Time to get your cheese on! Make fondue at home for a fun and tasty activity the whole family can enjoy. Fondü by Emmi is a ready-to-serve melted cheese sauce: all you have to do is heat, stir, and serve. It’s made with fresh milk and artisan, aged cheeses from Switzerland, and carefully crafted according to a generations-old recipe. Get the kids involved in choosing and preparing your dipping ingredients! The options are endless: whole wheat bread, apples, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes. There’s no doubt that everyone will be screaming, “More cheese please!”

The Creative Kitchen is excited to use Fondü by Emmi in our Whole Foods cooking classes the week of September 16th. Check out our class calendar here!

From the Mouth of a Kid:

Fondü is cheesy and warm and gooey and makes everything taste good!

From the Eyes of a Parent:

Emmi Fondü is a fun, hands-on way to cook and share a meal with my entire family. We usually eat our Fondü with fresh vegetables, fruit, and potatoes. My kids love the whole process so much and have such a great time eating it that they even wind up fighting over the vegetables!

The Icing on the Cake:

Emmi Fondü comes fully prepared, so making it is just a two-step process that takes only ten minutes.

Mix it Up!

Try using Emmi Fondü as a spread on warm sandwiches or stirred into pasta as a richer, meltier version of mac and cheese.

www.emmiusa.com

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.

This yummy recipe book features oodles of tasty noodles from renowned chefs, that have created Asian noodle dishes that your family is sure to love! What makes this book even better is that The Creative Kitchen’s very own Cricket Azima is featured, showing her recipe for ‘Coco-Noodle Doo Soup’, a fresh noodle soup with dash of lime juice and sprinkling of cilantro! Yum!

From the Mind of a Parent:

I love the great noodle dishes in this recipe book! I have tasted many of the featured noodle recipes before, but was never quite sure how to approach making them at home for my family. Now these recipes are finally accessible for the busy parent and I can’t wait to try my hand at them! Click here to purchase your very own copy now!   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. 

Little bodies need lots of nutrients to grow big and strong! A great way to pack lots of nutrients into one meal is by eating a well-rounded meal. Our friends at Cooking Light have partnered with USDA’s MyPlate to create several tasty  recipes, that are nutritious quick AND easy! Sure to be a hit with the family these recipes include a variety of grains, vegetables, and protein!

Recipes

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

A three-minute dip into a pungent cilantro-lime marinade is all that’s needed to deliver big flavor to chicken breasts. Serve with saffron rice. Click here for the recipe.

Tofu with Red Curry Paste, Peas, and Yellow Tomatoes

The red curry paste in this ethnic dish is a blend of clarified butter, curry powder, vinegar, and other seasonings. Use either Indian or Asian curry paste; it comes in mild and hot versions and can be modified to suit your preference. Click here for the recipe.

Mango Shrimp Kebabs

These fresh-flavored mango shrimp skewers are ready to enjoy in just 25 minutes and are a great option for entertaining when the weather is warm. Click here for the recipe.

With holiday cookies and festive feasts galore, ensure your family begins Christmas day on a healthful note with a well-balanced and tasty family breakfast. Make sure to try these quick, easy, and scrumptious breakfast ideas from our friends at Cooking Light, that the whole family will love! AND the best part is the casseroles can be made ahead and feed a crowd, so you won’t miss a blink of the Christmas morning festivities!  

Egg and Hash Brown Casserole

This dish is like enjoying an omelet stuffed with spinach, Swiss cheese, and mushrooms, with hearty sides of bacon and hash browns, all in one package.

Ingredients

8 center-cut bacon slices

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

8 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded hash brown potatoes

1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken stock

5 cups fresh baby spinach

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, finely chopped

Cooking spray

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté for 6 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon and cheese. Place mushroom mixture in an 11 x 7-inch broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Uncover dish. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour egg mixture over mushroom mixture. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes.

4. Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats. Broil 3 minutes or until top is browned and just set. Let stand 5 minutes.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012

Sausage and Polenta Breakfast Casserole

Creamy and savory collide in a wonderful way—everyone gathered around your holiday breakfast table will love this one.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

10 ounce diced chicken andouille sausage

2 cups sliced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking polenta

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1.75 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add sausage; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Add onions, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Bring milk to a simmer in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in polenta and salt; simmer 7 minutes, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add cheeses; stir until cheeses melt. Place the polenta mixture in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper sauce and eggs. Add sausage mixture; stir well to combine. Spread polenta mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cool to room temperature. Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 425°.

4. Uncover dish. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or just until set.

5. Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats. Broil 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012

 Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut

Serve this all-purpose side with any of our casseroles. Assemble the night ­before, but stir in and sprinkle with coconut just before serving. Omit the red pepper if you prefer a very mild mix.

Ingredients

2 cups orange sections (about 4 oranges)

1/2 cup pomegranate arils

4 sliced peeled kiwifruit

1 (4-pound) pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted and divided

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine rind and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Gently stir lime mixture into fruit mixture; cover and chill.

2. Just before serving, stir 1/4 cup coconut into pineapple mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012

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.