I’ve always loved the Fred Rogers quote, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” I’ve had a lot of helpers in my life. Now it's my turn.
When COVID-19 closed schools in the spring, we started hosting FREE virtual cooking classes to any student looking for something to do. Students 3 yrs and up are welcome to participate in as many classes as they’d like. Younger students receive assistance from a parent etc., while our older students typically cook alone or assist a sibling. Classes run approximately 1 hour. The schedule and ingredient list is below (with a pdf calendar at the bottom of page). Most of the menu items allow for substitutions for allergies or dietary preferences. If your child would like to participate in our virtual classes, please email lettucecookchefs@gmail.com for the login information. To help protect our kiddos, the Zoom link is sent upon request.
*Unless noted in the ingredient list, we do all the cutting in class. If you have concerns with your child using a knife, you may want to consider investing in a cut-resistant glove (they have children sizes too). Only one is necessary. Please keep in mind, quantity of ingredients is dependent on family size, so exact measurements aren’t always noted. If you have any questions or need assistance planning, please let us know. Note: Hours posted are Central Standard Time
Sincerely,
Chef Brittany
6/10/21 Thursday: Carrot Cake w/ cream cheese frosting
Time: 4:45 pm CST
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups shredded carrots (please have shredded prior to class)
Cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened prior to class)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened prior to class)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
6/15/21 Tuesday: Chicken Quesadillas w/ guacamole
Time: 4:45 pm CST
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces prior to class)
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 large avocados (ripe)
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 small purple onion
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 lime
- garlic powder
- paprika
- salt
- pepper
- flour tortillas
- Mexican style shredded cheese
- sour cream (optional)
- salsa (optional)
Suggested sides: rice, beans, chips & salsa.
6/24/21 Thursday: Beef Stroganoff
Time: 4:45 pm CST
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 lbs steak-round steak, ribeye etc. (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 pkg mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion
- salt
- garlic powder
- black pepper
- 2 small cans tomato sauce (total of 8 oz)
- 2 cans beef broth
- sour cream
- vegetable oil (or oil of your choice)
- white rice or egg noodles or both! (please prepare in advance)
Suggested sides: garlic bread, side salad, any type of vegetable
6/29/21 Tuesday: Pineapple BBQ chicken w/ creamed corn
Time: 4:45 pm CST
Ingredients:
- 4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- salt
- pepper
- paprika
- garlic powder
- 20 oz. can pineapple slices in juice
- BBQ sauce
- 1 bunch green onions
Creamed corn:
- 2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen corn kernels (thawed)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Suggested sides: coleslaw, potato salad, side salad, rolls
7/1/21 Thursday: Pineapple Banana Bread (will need a 9x5 loaf pan)
Time: 4:45 pm CST
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter (softened prior to class)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 medium overripe bananas
- ½ cup crushed pineapples
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)