter onto a well heated non-stick waffle iron and lightly spread it out. Bake until it's a deep golden brown for about 5 minutes. Waffle should not stick if it is completely cooked.
Fruit Compote
Use whatever is in season at the farmer's market. Chop fruit to equal about 4 or 5 cups and place in a bowl. Sprinkle 2-3 Tbs. of lemon juice over the fruit to brighten the natural flavor and add a couple of Tbs. of honey or maple syrup and a couple Tbs. of water. Toss everything together and then warm in a sauté pan till the fruit breaks down and has a sauce-like consistency. You can add additional flavoring like spices or citrus zests or vanilla extract. Be creative!
Oven Baked Veggie Frittatas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
This is a super easy way to make quick frittatas. Take whatever veggies you have in the frig - tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc. Dice them up to equal about 2 Tbs. per cup of a 6 cup muffin tin - give or take.
Spray or brush each cup in the tin with olive oil put about 2 Tbs. of the veggies in the bottom of each cup and pop it into the oven while you get the eggs ready. The veggies will roast quickly.
Take 6 eggs, which equals about 1 egg per cup and break them into a small bowl. Whisk them as you would when making scrambled eggs and add any flavoring you'd like. I've used fresh herbs and a little parmesan cheese here. I've also added a little milk.
Take the muffin pan out of the oven and fill each cup about half full with the egg mixture. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and pop back in the oven. Now don't open the oven door for at least 15 minutes.
The eggs are done when they're all puffed up and are golden brown on top. Take the pan out of the oven and let them cool slightly. They will fall back down - don't be alarmed!
Remove the eggs with a spatula to a plate. Now, you can either eat them plain with a garnish of more fresh herbs, salsa & a dab of sour cream or you can make a McMuffin by putting one on a toasted English muffin - add a slice of cheese and top with the other half of the English muffin.
You can make these frittatas ahead of time on the weekend and keep them in the frig for during the week. They reheat really well in the microwave on high for one minute. This is a much healthier alternative to a McDonalds Egg McMuffin and you're getting one whole serving of protein, vegetables & dairy without all of the fat.
Fruit & Yogurt Smoothies
Serves 1 person
1 banana
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, i.e. berries, peaches, pears, apples etc.
1-2 Tbs. honey
2-3 Tbs. low fat yogurt
1 cup Milk or juice
Ice
1) Place banana, fruit, honey, juice or milk & yogurt in a blender with about 1 cup of ice and blend on high till thick and creamy
2) You can add protein powder if you'd like or any number of other flavorings - ½ tsp. of cinnamon or ginger or good vanilla extract - even a couple of Tbs. of peanut butter! Garnish with a little fresh fruit and enjoy.
**To enjoy the scrumptious fruit available from the farmer's market all winter long. Wash the fruit well, chop and then spread out on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the fruit is frozen transfer it to a zip lock freezer bag and pop back in the freezer. Now you can use it all winter long!
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