Can I help?
If you’re old enough to ask……YES
This book is based on my experiences cooking with children-preparing my own for the future, keeping the neighborhood ‘gang’ amused on a rainy day and safely distracting clients’ curious kids. Children love to hang out in the kitchen when something’s going on. I think it has to do with cooking being a process which yields quick results. The fact is, they will try to participate and safety is a major concern. These modified recipes solve those problems.
So much for my primary motive in writing the book. Then a friend was seriously injured and her husband and young daughter had to do KP. Both were total novices, the daughter willing to step up, the husband, not so much. I helped them with the basics, consequently I gave them the book and they made it through with flying colors. The husband actually became interested in cooking and active in the kitchen. Making dinner became a family bonding project they enjoyed together.
I had realized the book could be a training manual for those starting out and the modified recipes could help a pinch-hitter in a strange kitchen. I also intended it to be a way to bond with children but hadn’t thought of it as a family bonding tool before. Everyone doesn’t have to develop an interest in cooking as my friend’s husband did, just understand that there’s a way to lend a hand and produce something of value together. If anything, the past few years have shown the importance of sharing and doing things as a family, especially when there’s no one else to do them for us, like preparing a dinner, or lunch or breakfast.
There are over 100 recipes in Can I help? ranging from personalizing frozen or take-out waffles or cake with special toppings, like Easy Berry Cakes #1 & #2 (below) and simple can openers like Tuscan Tuna Salad (below), Sausage, Bean, Potato Casserole to more challenging ones like Double Punch Lasagna Roll-Ups (below) and Cornish Hens with Wild Rice and Grapes. Every recipe is adult, and child, pleasing while still having lots of safe tasks for little, or novice, hands, without loss to ego. The hope is that most people will realize cooking can be interesting, creative and FUN but above all it can link people by giving them something to share.
Summer, when there is no homework, fewer organized activities and the longer hours of daylight make evenings less hectic, is the perfect time to begin this process. Dinner can be a little later, last a little longer and interacting with other family members given more time. If everyone helps with meal preparation, it’s that much more time to spend together and the meal becomes a family accomplishment. It doesn’t have to be every night, once a week is a good start, and it can yield rewards the rest of the year too, if the family gets into the habit of pitching in. It could become a tradition which carries into fall, winter and on.
The recipes in Can I help? are divided into four groups, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. I’m including sample recipes from each group below to show how they can be both ‘company presentable’ and easy to make. With each category heading I’ll list a couple of others from that group as examples of the variety of options. To read more about Can I help? Go to July 6, 2016, June 22, 2017, July 5, 2018, .May 28, 2020 and June 3, 2021
WELCOME to CAN I help?
Breakfast: Other recipes include Eggs Parmesan, Easy Home-Made Cinnamon Buns, Oven Pancake and Melon Boats
Yogurt with Bananas and Nuts: Serves 4
3 large, ripe bananas
16 oz. Greek yogurt
4 Tbs. toasted chopped nuts, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts
Peel the bananas and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Microwave 1 min. on high. Cool, unwrap and mash. Gently mix with the yogurt and spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Chill briefly to cool and sprinkle nuts equally over the tops as garnish.
Eggs Florentine: Serves 4
(1) 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs
1tsp. salt OR 1 envelope bouillon powder-beef or chicken
Pinch nutmeg
Grated Parmesan cheese
Thaw and drain the spinach in a sieve until it is moist but not wet . Mix in the bouillon or salt and nutmeg then divide it between 4 greased custard cups or ramekins. Top with a raw egg and sprinkle with cheese. Place cups in a pan with ½ inch water and bake at 350 deg. 15 min. or until eggs are set.
Oven Pancake: Serves 4
6 eggs
1 cup milk
¼ cup butter or margarine melted + extra for topping
1 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
Powdered sugar
Blend first 3 ingredients until smooth. Add flour and salt and blend on medium until smooth. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan and bake at 450 deg. for 20 – 25 min until puffed and golden. Serve from the dish drizzled with melted butter or margarine and dusted with sugar.
Lunch: Some other options are Greek Pita Pockets, Shrimp and Spinach Salad, Classic Quiche, and Gazpacho-Pasta Salad
Tuna and Bean Salad: Serves 4
6 oz. can solid white tuna in water- drained
16 oz. can cannellini or other white beans-rinsed and drained
2 plum tomatoes diced
2 tsp. dried basil
Ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. powdered garlic
1 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. Dijon or spicy mustard
Mix the last 5 ingredients well and set aside to let the flavors form a dressing. Gently toss the first 6 ingredients. Then add the dressing. Allow the whole to chill for 30 min. at least to meld flavors. Serve on lettuce lined plates garnished with a sprinkle of basil.
Turkey Mousse: Serves 4
1 ½ cups chicken or turkey stock
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups minced cooked chicken or turkey – Deli, canned or leftover
¼ cup mayonnaise** See options at bottom
1 small onion minced
1 stalk celery minced
½ tsp. curry powder
1tsp. celery seeds
¾ cup heavy cream whipped ** See options at bottom
Soak gelatin in a microwave safe cup with ½ cup of stock until softened and risen. Microwave for30 sec. or until dissolved. Mix in all remaining ingredients except cream and chill until beginning to set. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into a lightly oiled 1 qt. mold. Cover and chill overnight. Unmold and serve on a lettuce lined plate.
** Cream can be replaced with yogurt. Use 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt and increase mayonnaise to ½ cup.
Monte Cristo Sandwiches: Serves 4
Anyone who likes French Toast will love this
½ lb. cooked ham – sliced
½ lb. cooked White meat turkey – sliced
½ lb. Swiss cheese- sliced
1 loaf (preferably bakery) unsliced whole wheat or 7 grain sandwich bread
Mayonnaise
Dijon or spicy Brown mustard
3 eggs
1 cup – possibly more – milk
4 Tbs. butter – at least
Divide the cheese and meats into 4 piles each. Mix the eggs and milk. Cut 8 slices of bread. This is one recipe where I like the bread sliced rather thick at least ½ an inch. Lightly toast the bread and spread one side of 4 slices with mayonnaise, and one side of the other 4 with mustard. Divide the cheese for each sandwich into 3 piles. Put 1/3 on the mustard covered bread slice; top with ham, then 1/3 cheese; then the turkey, then the last 1/3 cheese, and cover with the mayonnaise spread bread slice. The reasoning here is that the cheese in melts and holds the sandwich together. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a skillet, if you have one that holds 2 sandwiches good, melt 2 Tbs. of butter. Dip both sides of a sandwich in the egg mixture then gently fry them in the butter, first one side and then the other, until both are brown and crispy, and the cheese has melted. Repeat with the rest of the sandwiches. Serve hot.
Dinner: Among the other choices are My Beef Kabobs, Chicken with Cherries, Pork (or Turkey) Loin with Apricot Glaze and Salad Nicoise. These recipes point out specific tasks for children.
Chicken with Mustard and Honey: Serves 4-easy to divide and/or multiply
NOTE: The seasoning ingredients are placed under the skin to help them infuse the meat. This can be done by children and they can count the cooking time.
4 large chicken thighs
4 tsp. honey
4 tsp. Dijon or grained mustard
¼ tsp. ground black pepper—optional
Garlic Powder NOT garlic salt
Mix the honey, mustard and pepper, if using. Lift the skin on the chicken and place 2 tsp. of the mixture on the meat sprinkle with garlic. Place the pieces slightly separated in a roasting pan. With ½ inch of water or broth in the bottom. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30- 40 min. or until juices run clear when pricked with a knife point.
A pan sauce can be made by adding a bit of apple juice, cider or broth to the pan drippings to deglaze.
Double Punch Lasagna Roll-Ups: Serves 4
Save for the actual cooking, children can do most of the work in preparing this dish.
If you need to plan ahead for an oven-ready dinner, this casserole keeps wonderfully well for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator, and makes a good party dish, but the stuffed noodles have to be served as separate entities. Don’t randomly cut into the dish.
1 lb. ground turkey (Frozen rolls ex. Jenny-O, work well here. The finer ground seems to compact more easily for stuffing. Be sure to thaw before cooking.)
1 medium onion chopped
(1) 4oz. can mushrooms-stems and pieces – drained
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbs. oil
4 Lasagna noodles broken in half (or cut after boiling)
(2) 8oz. cans tomato sauce
7 oz. canned diced tomatoes = ½ a 14 oz. can- drained and juice reserved
2 ½ cups milk
5 Tbs. flour
5 Tbs. butter
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese in small cubes ( peppers optional)
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese and paprika to garnish
Cook noodles in boiling water until very tender @ 10 min. Drain and keep in cool water so they don’t dry out. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté onion until soft @ 3 min. Add mushrooms for 2 min. then add garlic for one minute, then turkey, separating it between the fingers as it goes into the pan, and 1 teaspoon each of the oregano and basil. Cook, stirring, to keep meat separated until it browns @ 5 min. If mixture begins to seem dry or stick to the pan, add a bit of the reserved tomato juice. Stir in ricotta and remove from heat.
Lightly coat a casserole about 9x9x3, with cooking spray. Spread tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and second teaspoons of oregano and basil, in the bottom. Lay out the noodles, and put an equal portion of the meat mixture on each. Roll the noodle around the stuffing, until the ends meet, and carefully lay each, seam side down in the prepared casserole.
In a saucepan, over high heat, melt the butter until it foams. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. This is called a Roux. Add the milk, and stirring constantly to incorporate the roux, return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Continue stirring until sauce thickens, never allowing it to boil (lift the pan for a moment if it starts to) @ 3 min.
When it has thickened, stir in the Jack cheese until it melts, add the nutmeg and salt. White Sauce often does need salt (see Sauces and Gravies Link) Pour this sauce over the noodles, dust with grated parmesan cheese and paprika to garnish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until sauce bubbles and slightly browns about 30 min.
Salad Nicoise:
Ideally this should be made with grilled Tuna steaks thinly sliced, but canned works well. Just be sure it’s a good brand of Solid White Albacore. This recipe is actually for 6 servings, but I find it does 4 well. Kids love making this because they can safely do most of it themselves…
1 head Boston lettuce – sometimes called “Garden” or “Bibb” – if not available buy Romaine NOT Iceberg
1 lb. redskin or new potatoes
1 lb. whole green beans
4 hardboiled eggs – peeled, halved lengthwise and chilled
1 large red or Bermuda onion in fairly thin slices
3 large or 4 medium tomatoes peeled and cut in medium slices OR pint box cherry or grape ones
(1) 2oz can anchovy fillets drained oil reserved for dressing
(1) 5oz can colossal pitted ripe olives – drained
(2) 7 oz. cans solid white Albacore Tuna in water – drained
Kosher salt
White wine
Dried tarragon
Fresh ground black pepper
DRESSING RECIPE BELOW
Cut the potatoes in quarters, or halves, depending on size. Boil them separately or together with the beans until the potatoes are done and the beans still crisp about 10 min.
Drain well, run under cold water to stop the cooking and cool. Place the potatoes and beans in an oblong container, so they can spread to marinate, with ½ cup white wine and 2 tsp. dried tarragon. Allow to marinate at least ½ hr. or all day. Separate the lettuce leaves, wash well and allow to air dry. Cover a large platter with the leaves. Pile the tuna, topped with the anchovies in the center, and attractively arrange the other ingredients, in separate sections, in a surrounding circle. Sprinkle with the salt and fresh pepper.
Dessert: Here there are three recipes to show the variety. Some other choices in the book are Baked Alaska Pie, Fruit Pizza, Chocolate No-Cook Bars, Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Easy Berry Angel Cake # 2
1 purchased pound cake
8 oz. tub of Whipped Topping
1pt. box of strawberries
Save several nice berries for decoration. Slice the rest and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to rest a few hours for the juice to extract itself. Just before serving, cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread first with 1/3rd of the whipped topping, spoon ½ the sliced berries over it allowing the juice to drip down the sides. Repeat with 2nd layer. Finish with 3rd layer topped with the rest of the whipped topping and the reserved decorative berries.
Dump Cake
2 cans fruit pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup butter or margarine melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon – optional
Spread the pie filling in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan, mix with cinnamon if using. Cover with the dry cake mix and pour the butter over all. Do not stir. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 30 min. until top is golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.
Fruit Gelati: Makes 1 quart
2 bananas
2 papayas
1 Orange grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
1 lemon grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
1lime grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
½ cup sugar
1 quart milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend or process all ingredients until blended. Pour into a shallow pan and freeze until firm. Process again until smooth, pour into a bowl and freeze until solid-overnight is best. Scoop as ice cream to serve.
Variation: Substitute 1 ripe pineapple diced and 4 peeled and diced kiwi for the other fruit.
