TDSB Newcomers Summer Culinary Program Wrap...

Summer holidays is almost over with a fresh new school year just around the corner. My 6-week summer culinary program class with Toronto's recently landed Nigerian refugee youths seemed to whizz by. I had the pleasure of teaching a dynamic, energetic group of 14 to 20 year-olds that enjoyed food as much as they loved arts, fitness and sports. TDSB Welcoming Communities did a fantastic job offering a fun multi-activity summer program to help foster this community and ease the transitional challenges faced by Canadian newcomers. Challenged with food preparation limitations faced while living in hotels since arriving (meals are cooked for them), the only alternative is making simple no cook foods in their hotel rooms with a cutting board and knife. My session aim was to impart real take-aways- simple, healthy food ideas they can easily replicate and within a low budget, while introducing multicultural flavours and dishes. And from the many youth's feedback, it sounds like they will try their hands on my recipes! Yess-- Success!!

Highlights from my final sessions this summer.

Refreshing, hydrating sweet watermelon has been a signature feature this summer in my culinary programs from adding it to salads to carving them into decorative punch bowls. Watermelon is 92% water, making it an extremely hydrating snack! It is free of fat, sodium and cholesterol, a good source of vitamin C and contains vitamin A.

Bright preparing Zucchini Noodles Watermelon Salad

Haha, I love it!

Real fruit carving skillz right there!

Making Hwachae Korean Watermelon and Strawberry Milk Dessert Soup to the delight of all.

Strawberry milk in one, carbonated lime water in the other.

HaPpy HaPpy! 😀

My official last class was simple ideas on toast- such as Italian fave appie bruschetta and DIY no-cook strawberry jam filled in mason jars to take home as a sweet token from our program's farewell. Since they don't have access to a fridge, jams are perfectly preserved in room temperature. The youths tell me with their families, the jams will be eaten in no time.

Serving store-bought hummus- a new flavour as many have never tried.

The simple homemade makings of strawberry jam.

Slicing and Dicing...

Mashing and Filling...

Yum... Bruschetta!

I'm looking forward to another school year and what new ventures lay ahead for me with TDSB!

My dream is to make a difference…
for our children now and tomorrow.
Equip them with solid skills, not just borrow
Food education at home, at school
Pass on how-to knowledge, that’s the tool
Important skills that must be taught
Life lessons gained that can't be bought
Too many suffer from not knowing
Cooking is the key to healthy growing
There is a better choice
Empowerment is the voice
Together we can make a difference…
for our children now and tomorrow!

-- Susan 💖

Neighbourhood Table- Session Four: FiEsTa FuN FooDs...

It's A Wrap! Celebrating our final Neighbourhood Table's cooking lunch session, and we made it FuN, FuN, FuN with FIESTA foods. Not only did we have a menu full of party-worthy, crowd-pleasing multicultural foods that excite the senses, but our engaging activities had the same fervour and charm... like apple-bobbing and a little thing called piñata 😃. It was a busy day but somehow, time seemed to stand still so moments were savoured. A day where people had fun, discovered new things, new tastes and new friends.  It's certainly one I will treasure for a long time.

What an AmaZing opportunity St.Philip's Church and ACCT has given their community this summer for kids and families to learn to cook, meet their neighbours and eat together! Thank you again team, and especially to David, our professional photographer and videographer for the day, for sharing your photos with me to use here. But first, starting our last day together with a deserving group photo of our fabulous ladies- members and volunteers at the church.

From left to right: Raija, Michelle, Yvonne, Pastor Tuula, Anne,
Me, Eunice and Stephanie in the back.

Pretty pops of colour with tissue-paper flowers that adds to the festivities.

Fresh produce that highlight the goods from the Church's partner with the Good Food Market.

Cooking and Conversations underway...

Guacamole is always a hit with kids and adults. Fresh cilantro and lime makes this dip come to life.

Easy Peasy Guacamole
Makes 1-1/4 cups

2 large ripe avocados
1 garlic clove, minced
a handful cilantro, leaves plucked and chopped
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 green onion, sliced
splash of lime juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste
hot sauce or jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)

Slice the avocado in half. Remove the seed. Scoop out the avocado halves with a spoon. Dice the avocados. Take 2/3rds and mash in a bowl. Add the diced avocado. Customize the guacamole by adding your favourite chopped ingredients. Mix well. Serve with your favourite dippers—tortilla chips, Triscuit Thins, crackers, pita chips.

This Caribbean-inspired black bean salad is a vibrant colourful medley of fresh sweet and fruity flavours, with crunchy textures and piquant bite! In here, we've got mangoes, bell peppers, raisins, lime juice and spicy jalapeno. Sometimes I add papaya and slivered toasted almonds to give extra dimension and flavours. For more see my recipe Post.

Caribbean Black Bean Salad with Mangoes

Makes 8 servings

1 can (540 mL) or 2 cups black beans, drained, rinsed and drained well
2 cups mango, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 coloured bell pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 limes, juice of
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. raisins
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped toasted almonds (optional)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 jalapeno or hot red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Let chill in fridge if possible for one hour before serving.

Meanwhile, what a beautiful day for some fresh air coupled with outdoor fun...

Like suspension apple bobbing...

And blind-folded piñata batting...

Going Ga Ga for the explosion of contents...

Back in the kitchen, I am all ready to do my last demo for our cooking program...

Oh what colour!

Southwest BBQ Shredded Chicken Fajitas
Makes 6 to 8 servings

4 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. seasoned salt or 1/2 tsp. each salt, garlic & onion powders and paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder and crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned
1 onion, sliced
BBQ Sauce, bottled (Stubbs Original)- I like Stubbs cause it uses real ingredients and no sugar fructose
flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
Serve with condiments: salsa, guacamole and sour cream
Other Toppings: shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and corn niblets

In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. oil, lemon juice and seasonings; coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours.

In a large skillet, sauté peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.

Discard chicken marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Toss one minute with BBQ sauce. Remove to platter. Serve with warmed tortilla wraps, toppings and condiments.

Mother and daughter cooking up chicken and peppers for fajitas!

New faces at this session. Shy at first, but they quickly got into action and sliced and diced just right!

Korean Hwachae`s refreshing soothing cold fruit soup is guaranteed to quench and quell! Asian cuisines often call this kind of dessert a soup-- a dessert you can eat and a beverage you can drink in one! Started a popular trend by a celebrity in Korea, you can make a simple punch base as described below or fruit juices, carbonated beverages such as ginger ale, 7up or Korean carbonated milk beverage Milkis for its creamy taste, or regular, flavoured or condensed milk. Or make it truly an adult drink with alcohol-- soju, a Korean vodka will work perfectly or regular vodka is fine. The remaining base is concocted by the natural juice of fruits you add. Watermelon is by far the most popular fruit, offering up a lot of juice and bringing out the best of summer`s essence, and strawberry milk is super appealing.

Korean Watermelon and Strawberry Milk Dessert Soup (Hwachae)

1 watermelon
strawberries, quartered (If not sweet, toss with some sugar and let sit for 1/2 hour)
strawberry milk
carbonated soda with lime flavour (Perrier)
ice if desired

Take a whole watermelon, slice a piece off both ends to create a flat bottom (not too deep to puncture the flesh or it will leak), and cut fruit in half. With a large spoon, scoop out all the fruit and place into a container and pour out all it juice into a large bowl; use immediately or freeze for several hours (the pieces should be chunky with some small pieces).

Take a small knife, cut triangles or alternating squares working your way around the melon rim (don`t worry about being perfect-- no one will notice or care). Remove the melon pieces from the freezer-- it should be slushy and icy but not frozen hard; if it is give an hour or so to thaw a bit.

To serve, place the strawberries in the hollowed watermelon halves. Add the watermelon pieces and pour in the milk in one half and carbonated soda in the other or combine both to fill. Add ice if desired upon serving.

Fantastic artful carving boys!

We even made a decorative watermelon boat with lid.

Some of the kids have been with me from the very first session, and I have to say starting off with little knife experience, they were cutting, slicing and dicing with comfort by the last session. It just goes to show, with more practice and patience, honing knife skills is certainly within reach. And before you know it, your kids will be helping you out, cooking in the kitchen, creating delicious meals for the family-- an essential life skill that empowers them to be independent. A way cool feeling to have.

The magic of combining frozen watermelon pieces, strawberry and strawberry milk together!

In the hot summer heat, that's cold heaven in a bowl right there! Refreshing and delicious! 

In the fall we carve pumpkins, in the summer we carve watermelons :D

And so the DIY customizable fajita feasting begins.... 

How much do I love this shot? Anne serving our awesome ACCT Arabic translator Ghadeer.

Yes, the cool beverage station was certainly a popular one.

Our full house Neighbourhood Table...

I was surprised with this ga-gorgeous bouquet of flowers presented to me before we had our lunch. Caught off guard and welled with emotion, I didn't get to express everything I wanted to say, so I'll do it here. Thank you Eunice for finding me, Pastor Tuula and St.Philip's Church from the bottom of my heart for the pleasure and honour to work with you. Such wonderful members of the church with the same heart for building the community and encouraging neighbourhood fellowship, and what better way than doing so through food as the connector. I feel so blessed to help bring your impassioned vision to fruition! We did it! YAY! 

Flowers from Oleander

From left to right: Raija, Michelle, Yvonne, Pastor Tuula, Anne,
Me, Eunice and Stephanie in the back.

Our Fiesta FuN Day was sunshine, electricity and fabulous flavours! When your guests are happy, and you are happy, then it's a success. The reciprocated smiles say it all 😊. So long everyone, I hope to cross paths and cook with you again... Enjoy the rest of Summer! 🌞

To catch up on our previous program classes, please read Session One: Fresh Herbs (also to learn the backstory on how The Neighbourhood Table came to be), Session Two: Under The Mediterranean Sun and Session Three: Breakfast For Lunch.

Neighbourhood Table- Session Three: Breakfast For Lunch...

Breakfast for lunch! Say that again.... Breakfast For Lunch! Yay! Breakfast favourites can be happily eaten any time of day! Our program organizers at St.Philip's Lutheran Church and myself were really excited to bring this theme to life at our Neighbourhood Table in partnership with the Arab Community Centre of Toronto (ACCT). For our fantastic luncheon we had two kid-pleaser DIY customizable bars, one for Crepes and the other for Yogurt Parfaits, then there was Muffin-Tin Spinach and Pepper Frittatas and Skillet Eggs, Sausage, Pepper and Potatoes. It was such a fun day coupled with great activities at the arts & craft stations for both kids and parents. Yes parents too! Our activity theme was based around mindfulness. That zen energy certainly translated into the kitchen aura, because it felt calm and the least hectic of our sessions so far. Create galaxy or glitter jars or sit with your neighbours and colour away. It was so beautiful to see everyone gather together, young and old, some returning faces, some new faces, getting hands on creative with a classic favourite. That's peace and joy right there 😊.

How much do I love this photo?

Lots of fresh colourful fruits for our crepe and yogurt parfait bars.

Action underway in the kitchen with my eager helpers...

Time for a quick photo op before hitting the stove for baking and skillet-frying...

Let's take a peek and see what's happening outside... busy busy at the Science Station.

Kids were delighted to make galaxy or glitter jars with some cotton balls, paint and glitter.

Gorgeous! I was gifted a galaxy jar and it evokes a sense of cosmic zen- just lovely to admire and calming!

Pretty colouring underway... Inspires me to get back to my childhood passion for art.

Our fabulous Eunice releasing her creativity on paper...

Outside, kids get some fresh air and make small and big bubbles...

Back in the kitchen, my helpers were preparing for the muffin-tin frittatas.

Perfect for a quick satiating hand-held breakfast-to-go or a portable lunch box favourite.

Muffin Tin Spinach and Pepper Frittatas
Makes 12 mini frittatas

12 eggs

1/2 cup milk or water
6 handfuls spinach or kale

1 cup diced red pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Other fillings: asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes (remove excess water), cheese etc.,

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and milk/water in a bowl. Add veggies and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into 12 muffin tins coated with cooking spray or brushed with oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just firm and cooked all the way through. Overcooking makes them dry! Once cooled, use a knife and spoon to remove from tins. Store remainder in fridge. To warm you can microwave for 20 to 40 seconds to reheat, or pop them in a toaster oven for about a minute.

Cooking Tips: Add 1/4 milk for fluffier texture.
Grease your muffin tin well unless your idea of fun is scraping baked egg.
Cut up square pieces of parchment paper work as great muffin tin liners.

Freezer-friendly Tip: Mini frittatas freeze well for up to a month and are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or even a snack. Simply cook and cool completely before freezing. Reheat in the microwave 30 to 40 seconds to heat through.

This is a skillet favourite in my household and I often cook it with Italian pork sausages. However, since many of our guests were Arab we had to get halal-friendly sausages which is limited in meat variations. Our fabulous Eunice got some over-the-top delish slightly spicy merguez mutton/lamb ones. They meld with this hearty dish so well, there's no point of return. Merguez sausages it is in this dish from now on... It was a HUGE hit at our luncheon. What a tasty revelation!

Skillet Eggs, Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes
Makes 6 to 8 servings

6 eggs
¼ cup milk or water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped or thinly sliced
3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, cooked and sliced into ½” thick rounds
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. Merguez or Italian sausages cooked and sliced
1 to 2 coloured bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)
Paprika

Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour in egg mixture. As eggs begin to set, GENTLY PULL the eggs across the pan with a spatula, forming large soft curds. Remove to plate.

Add the olive oil to large skillet. Fry the potatoes along with the onions for about two minutes, allowing for each side to brown slightly before flipping. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced sausage links. Sauté sausage with the potatoes for three minutes to brown slightly. Toss in the peppers and mix them in with the potatoes and sausage. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Toss with egg pieces, garnish with green onions, jalapenos, and sprinkle with paprika.

Here are some cutting pepper tips from my partner @producemadesimple web-site: * The skin of a pepper can be tough, which makes it hard to slice thin from the skin side. Instead, slice the pepper from the inside flesh of the pepper (skin side down). * A fun way to de-seed a pepper is to hold it in your hand and smack it on the kitchen counter, stem side down.

This remarkable boy was very eager to help with everything and agile at the stove!
Future chef perhaps?

Yummy! Slightly spicy, slightly gamey merguez hit all the right places!

Basic Crepes
Makes about eight 8-inch crepes

1-1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. oil
1 cup all-purpose flour

Whisk milk, eggs and oil until smooth. Add flour; whisk until batter is well blended and smooth. Pour into bowl; cover. Refrigerate 30 min.

Lightly coat skillet with cooking spray. Heat on medium heat. Pour 3 Tbsp. batter into skillet; rotate to coat evenly. Cook 1 min. or until golden on underside. Loosen edge with rubber spatula and turn out of pan onto paper towel. Stack, browned side up. If storing to use later, place a waxed paper between each crepe.

Toppings: Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Bananas, Apples, Chocolate Chips, Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Cinnamon, Whipped Cream, Maple Syrup, Icing sugar.

I love the food engagement and creative customization with everyone's favourites...

A little of this, A little of that...

Awesome looking crepe Darien! Mixing-and-Matching with yogurt parfait granola toppings.

Customize-Your-Own Yogurt Parfaits

Balkan-Style Original plain yogurt
Strawberries, sliced
Blueberries
Raspberries
Chocolate chips
Coconut shreds
Granola mixture

Favourite cereals
A variety of nuts- almonds, cashews, pecans
A variety of seeds- hemp, chia, ground flax

Mix and match, and layer according to you preference and tastes.

Happy Tummies, Happy Smileys 😊

More pretty smiles!

Eating to their hearts content. Warms mine from inside out... 💗

So proud of our Neighbourhood Table at it's third instalment!

The final session for our summer family culinary program is this Thursday, and we are making it FuN, FuN, FuN with Fiesta FuN Foods and party atmosphere games! Join me back here later this week to hear all about it... 

I'm so excited to see it all come to LiFe!