The well-known and trusted all-natural brand, Emmi, recently brought another delicious cheese to share with us in the U.S.: Kaltbach le Cremeux! Now families here in the States can also enjoy this semi-firm cow’s milk cheese. Its unique and almost sweet flavor will be adored by the young and old! Eaten alone or cooked into classic recipes, this cheese imparts a delicate and unique flavor that is truly versatile and a sure fire hit for the family fridge.

From the Eyes of a Kid:

“Mmmm! This is the yummiest mac and cheese I’ve ever had! Mom, can I have some more please!?” 

From the Eyes of a Parent:

“I’ve always been a fan of Emmi’s other cheeses, so I was excited to see the Kaltbach le Cremeux at my grocer! My kids and I loved it from the first nibble! It adds so much flavor and texture to my pasta dishes. And, it’s the perfect addition to a cheese plate, too!”

Flavorful Features:

Other Emmi cheeses include:

Le Gruyère

Appenzeller

Raclette

Fondü

Switzerland Swiss

and more!

Mix It Up!:

Melt small pieces of the Kaltbach le Cremeux cheese on top of leftover pasta to make a delicious and quick mac and cheese that your kids and yourself will enjoy!

http://www.emmiusa.com/cheese/kaltbach/

https://www.facebook.com/EmmiUSA/

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Everything is better with butter! Especially with Organic Valley’s Cultured Unsalted Butter and its extra rich and creamy homemade-like taste! We love this butter because its organic and has no antibiotics, GMO, or toxic pesticides. It is packed with flavor that comes from the sweet cream its churned with, making it taste extra creamy. Whether enjoying on a piece of toast, melting into pasta, or including it in your family’s favorite cookie recipe, Organic Valley’s Cultured Unsalted Butter will add delicious decadence to the taste!

From the Eyes of a Kid: 

“Mmm! Mom, these Snickerdoodle cookies are so buttery! Can you make more, please?”

From the Eyes of a Parent”:

“For busy mornings, I put this butter on toast and sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top. I use this butter when I bake and cook. It really adds a wonderful flavor to my recipes.”

Mix It Up!:

Try Organic Valley’s European Style Cultured Butter. European butter is churned longer than other butters, so it’s the best butter for baking. From croissants to popovers see a flakey difference in your treats!

The Icing On The Cake:

Organic Valley is not like other big brands, they know their farmers and know exactly where their products are coming from.

https://www.organicvalley.coop/products/butter/cultured-butter/cultured-unsalted-butter-1-lb-4-quarters/

https://www.facebook.com/OrganicValley/

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Yellow 5, propylparaben, Red 40, propylene glycol…what? At The Creative Kitchen we prefer to pronounce our ingredients, which is why we’re super-excited about this all natural food and beverage ingredients manufacturer, GNT. GNT’s colors are made by fruits and vegetables! The red hue is made from red peppers, the blue hue from blueberries, the orange hue from carrots and so on. As the leading global manufacturer of natural color solutions, GNT products can be found in some of the worlds most in-demand food and beverage brands. Finally! Safe ingredients for you and your family, free of chemicals and harsh dyes.

From the Eyes of a Kid:

“I love eating foods that are my favorite colors!”

From the Mind of a Parent:

“When feeding my family, I always look for natural ingredients. With GNT’s natural food coloring, I’m put to ease knowing the coloring is not only fun for the kids, but safe for our bodies, too!”

Flavorful Features:

GNT makes an array of food colorings sourced from fruits, vegetables and edible plants found all over the world. Colors include: red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and 400 or so more!

The icing on the cake:

As a family run company since 1978, GNT promises to provide their customers with the cleanest ingredients free of chemicals, preservatives and synthetic processing.

GNT mostly labels food coloring as “coloring foods (concentrates of carrot)” or “coloring foods (concentrates of blueberries)”, etc., and also likes to state that their products are colored with fruit and vegetables on the packages.

http://www.gnt-group.com/us-us

https://twitter.com/thegntgroup

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Everyone loves meatballs with their pasta or anything really. This recipe puts a twist on the usual spaghetti and meatball dish. Instead of serving frozen meatballs with spaghetti, this recipe shows how to make healthy mushroom and pork meatballs with delicious broccolini. It helps keeps things fresh and exciting in the kitchen and at the dining table!

Ingredients:

Instructions:

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Are your children asking for another run to the fast food chain down the street for some chicken nuggets again? Well now you won’t ever have to worry about them asking for nuggets again, because here’s a way healthier alternative to the famous chicken nuggets. They’re just as crispy and delicious as chicken nuggets, except made with quinoa!

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Tips & Trick:

• Kids can help salt chicken and make dipping sauce!

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Gluten-free has never tasted better! And, cooking gluten-free has never been simpler! It’s all in the name – Cup4Cup! Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour swaps out traditional flour, literally “cup for cup.” Chef Thomas Keller brings your home the best of gluten-free, so that all  members of your family can enjoy classic favorites, respectful of those with gluten intolerances or allergies! With holiday cookie season upon us, what better way to ensure that all can enjoy the sweet treats of the season than by using Cup4Cup flour! The Creative Kitchen and Cup4Cup are excited to make and decorate cookies on November 30th, 2017 at Whole Foods Midtown East!

Advanced registration is required: email events@thecreativekitchen.com

Can’t make it to the class, check out recipes are the Cup4Cup website: https://www.cup4cup.com/recipes/

From the Mouth of a Kid:

I had gluten-free cake at my birthday party! We all got to eat the same cake and it was so yummy! 

From the Eyes of a Parent:

I’m so happy to not have to make two versions of recipes – one gluten-free, and one not. With Cup4Cup, I don’t have to alter recipes – I simply use 1 cup of Cup4Cup instead of 1 cup of traditional flour in any of my recipes. It couldn’t be easier and there’s no compromise in taste!

Flavorful Features:

Cup4Cup makes all kinds of baking mixes in addition to their Multipurpose Flour (a replacement for white flour) and their Wholesome Flour (a replacement for whole wheat flour)!:

•       Cornbread Mix

•       Pizza Crust Mix

•       Pie Crust Mix

•       Pancake & Waffle Mix

•       Chocolate Brownie Mix

The Icing on the Cake:

Cup4Cup flour is Kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO and contains no tree nuts, peanuts or soy!

Time to Eat?! 

Cup4Cup flour can be used in any recipe that calls for flour

Find the Cup4Cup website here

Check them out on Facebook too!

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

We’re excited about our newest (and cutest!) partner, Miffy! Check out the “Berry Delicious” salad we created for the launch of their new site! Visit the Miffy website to view our recipe there and learn more about Miffy!

Berry Delicious Salad:

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/3 cup Raspberries, mashed
2 Tbsp Honey
1/4 cup Red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 Tbsp Plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp Pepper, or to taste

Salad:

5 oz. Baby spinach leaves, washed
2 cups Washed, hulled, and thinly sliced strawberries
1 cup Blueberries, washed
1 cup Washed and halved grape tomatoes
3/4 cup Peeled and shredded carrots
1 Yellow pepper, finely diced
1 15-oz. can Beets, drained, rinsed and chopped
1 15-oz. can White beans, drained and rinsed
1 Avocado,pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbles
1/3 cup Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
Salt and pepper, optional and to taste

Directions

To make the dressing: in a small bowl, combine mashed raspberries, honey, vinegar and olive oil.

Whisk in yogurt and stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, yellow pepper, beets, white beans, avocado, feta cheese and sunflower seeds.

Pour 1/2 of dressing over salad, distributing evenly. Toss until well combined. If desired, add remaining dressing, a little at a time, to taste.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

*Optional: serve with sliced grilled chicken breast.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Summer is quickly approaching, and with it comes the onset of backyard barbecue season! Sharing delicious meals with friends and family on warm summer nights, what more do you need? Our friends at Cooking Light have put together Kicky Black Bean Burgers that make a fantastic vegetarian meal, and can be easily customized to please dozens of different palates. Instead of using Pepper Jack, why not use provolone or mozzarella and top the patties with basil leaves instead of lettuce? Or, take the Mexican theme further with sliced ripe avocado and a dash of hot sauce.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Place beans in a large bowl; mash with a fork. Place 1 toasted bun, torn, in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Stir breadcrumbs, cumin, and next 5 ingredients (through egg white) into beans.

2. Divide and shape bean mixture into 4 (1-inch-thick) patties. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add patties to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

3. Divide cheese evenly among patties; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts. Top bottom halves of remaining 4 buns evenly with patties, pico de gallo, lettuce, and top halves of buns.

Tips & Trick:

• If you don’t have a food processor, you can sub about 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs for the torn bun.
• Kids can help mix the ingredients and form the patties!

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Is pasta a mealtime favorite in your house? Our friends at Cooking Light have a delicious pasta recipe that is full of bold flavor and is easy to whip together on a busy weeknight. This recipe for Mostly Veggie Pasta with Sausage uses hot Italian sausage as the main flavor agent in the sauce, and includes colorful vegetables like yellow squash, broccoli florets, and mushrooms. Tomato paste adds a robust flavor; look for the kind sold in tubes so you can use as little or as much as you need. Little chefs can help chop ingredients and stir them all together!

 Serves 4 (serving size: 1/2 cup pasta and 3/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and squash; cook 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and oregano; cook 1 minute.

3. Add broccoli, salt, pepper, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon. Spoon sauce over pasta; top with basil.

Tips & Trick:

• For the vegetarians at your table, omit the sausage and add another vegetable of your choosing!
• Beyond pasta, spoon this veggie-packed sauce over breaded and baked eggplant slices or roasted spaghetti squash halves.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

A common misconception about cooking is that in order to create a truly delicious and healthy meal, you have to buy dozens of ingredients and spend hours in the kitchen chopping, mixing, baking, and preparing your ingredients only to be completely exhausted afterwards. Our friends at Cooking Light prove that this isn’t the case at all! This Tortellini, Chicken, and Arugula salad comes together in a cinch thanks to the use of a few quality items such as hearty cheese tortellini and shredded rotisserie chicken. Prepare the dressing and pasta ahead of time to make the final assembly even faster. Who knew making dinner on busy weekday nights could be so easy?

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Tips & Trick:

• For a gluten-free option, substitute the tortellini for brown rice pasta or quinoa.
• Kids can help shred the chicken and mix the dressing!

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.