Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Toasted Pine Nuts

by Leave a Comment

Yield: Varies

Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients

  • Pine nuts, raw

Instructions

  1. Place pine nuts in a dry skillet on medium - low heat. Stir frequently (every 15 seconds or so).
  2. Cook the nuts until they are golden brown (about 3 - 5 minutes). When they are done, take them off the heat and put them on a cool plate to stop the cooking process.

Notes

You can toast the nuts in the oven for a more even golden color. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees until they are golden brown (about 5 - 10 minutes). Stir them occasionally while baking.

You can also cook these in a toaster oven at 325 degrees. Stir frequently until golden brown (about 3 - 6 minutes).

See a cooking demonstration of this Toasted Pine Nuts recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

Banana Ice Cream

by Leave a Comment


Yield: 1 - 2 servings

Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 bananas, ripe

Instructions

  1. Peel bananas and cut them into smaller, similar sized pieces.
  2. Put banana pieces in the freezer for several hours until they are frozen and hard.
  3. Blend the frozen bananas in a powerful blender or food processor.
  4. Continue blending the bananas until they are smooth and creamy like ice cream. It takes a little while to transform into ice cream consistency.
  5. You can now mix in additional ingredients if you would like. Serve now or freeze in an airtight container for later.

Notes

This banana ice cream is amazing plain but you can add other ingredients to make and endless number of different flavors.

Some optional ingredients you could add to your banana ice cream include:
Chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, coconut, fresh or frozen fruit.

Try adding in my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter to this banana ice cream for an amazing treat! You can find this recipe at Cookinglessonsfordad.com

Freeze bananas on a baking sheet (cover with plastic wrap or wax paper) or in a covered container.

Freeze bananas for several hours or overnight.

See a cooking demonstration of this Banana Ice Cream recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Easy Guacamole

by 1 Comment

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados, ripe
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (Kosher or sea salt preferred)
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons salsa

Instructions

  1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits (seeds).
  2. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon and put it in a bowl.
  3. Mash the avocado with a fork until it is the consistency you prefer.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients except the salsa and mix together. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
  5. Add the salsa. Mix well.
  6. The guacamole is best if it is chilled for about an hour. Serve.

Notes

To seed the avocado first cut the avocado lengthwise. Then hit the seed with the sharp edge of a knife (Be careful!). Next hold the avocado tight and twist the knife to loosen and remove the seed.

When you add the salsa try not to get too much juice.

You can try different types of salsas to see which you prefer best. I often use a mild or medium chunky style salsa.

To tell if an avocado is ripe place it in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze. Do not apply pressure with your fingertips as this may cause bruising. Avocados ripen after they have been harvested so if they are not ripe yet, wait until they are.

Once the avocados are ripe they should be eaten within a day or two. To slow down the ripening process you can put them in the refrigerator.

See a cooking demonstration of this Easy Guacamole recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Thai Style Vegetable Curry

by 2 Comments

Yield: 6 servings (8 - 9 cups)

Thai Style Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 cup bell peppers, diced (combine 2 colors; red, yellow, green, or orange)
  • 4 - 5 cups zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts (divided: 3/4 and 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup garbanzo beans, canned (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 cup peas, frozen
  • Water if desired to thin curry mixture (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash and dice vegetables.
  2. Heat large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
  3. After the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté for a couple minutes until the onions are soft (about 1 or 2 minutes).
  4. Add the carrots and peppers and stir. Reduce the heat to medium - low and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir frequently.
  5. Next add the zucchini. Stir, reduce the heat to medium - low and cover the pan. Simmer about 5 minutes.
  6. While the vegetables are simmering, blend 3/4 cup peanuts, tomato sauce, soy sauce, curry powder and salt in a blender until smooth.
  7. Add blended curry mixture to the cooked vegetables and stir thoroughly.
  8. Add the garbanzo beans and peas to the cooked vegetables and stir. Stir in a little water (as desired) if you would like a thinner curry mixture.
  9. Cook curry mixture until it is hot throughout. Taste and add more salt and/or curry powder if desired.
  10. Serve curry over rice and top with peanuts.

Notes

You can vary the amount of diced vegetables in this recipe to your taste or to what you have on hand.

Adjust the garlic, curry powder and salt to taste.

You may also serve this curry over couscous or quinoa.

I usually serve the extra peanuts in a dish and let each person add their desired amount to the top of their curry.

You can add a little water near the end of the cooking time if you desire a thinner curry mixture. I sometimes add about 1/4 cup of water after I add the peas if I think the curry mixture is too thick.

See a cooking demonstration of this Thai Style Vegetable Curry recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Recent Posts