Last week I taught an evening cooking class in the Betty Crocker Kitchens. Instead of a demo, we tried a hands-on class where participants prepared recipes, asked questions, learned new techniques and sampled all of the recipes. 16 women signed up, all wanting to cook more healthy. They were employees, Moms, daughters or friends of employees. (Not many people get to cook in the BCK, so they knew from the start that this was something special.)
All 10 recipes were hand-picked from my favorite cookbook, Betty Crocker Cookbook for Women, Roasted Carrot-Herb Spread, Chocolate Chip-Cherry Scones, Three-Seed Flat Bread, Raspberry-Mint Marshmallow Creme Dip, Baked Coconut Shrimp, Chicken Linguini Alfredo, Noodles & Peanut Sauce Bowl, Red Harvest Quinoa, Chocolate Soufflé Cakes and Blueberry Barley Pudding.
As we prepared the recipes, they asked various questions:
- What's the difference between a shallot and an onion? How do I chop a shallot?
- What does fold mean? How do I fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture?
- How do I cook red quinoa?
As I casually answered their questions, they became more at ease. I think of recipes, especially when it comes to cooking, as a guide for you to add your own personal touch. If you have yellow onions on hand and want to use them instead of shallots, you can. If a recipe calls for green pepper and you know your kids don't like them, leave them out and use a different vegetable that they like or serve them on the side. It's really up to you to decide how the recipe can work best for you.
Baking is another matter, that's more scientific, so changing an ingredient in a bread or muffin can make a big difference. Two terrific tips that work well to make your baked goods healthier, especially quick breads like muffins, banana bread, pancakes, waffles:
- You can substitute whole wheat flour for half or all of the all-purpose flour (we've tested many breads this way with great success), especially if you like chewy, nutty flavors and textures.
- You can substitute canola oil or olive oil for melted butter or margarine. (much less saturated fat)
They really loved all the recipes, but since most of us love chococlate, we decided our favorite (yes! it's heart-healthy) was the Chocolate Souffle'Cakes. Second favorite was the Baked-Coconut Shrimp and (a tie) Red Harvest Quinoa.
Lots of activity.... and fun!
They're serious about it, and proud of their creations! And ready to taste everything....
No one wanted to leave. They were happy and satisfied...
And, it just so happens that 3 of the recipes use Yoplait yogurt, a great place to find them is on the Yoplait web site, along with many other wonderful, healthy recipes.
Chocolate Souffle' Cakes
Raspberry-Mint Marshmallow Creme Dip
Chocolate Chip-Cherry Scones