School's Out and the Kitchen is Open
Chef Lorena Garcia's answer to "Mom, I'm bored!"
MIAMI, FL - Summer's here and your kids are always looking for new things to do - and you're looking for new things to keep them occupied. This year, try something new together and get them cooking in the kitchen. Chef Lorena Garcia, founder of Big Chef, Little Chef, a program that educates and excites kids of all ages and their parents about the benefits of nutrition and living a healthy and happy life, has created a kid-tested easy to make menu of bright summer dishes inspired by her own childhood.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Garcia has many fond memories of summer meals shared outdoors with family. "The traditional Latin American diet is centered on fresh ingredients - fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts. The easy preparation meant everyone chipped in. As kids, we loved it!"
Children appreciate and are intrigued by the process of transforming ingredients into a dish. Assembling, measuring, and stirring are tasks that younger children can get involved with, while cutting and chopping are tasks for older children. When kids are involved, it results in a feeling of satisfaction and they are more likely to eat what's on their plate.
This summer, call the kids home early and spend some quality time around the table - before the meal. Here are some of Lorena's personal favorites:
- A colorful Garbanzo Bean Salad is the perfect compliment to any summer meal. Fresh ingredients and light flavor make this dish easy enough for the kids to prepare yet tasty enough to satisfy a mature palette.
- Kids love to play with their food! Lorena's Funny-Faced Pineapple-Cottage Cheese Salad combines low-fat protein with a healthy serving or fruit for a balanced breakfast or afternoon snack.
- Frosty Summer Smoothies are a nutritious way to chill out! Have kids pick out their favorite, fresh summer fruits and mix with ice in a blender. Jazz up the smoothies by adding different milks and yogurts - a great way to introduce other forms of non dairy milk and add variety into kids' diets.
Full Recipes:
Lorena's Summer Garbanzo Bean Salad
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- 2 cans drained garbanzo beans
- 2 cups plum tomatoes
- 1 cup mixed peppers (red, yellow and green)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Have kids can "chop up" the colorful peppers and cilantro with safety scissors (if older, a knife and supervision) and combine ingredients in a large bowl. Stir gently and season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika.
Funny-Faced Pineapple-Cottage Cheese Salad
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- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 can of pineapple slices, drained
- 2 tablespoons toppings (raisins, dried fruits, maraschino cherries, carrots, shaved coconuts, banana and/or nuts)
Divide cottage cheese into bowls (4). Place a pineapple slice atop cottage cheese. Have kids choose a variety of toppings to create eyes, nose and smiles on the pineapple "faces".
Frosty Summer Smoothies
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- Fresh Fruits - bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, passion fruit, kiwi fruit, mango, etc
- Liquid options - milk, goats milk, soy milk, water, greek yogurt, flavored yogurt, fruit juice, etc
Mix a variety of fresh fruits and liquid base (optional) with ice in blender. For a special treat, mix in chocolate chips, honey or nuts.
For more information on Lorena Garcia, please visit www.cheflorenagarcia.com. For additional recipe ideas or to arrange an interview with Chef Lorena Garcia, please contact Alfredo Lee, at 626.403.3200 ext. 219, alfredo@vpepr.com.
About Lorena Garcia/Big Chef, Little Chef:
Lorena Garcia was born in Venezuela and is a graduate of the world-renowned Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts School. She trained in top restaurants in Paris, Italy, Japan, Korea, Thailand and China. She is the owner and executive chef of the celebrated ‘Elements' restaurant in Miami's Design District. Garcia's media background includes hosting regular cooking segments on both the Univison and Telemundo cable television networks. Her personal style and approach to cooking have landed her on the pages of Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Kiplinger's and Entrepreneur among other top lifestyle publications and her ‘Big Chef Little Chef' program in which she works with school aged children and their parents to teach them about nutrition and how to cook and eat properly, has been reported on by hundreds of media outlets across the U.S. and Latin America.
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