spanakopites

Spanakopites

Today we are making delicious savoury spinach pies, or Spanakopites in Greek. The dough we need for this recipe is called phyllo pastry. While it is possible to make at home, making phyllo is an art and we can leave this to the professionals. When working with phyllo pastry, your preparedness, organizational skills & cleanliness will be of the utmost importance. Let’s heat up the oven and cook some pies!

Yield: 6 pies
Preparation Time: About 35 minutes
Baking Time: About 30 minutes @ 350 F

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tomato soup

Tomato Soup

This delicious Tomato Soup recipe comes from Caren McSherry, owner of Gourmet Warehouse, who is a long-time supporter of Project CHEF.

The main ingredient in a Tomato Soup ought to be tomatoes, right? While that may be the case, you don’t necessarily need to use fresh tomatoes. In today’s recipe, we are using canned tomatoes. It is possible to make a delicious & nutritious meal from ingredients in your pantry. If using canned or packaged foods, it is important to read the list of ingredients. In Canada, by law, anything that comes in a package has to tell you what’s in it. The ingredients in our can of tomatoes are organic tomatoes & organic tomato juice.

Yield: About 4 – 5 servings
Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Cooking Time: About 40 minutes

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Herby Egg and Collard Green Wraps

Collard greens are a member of the Brassica Oleracea family of veggies that include cabbage, broccoli and kale. This dark green leaf grows right here in BC and you often find them at the farmers’ markets. They’re high in vitamins A and C and they can be eaten raw or cooked. In this recipe we roll up herby scrambled eggs inside a big, raw leaf like a burrito. If you don’t have collard greens, can you think of some other large, leafy vegetables to use? You can even roll the eggs up in a flatbread.

Yield: 3 wraps
Preparation Time: About 10 minutes
Cooking Time: About 3 minutes

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fresh tomato salsa

Pico de Gallo – Fresh Tomato Salsa

Fresh Tomato Salsa is amazing in late summer when local tomatoes are showing up at markets and in stores. But even now in the spring, it brings a bit of brightness and a splash of summer. In Spanish, Pico de Gallo literally means beak of the rooster. Why do you think they might call salsa “the beak of the rooster”?

Yield: About 1 cup
Preparation Time: About 15 minutes

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black bean dip

Summer Black Bean Dip

Summer Black Bean Dip is a favourite recipe of the Project CHEF team. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also fun to make. Practice your mashing skills using a fork and your hands. Test your knife skills by precisely cutting onion into super thin slices. Serve it with chips for a snack or with tacos, burritos or quesadillas. We added some feta crumbles to yum it up. See our guacamole and tomato salsa recipes to make this a meal.

Yield: About 1 cup
Preparation Time: About 20 minutes

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guacamole

Super Fast Guacamole

This is one of our favorite ways to spice up a Friday night dinner when we are all too tired to be fancy in the kitchen but want our food to feel like a celebration. You can use guacamole in many ways including as a dip, spread on toast or tostadas and serving it with tacos or quesadillas. This recipe is often one that kids make again and again after completing our classroom program.

Yield: About ¾ cup (175mL)
Preparation Time: About 10 minutes

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cous cous

Cous Cous

Couscous is wheat semolina flour formed into tiny, tiny balls. It’s commonly served in North African, Moroccan, and Algerian cuisine. It is very fast to cook and can be used as an alternative to rice or pasta. Cous Cous can be served with curry or stew, as a side dish, in a salad or as a main meal by adding some protein and vegetables. Pair our Cous Cous with our Tofu & Veggie Kebabs for a delicious, easy, healthy meal. In this recipe, we have used a whole wheat cous cous for extra fibre and nutrition.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: About 20 minutes

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tofu veggie kebabs

Tofu & Veggie Kebabs

Tofu is a plant-based protein made from soybeans. It is very versatile and can be used as a meat alternative in a lot of recipes. Tofu is available in different consistencies, from super soft, like yogurt, to extra firm. The tofu to use will depend on your recipe. For our Tofu & Veggie Kebabs, a firm Tofu is preferred to maintain the shape while threading onto a skewer. In this recipe, we learn how to marinate tofu. A marinade is a sauce that food soaks in before cooking. Tofu acts like a sponge to soak up all the flavours of the marinade. Summer is approaching quickly and this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve for a barbeque. Get your whole family involved and get creative building your own kebabs.

Yield: 4 – 5 servings
Preparation Time: About 30 minutes
Cooking Time: About 10 minutes

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ratatouille

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is chunky vegetable stew from the south of France. In Project CHEF, we like to promote eating all the colours of the rainbow and this recipe definitely accomplishes that! Our bodies need a whole variety of vitamins & minerals in order to grow and stay healthy. One way to accomplish that is by eating the colours of the rainbow. Pair this dish with our Whole Wheat Baguette to add some delicious whole grains to the meal.

Yield: 6 servings
Preparation Time: About one hour

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whole wheat baguette

Whole Wheat Baguette

Today’s delicious baguette is a whole grain recipe. Canada’s Food Guide recommends that about a 1/4 of our plate should be whole grains. Grains are made up of three parts, the Germ, the Bran & the Endosperm. Each part contains different and valuable nutrients to keep us healthy. White breads have the germ and bran removed. Does it make sense to take away two parts of the nutrition before eating it? We recommend eating whole grain breads to fuel your body with all three parts of nutrition from the grain. Try baking this French style of bread.

Yield: 1 baguette
Preparation time: About 2 hours
Baking time: About 45 minutes

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farm fresh omelette

Farm Fresh Omelette

If you are searching for a delicious breakfast recipe to add your repertoire, look no further. This omelette recipe will walk you through the steps of making a new breakfast-time favourite. Do you have any herbs growing in your garden? One of the best things about this recipe is that you can change the filling depending on your preferences and what’s available.

Yield: One big serving or two smaller portions
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

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chana masala

Chana Masala / Curried Chickpeas

Chana Masala is a popular Indian dish that is best eaten over rice or with our Project CHEF naan recipe. What makes this dish so special are the chickpeas. Chickpeas are a type of legume, that are high in protein. When combined with a grain, they make a complete protein that can be eaten as a substitute for meat protein. Besides that, they are delicious! Chickpeas are used all over the world. It’s the main ingredient in the Middle Eastern dish, hummus and it is also used extensively in Latin American cuisine.

Yield: 4 – 5 servings
Preparation Time: About 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 40 minutes

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naan

Naan

Naan a type of flatbread popular in Western & Southern parts of Asia. If you are new to baking, this is an easy recipe to develop your skills and learn about chemical leaveners such as baking powder. A warm and wet environment activates baking powder, creating a gas releasing chemical reaction. These gas bubbles are what make many baked goods rise. Have you ever cracked open a muffin and noticed tiny air pockets (or holes) inside? That’s the result of the baking powder doing it’s job.

Yield: 9 naan
Preparation time: About 35 minutes
Resting time: 1 to 1 ½ hours
Cooking time: About 7 to 8 minutes

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fish tacos

Fish Tacos

In Project CHEF, we love to serve our meals family-style. With this Fresh Fish Tacos recipe, everyone at your table will have the chance to assemble their very own taco. With plenty of options on the table, choose the ingredients you love. We highly recommend adding our Project CHEF Pico de Gallo when making these tacos at home.

Yield: 4 servings, 2 tacos each
Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Cooking time for fish: About 5 minutes a side (if about 2 to 3cm thick)

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vietnamese spring rolls

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vietnamese Spring Rolls are another favourite Project CHEF family-style meal. Your whole family can gather around and roll together. What will you put in your spring rolls? If you have been growing sprouts with us, this recipe is the perfect time to use them. Sprouts pack a punch of flavour, so be careful not to use too much. In this recipe, we sprinkled a little layer of pea sprouts, radish sprouts, and basil sprouts. See our Growing Microgreens Activity on how to grow your own sprouts at home.

Yield: 8 Rolls
Preparation Time: About 1 hour

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Caesar Salad

Critterless Caesar Salad

In Project CHEF, we believe that a Chef is part Scientist. There is a lot of science in cooking. A simple favourite amongst many, this Critterless Caesar Salad recipe will teach you all about emulsification. To emulsify something means to combine two ingredients together that normally don’t mix. Some of you may already know that oil & water don’t mix well together, but when making this salad dressing you will do just that.

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation Time: About 30 minutes

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CALZONE

Originating from Italy, Calzones are like a folded pizza stuffed with all of your favourite ingredients. This version is a veggie calzone filled with fresh vegetables and herbs. Practice measuring wet and dry ingredients and develop the art of kneading dough with this recipe. Tasty Tip: If you made the Tuscan-Style Tomato Sauce, this is the perfect opportunity to bring some out and try as a dipping sauce.

Yield: 4 x 15cm calzone
Preparation Time: About 2 hours
Cooking Time: About 20 – 25 minutes

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chicken stock

Chicken Stock

We don’t like to waste anything at Project CHEF. That’s why we have this wonderful Chicken Stock recipe to use up leftover bones from roast chicken. Chicken stock can be used in a wide variety of recipes including soup, risotto and to cook rice or cous cous to name a few. Making your own stock is easy and affordable. You can use sad-looking vegetables from the crisper that may have been destined for waste and turn them into something great! Make a big batch and freeze it in smaller portions so that you always have some ready on hand for when a recipe calls for it.

Yield: 1L
Preparation Time: 4 hours

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yam fries

Oven-roasted Yam Wedgie Fries

Roasting yams or sweet potatoes like fries is a yummy way of eating these healthy orange and yellow tuber vegetables. They are delicious on their own, but feel free to serve them up alongside a herby dip. Whatever you do, make enough to share, because the scent of these fries cooking will bring everyone to the kitchen!

Yield: 4 Servings
Preparation Time: About 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 35 Times

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