Today feels a little springy – and I am craving a smoothie. Something delicious, something yummy; but I’m all out of ideas.

Tell me your favorite three smoothie ingredients, and I’ll write a recipe and test it it to sweet, yummy deliciousness, just for YOU! I’ll even include your name in the title and take a few pics to show you what I’m doing…

Need something to get you started? Check out our smoothie video for my not-quite famous Strawberry-Banana Smoothie. It’s got all of the usual suspects, including starwberries and bananas (duh), vanilla yogurt, honey, oj, and a bit of ice.

What would make your perfect smoothie?

Popularity: 4% [?]

Every summer, we make corn pancakes in cooking camp at The Kitchen Studio. I love to use fresh corn cut right off the cob, but if that’s too hard or corn isn’t in season yet, frozen corn will work great. I like little kernels if possible.  If you’re not into the oniony thing, leave them out. Instead, you can dust the pancakes with a little powdered sugar before serving instead of the sour cream, but give it a try with the green onions first. They’re delicious!

Ingredients:

1          cup                  all-purpose flour

1          teaspoon         salt

1          large                egg

½         cup                  buttermilk*

2          cups                 frozen corn kernels, thawed (fresh from the cob works great too!)

1                                  green onion, sliced thinly into little rounds, white hairy end discarded

1          tablespoon      vegetable or olive oil

                                    Sour cream (for garnish)

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Whisk

Flexible spatula

Flat spatula for flipping

Large non-stick sauté pan

Small ladle

 

Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together to combine.

Add the egg and the buttermilk to the bowl.  Whisk until blended together with flour mixture and almost smooth.  Add corn and chopped green onions and stir until well mixed.  Set aside.

Place non-stick pan on the stove and add half of the oil to the pan. Warm the pan over medium heat.

Using your ladle, carefully pour the pancake batter into the pan, being sure to leave space in-between the pancakes (they’ll get bigger in the pan).  Let the pancakes cook on the first side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges start to turn a little bit brown. Using your flat spatula, slide the spatula under the pancake (you may need to give it a little wiggle to get it under there). Now, flip it over. Repeat with remaining pancakes in pan.  Let the pancakes cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until they move easily in the pan.  Remove from pan to a plate and keep warm.

Repeat cooking process with remaining oil and batter.

Serve with sour cream if you like.

 

Time: 15 minutes

Permissions:    Knife work (green onions)  & Stove work (sautéing)

Popularity: 2% [?]

Have some bread laying around that’s a little stale?  Then it must be time to make French Toast!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pinch Salt
• 4 slices Bread
• 2 teaspoons Butter
• Syrup

Place the milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into a bowl.  Stir together with a whisk or a fork until all of the ingredients are combined to form a custard. (The cinnamon may float to the top; that’s ok).

Place two slices of bread into the egg/milk mixture. After the bread has started to soak in the custard, flip the bread over so the dry side is face-down in the egg mixture. If your bread is fresh, this could take as little as 10 or 15 seconds per side. If your bread is a little dry, it could take a minute or two per side.

While the bread is soaking, place butter into a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat (if you have a stove with numbers 1 to 9, you’ll want around a 5 or 6).

Place the soaked bread into the skillet and cook until the fist side is golden brown 2 to 3 minutes.  Using a spatula, flip each slice of bread over just once, to cook the other side.  Cook another 2 to 4 minutes, or until the second side is golden brown.

Carefully slide the French Toast onto a plate.  Repeat with remaining two slices of bread.

Pour syrup on and enjoy!

Serves 2

Popularity: 5% [?]

Nothing tastes better than salsa you make yourself! Here’s a quick recipe you’ll want to use when you have ripe, juicy tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Red Onion, diced (check out the video for a cutting demo!)
• 4 or 5 Tomatoes, diced with the seeds removed
• 1/2 to 1 whole Jalapeno, diced very small (be careful here and wear gloves if you can, the juice is super spicy!)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Cilantro, washed and cut very finely
• 1 lime, cut in half and juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir until combined.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 4

Popularity: 2% [?]

Just getting started working at the stove? This is a great recipe to help you not only to be able to whip up a filling breakfast, but make you feel comfortable at the stove.  Just be sure to ask permission from your grown-up in charge before you start scrambling!

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• sprinkle of Salt
• sprinkle of Pepper
• 1 or 2 teaspoons Butter
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite cheese, shredded if you can, but it’s ok if it’s not

 Crack eggs into a medium bowl.  Beat with a whisk or a fork until the white and the yolk are combined. 

Place a non-stick pan on the stove. Turn on the burner to medium heat (if your stove has numbers from 1 to 9, you’ll want this about a 5 or 6) and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of butter.

Once the butter has melted (30 seconds to 1 minute), pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pan. Using a heat-proof spatula, gently move the eggs around the pan. They’ll start to firm up a bit.  This should take 2 or 3 minutes.  Once the eggs are firm but still a little creamy, they’re done!

Serves 1

Popularity: 14% [?]

Here’s a super-simple smoothie recipe that you’ll be able to make in a snap!

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana, peeled and broken into 2 or 3 pieces
• 2 cups Ice
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 cup Strawberries, green tops removed

Place all of the ingredients into a blender in the order listed.  Holding the lid on top of the blender, turn on medium or high (don’t let go of the lid!).  Process until blended.

If you like, you can even add a splash of oj (up to 1/2 cup) to the mix.

Serves two.

Popularity: 2% [?]