Fresh, warm bread is a simple pleasure. It calls for few ingredients, but the results can be amazingly delicious. This week we are making focaccia bread which some people think of as thick pizza dough. Not quite. It's really like a bread of its own. It's oily and flavorful from the toppings and can be eaten as-is or dipped in soups or used as sandwich bread. I love that it bakes in a sheet pan and looks cool cut up into squares in a bread basket.
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This is a perfect desert for a summer gathering. Easily made in advance (and actually tastes better when very well chilled) this is a refreshing treat that's not too heavy after summer BBQ's. I use key limes when I can find them (Sprout's usually has them around August and September) but you can use regular limes just as easily. Be sure to serve this with plenty of fresh whipped cream. You will love it! *Although making this with middle schoolers was a bit of a gamble. As much as they say they like sour things (candies, etc.) some kids thought this pie was too sour for their liking. You may want to decrease the lime juice a bit if you are not into tang. I like tang so I like it just the way it's written.
This is a fun way to eat salad. You can even serve these little cups as an appetizer and you can eat them without a fork and knife. If using these as a salad course, I would serve two per person. The crouton cups can be made several days in advance if placed in an air-tight container.
This is beyond cool - especially if you have leftover mashed potatoes. The panko on the bottom and top adds some crunch and the butter and egg add creaminess to this fabulous side dish. Great with grilled or broiled meats or fish, this is an easy way to repurpose your mashed potatoes. You can make these ahead and freeze and bag them. Then just bake when you are ready. Score!!
This year two classes competed in our annual chili contest. Most of the chilis were tasty but there was clearly a winner in each period. Students did a great job pairing their chilis with option sides such as cornbread and fries. But in the end, the chilis that won were full of flavor, a little heat, and looked tasty too. Congrats to our winners: Eden, Betsy, Brenda, Kelly, Elaine, Nancie and Valerie.
This year's ingredients included: sun-dried tomatoes and black beans; dried cherries and balsamic vinegar; pineapple and sesame seeds; garbanzo beans and chipotle chiles; and, almond flour and raisins. The winning kitchen made an attractive and delicious roasted corn and black bean salad. We also sampled garbanzo bean tacos, oil-packed tuna, Irish soda bread, pineapple upside down cake, tuna casserole with noodles and peas; cherry cheesecake and chicken with capers. We had moms judge (Maile's, Kaleb's, Campbell's and mine!). It's always cool to see what the kids create. Soft pretzels are synonymous with sporting events and shopping malls but oftentimes can taste very dry and super salty. Making them from scratch is not difficult, it's just time-consuming. The hardest part is rolling out pieces of dough to long ropes. Forming the pretzel shape is fun and taking the finished product out of the oven is pure joy!
To me sloppy Joe's are like a cross between a thick chili (without beans) and BBQ sauce. It's usually tangy with a little heat and served on top of hamburger buns. I like to serve the meat on top of grilled garlic sourdough bread. You can use either turkey or beef. This recipe is MUCH better than any box or canned mixture that you just add meat to.
This week in Luther's kitchen two of my classes had an entire week to design and produce a pasta dish. They could use an existing recipe or create one of their own. On Friday each kitchen presented their pasta and by random selection another kitchen reviewed their dish and gave it a grade based on taste, presentation and their ability to follow a recipe. Below are some pictures of their entries.
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