Cinco De Mayo and Mother’s Day in the Kids Cooking Club
Written by Jodie Fitz
I am so excited to be in the kitchen experimenting and sharing new recipes with you at the Price Chopper/Market 32 Kids Cooking Club. There’s been a lot happening behind the scenes with bringing activities, recipes and videos on line for you. We have even spruced up the Kids Cooking Club logo, which looks great; make sure to take a peek at everything including my new character releases for added fun at home.
What’s happening in May? Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo!
We have a couple of things we’d like to highlight for you:
- NEW! And, perfect for Mother’s Day….our Fun At Home Kits. Each kit includes:
- 3 yellow cupcakes
- 3 chocolate cupcakes
- 8 sugar cookies
- 16 oz. of our butter cream frosting
- 2 oz. rainbow sprinkles
- A pastry bag
These kits are a great and delicious family activity!
Let our Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarket Floral Departments help you find something special for MOM!
- – Make your own bouquet at home with the 3 for $15 flower bundles
- – Check out our other pre-made bouquets and floral service
- – Choose from our beautiful flowering hanging baskets, perennials and other plant options
What’s happening in the Price Chopper/Market 32 Kids Cooking Club kitchen to celebrate Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo?
– A Mixed Berry Smoothie you can make and share with mom; but you’re going to want to mark this recipe because it’s so delicious you’ll want it all summer long!
– Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana” Ice Cream”, which is dairy free, can be made nut free AND tastes just like you are eating ice cream. YUM!
– Quinoa Taco Meat! Say What? I know, I know, but TRUST me…you’re going to love it.
So, grab an apron, all of the ingredients you need and let’s get experimenting in the kitchen together.
Cheers to another Tasty Month ~ Jodie
Mixed Berry Smoothie
Kids Lessons in the Kitchen:
- Measuring ingredients
- Blending safety
- Following directions
- Experimenting with different flavors
- Vegetable inclusion
3 cups PICS frozen berry medley fruit
1 1/2 cups rice milk
1 cup fresh baby spinach
6 oz. vanilla coconut yogurt alternative
2 tablespoons PICS honey
1 teaspoon raspberry extract
½ teaspoon PICS vanilla extract
Measure and add the frozen berries, rice milk, spinach, vanilla yogurt, honey, raspberry extract and vanilla extract into the blender. Mix well & serve.
Frozen Berry Medley: You can purchase a frozen berry medley, which contains fresh frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries with no added syrups or sugars. It can be found in the frozen fruit section at your local Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets or you can create your own berry mix with frozen fruit.
Spinach Measurement: Use a loosely packed measurement on this recipe vs. densely packed.
Other Dairy Free Options:
- Try coconut milk for a creamier consistency. (optional depending on your dietary needs)
- Try other vanilla dairy free yogurts (soy, oat, etc.)
What about dairy? Yes, you can make this with dairy yogurt and regular low fat milk.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana “Ice Cream”
3 frozen bananas
¼ cup PICS peanut butter or WOWButter®
2 tablespoons PICS honey
1 teaspoon PICS cocoa powder
1 teaspoon PICS vanilla extract
A pinch of PICS cinnamon
Freeze the bananas.
In a separate bowl, stir the peanut butter or WOWButter®, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon together.
Place the bananas into a food processor or blender. Begin to blend the bananas. After the bananas are chopped up into small pieces, add the remaining ingredients into the blender or food processor. Continue to blend until the mixture forms into a soft ice cream.
Serve immediately.
How to freeze bananas:
Option 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the bananas. Slice the banana. Lay the sliced banana pieces flat on to a baking sheet. Cover them with another piece of parchment paper. Freeze the bananas for a couple of hours. Either use the frozen bananas immediately for a recipe or place the frozen pieces into a snap and seal freezer style bag and keep them in the freezer.
Option 2: Can you freeze a whole banana? Yes you can! Simply place a whole banana(s), peel and all into the freezer. Let it freeze. When you are ready to use the frozen banana, let it sit for a few minutes before peeling.
WOWButter® is a peanut and tree nut free peanut butter alternative. You can find this item in your Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets in the allergy friendly aisle.
Serving Ideas: This Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe is delicious served all on its own. However, it’s also good with a few toppings;
- PICS chocolate syrup
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Melted peanut butter or WOWButter®
- PICS Whipped topping
- Chopped nuts (optional depending on your dietary needs)
- Chopped Reese’s candy (optional depending on your dietary needs)
Kids Lessons in the Kitchen:
- Measuring ingredients
- Preparing fruit
- Knife safety
- Cutting skills
- Freezing fruit
- Blending safety
- Following directions
Quinoa Taco Salad
2 cups uncooked quinoa
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons PICS butter
1 ½ cups PICS salsa
1 tablespoon PICS ground cumin
2 teaspoons Full Circle ground chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons PICS onion powder
¾ teaspoon PICS garlic powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon PICS white pepper
PICS nonstick cooking spray
Rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer.
Heat a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the rinsed quinoa and toast it for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the vegetable broth and butter to the quinoa, bring the mixture to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a secure lid, and cook the quinoa as directed on the package, or until liquid is completely absorbed. When it’s done cooking, remove the lid, fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and let it set for 10 minutes uncovered.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and white pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the cooked quinoa together with the salsa and spices,
then spread onto a lightly greased, parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring/tossing once at the halfway point to ensure even baking. The quinoa is done when it’s fragrant and golden brown. Be careful not to burn!
Add the quinoa to your favorite salad mixture with your favorite salad fixings to serve. Options include;
- spring mix
- romaine
- fresh tomatoes
- olives
- cucumbers
- avocados
- sharp cheese
- corn
- black beans
- and more…
Top it Off: You can always use your family favorite. Consider checking out some of our delicious fresh dressings in the produce area at our Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets. There are many vinaigrettes and ranch dressing options that include cucumber, avocados and cilantro that would be delicious on this salad combination.
Leftovers: You can keep the leftover taco quinoa in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Reheating leftovers: The left overs can be reheated in the microwave, but the oven, a toaster oven or skillet are tastier options.
Kids Lessons in the Kitchen:
- Measuring ingredients
- Stove top safety
- Oven safety
- Knife safety
- Cutting skills
- Salad/vegetable prep
- Following directions