Sweet Sweet Potato Fries

Dear Eaters,
         
This morning, as I was chop-chop-chopping away at 10 lbs. of sweet potatoes for today's lunch,  Mark, father of students Larkin and Layne Long, peeked into the kitchen and asked exactly how I was planning on making my sweet potato fries. Apparently, he had attempted this dish before with sub-par results.

So here, dear readers, is an explicit version of my response:

1. Chop off the ends and peel your sweet potatoes. Like so...

2. Steady your sweet potato on the biggest flat surface you have just created on the vegetable and slice it into sheets like so... keeping in mind the thickness you desire your fries to be.

3. Proceed to cut the sheets in the opposite direction, creating your "fries" shape.

4. Place all your cut sweet potato in a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and spices.You will need about 1/4 cup of oil for every 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Spice Suggestions: cinnamon, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne, or garam masala in any combination you please. Today, I just used salt and pepper.

5. Lay your sliced sweet potatoes on a SINGLE layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This is KEY. If you pile up your fries in multiple layers, they will not end up as crispy.

6. Bake the fries in the oven at 450 degrees F (500 F if you want super crispy fries) for about 45 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the edges. You may also want to give the whole batch some flips with a spatula about half way through to brown multiple sides of the individual fries.

Ta-Da!

This is a great alternative to french fries. You can involve your kids in the cooking process AND your house will smell great as you bake the fries!

Buon Appetito!
Ms. Rachel

PS!
Eat Drink Local is going on this week. I know it's short warning, but there are free events for the whole family tomorrow (12/01/12) at the downtown SFC farmer's market.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs!

 Ever seen these in the grocery store?

No, they are not melons. 

These are spaghetti squash! One of the most exciting vegetables on the market. 

Oh who am I kidding- ALL vegetables are exciting! (Says the geeky kitchen manager. Everyday.)

Why are they called spaghetti squash??? Well look what they do when you roast them in the oven!

(Cut length wise, cut surface flat on the parchment paper you placed on the cookie sheet, placed in the 400 F oven for about 40 minutes or until they become soft)

When you scrape out the insides, they separate into noodles! 

Here are a couple of snap shots of the 'noodles' I scraped out of the roasted squash, topped with some marinara sauce to give the illusion of pasta for lunch at Mainspring:

When you make this at home, know that if you are too rushed to make the marinara pasta sauce, there are plenty of healthy canned and jarred sauces available at your grocery store.

Since I work with such a great quantity of food at once, I always make my meatballs according to the recipe and then lay them out on parchment paper and bake them in the oven instead of heating them in a skillet. See how pretty?...

 This dish of Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs was super easy to make. 

And all the kiddos LOVED it.

The students were so convinced the squash was pasta, they wouldn't believe their teachers when the explanation was given. So I went out and showed them a section of roasted squash with some of the 'noodles' still hanging off.

And who doesn't love working more vegetables into every meal? It's always an honorable goal.

Faithfully Nutritious,

Ms. Rachel

Recipe: Mex-Italia Cuisine Mash-Up

Hello Readers!

I want to make a quick post to share with you one of the more successful meals I've served for lunch lately at Mainspring: Mexican Pizza with Cucumber Tomato Salad.

Here's a picture of Sarai from the Dew Drop room digging in to her share:

Although Mexican Pizza may sound odd at first, this recipe is a hit with the kids. And most of them ate their cucumber tomato salad as well!

Ingredients Needed:

• Pita Bread (whole wheat is preferred, and you can substitute tortillas here but they'll be floppier under   the weight of the toppings)
• Pinto Beans or Vegetarian Refried Beans, canned or cooked from dry (I prefer pinto beans soaked overnight and cooked until softened for the added fiber, vitamins, minerals and decreased sodium and fat compared to canned Refried Beans)
• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Vegetable Oil
• Water
• Salsa, homemade or store bought
• Shredded Cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F

Step 2

Either place the refried beans in a bowl OR...

Puree the pinto beans (in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender) with the cumin, chili powder, water, and vegetable oil in this ratio:

2 cups Pinto Beans

1/3 cup Water

2 Tablespoons (Tbs) vegetable oil

2 teaspoons (tsp) chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

Then place the pureed beans into a bowl.

Step 3

Arrange the assembly line!

Pour your salsa in to a bowl and put it next to the bowl of beans and the open bag of cheese on your counter top.

Lay out the pita breads on top of parchment paper on cookie sheets (parchment paper makes the clean-up waaaay easier). Place the pita bread cookie sheets next to your other ingredients, either on the counter or on the stove top if you have limited counter space (like me!).

Step 4

Spread each pita bread with about 1/2 cup of beans. This must be done first because it is very frustrating to try to spread beans on top of salsa.

Step 5
Spread roughly 1/3 cup of salsa on top of the beans which you have spread on to the pitas.

Step 6
Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of cheese on top of the salsa of each pita pizza.

Step 7
Place the cookie sheet of pizzas in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.

Step 8
Take the pizzas out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing them into 6 or 4 slices each. You will make more slices per pita pizza for younger kids (smaller slices) and less slices per pita for older (bigger slices).

Step 9
Enjoy for lunch or dinner alongside your favorite salad!

Here is Joshua from the Dew Drop class enjoying his slice:

Below is Chloe's plate. She's in the Songbird (3 y/o) classroom. 

All of the Songbirds have recently made painted and laminated place mats for lunch. 

They're beautiful AND serve educational purposes!

With the aid of the place mats, the Songbird teachers have a tangible signal to transition the kids into a calm lunchtime. Also, the children can better learn how to set a table by learning where on the place mat to set their cup, flatware, and napkin.

'Til Next Time,

Ms. Rachel