Chicken Tacos with Kale and Salsa Verde

Posted by Spoon #1

I decided to do dinner tonight for my first post, so I found a dinner that I think is one of my favorites. I love this recipe because it is so tasty, with the kale and chicken, it just creates a magical combo which leaves a delightful taste in my mouth. Don't believe me? Why don't you make it and try it out?

It is a fast and easy taco recipe, and it has very few ingredients to hassle with, so it is much easier to create.

First, I removed the kale leaves from off of the stems, washing them as I go. Make sure you shake the water off the kale strongly (don't worry about breaking the stem from whiplash).  You don't want the residual water to steam the kale instead of sauteing them (yes, there's an accent, but I don't know how to make that).

Next, I put them in our wok (instead of a saucepan -- it was just easier), and let them saute with the minced garlic (garlic makes EVERYTHING better). If you don't know, sauteing kale makes it shrink ridiculously, so in the pictures, it may seem like I took out half of it. I didn't. 

While my mom was watching the kale, I cut the chicken (if you don't have an assistant, you should cut the chicken up in advance). Once the kale began to wilt, I dumped the chicken into the kale, along with the tomatillo salsa verde.

Once I felt that the kale had cooked enough, I was done! My mom prepared the corn tortillas by frying them in a bit of oil, and we ate!

Yum.

Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde
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6 servings
serving size: 2 tacos
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• 1/2 cup tomatillo salsa verde
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt
• 1 tbsp. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil-- for the wok)
• 2 bunches kale
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup queso fresco
• Sour cream

In a medium skillet (I used a wok), heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the kale, season with salt and add about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic; saute just until wilted. Stir in the diced chicken and salsa verde; cook to heat through. Lower the heat and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat a griddle or large skillet. Fry the tortillas in a small amount of oil, flipping to cook both sides, until soft and warm.

Spoon a few heaping teaspoons of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Sprinkle with the queso fresco. Drizzle with the sour cream.

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

Posted by Spoon #2

I really love foreign food, especially Asian. My love of Asian food has flourished so much over the years that I wanted to master how to cook it. So my Mom gave me the recipe, and Voila! I cooked it, and my family enjoyed it. Because that's how it works right? I made couple mistakes along the way, so I apologize if you misunderstand how to cook it. It must seem terribly difficult, but it was surprisingly easy, for someone who'd never cooked Asian before.

Okay, so first I started with large drumsticks, ones with skin still on, and began to tug at the skin, attempting to pull it off. I tugged and I tugged, but eventually I had to give in and accept the pair of scissors so I could cut the skin free. It was so hard! I repeated this step with the other 5 drumsticks, and soon had 6 of them, skinned and all, on a plate.

After that, I browned them in a heavy saucepan on high for 3-4 minutes.

They turned out a nice golden color.

I then added water, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and sweet chili sauce.
I stirred, and cooked it on high until it boiled.

Yum!!

I then let it simmer while it was covered for about 20 minuets.
After that, I removed the lid and let the sauce reduce down and thicken.

While that was happening, I chopped up some scallions and gathered some sesame seeds to put on top. After the sauce was nice and thick, I then placed the drumsticks on a plate and poured the sauce over them and sprinkled the scallions and sesame seeds.

"I really made this?" I wondered.

My own mouth watered as I looked at the plate and smelled the wonderful aroma. My family really enjoyed it and so did I. Wish you luck!


Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
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Recipe source: www.skinnytaste.com
4 servings
serving size: 2 drumsticks
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• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed*
• non stick spray (I used Pam)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2-1T. sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 cup balsamic vineger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1T brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic crushed (or 2 t. minced garlic)
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp scallions (or chives), chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minuets with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, sweet chili sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minuets. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minuets, until it becomes a thick glaze,  turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it becomes thick.) Transfer chicken to platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives/scallions and sesame seeds and serve. I served it with rice . . . it was good!

*Note: As delicious as it was, I would have also loved it with chicken breasts.  It would have worked just as well.

Bake-off: Cookies!

Posted by Mama Spoon

My kids love to bake. What can I say -- I have taught them well. I guess all that time that I have spent in my kitchen baking up yumminess has finally paid off by setting an example.  We have been watching the Masterchef show as a family (ok, #4 -really- hates it and tantrums 'cuz he is super bored by it and we are not playing with him since we are all starting at the tv). Anyway, we decided to have our own culinary competition and I organized a bake off for the three oldest kiddos. 

 

Yeah, they made a mess, but had a great time. :)

I gave them all the same vanilla cookie recipe (chocolate chip cookies minus the chocolate chips), and had a lesson on substituting ingredients (how much oats or cocoa to sub for flour, adjusting liquid and dry ingredients depending on what was added, etc.), filled the counter with piles of ingredients and all manner of mix-ins, and let them go. The only rule was they had to run the recipe by me before they could start baking (to verify the proportions would work). 

They did awesome. Spoon #3 did a black and white cookie -- making 1/2 the dough vanilla with chocolate chips, and half chocolate, and then he mashed two balls together and baked them so they were 1/2 and 1/2 (he called them Yin Yang Cookies). They were very fluffy and yummy. Spoon #2 turned hers into a dense and fudgy and very minty chocolate brownie cookie. Yum.  Really.
Spoon #1 won the contest 'cuz he played to the judge.  Big Daddy Spoon loves all things peanut butter and chocolate. Obsessively so.  I guess it wasn't very fair to the other kids, since when he smelled the aroma of chocolate and peanut butter floating from the kitchen, it was in the bag.  

It was a very well done peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. It turned out supremely delicious with a very nice texture, I think they all did a fabulous job and I am sure that we will be doing this again soon with my little bakers.

The winning recipe:

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Recipe source: Created by Spoon #1 
18 servings
serving size: 1 cookie
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• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (heaping)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add peanut butter and mix well. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the soda, salt, flour and oats; mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Form into 1 1/2" balls and bake 9-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet, or until set. Cool 2 minutes and remove from cookie sheet to finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Brownie Mint Cookies
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Recipe source: Created by Spoon #2
18 servings
serving size: 1 cookie
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• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 cup mint chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugars. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the soda, salt, cocoa, and flour; mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Form into 1 1/2" balls and bake 9-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet, or until set. Cool 2 minutes and remove from cookie sheet to finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Yin Yang Cookies
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Recipe source: Created by Spoon #3
18 servings
serving size: 1 cookie
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• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugars. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the soda, salt, and flour; mix until well combined. Divide the dough in half.  Mix in the baking cocoa into 1/2 of the dough until well combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips into the chocolate dough.

Form into 1 1/2" balls by rolling a ball from each the chocolate and vanilla dough.  Press them together and gently roll them into a new ball.. Bake 9-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet, or until set. Cool 2 minutes and remove from cookie sheet to finish cooling on a cooling rack.

About the Five Wooden Spoons

This kids cooking blog is made and designed by us, a combo of five kids who all love to eat (especially chocolate and peanut butter). First is Spoon #1, the oldest and the nerd of the family. Always into the jar of peanut butter, he loves to be the boss of the kitchen. Then comes Spoon #2, who loves the arts, like theater and art class. Her favorite ingredient is chocolate (there isn't anything else, right?). Next is Spoon #3, a creative little engineer, who can build anything.  Really.  He loves to consume anything with sugar. Then comes Spoons #4 and #5, who are too young to contribute to our blog yet, but they help our by devouring everything we make.   Big Daddy Spoon is our judge in all our cooking competitions and will eat anything we cook up, even if we make mistakes and it turns out not so edible. At the head of our family of budding chefs is Mama Spoon, who has inspired us all our lives through her delicious food and amazing wedding cakes.