Greek Carrot Skilletcakes + Lemon White Bean Hummus + Feta Salad + Ultra Vanilla “Bean” Smoothies
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grate+tear+squeeze Have kids grate 4 medium carrots (Say Carrots: Ka-ro-ta in Greek). Chop or tear 2 tablespoon of fresh parsley leaves into small bits. LOOK at the parsley and the carrot tops. LET THE KIDS KNOW KNOW THAT PARSLEY AND CARROTS ARE RELATED! Have the kids chop-up 4 green onions. Now have kids squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible from the carrots, parsley and green onions. You can put the vegetables in a clean dish towel or use clean hands and squeeze the juice out (this will insure your cakes hold together while cooking) Have kids combine carrots, parsley and onion in large bowl.
crack+mix+brown Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees. Eggs are pronounced: av- ga in Greek! Crack and mix in 1 egg, ½ teaspoon of salt and BIG pinch of dried oregano. Add ¼ cup of flour to the bowl and stir to blend well. Heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Using ⅛ cup of the carrot mixture for each pancake, drop 4-6 pancakes into your skillet. Flatten each into 2-inch round. Cook cakes until brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with a little salt. Keep the cakes warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining carrot mixture. Serve with the hummus and feta salad! Say I'm hungry: ‘PEE-NAO’! continued
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Sticky Fingers
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
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DID YOU KNOW?: Plate smashing, a traditional Greek folk custom involving the smashing of plates or glasses during celebratory occasions. Breaking plates is related to the ancient practice of conspicuous consumption, a display of one's wealth, as plates or glasses are thrown into a fireplace following a banquet instead of being washed and reused. Shout "Opa!"
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smell+guess Have kids smell the parsley and oregano! Will they taste good together? What do you think?
drain+chop+squeeze+blend Have kids open and drain 1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern (or Cannellini) Beans and pour into a big bowl. Now kids have kids chop 1 small garlic clove, squeeze ⅛ cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, ¼ tablespoon sea salt and a pinch of dried oregano—and pour everything into your blender. Carefully pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil while your blender is running on low. Count to 10 in Greek (below) while blending… then count to 10 again!
taste+enjoy Have kids taste and then season hummus with salt and pepper is needed. Serve with your tasty carrot skillet cakes! Say Delicious in Greek: nóstima.
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wash+dry+pinch Have kids wash and dry 2 cups fresh Italian parsley. Now kids get to kids pick fresh Italian parsley leaves off the stems—and pinch leaves into smaller bits, and set aside. Discard the stems.
measure+whisk In a large bowl, have kids whisk together 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ tsp se salt and a pinch of dried oregano.
toss+sit+eat Add the parsley mixture to the bowl and toss to combine. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving so that flavors meld together nicely. Top with ¼ cup of Feta Cheese right before serving… We liked topping the carrot skillet cakes with the white bean hummus and the feta salad. Eat and ENJOY! continued
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Sticky Fingers
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
www.stickyfingerscooking.com © 2015 Sticky Fingers Cooking
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peel+plop Have your children peel 2 bananas and plop them into your blender.
heat+pour Have your kids measure ¼ cup white beans, 1 cup greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 teaspoons honey and 2 cups of Ice to your blender – Don’t forget the lid. … BLEND until creamy and thick!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Let's Learn Greek Numbers from Zero to Ten!
The Greek language is believed to be one of the oldest European languages, which has an oral tradition of 4000 years and a written tradition of approximately 3000 years. Here, they are written in Arabic numerals, Greek letters, and the approximate English pronunciation. Learn them while chopping and grating:
ARABIC Numbers
GREEK Letters
PHONETIC Pronunciation
0
Μηδέν
(mee-then)
1
Ένα
(ena)
2
Δύο
(thee-o)
3
Τρία
(trree-a)
4
Τέσσερα
(tess-eh-ra)
5
Πέντε
(pen-dae)
6
Έξι
(ex-ee)
7
επτά
(ef-ta)
8
οκτώ
(oct-o)
9
εννέα
(en-ney-ah)
10
Δέκα
(theh-ka)
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Sticky Fingers
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
www.stickyfingerscooking.com © 2015 Sticky Fingers Cooking
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Now Let's Learn Some Greek Phrases and Words! ENGLISH
How to Say in GREEK
Eggs
Av- ga in
Carrots: Ka-ro-ta
Ka-ro-ta
Delicious
Nóstima
I'm hungry
Pee-nao
Please
PA-Ra-Ka-Lo
Thank You
Ef-hari-stoYesNeh
Water
Ne-rho
Hello
Ya-sou
Good Bye
Ya-sou
Good Morning
Kali-Mera
Why?
Ya-ti
shopping list Greek Carrot Skilletcakes 4 to 5 medium carrots 4 stocks green onions ¼ C flour ½ tsp sea salt 2 T fresh italian parsley
1 egg (or sub ¼ C mashed great northern beans or cannellini beans) BIG pinch dried oregano some olive oil
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
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shopping list Lemon White Bean Hummus 2 to 3 T extra virgin olive oil ⅛ C fresh lemon juice 1 small clove of garlic 2 T fresh italian parsley
1 15 oz can great northern beans or cannellini beans pinch of dried oregano ¼ T sea salt
Feta Salad 2 C fresh Italian parsley 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 to 3 T extra virgin olive oil pinch of dried oregano
2 tsp honey 1 tsp sea salt ¼ C feta cheese
Ultra-Vanilla Bean Smoothie ¼ C white beans 2 Bananas 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 C Ice
1 C greek yogurt (sub soy, silken tofu or coconut yogurt) 4 tsp honey, brown sugar or 4 packs of stevia
fun food facts: Carrots! ★ The carrot is a member of the parsley family, including species such as celery, parsnip, fennel, dill and coriander. ★ Carrots were first grown as a medicine not a food. ★ Carrots are a root vegetable that originated in Afghanistan.
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Sticky Fingers
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
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★ They were purple, red, white, and yellow, but never orange. In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family (for Kings and Queens). They did this by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots. ★ There is as much calcium in 9 carrots as there is in a glass (250ml) of whole milk. ★ Three Carrots give you enough energy to walk three miles. ★ Wild rabbits do not eat carrots – you have been watching too much Bugs Bunny!
TIME FOR SOME REALLY SILLY CARROT JOKES! Knock-Knock? Who's there? Carrot ! Carrot who ? Carrot me back home! Did you hear about the carrot detective? He got to the root of every case! How can you make a soup rich? Add 14 carrots (carats) to it! Why is a carrot orange and pointy? Because if it was green and round it would want to pea! What's a Vegetable's favorite martial art? Carrotee! Knock-Knock. Who's there? Carrot! Carrot who? You do carrot all about me? OPEN THE DOOR! What did the rabbit say to the carrot? It’s been nice gnawing you! How do you know carrots are good for your eyes? Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses? What do you get if you cross an elephant with a rabbit? An elephant that never forgets to eat his carrots (Of course!)!
fun food facts: Greek Food History Finding a great meal in ancient Greece would have been very easy! They ate a variety of delicious dishes, some of which are still around today. Most Greeks were farmers and they ate the food that they grew. Since Greece had a mild climate, they were able to grow many different fruits and vegetables as long as they got enough rain. Vegetables were a huge part of the Greek diet. Most Greeks ate a diet that was almost vegetarian. Among the most common vegetables and plants eaten by Greeks were asparagus, fennel, cucumbers, chickpeas, and celery. They also gathered and boiled dandelions to eat. The bulbs of certain plants, such as iris, were also edible. They even ate stinging nettles! Fruits and nuts were also a large part of the Greek diet. Apples, pears, cherries and mulberries grew wild and were available throughout Greece. Damsons, a fruit related to plums, were also a favorite of the Greeks. Perhaps the most important food to the ancient (and modern) Greeks was the olive. It was not simply a food. It was also a big part of Greek history. Greeks believed that the goddess Athena gave the first olive tree to Athens before it eventually spread to the rest of Greece. Olives were used in many recipes. Olives were also crushed and their oil was used for lamps. Olive oil could also be used as a beauty product. Women rubbed into their skin to make it soft and shiny. continued
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
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Honey was another important Greek food. It was used much like we use sugar, as a sweetener in many different foods. It could also be used as a medicine. Greeks were fond of honey because they believed that Zeus was fed milk and honey as a baby. For them, honey was almost magical. Many families kept beehives and took good care of their bees. Ancient Greeks didn’t eat much meat. But since Greece is surrounded by water, fish were easy to get. Many varieties were available in the markets. Many Greeks thought of eating meat as something that barbarians did. The Greeks believed they were more civilized than that. As a result, they hardly ate meat at all. The way that Greeks ate was also important. Having a meal was not only about eating food. It was also a chance to talk and enjoy the company of family and friends. A Greek meal was an event! This is still the case in modern-day Greece, where dinner with friends and family may last for hours! The ancient Greeks simply made use of the foods that were available. But we now know that the Greek diet was (and still is) very healthy. The Greeks may have found the key to living longer… But if it’s all the same to you, I’ll skip the stinging nettles! Where did Caesar keep his armies? Up his sleevies. Why isn't sun tanning an Olympic sport? Because the best you can get is bronze. Which Greek leader was the best of the bunch? Alexander the Grape. What's the capital of Greece? ‘G’ What was the most popular film in Ancient Greece? A Troy Story
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Sticky Fingers
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
www.stickyfingerscooking.com © 2015 Sticky Fingers Cooking
SOME SILLY TOMATO JOKES: What did the papa tomato say to the slowpoke baby tomato? “Hurry and ketchup!” Why Did The Tomato Blush? Because he saw the salad dressing! What did the macaroni say to the tomato? “Don’t get saucy with me!” Did you hear about the race between the lettuce and the tomato? The lettuce was a "head"
fun food facts: The History of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup Humans have combined bread with cheese for centuries! Some scholars point to Roman cookbooks that included combining bread and cheese at mealtimes. The precise origin of grilled cheese is rather lost to time. However, scholars speculate that it was in the 1920’s that some enterprising mind came up with the idea to not only combine bread with cheese, but also to grill it as well. The availability of inexpensive loaves of bread and processed cheese was the catalyst for making the grilled cheese sandwich a staple of the common person’s diet in the 1920’s. In its earliest form, a grilled cheese sandwich was prepared open faced with grated American cheese. Eventually, people began closing the sandwich with a second piece of bread – mainly to make the meal a more filling one. The grilled cheese sandwich was a mainstay during the American Great Depression of the 1930’s. Down on their luck citizens could usually afford an inexpensive grilled cheese and the meal provided sufficient nutrition to keep them going for a few hours more. During WWII, the grilled cheese sandwich was a favorite of the Allied armed forces, with official cookbooks containing recipes for making these hearty meals. It wasn’t long before school cafeterias and housewives were making grilled cheese a regular part of their meal planning.
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Sticky Fingers
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Cultivating ‘Cool’inary Curiosity in Kids TM THYME to TURNIP the BEET on WHAT KIDS EAT
www.stickyfingerscooking.com © 2015 Sticky Fingers Cooking