(ARA) - There's a reason that the old adage "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen" is so popular - cooking is a great metaphor for life. And, when it comes to teaching kids both practical and philosophical life skills, the kitchen is a wonderful classroom.
Experts agree that getting children involved with cooking has many benefits - from getting them to try new foods and learning about nutrition, to providing bonding time with other family members. In addition to giving kids a sense of accomplishment, children who cook learn a useful life skill - how to prepare meals for themselves, family members and friends, and perhaps members of their very own household later in life.
WebMD notes that many children begin to express an interest in food preparation as early as the age of 2 or 3 years, and it is possible to get them started at that age at the right pace and with close supervision. No matter what age you begin introducing your child to culinary skills, keep in mind it's best to start simple and with foods that are already familiar to them.
Sandwiches are a good first-timer dish that kids can learn to create in the kitchen because they'll likely grasp the basics quickly - two slices of bread or a bun and some nourishing ingredients in between. Sandwiches in particular offer kids the opportunity to get creative. Parents should encourage them to explore new types of breads and buns, including whole- or multi-grain varieties. They should also introduce youngsters to unique types of fillings, and encourage them to discover new ways to prepare foods they already enjoy.
Since burgers are so popular with both adults and kids alike, introducing younger cooks to different types of innovative or "gourmet" burgers, like those that include chicken, salmon or vegetarian proteins, creative toppings and inventive ways to prepare them, can also spark kids' creative juices. For 10-year-old Emma Potts of Bonney Lake, Wash., creating a new burger was not only a fun way to spend time with her mother; it was a great way to help other children as well.
Emma won the 2009 Kids' Cook-Off, sponsored by Red Robin, a restaurant chain that serves gourmet burgers. Her Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Burger took top honors and will be served in Red Robin restaurants from Aug. 3 to Sept. 12. A portion of the proceeds from her burger's sales will support child safety initiatives from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
This year, kids are encouraged to again get creative in the kitchen with their family. The fifth annual Kids' Cook-Off is accepting entries from Tuesday, Aug. 3 to Sunday, Sept. 12. Children ages 6 to 12 can submit their gourmet burger recipe and a statement about why their gourmet burger deserves to be served at Red Robin and how they came up with it online at www.redrobin.com, or by mail at Red Robin Kids' Cook-Off Contest, P.O. Box 133, Trenton, IL 62293. Fifty recipes will be included in a cookbook, and the grand prize-winning burger will be sold at Red Robin restaurants in 2011 to benefit NCMEC. For additional details on the prizes and competition, visit www.redrobin.com.
"We always encouraged Emma to participate in making family meals from an early age," says Emma's mother, Donna Beck. "It's helped her develop confidence in the kitchen and a better understanding of how to eat well. Winning the Red Robin competition really gave her a sense of accomplishment - and she felt great that something she created will help other children."
To inspire budding cooks to get creative in the kitchen, parents can help their children prepare Emma's winning gourmet burger recipe at home while also thinking about their own burger creation:
Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Burger
Ingredients:
Sesame seed bun
Juicy beef patty
Green leaf lettuce
2 slices Havarti cheese
2 slices ripe red tomato
3 strips Applewood smoked bacon
Red Robin seasoning (available for purchase at all Red Robin restaurants)
4 ounces honey
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 ounces mayonnaise
Directions:
Prepare a honey glaze by mixing together the honey and cayenne pepper. Separate the mixture in half into two bowls. Glaze burgers with one half. Mix the mayonnaise into the remaining half and set aside.
Cook the burger to taste. Toast the bun until golden brown. Spread a thin layer of the honey cayenne mayonnaise mixture on the top and bottom of the bun. Sprinkle Red Robin seasoning on the cooked burger patty and drizzle some honey glaze on top. Cover the patty with Havarti cheese and melt it on top.
On the bottom bun, layer the lettuce, seasoned beef patty, tomato and bacon. Cover with the top bun and serve with fries.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Showing posts with label bacon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bacon. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Friday, January 2, 2009
Tips to Keep Your Appetite in Check with a High-protein Breakfast
(ARA) – With the holiday food-fest soon over, you may be looking for ways to get back on track with your weight. You might be tempted to skip breakfast as a way to save calories, but this plan usually backfires. Bypass breakfast and you’ll end up being ravenous and unable to make smart eating decisions at lunch.
“Skipping breakfast only delays hunger, and often leads to overeating later in the day,” explains Bob Greene, an exercise physiologist, personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey and author of ‘The Best Life Diet Cookbook.” “But not just any breakfast will do. Some standard options like Danishes or doughnuts are simply empty calories. Instead, choose a balanced, nutritious dish.”
That means your breakfast should include all three “macronutrients”: carbohydrates, such as whole-grain toast; healthy fats like nuts or nut butters; and lean protein (such as egg whites and nonfat or 1 percent dairy). This combination offers a wealth of nutritious ingredients, but is also the most satisfying for the calories and will keep your hunger in check until lunch, Greene explains.
Protein -- especially high-quality protein, such as eggs -- helps quell appetite. Greene recommends Crystal Farms AllWhites and Better’n Eggs as a convenient way to add lean, high-quality protein to your morning meal. Made from real eggs -- but with no fat, no cholesterol and half the calories -- AllWhites and Better’n Eggs are optimal sources of protein. Both products come in easy-to-pour cartons and can be found in the dairy case of your local grocery store.
“We all have busy lives, but it couldn’t be easier to add lean protein to your breakfast,” Greene says. “From traditional scrambled eggs to increasing the protein in a smoothie recipe, egg alternatives bring healthy convenience right into your fridge.”
For an on-the-go breakfast option packed with protein, Greene recommends this makeover of the traditional greasy breakfast sandwich. Prepared in just 10 minutes, the Spicy Bacon and Cheese Eggwich combines high-protein egg substitutes with cheddar cheese and lean turkey bacon in a whole-wheat English muffin. With 17 grams of protein, this sandwich also includes good sources of fiber and calcium -- two other essential nutrients that are often lacking from morning meals.
Spicy Bacon and Cheese Eggwich
Time to Table: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup (8 ounces) Better'n Eggs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne hot pepper sauce
1/8 cup (1/2 ounce) shredded Cheddar cheese
2 slices turkey bacon, cut in half crosswise
2 whole-wheat English muffins, split
Directions:
Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add Better’n Eggs and stir in hot pepper sauce. As egg substitute starts to set use spatula to lift edge of eggs, letting uncooked eggs flow to bottom of skillet. Cook until egg substitute is set but still moist. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and then fold over the egg substitute so the cheese melts in the middle.
Place turkey bacon on microwave safe plate. Cover with paper towel. Microwave on high for 30 to 40 seconds or until warmed.
Toast each half English muffin in toaster. Spoon about 1/2 cup mixture on top of two toasted muffins. Top each with one piece cooked bacon. Top with remaining toasted muffins.
Makes two servings. Nutrition per serving: 226 calories, 54 from fat; 6 grams total fat; 2.5 grams saturated fat; 15 mg cholesterol; 534 mg sodium; 27 grams total carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams protein.
For more healthy on-the-go recipes, visit www.betterneggs.com and Bob Greene’s Web site, www.TheBestLife.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
-----
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Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
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“Skipping breakfast only delays hunger, and often leads to overeating later in the day,” explains Bob Greene, an exercise physiologist, personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey and author of ‘The Best Life Diet Cookbook.” “But not just any breakfast will do. Some standard options like Danishes or doughnuts are simply empty calories. Instead, choose a balanced, nutritious dish.”
That means your breakfast should include all three “macronutrients”: carbohydrates, such as whole-grain toast; healthy fats like nuts or nut butters; and lean protein (such as egg whites and nonfat or 1 percent dairy). This combination offers a wealth of nutritious ingredients, but is also the most satisfying for the calories and will keep your hunger in check until lunch, Greene explains.
Protein -- especially high-quality protein, such as eggs -- helps quell appetite. Greene recommends Crystal Farms AllWhites and Better’n Eggs as a convenient way to add lean, high-quality protein to your morning meal. Made from real eggs -- but with no fat, no cholesterol and half the calories -- AllWhites and Better’n Eggs are optimal sources of protein. Both products come in easy-to-pour cartons and can be found in the dairy case of your local grocery store.
“We all have busy lives, but it couldn’t be easier to add lean protein to your breakfast,” Greene says. “From traditional scrambled eggs to increasing the protein in a smoothie recipe, egg alternatives bring healthy convenience right into your fridge.”
For an on-the-go breakfast option packed with protein, Greene recommends this makeover of the traditional greasy breakfast sandwich. Prepared in just 10 minutes, the Spicy Bacon and Cheese Eggwich combines high-protein egg substitutes with cheddar cheese and lean turkey bacon in a whole-wheat English muffin. With 17 grams of protein, this sandwich also includes good sources of fiber and calcium -- two other essential nutrients that are often lacking from morning meals.
Spicy Bacon and Cheese Eggwich
Time to Table: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup (8 ounces) Better'n Eggs
1/4 teaspoon cayenne hot pepper sauce
1/8 cup (1/2 ounce) shredded Cheddar cheese
2 slices turkey bacon, cut in half crosswise
2 whole-wheat English muffins, split
Directions:
Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add Better’n Eggs and stir in hot pepper sauce. As egg substitute starts to set use spatula to lift edge of eggs, letting uncooked eggs flow to bottom of skillet. Cook until egg substitute is set but still moist. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and then fold over the egg substitute so the cheese melts in the middle.
Place turkey bacon on microwave safe plate. Cover with paper towel. Microwave on high for 30 to 40 seconds or until warmed.
Toast each half English muffin in toaster. Spoon about 1/2 cup mixture on top of two toasted muffins. Top each with one piece cooked bacon. Top with remaining toasted muffins.
Makes two servings. Nutrition per serving: 226 calories, 54 from fat; 6 grams total fat; 2.5 grams saturated fat; 15 mg cholesterol; 534 mg sodium; 27 grams total carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams protein.
For more healthy on-the-go recipes, visit www.betterneggs.com and Bob Greene’s Web site, www.TheBestLife.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
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