Italian Meal

Bruschetta:
Ingredients

1 French baguette
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 cloves of garlic
1/2tsp salt
1 pinch ground white pepper
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides of each slice with the olive oil. Place tomato mixture on top of the bread . Cover the tomato mixture with slices of the mozzarella. Sprinkle with basil when you take it out of the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Salad:
head of lettuce
3 tomatoes
3 carrots
3 cucumbers

Dressing:
Olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and vinegar

Lasagna:

Box of lasagna noodles (Put in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and drain.)
Jar of spaghetti sauce

Mix together:
Block of mozzarella, grated
parmesan cheese, grated
ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Oregano

In a shallow rectangular pan, put a thin layer of sauce. Then one layer of noodles. Sauce on top of the noodles. Spoon on cheese mixture- thin layer. Another layer of noodles, sauce, then cheese. Continue until all ingredients are used. The last layer should be the noodles with sauce on top. Place aluminum foil over the lasagna and cook for 45 minutes on 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brownies:

Last cooking class- Oct. 29

We would like to extend the last cooking class until 6pm on Friday. That means you would take the 6 o'clock bus or arrange pick up for 6 pm. You are welcome to invite one guest. This could be a parent, sibling, teacher or friend. If you are inviting a student,they need to have a written permission slip from their parent that they are staying and how they are getting home.
Please let us know by Wednesday if you are inviting someone and who that person is. We need to make sure we have enough food for everyone.
Planning an Italian feast! Get ready to cook and share your skills! You will get to sit down and have dinner with them and then we will clean up after!

Mexican Fiesta

We are making burritos, tacos and salsa!

Ingredients for the salsa:
1 onion
6 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
handful of cilantro
handful of green chives
3 limes
salt and pepper to taste

Cut up all ingredients and mix together

Ingredients for taco meat/chicken:
package of ground meat or chicken
one small onion (finely chopped)
one package of taco or burrito seasoning

Cook onions in the skillet for a minute. Then add the meat and cook together. Add in the seasoning and fry until cooked.

Flour or corn tortillas (package of 8)

You can top the tacos and the filling of the burritos/tacos with the salsa, cheese, guacamole, beans, lettuce, onions, olives and sour cream!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

15 Min Cook Time:
10 Min Ready In:


Ingredients

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups and 1 tablespoon rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool slightly, remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 egg
1/2 egg yolk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool complete

There IS Cooking Club this Friday, October 8th.

Ignore last week's message that cooking club is canceled. It's NOW back on!!! I've decided not to leave you guys and gals after all. So.... bring yourselves and your appetite and make burgers with me on Friday, Oct. 8th. See you there!

Ms. Jennings

Best Hamburger EVER

Ingredients:
• 1 pound beef
• 1 egg
• ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• Buns

Condiments:
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Pickles
• Cheese slices



Procedure:
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, salt and pepper.
• Add ground beef and breadcrumbs into the mixture.
• Using your hands, mix until well blended.
• Form into 4 patties, approximately ¾ in. thick
• Heat thin film of oil in frying pan.
• Cook burger for five minutes on each side and test for desired doneness.
• Prepare your Bun to your liking, using the condiments you’ve set out or prepared.


***Note:
for a more spicy burger, you can add any of the following: Worshester sauce, Tabasco sauce, paprika, onions, red peper, coriander

October 8- No cooking class

We will not have class on Friday, October 8th. Sorry... we will be away on a teacher workshop.
Keep adding to the blog your comments and what you would like to make for future classes!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners.
3. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
4. Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl.
5. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix).
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
8. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes.
9. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Why All Purpose Flour?

Flour is milled from different varieties of wheat containing different amounts of protein. And it’s the different levels of protein that give each type its own unique qualities.

In general, flour made from harder wheat (like bread flour) is higher in protein and gluten, making it ideal for crusty breads and yeast-risen products. Flour made from softer wheat (like cake flour) contains less protein and gluten, making it more appropriate for lighter, more tender goods like cakes and biscuits.

A combination of hard and soft wheat is milled to produce all-purpose flour. The resulting medium protein content offers just the right balance of strength and tenderness for the everyday baker to make chewy breads, delicate tarts and everything in between.

All-purpose flour is available bleached or unbleached. Bleached flour has been treated with bleaching chemicals after milling to make it whiter.

What do you really want to learn how to make?

We want to know what you are dying to make? What is your favorite dish? Make a comment and let us know!

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz box of elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 2 Tsp. butter
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 c. shredded Gouda, Monterrey Jack, Swiss, Mozzarella, or other hard cheese
• 1/2 c. buttered breadcrumbs (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)
2. Grease a 2 qt. casserole dish.
3. Prepare macaroni by directions from the package, and drain well.
4. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
5. Add flour and stir until thickened (about 5-10 min).
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add cheese gradually and stir until melted.
8. Turn off burner.
9. Add macaroni and stir.
10. Pour mixture into 2 qt. greased casserole dish and bake 40-45 minutes.

**If using breadcrumbs, sprinkle them on before baking.

Empanandas

Empanadas with an apple filling
Ingredients:






Pastry:
1 cup butter,or 2 sticks
1 package of cream cheese
2-3 cups of flour
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
4-5 firm green apples (like Granny Smith)
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt (to taste)

For the top of the empanada:
1 egg yolk
Sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:
Make the pastry dough: Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and mix thoroughly

Add the butter and the cream cheese, just until mixture starts to come together. Add the vanilla and mix together.

Make the filling:
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into small cubes. Add apples to a saucepan with the butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir apples over medium heat, cooking them until they are just tender.

Remove apples from heat.

Chill apple mixture for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

(If you don't have time... just mix the cut apples with sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon)

Shape empanadas: Roll out dough (in 2 or 3 batches)on floured surface to about 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. Cut circles of dough about 5-6 inches in diameter.

Wet the edge of a dough circle slightly, all around the perimeter. Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold the circle in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch the edges together firmly to seal, flattening and extending them slightly as you pinch them. Fold and crimp the flattened edge over itself decoratively. (see how to fill and shape empanadas. Repeat with remaining empanadas.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix egg yolk with a little bit of water and brush over empanadas. Sprinkle empanadas with sugar.

Bake empanadas until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

These are best eaten warm, and can be reheated in a low oven.

Makes about 20-25 empanadas.

Cooking Terms

• bake: to cook in the oven (like a cake)
• batter: a mixture of flour, eggs, and sometimes fat (i.e. butter) used to prepare cakes, muffins, etc.
• beat: briskly whipping or stirring with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, etc.
• boil: to heat water or other liquids until bubbling (about 212 degrees F or 100 degrees C)
• chop: cut up into irregular pieces with nos set size as a result.
• cream: to stir a fat (usually butter) and sugar together until the mixture is creamy.
• colander: perforated bowl made of metal or plastic that is used to strain or drain foods (i.e. pasta)
• dice: to cut into cubes
• fry: to cook in hot fat.
• grate: to shred food (such as cheese) into fine pieces by rubbing it against a course surface.
• levener: ingredient such as yeast that produces air bubbles and causes a mixture to rise.
• mince: to chop or dice food into tiny, 1/8 inch or less irregular pieces.
• rest: to leave a yeast dough in a warm place and allow it to double in volume.
• melt: to liquefy a fat (such as butter) or gel by heating it.
• mix: to combine ingredients by hand or with a mixer to blend them together evenly.
• roux: a mixture of flour and butter used to thicken sauces, soups, and gravies.
• saute: to cook in a pen or skillet over high heat in a small amount of fat
• sift: removing lumps in dry ingredients such as flour by passing it through a strainer or sifter.
• simmer: to maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling.
• whip: to beat a preparation to introduce air into it (make it light and fluffy).
• whisk: to fluff by beating briskly. The utensil for this is also called a whisk.
• zest: the skin of citrus fruits (lemons, oranges). The oils make it ideal for use as a flavoring.

Cooking Abbreviations

• T = Tbsp = Tablespoon
• t = tsp = teaspoon
• oz = ounce
• fl oz = fluid ounce
• pkg = package
• pt = pint
• qt = quart
• gal = gallon
• lb = pound
• F = Farenheit
• C = Celsius
• 1 dash = 1/4 t. or less
• 1 pinch = 1/8 t. or less
• juice of 1 lemon = 2-3 T
• juice of 1 orange = ~1/2 c.

Easy pizza dough recipe

Original Recipe Yield 1 - 12 inch pizza crust
Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt



Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.
From: allrecipes.com

Pizza sauce: (feel free to add or take out what you would like)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of oregano
1/2 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
large can of tomato puree
1 small can of tomato paste
1 tomato chopped
You can cook on low heat until bubbling and then take it off the heat and let it sit to cool a bit before putting it on the pizza.

Toppings:
Mozzarella and parmesan cheese
Any vegetable, meat or instead of tomato sauce- just olive oil.