Simple Sides: Kiwi-Cashew-Spinach Squares
By Dennis Linden
Children in this country consume an estimated 12 percent of their calories from fast food and 20 percent of all American meals are eaten in the car! The consequences are predictably unhealthy. Competing schedules in the day-to-day lives of a busy modern family make it difficult to share a home-cooked meal together, but not impossible. In fact, with a little planning, cooking together can become a fun family event and learning opportunity. This feature will focus on providing a child or a group of children, working together under the supervision of an adult, with one uncomplicated, healthy and delicious side dish recipe. The dishes will be centered on seasonal fresh produce items; the recipes will always contain tasks will allow even the youngest kitchen helper to contribute to the family meal. Parents should always read through each recipe carefully to judge the division of labor based on age and ability as well as to identify where adult attention might be especially needed.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup cashews
1 cup Melissa’s Dried Coconut Chips
1 cup Melissa’s Medjool Dates, pitted
3 tablespoons Melissa’s Lime Juice
pinch of salt
Top Layer
1 cup cashews
½ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup Melissa’s Blue Agave Syrup
2 Melissa’s Kiwifruits, halved, peel removed
¾ cup spinach leaves
Topping Garnish
2 Melissa’s Kiwifruits, thinly slice
What the supervising adult should do:
Oversee the measuring out of all ingredients and the thorough cleaning of the food processor between layers. Keeping a clean workspace and equipment should be a part of any culinary lesson.
What the kids can do:
Place all base ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined into a dough, add a tablespoon of water if it doesn’t stick together.
Transfer the mixture to an 8x8 cake pan or dish and press down evenly to form a base crust. Place in the freezer to set.
Clean the food processor and blend all the top layer ingredients until smooth and creamy thick.
Remove crust from freezer and spread kiwi mixture over the crust.
Top with slices of kiwifruit, then return to the freezer.
Once firm and frozen, cut into squares and enjoy. Store in the freezer; the squares melt fast!
Many of the recipes presented here will seem very basic, this is by design. It is hoped that these simple preparations will provide the culinary foundation and confidence to inspire kids to try more challenging recipes as their experience and confidence in the kitchen develops. Melissa’s encourages parents to find the time to gather as a family unit at least once a week for a dinner that everyone pitches in to prepare. It’s a wonderful way to teach a child some basic culinary skills and, more importantly, cooking with your children will build memories in all your hearts forever. Enjoy your kids in the kitchen, they will be grown & gone before you know it! “No one is born a great cook; one learns by doing” – Julia Child.
Here is a tasty way for kids to get a serving of fruit, vegetable and bone-building dairy all in the same delicious, sliced snack, with a little sweetness to boot. In fact, from filling to crust, these kiwi slices are packed with good stuff! Kiwifruit has always been a kid favorite, partially being attracted by the fruit’s unique bright green color. Great for young, growing bodies, Kiwifruit has more vitamin C than an orange and more potassium than a banana. Adding spinach to this dish only deepens the color without changing the flavor, infusing even more vitamins and nutrients into the mix. The date and cashew based “crust” also greatly increases the nutritional content of this snack food with plant protein, healthy fat, beneficial minerals, and more potassium. Dates are also a great high-fiber sugar substitute. The best part of the recipe – no cooking, just a little practice in culinary patience as this two-part recipe needs freezing in-between both layers and is well worth the wait.
The recipe also provides a complete lesson on working with a food processor. That is, the crust ingredients are processed, then the machine must be thoroughly and safely cleaned under supervision before the ingredients for the topping can be blended. The food process does most all of the prep work except for the slicing of the kiwifruits for garnish. For that, your kitchen helper needs to halve the fruit and then carefully separate the skin from the fruit with a serrated spoon, peel back that skin to use as a handle for slicing the fruit into thin rounds. It is the only knife work needed.
In fact, if there is a very young helper in the kitchen who knows their numbers, this is the perfect starter recipe as it’s really all measuring out the ingredients of each of the two layers. Process and freeze the crust, then process and spread the thick filling over that crust and freeze again. Easy-peasy! With adult guidance, you’ll make a delicious and strikingly beautiful snack that will also generate a beaming smile of accomplishment for your young helpers. With one note: this dish melts very quickly at room temperature, so cut it into separate squares and store it in the freezer for snacking anytime.
Kiwi Lime Slices
Yield: 12 squares
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup cashews
1 cup Melissa’s Dried Coconut Chips
1 cup Melissa’s Medjool Dates, pitted
3 tablespoons Melissa’s Lime Juice
pinch of salt
Top Layer
1 cup cashews
½ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup Melissa’s Blue Agave Syrup
2 Melissa’s Kiwifruits, halved, peel removed
¾ cup spinach leaves
Topping Garnish
2 Melissa’s Kiwifruits, thinly slice
What the supervising adult should do:
Oversee the measuring out of all ingredients and the thorough cleaning of the food processor between layers. Keeping a clean workspace and equipment should be a part of any culinary lesson.
What the kids can do:
Place all base ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined into a dough, add a tablespoon of water if it doesn’t stick together.
Transfer the mixture to an 8x8 cake pan or dish and press down evenly to form a base crust. Place in the freezer to set.
Clean the food processor and blend all the top layer ingredients until smooth and creamy thick.
Remove crust from freezer and spread kiwi mixture over the crust.
Top with slices of kiwifruit, then return to the freezer.
Once firm and frozen, cut into squares and enjoy. Store in the freezer; the squares melt fast!
