Kidding around the kitchen!

Whilst in Sonny's class room, helping out with a cooking lesson, I saw the kids use these fantastic cooking utensils. They really did work. They are brought to market here in the States by a wonderful lady called Lisa Fontanesi, chef and activist for better school lunches within LAUSD.

Check them out:

http://yhst-128276115412394.stores.yahoo.net/kidding-around-the-kitchen-cooking-utensils.html

Chocolate Zuchinni (Courgette) Cake

This cake, like most, goes down really well with kids and adults alike. The superior quality of cocoa the better the result. We often half the ingredients and make a smaller cake or cupcakes. Great use of zuchinni and no one would know they were in there!

1 1/4 cup plain flour

2 1/2 cups caster sugar

2/3 cup best quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoons bicarb of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups grated courgette

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour a 20x30cm baking tin. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and courgette until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared tin. 3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing with your favourite icing.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

This is one of Jamie Oliver's recipes, and its a winner, great while watermelon is in season.

3/4 cup feta, crumbled
A bunch of mint, leaves only, any larger leaves torn
About half a large watermelon flesh, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, finely sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil

1.Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle over a little extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve.

Mousaka stuffed Eggplant (Aubergines)

Delicious and nutritious, the quintessential purple vegetable. Bit fussy to make, but make in a bigger batch, freeze and it's worth the effort.

3 medium eggplants
3 tbsp olive oil
1 pound minced beef (or lamb)
2 medium red onions diced
4 garlic cloves crushed
grating of fresh nutmeg
1 cup veg stock
2tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 cup natural yogurt
1 buffalo mozzarella torn

1. Preheat oven to 200(C)400(F). Halve the eggplants, score the flesh with criss-cross lines and drizzle with half the olive oil. Roast in over for 20mins. Remove when flesh is cooked, cool then scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a .5cm layer.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and brown the mince. Remove when brown and add the onion and garlic, saute until soft. Return the mince to the pan with the nutmeg, stock, passata and parsley, simmer for 20mins.
3. Mix the eggplant flesh with the mince mixture. Spoon the mince filling into the eggplant skins.
4. Mix the mozzarella with the yogurt then spoon over the top of the skins.
5. Preheat the oven to 180(C)350(F). Place the eggplants on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 mins till hot and slightly golden.
6. Serve with some nice green leaves.