Sometimes, cooking with kids is all about teaching them measuring, mixing and knife skills. We do this a lot. The kids and I talk about the different measurements we use and measure things out together. They are often the ones to whisk-shift dry ingredients for me or to stir together whatever needs stirring. But cooking with kids isn’t just about learning. It’s about having fun in the kitchen too. So other times cooking with kids is about letting go. I don’t do that nearly enough.

But I try. Last Friday, I’d been thinking of ordering a pizza all afternoon, but with the holiday season here and our budget already strained I just couldn’t justify spending the money. So, I did the next best thing: making homemade English muffin pizzas with the kids. Actually, Will and Paige did most of the doing and I just handled the oven, the hot tray and laying out the toppings.

See how happy they are? And they hadn’t even started doing anything yet. They love being in the kitchen and having a hand in whatever we’re eating. But they love it even more when they are super-hands-on for a meal, as with these English muffin pizzas.

With a simple, flexible ingredients list and a super-fast cooking time, these pizzas are perfect for an any-night treat. Of course, being easy doesn’t hurt either.

You start by spreading sauce on English muffin halves. We used honey wheat ones, but any variety works. Well, except maybe cinnamon raisin. That could be weird.

Then the kids topped their pizzas however they liked. Will did mozzarella on both and black olives on one. Paige did Romano cheese, olives, tomatoes and a little mozzarella.

Then you broil them really quickly. It only takes about 3-5 minutes for the pizzas to be done, so I highly suggest flipping the oven light on and watching them cook with the kids. They’ll love it. And you’ll make sure you don’t accidentally char them. Win-win.

What have you been cooking with kids lately?

Easy English Muffin Pizzas
perfect for cooking with kids
yields as many as you want

English muffins, fork split in half
pizza sauce
cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, or whatever you like)
toppings such as ham, bacon, sliced olives, sliced sausage, tomatoes, broccoli bits, onions, etc

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Start the oven boiler on high.

Have kids spread a little sauce on their English muffin halves. Top as desired with cheese and toppings.

Place all the English muffin pizzas on the baking sheet. Place under the broiler (about 6″ from it) and cook until the cheese is melted and golden in spots — about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to watch them closely so that they don’t burn.

Let cool slightly before eating.

Enjoy!

This tiny heart-shaped cracker? It’s for you. And for my kids. And for my family. And for my dear friends who amaze me with their kindness, generosity and willingness to go above and beyond. It’s for those bleak moments made better by a kind word or a thoughtful gesture. It’s for everyday reminders that you love and are loved.

Paige and I made these Easy Cocoa Crackers this afternoon. It was spontaneous — something that sprang from an assignment I was working on. Originally, we were going to head out to the store, but something made me slow down and re-plan my afternoon so that we could spend it in the kitchen instead. I’m glad we did.

To make these crackers, you need these little cookie cutters (you can find them at Michael’s, Williams-Sonoma, etc) that are about 1-inch. They’re perfect for so many things like cutting out shaped bits of cheese, sausage and sandwiches or making fancy little butter pats.

They are also perfect for little hands to use to cut out these itty bitty crackers from pie crust dough. It’s such a simple and easy thing to do, which makes these absolutely perfect for a cooking with kids project. Paige cut out many of the crackers herself, carefully pressing the cutter into the dough and then pulling the dough away for me to place onto the prepared cookie sheet. Love the teamwork in cooking.

Once the dough is all cut, you place the pieces onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. They don’t spread, so you can place them pretty close together without worries. And if you are out of parchment, nonstick aluminum foil works too. Finally, you spray them with cooking oil spray and season them. We used hot cocoa mix, which gave them a subtly sweet flavor that everyone raved about.

And Paige? She was so happy and proud to have made these. She couldn’t wait to share some with Will for his afterschool snack. Amazing how little things can really mean so much … isn’t it?

PS: Head over to my lifestyle blog, Sassy Closet, to check out my post on a fresh idea for hostess gifts this season (and the new Verdi Olives). There’s also a $50 Costco Cash Gift Card giveaway going on there, so enter that as well!

Easy Cocoa Crackers
serves 8

1 Pillsbury Pie Crust
cooking oil spray
1 packet hot cocoa mix

Allow the pie crust to soften a room temperature for 30 minutes.

Once the pie crust has softened up, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (out of parchment? Nonstick aluminum foil works too).

Unroll the pie crust onto a cutting board. Using mini cookie cutters (about 1″ large), cut the dough into shapes and place them all on the prepared cookie sheet. They can be super close together but shouldn’t touch.

Once all the crust is used, spray the cut shapes quickly with cooking oil spray. Then sprinkle the dough with cocoa mix. I use a couple of pinches per cracker.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 6-7 minutes until the crackers are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before handling. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

The other night, when I was at Cate‘s house for our Blogger Thanksgiving fest, we were reheating a batch of these Homemade Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets that I made for the kids. Cate asked me if they were done right after I’d checked on them, and I said “No, they aren’t humming yet.”

It never occurred to me that would be a weird thing to say. It never occurred to me that the idea of food humming is something that not everyone thinks. Or hears. Or says. Yea. But Patsy, Joanne and Cate set me straight. It’s definitely a Sarah-ism. (In my defense, that’s really what I look for whenever I reheat food — the hum of sizzling warmed food.)

So, about the chicken nuggets … honestly, I had never thought of making my own until a recent Skinny Chicken Nuggets post on Tablespoon set off a wild obsession with baked chicken nuggets for me. My kids love chicken nuggets (I think it’s written somewhere in the kid handbook that they have to), and I like feeding them good, wholesome, homemade food that doesn’t take long to make.

Ding. Ding. Ding! We have a winner.

These start with fresh breadcrumbs made from leftover bread (I use the ends of loaves). Just whirl it in a food processor into fine crumbs. Why fresh? Two reasons: one, the taste is just better and two, you can control the type of bread you use — like that favorite 12-grain that is omnipresent in your kitchen. So, once you have those fresh crumbs, you toast one cup of the crumbs with a clove of chopped garlic in a hot skillet until golden brown. If you have extra breadcrumbs, toast them in a resealable bag and freeze until ready to use.

Once the crumbs are toasted, whirl them again in the food processor with the garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. This will ensure that the seasonings are well-distributed throughout.

Now, for the chicken, you need to cut chicken tenderloins into nugget size pieces. Don’t worry. It only takes a minute or two. Aim for 1″x1″ pieces.

Dredge the chicken in the seasoned breadcrumbs.

Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets
serves 4

Cooking oil spray
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (run a slice or two through the food processor)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1″ pieces

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or regular foil sprayed with cooking oil).

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat on the stove. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a food processor and add the salt, pepper and paprika. Whirl until well combined. Pour into a bowl.

Spray the chicken pieces with cooking oil spray. Then, dredge each one into the breadcrumb mixture, coating all over. Transfer to the baking sheet. Nuggets can be super close together, but shouldn’t touch. Once all the nuggets have been breaded, spray lightly with cooking oil.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the downside is golden. Flip all the nuggets. Then bake for another 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked chicken nuggets on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until they are humming sizzling.

Paige and I made this today, talking about the simple ingredients that combine to make a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s a basic thing, but one of those things that everyone should be able to make. Even my 3-year-old … in theory (no, she isn’t allowed to use the stove – she’s just 3!). It wasn’t a special occasion … just something that we do.

The other day, a friend sent me a note saying that someday my kids will impress their friends with their extensive kitchen knowledge. She’d read a recent blog post and seen pictures of Paige cooking.

It really warmed my heart, especially since I hope that the lessons I teach them do stay with them forever. And I hope that someday they will come home craving something special that I make. What better compliment is there than to have someone yearn for something that you make?

But more importantly, I want my kids to know how to feed themselves … without ordering in. Cooking is one of those essential skills that everyone should have — though not everyone does. By inviting my kids into the kitchen and talking them through what I am doing (and also letting them do some cooking too), they are getting an early introduction to how food is made. And someday, when they are older and head off to college, they’ll have this to take with them.

It’s not about making complicated dishes, though they’ve helped me with their share of those. It’s about having the basics – knife skills, food prep skills and basic cooking skills.

With this knowledge, they will be able to make so many things. They won’t go hungry because of not knowing how to make pasta or whip up a stir-fry. They will be able to cook.

Do you cook with your kids (or grandkids or nieces and nephews?

Mwah! Love the shaped cookie trays that we used for these.

The little chefs ... before they baked up a storm.

Pressing the cookie dough into the cookie tray openings ... We used premade dough to make it speedier.

Decorating frenzy. I iced the cookies with a simple icing made from powdered sugar and water. Then the kids went crazy with sprinkles.

Sampling the goods ...

Will's sporty creations ... his cookies are well done, but he's okay with that.

Can you say sprinkles everywhere? But that’s what this was all about … letting the kids go wild making something themselves. And they enjoyed every second of it.

To make these cookies, we used Wilton Cookie Pans, which I bought just for the occasion. They are nonstick pans with 12 places each to press cookie dough into. I used premade cookie dough from the grocery store, so that the prep work would be minimal and the kids could do most of the making themselves. In using these pans, I learned that the cookies will bake quickly — so watch them. I cooked these 3 minutes less than the package suggested, but they still were pretty well-done.

Then I whipped up an ultra-simple icing of powdered sugar and water. No measurements here, I just mixed until I got the desired consistency. Once that was brushed on, it was up to the kids to decorate them with whatever sprinkles they wanted.

Now, I am so excited to tell you about a contest that encourages you to let your kids get messy in the kitchen too. The Clorox Cook Up a Mess Contest, which is going on now, asks you to submit your best photo of your kids making a mess in the kitchen. And the prize? It’s fabulous. Really.

If you need some inspiration for your own mess making, click “Need Some Inspiration” at the bottom of the Clorox entry page on Facebook.

And a note on cleaning up … to clean up sprinkles, I start by sweeping up whatever I can and tossing that into the garage. Then I use my handheld vacuum to suck up anything left. As for the icing, which got everywhere, that requires something more heavy duty like Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner. Clorox Clean-Up is also awesome when you are working with raw eggs (like you would if you were making the cookie dough yourself) since it removes any residue from the egg that ends up splashes across the counter.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my time in creating this post by The Motherhood and Clorox. But any opinions are my own.

Last week, Rivki encouraged me to be adventurous with veggies in the winter, since it’s better to enjoy what you are eating then to stick to what’s inexpensive. It makes a lot of sense. I rarely eat beef, instead opting for chicken or turkey or fish, so I spend less on proteins these days. So, why not channel the savings into veggies I really want? In the summer, I am in my glory with all sorts of fabulous fresh veggies hitting the table. But in the winter, it gets flat out boring. So I listened.

We don’t often eat baby bok choy, but it looked so inviting at the grocery store, that I bought it. Paige helped me transform it into a fabulous sweet and sour version, with a sprinkling of crispy bacon. Just a little — moderation is key.

In making this, I had a lot of help. At 3, Paige is amazing with a whisk. She’s come a long way from the little girl who’d spill all the contents of a bowl onto the counter. These days, she is a fabulous helper in the kitchen, always eager to lend a hand or help in some small way. And when whatever I am cooking is too much for her, she is content to just watch.

I love cooking with my children. They continually surprise me with what they remember and can do. So, when I was recently asked to co-host a virtual cooking school about cooking with loved ones, I was fast to say yes. Here are the details. I hope you’ll join us!

I’m co-hosting an upcoming class in the Web’s first-ever virtual cooking school, Cooking Connections, and I would love for all of you to join me!  Here’s what you need to know to participate:

When: Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. ET

Where: TheMotherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://www.themotherhood.com/talk/show/id/62132

And here is the registration page for all seven Cooking Connections classes: http://www.themotherhood.com/cookingconnections

What: The class I am co-hosting is called “Cooking with Loved Ones Across the Country,” and it is hosted by Vera Sweeney, who blogs at Lady and the Blog.  During the class, we all will talk about how technology has changed the way people can cook together, and how we can connect with loved ones near and far to continue that ritual of cooking together!

The class is sponsored by ConAgra and hosted by TheMotherhood.

I hope to see you there!

My other fabulous co-hosts are:

Audrey McClelland, Mom Generations
Whitney Wingerd, Mommies with Style
Colleen Padilla, Classy Mommy
Melissa Chapman, Married My Sugar Daddy
Victoria Pericon, 24/7 Victoria
Nancy Horn, The Product Mama
Jennifer Leal, Savor the Thyme
Zareen Fidlon, Cooking with Z
Kate Selner, Kate in the Kitchen

Sweet and Sour Baby Bok Choy
serves 4 (as a side dish)

1 lb baby bok choy
olive oil cooking spray
salt and pepper
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Optional: 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Wash the baby bok choy well, and remove the leaves from the stalk. Pile the leaves (don’t remove the stems!) onto the baking sheet and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake the bok choy for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger and honey.

Once the bok choy is done baking, pour the sauce over and stir lightly to combine. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve, with a sprinkling of bacon, if desired.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or dressing craft, whisking or shaking until well combined.

This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in an airtight container.

Homemade pasta with pesto

If there was just one carb to darken my doorway for the rest of eternity, it would be pasta. My kids request it nightly. I like it. My husband likes it. And there are endless ways to flavor and dress it. As far as versatile ingredients go, pasta is right up there.

Typically, we eat dried pasta. Heck, if you were to open my kitchen cabinets, you would find no less than five boxes of dried pasta. Go down to my basement and there is a whole tote of pasta (I stocked up during a great sale). It’s easy, and we like it.

But lately, homemade pasta has been on my brain. When I recently went to Minneapolis, I ate a delicate, tender housemade pasta that was out of this world. Every bite was creamy, silky bliss. Ever since then, I have been toying with the idea of making pasta again. The last time I made pasta was years ago, and I didn’t feel like the results were better than my favorite dried pasta, so I swore it off. But things change — skill levels, interests, desires … so this weekend, I did it again.

The recipe I used came from Vegetarian Pasta Cookbook, a cookbook that I’ve own for … a long time (and we will just leave it at that). It started like most pasta recipes do — flour and eggs. But it also had oil and water.

The dough is mixed together until it’s crumbly. Then, you turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it until the gluten breaks down and it gets smooth. It takes maybe five minutes of kneading to get it there. While I was working the dough, Paige came running in to see what I was up to. She, as is often the case, pulled up her favorite stool and stood to watch. I know she wanted to help, but being my first time, I decided to press on myself. Next time though, I would love to let both Will and Paige take a turn at knead (with just-cleaned hands, of course). It’s an interesting process to feel as the dough goes from crumbles and bits of flour between your fingers to an elastic-y ball of dough. The change in texture and composition is amazing.

In any case, one the dough is smooth, it’s stuck into a resealable plastic bag and left to sit for about a half-hour.

Once it’s all rested (and yes, that is an important step), the dough is rolled thin in a pasta roller into a sheet. Again, this could be a good place to get the kids involves — they could catch the sheets as they come out of the pasta roller and set them aside for cutting (natch, that’s the next step). I made linguine, using a pasta cutter attachment for my KitchenAid for this step as well.

Now, this is the point where I have gotten frustrated in the past — because when you are inexperienced in the art of pasta making, it all can be intimidating. But this time, I learned a few things. First, the dough needs to be relatively thin before feeding it into the roller for the first time — otherwise it will get stuck. Also, the dough that you aren’t rolling should remain covered so that it doesn’t dry out. And finally, the dough needs to be rolled thinner than you think you want it to be, because it will puff upon cooking.

In the end, the pasta was pretty good — tender, but not silky. Flavorful, but not perfect. The dough was firm — perhaps too much so — which made handling it a challenge as well.

So, no, this isn’t the perfect homemade pasta recipe, so I am not going to share it today. But I am on the hunt. One of the big things to come out of my pasta making was discovering that it’s not as intense a project as I remember it being. All in all, the pasta went from flour to plate in about an hour and a half, which isn’t bad for a lazy weekend day.

Do you make your own pasta? Have a favorite recipe? Share in the comments!

P.S. Love pasta? Johnsonville Sausage has recently launched Pastaville, a recipe contest using their Italian sausage. Head over to the site to find out how to enter — and yes, I will be entering soon too! Details on my entry to come …

It always starts with an idea … and this time, I wanted to do something simple and easy, bursting with fall flavors. And it had to have a crumble topping. That was a must. I looked through cookbooks, but ended up just winging my way through it. I am so happy with the results — a Brown Butter Apple Crumble.

Paige is taking after her brother, jumping at the chance to help in the kitchen whenever she can. From scrambling eggs to mixing anything, she is game. I think she loves seeing the food go from raw ingredients to fabulous dishes. When Paige came rushing into the kitchen tonight, a chair dragging behind her, she oohed at the sight of sliced apples. Soon, she grabbed the mixing spoon and was forcibly helping to make this simple, delicious dessert.

We poured the apples into the baking dish, a deep, oval one. Then we mixed up the topping and sprinkled it on. No sooner did we stop, then Paige ran off to play (actually saying so as she ran). It made me smile. While the crumble cooked, the sweet, warm scent of apples filled our home. The scent was amazing.

But the taste – oh the taste. That’s the part that set it apart from just another pleasant whiff wafting from the kitchen. The sweet, tender apples flood the plate, dotted with the rich bits of the brown butter crumble topping. Getting a bit of apple and crumble topping at the same time was enough to make you swoon … heck, I think Will did.

Delish.

Brown Butter Apple Crumble
serves 4
Click here for my printable recipe on Tablespoon.com

4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
pinch salt
1/2 cup uncooked oats (not instant)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup salted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Toss until well-combined.

Add the apples to a deep oval baking dish. Spread out into an even layer.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats, flour and brown sugar. Set aside.

Heat the butter in a small pan until melted. Continue swirling over a medium flame until the butter turns a golden brown color. Remove from heat and stir into the oats mixture until well combined.

Sprinkle the oats mixture over the apples.

Slide the baking dish into the oven and cook for 45 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling at the sides. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Heirloom Tomato and Provolone Sauce on pasta

Every fall, I make a big batch of Roasted Tomato Sauce (and, last year, tomato paste) and can it for wintertime. Opening up a jar of it in the dead of winter is glorious. It’s like bottling summertime. But this year I just haven’t gotten to it and really am not sure if I will. While I love having my own, fresh, homemade sauce ready to go, I’ve had a lot on my plate lately.

But I still want to make it.

In the meantime, I am small batch cooking with tomatoes. This lovely Heirloom Tomato and Provolone Sauce is a thick, hearty, slow-cooked sauce with a sharp, but craveworthy, taste. It’s enriched with a little butter too, an idea I gleaned from the latest issue of Bon Appetit (it’s in Molly Wizenberg’s column).

From tomatoes to sauce in a little over an hour ...

All in all, this sauce can be made in a little over an hour. You start by chopping tomatoes and crushing garlic. Toss it in the pan with a few other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for an hour. Then, you puree the sauce, add the butter and cook for a few more minutes. Ready to serve.

Paige helped stir the ingredients together.

Paige and Will helped me make this sauce. Paige transferred most of the ingredients to the pan and stirred it all together. Meanwhile, Will ran the scraps out to the compost pile. They love helping in the kitchen — anyway that they are asked to.

Love that.

Heirloom Tomato and Provolone Sauce
yields 4 servings
Click here for the printable recipe on Tablespoon.com

2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp dried basil (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter

In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Stir together.

Place the pan on the burner and heat over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Using an immersion blender (preferably), puree the sauce in the pan to desired consistency. Be careful. It will be VERY hot. Add the butter and stir to combine.

Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

Earlier this year, I made my first panzanella (aka bread salad). It was a fabulous, flavorful, fresh salad perfect for a summertime (and it’s so unfair of me to mention it, since that is one of the few recipes I kept to myself — I promise to reveal it someday). So, when I contemplated how to pair tomatoes and corn in a special dish for Foodie Fights!*, my mind jumped back to panzanella. (Psst! If you head over to the site, vote for my dish! Please?) What better way to use two of my favorite summer farmers’ market finds than in an easy summer salad?

Panzanella is a traditional Italian dish, typically served in the summer months. From what I’ve read in books and online, it’s big in Tuscany and other areas. Can’t you just imagine yourself eating this while sitting on the patio of a fabulous Tuscan villa? That’s what it totally reminds me of. Think Under the Tuscan Sun. (Coincidentally, did you know that Under the Tuscan Sun is a memoir? I didn’t. And apparently it has several follow-ups too, including Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy. Who knew?)

This version of panzanella, my Balsamic Tomato, Corn and Cucumber Panzanella, has a lovely sweetness to it from both the fresh sweet corn and the lightly sweetened balsamic dressing. Bread salads like this aren’t just croutons on a tossed salad — the bread soaks in the dressing giving you spurts of freshness throughout. It’s delish.

Since this is a traditional type dish, it has a set of traditional ingredients that you’d normally find in it. Typically, it’s made with old bread, fresh tomatoes, onions, basil, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper, among other mix-ins. For this one, I skipped the onions and added cucumbers and fresh corn.

The kids tore the bread into bite sized pieces (and had a blast doing it). Well, mostly bite-sized. I did have to help a few of the pieces along that were a little bigger than desired. But overall, they did a great job and even cleaned up the crumbs that got all over the table.

Why tear it rather than chop it? Well, for one, tearing is more fun. But more importantly, it’s just how it’s done. The rusticness of the torn bread is nice too.

While they did that, I chopped the tomatoes, cucumbers and basil. All the veggies went into a big mixing bowl with the corn.

In traditional panzanella, the bread is sometimes browned in olive oil or soaked in water. But I didn’t want the extra calories of the oil or the mushiness of the water-soaked bread so I skipped that part. Instead, I very lightly toasted the bread in the oven so that it holds up against the dressing, and even has some crunchy parts in the finished salad.

As for the corn, it’s in season now, so of course I used fresh corn from a local farm. It’s unbelievably sweet. For the salad, I used a knife to cut the kernels from the cob. No fancy tools necessary.

This is the veggies and opal basil in a bowl, before mixing and dressing. I love the colors.

Will whisked up the ingredients for the dressing. He’s become quite the old pro at whisking sauces and dressings together.

Then comes the bread.  I dress the veggies first, and then add the bread so that everything gets equal attention.

And, finally, the recipe …

Balsamic Tomato, Corn and Cucumber Panzanella
serves 8
NOTE: Scroll down for the printable recipe

1/2 loaf day-old Italian bread
3 ears sweet corn, steamed or boiled
1 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped purple basil (aka opal basil)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Tear the bread into bite-size chunks. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once about half way through.

Meanwhile, use a knife to cut the kernels from the ears of corn. (Hold the corn vertically on a cutting board and cut down so that the kernels fall onto the board.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the kernels of corn, tomato, cucumber and basil. Stir well. Then, set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the corn mixture. Stir well to combine. Add the bread to the bowl and stir well. Let sit 10 minutes, then stir again.

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and serve.

*Foodie Fights! is a fun online competition that pits food lover against food lover, asking them to use their creativity to battle it out with two special ingredients (hence the corn and tomatoes this week).