Carrie Fehr

March 3, 2018

Turmeric Latte

Turneric Latte Meet your new favorite latte! Creamy coconut milk, spiced and fragrant with fresh turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, is accented by just the right amount of sweetness that is both soothing and rejuvenating. There’s a good chance you will need to make this. Your body will thank you!

Turmeric Latte

Ingredients:

¾ cup coconut milk

¼ cup water

½ inch of fresh turmeric, grated

¼ inch fresh young ginger, grated

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Directions:

Whisk coconut milk, water, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let mixture steep 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and pour into your cup. Makes 1 serving.

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February 12, 2018

Salty Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

My Saturday morning ritual begins with tea and some reading to get into the right mindset before starting the day. I linger in bed, holding on to every precious minute of solitude, appreciating the power a single moment can bring.

Under the watchful eye of my dog, I rise to the sound of his tail wagging in a rhythmic beat against the wooden floor. Excited and hungry, I feed him. I grab my gym bag and head out the door for a workout of spinning and yoga, a routine that will put a smile in my mind and rejuvenate my body. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the weekend. Seriously.

Ready to greet the festive atmosphere of music and local food, can only mean it’s time for the farmers’ market stroll. The street is bursting with color, flavor, and the sweet smell of spring that is so up-lifting. I snag a sunny spot outside at a nearby café, and order a tall glass of New Orleans style iced-coffee, à la Blue Bottle. Bien sûr! Blue Bottle, famous for its coffee, carefully selects their beans from growers around the world, and use each batch within 48 hours after it’s been roasted. Can it get any better?

I return home and settle in the kitchen with a cooking project that will feed my soul. Baking cookies is a weekend thing, and although my kids are grown, it still fills up my heart to set a plate of cookies out for them. Even, if only in spirit.

I open my cupboard and reach for some leftover pecans, a chocolate bar, and a container of oats. Hmm, looks like a great beginning for an oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie recipe. Before I pop them in the oven, I sprinkle a little kosher salt over the top, as an afterthought. Sweet and salty is always a good combination.

The sweet aroma of deliciousness coming out of my kitchen sends a wave of nostalgia over me. I break open a warm cookie and take a bite. The melted chocolate, crunchy pecans, and chewy oats bring me comfort like a hug from my kids, and yet, at the same time, reminds me of everything I love about my day. I reach for another cookie.

What is your weekend ritual? Do you have a special recipe you make every weekend?

Salty Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

This is a lovely vegan cookie recipe that is easy to prepare. Try substituting the flour for oats or pecans, if you prefer gluten-free.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup finely ground pecans

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup maple syrup

½ cup coconut oil

zest of an orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Kosher salt or fleur de sel

Preheat oven 350˚

Directions:

Combine oats, flour, ground pecans, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Stir in maple syrup, coconut oil, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Add raisins, chopped chocolate and mix to combine. The batter will be sticky.

Using an ice-cream scoop, drop the cookie dough form on to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt or fleur de sel over the top of the cookies.

Bake at 350˚ for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan to a cooling rack. Makes 2 dozen.

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February 3, 2018

The Science Of Cooking: Citrus Rocks!

“If we look deeply into a flower, what do we see? Sunshine, a cloud, earth, minerals, the gardener, the complete cosmos.”-Thich Nhat Hanh

Citrus Rocks the Science of Cooking Class where fourth grade Chef Scientists explore the link between minerals that originate in the soil, to the unique role it plays on the human diet, along with a little citrus history, some fun anecdotes, and a healthy recipe.

Citrus Love: With its sheer variety and profusion of colors, citrus fruit esteemed in many cultures as a symbol of happiness — is not hard to love. Even though many citrus fruits are common, there are a few lesser known examples in our harvest basket that stand out. From the wild-looking, yet extremely fragrant Buddha’s hand, to the tiny oval kumquat with its sweet rind and intense tart pulp — make our lips pucker, to the bowling-ball sized pomelo that hangs on trees spanning across the landscape to an impressive 50 feet high. The citrus harvest basket is brimming with diverse learning opportunities that weave together lessons about folklore, health, environment, and more. It imparts a sense of wonder and appreciation that inspires students to retell the citrus anecdotes from memory throughout the year. Retelling a story is a valuable sequencing skill that supports reading comprehension and writing skills in the classroom, and is notable, since cooking classes only meet one hour a month, and in some cases, less than that.

Good to the Bone: As we turn our spotlight over to the science lab, fourth graders discover that minerals come from the earth, and humans absorb these minerals through the plants they eat. As scientists, they explore the nutrients in citrus fruit, and learn that aside from the immune boosting benefits of Vitamin C, it is chock-full of minerals that help our bones, teeth, and muscles, to name a few. And last but not least, folate, a nutrient that improves mood by raising the serotonin levels in our body, can help explain why we feel so good after eating citrus fruit.

Getting Pithy: One of the many virtues of citrus is the entire fruit is usable– the pulp, the juice, and aromatic peel, complete as nature intended, and as it turns out, is the perfect ingredient for the recipe– Fruit Roll Ups. Click here for the link to the recipe. Student chefs put their cooking skills into action using four colorful varieties of citrus fruit– the Cara Cara, Moro Blood, and Navel Oranges, along with the Satsuma Mandarin. As they section, slice, zest, peel, and juice, their way through the recipe, our excited chefs discover after eating the soft pulp leftover from juicing, that the hollowed out navel orange morphs into a drinking cup! Finally, we mix and match citrus vocabulary words, like pithy, zesty, and juicy in a citrus acrostic poem, where students create phrases using the concepts they learned from the Science of Cooking Class. Mindful eating, along with citrus poetry is a great ending to our class.

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December 31, 2017

Lemon Olive Oil Madeleines

When Marcel Proust dipped his madeleine into his cup of tea, a powerful memory from his childhood emerged that led him to write the classic novel, Remembrance of Things Past. Imagine such a table from nostalgic past, set for afternoon tea, bursting with memories, sparked by the delicate flavor of this simple yet elegant, shell-shaped cake.

Lemon Olive Oil Madeleines

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup olive oil

Zest of lemon

½ teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Lightly coat the madeleine mold with cooking oil. Preheat oven to 350°

In a bowl of an electric mixer, whip eggs, sugar, and salt until thicken, about 5 minutes.

Sift in the flour and baking powder. Use a large spatula to gently fold in the flour, do not over mix.

Drizzle the olive oil into the batter and mix to incorporate. Add the vanilla and lemon zest.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Batter may be chilled for up to 12 hours.)

Scoop batter into madeleine mold, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 10 minutes and un-mold on a cooling rack.

While baking, prepare the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. Mix until smooth and creamy.

When the madeleines come out of the oven, dip both sides of each cake in the glaze. Cool and serve with tea.

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December 3, 2017

Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Classic glazed gingerbread cookies with a hint of molasses and a peppery kick of spices —look like an absolute work of art! These hand-pressed cookies are formed from a traditional Springerle wood mold that leave an impression of an artisan ceramic tile. A spice lover’s dream that will steal the show at every holiday treat table.

Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Adapted from Elisabeth Prueitt’s Tartine cookbook. Springerle cookie molds can be purchased from House on the Hill.

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

½ cup molasses

2 tablespoons rice syrup

Glaze:

Mix ½ cup confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon water until smooth.

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper, baking soda, and salt.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter until creamy. Add sugar and mix until completely incorporated. Add egg and mix well. Add the molasses, rice syrup and then mix until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, and beat together until fully incorporated.

Remove dough and flatten it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate over night.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place dough on a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough about 1/3 inch thick, then lightly dust with flour. Using a cookie mold, press over the dough and trim the edges using a knife.

Set the cookie shape on the prepared baking sheet leaving about a 1-inch space between each one. Bake 7-12 minutes, remove from baking pan and set on a cooling rack. While still warm, brush the glaze over the cookies with a pastry brush. Makes 24 cookies, 3×3- inch.

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October 23, 2017

Butternut Squash Soup

butternut-squash-soup-jpg On stormy weather nights when I crave something warm and comforting, there’s nothing like a steaming bowl of butternut squash soup to assuage the winter chill. This soup is easy to prepare and with a handful of simple ingredients, it will turn into something creamy and soothing. A sprinkling of pomegranate seeds adds a little burst of color and crunch. Soup On!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

6 cups vegetable stock or water

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 pound sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 cups vegetable stock or water

3/4 cup coconut milk

Season with salt and white pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions, and sauté about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock or water to the onions and bring to a boil. Add the butternut squash and sweet potato, return to a boil then, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash and sweet potato is soft.

Pour the soup into a blender and purée until smooth. Add the coconut milk. Return the blended butternut squash and coconut mixture to the saucepan, then, bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and white pepper.

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October 1, 2017

Pear Ginger Crumble

This wonderful crumble, fragrant with pears, is perfect for the cooler days of fall when I crave a little comfort of a warm treat. Oats, almonds and crystallized ginger give this crumb topping its flavor, along with the extra virgin olive oil. It tastes amazing when still warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Ingredients:

Topping

1 cup oats

¼ cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

8 ripe Bartlett pears (about 4 pounds), cut into 2” chunks

½ lemon, juiced

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Topping: Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, crystallized ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until evenly moist.

Filling: Combine pears, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the pears.

Bake the crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes.

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September 10, 2017

Honey Chamomile Cupcakes

Light and fragrant, honey chamomile cupcakes get their distinctive flavor from an aromatic tea infusion. Topped with clouds of honey whipped cream and jewel-like edible flowers, these miniature cakes— are simply divine. If you love tea, this will be perfect!

Honey Chamomile Cupcakes

Ingredients:

¾ cup (1 ½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup dried chamomile flowers

1 ¼ cups – flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon zest

¾ cup sugar

2 large eggs

Edible flowers or Chamomile flowers, optional

Honey Whipped Cream, Recipe Below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-cupcake tin with paper liners. Makes 3 dozen mini-sized or 1 dozen large.

Directions:
Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted, careful not to brown it. Add the chamomile and let it steep for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand for 5 more minutes. Strain the chamomile through a sieve and set butter aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, mix milk and vanilla; set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With mixer on low-speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk, then remaining dry ingredients. Do not over mix.

Using an ice cream scoop divide batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake 13 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes on a rack before frosting. Ice with honey whipped cream. Sprinkle crushed chamomile over the top and decorate with edible flowers.

Honey Whipped Cream

1 ½ cup heavy cream

3 Tablespoons honey

Pour heavy cream in a bowl and using a wire whisk whip the cream until it thickens slightly. Add the honey and mix until it holds soft peaks.

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August 13, 2017

Confetti Spaghetti

Bold colorful peppers and vine-ripened tomatoes always welcome me back to the kitchen classroom in the late summer, where I teach elementary school children how to cook real food inspired by the garden.

We kick off the season with the recipe, Confetti Spaghetti, highlighting the harvest’s bounty of bright jewel tones that look like the fireworks sky on the Fourth of July– a party on a plate that tastes like a celebration in your mouth.

And, oh so healthy too, these vibrant colored fruits and vegetables have a generous infusion of beneficial vitamins and minerals that nourish both the mind and body.

It’s no wonder that students eagerly swarm like bees to honey, to the cooking lesson. Excited fingers slice, dice, and roll fresh leaves of basil into cylinders that are thinly cut into a chiffonade. This early hands-on nutrition lesson is not only fun and engaging for children, but will have a positive impact on the choices they make about food for many years into the future.

Confetti Spaghetti is one of the most versatile recipes you can have in your repertoire. Feel free to choose your favorite seasonal vegetables, red, orange, even purple, and experiment with different flavors and textures or whatever is available to you. Click here for the Confetti Spaghetti recipe.

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June 24, 2017

Beet Ketchup

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Beets and ketchup may seem like an unlikely pair, but this intriguing sweet and tangy flavor combination, will truly make your taste buds come alive. If you’re a newcomer to beetroot, it’s a wonderful way to introduce this vegetable, that is by no means fancy, and is often misunderstood.

Bright and zesty with a hint of spice, this home-made ketchup is great slathered on any sandwich, over a side of sweet potato fries, and is a fantastic barbecue sauce for grilling. Serve, as a dip for spring rolls, or over eggs—the possibilities are endless.

How do you prepare beets? Do you have a creative way that encourages children to taste them? I would love to hear your story.

To find out how students in the cooking classroom explore beets, click here.

Beet Ketchup

Beet Ketchup with Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized beets, diced

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup honey

1 ¾ cups balsamic vinegar

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

¼ tsp powdered mustard

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until liquid reduces by half, about 1 hour.

Remove spices and place ketchup into a blender and purée until smooth. The consistency will be thick, smooth, and shiny.

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