A guide to successful cooking with young people

Gnocci and Garlicky Green Beans by Chef Carol

2008-07-25T13:31:00Z

by Chef Carol Murphy Clyne

Carol Murphy Clyne is a visiting instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in the Food Enthusiasts program at the Hyde Park campus and the new Manhattan facility, the CIA at Astor Center. Her passion is teaching young chefs the skills they need to integrate better food choices into their fast-paced lives. She was the chef-owner of a 70-seat scratch kitchen, café and catering business in New Jersey for 20 years. For any questions, visit Chef Carol at www.chefscool.com

GNOCCHI AND GARLICKY GREEN BEANS

Making a potful of pillowy potato dumplings from scratch is a hands-on process that kids enjoy. My daughter Emily and I saw this gnocchi recipe on Lidia Bastianich’s TV show awhile ago, and making them has become a tradition that still brings us together and makes us laugh. While any baking potato can be used here, Yukon Golds add a buttery creaminess and a potato ricer is my tool of choice. The hotter the potato is riced, the lighter the gnocchi, but a potato masher or fork will do. We find this dough makes the lightest and fluffiest dumplings, however it is delicate and should not be overworked. Gnocchi need to be cooked right away but reheat and freeze perfectly. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe, it’s actually quite easy but detailed to guide you through the process if you’ve never made them.

Yield: 8 entrée servings

START ORGANIZED:

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes baking sheets liquid measuring cups

2½ tablespoons kosher salt (about) bench scraper measuring spoons

1½ pounds green beans colander microplane

2 ounces extra virgin olive oil cutting board pairing knife

3 cloves garlic dinner fork parchment paper

2 large eggs dry measuring cups potato ricer

12½ ounces unbleached extra large sauté scale (optional)

all-purpose flour (about) pan skimmer

4 ounces Pecorino Romano, heat proof spatula small and medium

plus additional cheese large stock pot bowls

for garnish with lid whisk

½ teaspoon black pepper wooden spoon

¼ whole nutmeg

COOK WITH A KISS:

1. Microwave:

2½ pounds

Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, pierced several

times with fork (about 6 large potatoes) Or bake potatoes at 400ºF for about 1 hour. Any high starch baking potato, like an Idaho or Russet can be substituted.

on high, rotating potatoes every 5 minutes until flesh feels soft when pierced, about 15 - 20 minutes. Using kitchen towel to protect hands, slice hot potatoes so they will fit into potato ricer. Place flesh side down into ricer and push flesh through and onto baking sheet. Discard skins. You’ll need about 5½ cups riced potato. With fork or bench scraper, fluff pulp out into even layer on baking sheet. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

2. Fill an 8-quart stockpot with:

5 quarts	cold water
2 tablespoons	kosher salt The water should taste like mild seawater. This will add another layer of flavor to the finished dish. But if using fine table salt, decrease amount to 1 tablespoon.

cover with a lid and over high heat bring water to a boil.

3. Add:

1½ pounds

fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and cut in ½ Actually, any vegetable would be delicious.

to boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes for each batch. Remove with skimmer, run under cold water and drain. Save pot of water to boil gnocchi.

4. In 12-inch sauté pan put:

¼ cup

extra virgin olive oil (2 ounces)

I tablespoon

garlic, minced (ounce or 3 cloves) If clove has a green sprout, remove it. It is

sprout, remove it.

bitter and can ruin the dish.

and over medium low, cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.

5. In 2-quart bowl combine:

1½ cups	unbleached all-purpose flour (7½ ounces)
½ cup	Pecorino Romano, finely grated (2 ounces)
1½ teaspoons	kosher salt*If using fine table or sea salt, decrease to ¾ teaspoon
½ teaspoon	black pepper, freshly ground
teaspoon	whole nutmeg, freshly grated If using nutmeg purchased already ground, decrease
	to a tiny pinch.

And evenly sprinkle over potatoes. With bench scraper, gently combine ingredients; scoop up potatoes and toss with dry ingredients for about 1 minute.

6. In 1-quart bowl whisk together:

1	large whole egg (2 ounces)
1	large egg yolk (ounce)

and evenly drizzle over potatoes. With bench scraper, combine ingredients; scoop up and toss them together for about 1 minute. It will look like a crumbly mess. Gather crumbs and push/gently knead them into cohesive dough, taking about 2 minutes. Roll dough into a log and cut into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a rope the length of baking sheet long ways, about 12 inches. Dust ropes with flour. The dough may split, just pinch it together. Try to make the ropes all the same diameter, about ½ inch. The result will be gnocchi of the same size so they cook evenly, ultimately tasting and looking the most delicious.

7. Line up 2 dough ropes at a time and with bench scraper cut into ½-inch pieces. Lightly dust pieces with flour so they don't stick. In one hand, hold fork by handle, backside up. With other hand, line up top of 1 dough piece with top of fork tines, cut side out. Press top of dough with thumb and pulling down, roll dough down tines of fork. This will make tine indentation on bottom side and smooth curved shape on top side. With index finger and thumb, roll gnocchi off fork and onto lightly floured baking sheet. Roll out all dough in same manner. Place gnocchi, as it is rolled out, onto very lightly floured parchment paper so that the paper can be picked up and assist in pouring the gnocchi into water.

8. Working in 4 batches, add gnocchi to boiling water, several at a time. Gently stir gnocchi several times to separate any that may have stuck together. Once the gnocchi float to surface, cook for another minute. Too many in pot at once will flatten bottom gnocchi.

9. Turn heat to medium under sauté pan. Add green beans to pan and toss. As gnocchi batches are cooked, lift them out of the water with skimmer and put them in sauté pan with green beans. Gently toss. After all gnocchi is added, raise heat to medium high, add ¾ cup of pasta water and simmer for 1 minute. Toss in:

½ cup

Pecorino Romano, grated, packed (2 ounces) plus additional cheese

Cheese curls make a great garnish.

for garnish Cheese curls are a lovely garnish and are fun to make; slide swivel blade

peeler over block of cheese and peel curls.

Toss, taste and adjust seasonings.

More Gnocchi Cheat Notes:

Once cooked, gnocchi can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Place cooked gnocchi on a baking sheet to cool quickly and drizzle with about ¼ cup olive oil to prevent sticking. Once cooled, wrap well with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for storage. Defrost dumplings and reheat in sauté pan, as in step 9, or even easier, warm right on baking sheet in 400ºF oven until hot and slightly golden, about 20 minutes.

When making dough a light touch and the minimum flour makes lighter gnocchi. The finished dough should feel moist but not sticky; if it is too sticky sprinkle in the least flour necessary.

The ingredients need not look fully incorporated, specks of egg yolk might still be visible.

Once dough is cut into 8 pieces, wash, dry and lightly flour hands. From this point on, flour is not being incorporated into dough and won't make the gnocchi heavy. Use what's necessary to prevent sticking.

To roll into ropes: Spread fingers across center of dough and with light pressure roll dough back and forth moving fingers from center to end. Repeat gently rolling from center to end several times until rope is an even thickness of about ½ inch.

Nutrition

Per Entrée Serving: 373 Calories; 13g Fat (31.7% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 640mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 Fat.

Mini Turkey and Spinach Meatballs by Chef Carol

2008-07-25T13:24:00Z

by Chef Carol Murphy Clyne

MINI TURKEY AND SPINACH MEATBALLS

When I was a child, all I would need is one whiff of Grandma’s meatballs simmering in tomato sauce to come running. The aromas alone were as good as three smooches from her. And nothing has ever tasted as sweet. In this healthier version, we substitute lean ground turkey for the fattier ground beef and add spinach and whole wheat . You can pop them into your mouth, simmer them in tomato sauce or smother them with caramelized onions. Toss with veggies and whole-wheat pasta for a comfort food treat. Any way, they dazzle. And they keep in the freezer for dinner in a hurry. Oh, and I’ve scribbled in some of my cheat notes and included weights for those who like using a scale.

Yield: 7 ½ dozen (10 servings)

START ORGANIZED:

INGREDIENTS EQUIPMENT

2 tablespoons canola oil baking sheets

4 large eggs chef’s and pairing knife

1½ teaspoons kosher salt cutting board

¾ teaspoon black pepper dry measuring cups

4 slices whole wheat bread foil

2 cloves garlic food processor with steel blade

½ medium yellow onion large bowl

½ sweet red bell pepper large mixing spoon

4 ounces spinach measuring spoons

3 ounces Pecorino Romano scale (optional)

2 pounds ground turkey breast, 99% fat free

COOK WITH A KISS:

1. Position oven racks in top third and bottom third of oven. Heat to 450ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and liberally coat both with a total of:

2 tablespoons

canola oil (1 ounce)

2. In a 4-quart bowl whisk:

4	large eggs (8 ounces)
1½ teaspoon	kosher salt *If using fine table or sea salt, decrease to ½ teaspoon table salt
¾ teaspoon	black pepper, freshly ground

3. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade process:

4 slices

whole wheat bread, toasted, cooled, torn into small pieces (6

ounces untoasted whole wheat bread or 2 cups packed crumbs)

almost as good.

in batches to fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. Add to bowl with eggs. Replace food processor lid and with motor running drop in:

2 large

garlic cloves (¼ ounce or 2 teaspoons) If clove has a green sprout, remove it.

sprout, remove it.

It is bitter and can ruin the dish.

Run motor until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Turn off. Add:

½ medium	yellow onion, coarsely chopped (½ cup or 2 ounces)
½ medium	sweet red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
	(½ cup or 2 ounces)

Pulse motor until finely chopped but not pureed, about 10 2-second on/off pulses, scraping down sides half way through. Put into bowl with bread mixture.

4. Also add:

2 cups	baby spinach, squeezed dry, finely chopped with knife, packed, (4
	ounces) If the spinach is too fine, by being chopped in food processor, the meatballs the meatballs will be green.
	will be green.
¾ cup	Pecorino Romano (3 ounces)

Mix well. Then add:

2 pounds

ground turkey breast, 99% fat free *It must say 99% fat free otherwise

it could be ground breast and skin

Mix only until combined, about 30 seconds. Overworking meat can cause tough meatballs.

5. Gently roll all meat into loosely packed balls and evenly distribute between prepared baking sheets. Use 1 tablespoon of meat or 5/8 ounce for each mini meatball. Moisten hands in bowl of water before rolling meat to prevent sticking.

6. Shake baking sheets back and forth so meatballs are lightly coated with oil. Place meatballs ¼ inch apart. Bake meatballs for 16 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking time, from front to back, and top to bottom until they are cooked through and firm to touch (or until instant read thermometer, when placed in center of meatball, registers 165º).

7. Meatballs can be kept warm in a 200°F oven or simmered in sauce of choice on stovetop or in oven for 45 minutes.

More Meatball Cheat Notes:

The meatballs can be frozen for 3 months. To freeze: cool meatballs completely in refrigerator for 2 hours then place in sealed plastic bags or air tight container and freeze. Warm them in microwave or oven or simmer in favorite sauce.

Nutrition

Per Meatball: 26 Calories; 1g Fat (36.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 77mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

Per Entrée Serving: 230 Calories; 9g Fat (36.4% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 156mg Cholesterol; 694mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

"KISS" your kids

2008-07-10T09:55:00Z

by Chef Carol Murphy Clyne

People ask me where I was trained as a chef. The answer is Grandma's kitchen. I remember rolling out the silky dough for a family dinner of "home-mades" with meatballs in tomato sauce. Yes, home-mades. We never called it spaghetti or pasta; that's what you got out of a box. I remember feeding the dough into the hand-cranked pasta machine, with Grandma and Mom guiding my hands and beaming. And that got me smiling too.

Grandma and Mom taught me that it's not just about food. It's about love and family and togetherness. Cooking with both of them taught me important lessons: about nature's bounty, the love of family, and the bond between the two. At their apron strings, showered in kisses, I learned about cooking and teaching, living and loving. Now I use what I call their KISS principle in my own kitchen. KISS stands for Keep it simple, safe. It's an easy guide for working in the kitchen with your own kids and grandkids.

KISS: Keep it Simple, Safe

KISS 1 – Clear the schedule for time in the kitchen with your kids. Don’t get distracted with phone calls, emails, plans for tomorrow. Quality time with your kids is your priority. Keep them close to you, making sure your hands and theirs work together in the ingredients. Stay calm and patient; remember this is a fun time, not a chore.

KISS 2 – Select recipes that make you comfortable and that fit your cooking style. This is a time to share your cooking personality, not a time to become frustrated.

KISS 3 – Give the kids responsibility. Let them touch, taste, do – let them experience the experience. Let them take ownership. Let them figure out how to do it, see the process, and carry it through from start to finish. Yet, be their guide for this adventure. Show them how food is made and how rewarding handmade, homemade, self-made can be. For young children use safety scissors, plastic knives or bench scrapers for cutting.

KISS 4 – Remember, you’re not teaching Can Opening 101. Use food as close to the earth as possible. That means fresh, wholesome ingredients. Avoid canned or processed foods. Remind kids that food really comes from farms, not from supermarket shelves. Open their eyes, mouths and minds.

KISS 5 – Make this a bonding, upbeat experience. Make sure the kids are laughing and having fun. Get organized by having all of the food and equipment at hand. If they get a little messy but, don’t blow your cool. Cover them in kisses and encourage them every step of the way.

When cooking with kids, select recipes that are colorful, fun, somewhat challenging and tasty for impressionable palates.

Two of my favorite recipes follow this entry... print them out & use them often!

Check back soon for more recipes from Chef Carol. To enroll in a parents and kids class at the CIA, visit our Continuing Education website for a list of classes or call 845-452-2230 or 800-888-7850.

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