Kids can cook

S. cutting up some arugula, chives, cress, and spinach - all from the window sill.

S. cutting up the vegetables for his stew.

When you cut with knives you need to be careful. One Batman bandage later and S. was cutting again.

Stew made by a 5 year old.
Serves 4-5
Takes as long as it takes

• 1 or more kids
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 red pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk of broccoli
• 3 carrots
• chives, arugula, cress, and spinach
• left over pasta from night before
  

1. Have a trusted child cut up all the greens in a bowl with a pair of sissors.
2. Have same child cut up vegetables with a serrated edged knife (it's a little safer).
3. Put everything, including pasta, in a colorful pot with some olive oil.
4. Saute everything in the pot at medium low for about 10 minutes.
5. Add 6 cups of water and once it comes to a boil, turn down to low and let simmer for up to one hour.
6. Serve with soy sauce.
   

Pasta a la J.

When I first moved to this area I quickly realized that the Italians who had settled the area also brought their great food with them. There is pasta galore and the local store always has good produce. It makes eating well as easy as it should be.
serves 2-3
25 minutes

• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, grated
  
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
  
• 3 cups spinach cut up
• romano cheese
• olive oil
• 3 cups of pasta
  

1. Saute the onion and pepper in some olive at medium heat until they turn slightly brown.
   
2. Add garlic and carrots and cook for 3 more minutes.
3. Add spinach, add a little bit of water, cover with a lid, turn to low and simmer.
4. Into a boiling pot of lightly salted water add pasta and cook until done.
5. When the pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add the vegetables and some olive oil to mix everything well.
6. Serve and add some grated romano cheese.
7. I like to add a little chili peppers as well for some heat.

And for the grownups...

Nothing beats turning left over rice from the night before into a fried rice and eggs breakfast the next morning.
serves 1-2
10 minutes

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• half a red pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
• salted black beans
• hot sauce
• fish sauce
• olive oil

1. In a non-stick pan, at medium high heat, cook the red peppers in a little olive oil.
2. When slightly browned add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the rice and the black beans.
4. Crack the two eggs into the pan next to the rice and cook to your liking (mine is over easy).
   
5. Add the cilantro to the rice while the eggs are cooking.
   
6. When the eggs are done to your liking, remove and serve.
   
7. Add some fish sauce to the rice and some hot sauce to the eggs. My favorite hot sauce for eggs is Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, widely available in most places.
   

Again, you can do what ever you want with a breakfast like this. Much depends on what you have in your fridge and what you may have a hankering for. For me the main ingredients are the fish sauce and the cilantro in the rice and the hot sauce on the eggs. Breakfast heaven.

Broccoli, Red Pepper Redux

I still had lots of broccoli and red pepper so here is a heartier version for tonight.
serves 2
15 minutes

• 1 onion, cut in strips
• 1 red pepper, cut in strips
• 1 cup of diced yam
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into stalks
  
• 4 cloves garlic
• olive oil
  
• juice from half a lime
• good handful of chopped cilantro
• thai fish sauce
• cayenne

1. Fry the onion, red pepper and yam in olive oil until slightly browned.
2. Add garlic and broccoli, put a lid on the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Serve vegetables in large bowl.
   
4. Add lime juice, fish sauce and cayenne to taste.
5. Top with cilantro and serve.
6. Add your favorite seeds or nuts in top.
   

Steamed Broccoli and Fried Red Pepper

Whenever I want a nice light meal that is quick and nutritious I almost always turn to broccoli. This dish is definitely on the salty side so feel free to cut back on the salty ingredients if you wish.
serves 2

10 minute

To steam and cook

• 2-3 heads of broccoli, cut into individual stalks
  
• 2 medium red pepper, chopped any size you like
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp olive oil
  

The sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 anchovies, minced
• juice from half a lime/lemon
• 1 tsp real french mustard
• 1 tsp tamari sauce
• pinch of cayenne
  

Steam the broccoli and fry (in olive oil) the red pepper at the same time. After 5 minutes of cooking add the garlic to the red peppers and cook for a further 1 minute. While the steaming and frying is going on mix all the sauce ingredients together. When the vegetables are done put the broccoli on a plate topped with the red peppers. Pour the sauce on top of the vegetables and sprinkle on the sesame seeds.

Optional - You can use whatever sauce or vinaigrette you like on this dish. You can also use any other nuts or seeds such as shaved almonds, cashews, etc. These can be dry roasted or not. Throw some cilantro or parsley on top. What I made is very simple but many things can be added to it depending on your own taste and what you have in your kitchen.