Vegetarian Recipes for Family Literacy Day
Some of our most vivid memories of food come from books we’ve read in our childhood: from Miss. Trunchbull’s devastating, blood-sweat-and-tear injected chocolate cake in Roald Dahl’s Matilda to the enchanted chocolate shoppe in Joanne Harris’s Chocolat. These recipes, inspired by classic children’s books, are a sure-fire way to bring your family together this Friday the 27th for family literacy day. (Blood, sweat, and tear free!)
The Giant Jam Sandwich by Janet Burroughway and John Vernon Lord
This tall tale relays the story of “one hot summer in Itching Down, when four million wasps flew into town”. The population of Itchind Down deals with the problem in the practical manner of building a giant jam sandwich with the help of crane bolsters and other comical tools. Tension builds as the entire town waits for just the right moment to slap the huge bread slices shut and do away with the pests. This is one of those enduring reads that has kept kids riveted on elementary school carpets for years. Keep your kids riveted even longer with this killer jam swirl loaf.
- 1 ¾ c flour
- 2 T soy flour
- 1 T baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 8 T margarine, at room temp
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 t orange or lemon zest
- ½ c soy milk
- ½ c raspberry jam
- 2 T sugar
Preheat the oven to 375, and grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, soft together flours, baking powder and salt. In a different bowl, cream the margarine and sugar. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and soy milk till smooth. Add to dry ingredients, ½ cup at a time, and mix till blended. Here’s the fun part: add half the batter to the loaf pan, then add half the jam on top. Swirl around to make funky swirly designs. Then add the rest of the batter and repeat with on top with the rest of the jam. Bake 50 – 55 minutes.
More spaghetti, I say! By Mort Gerberg
This story’s protagonist, Minnie the monkey, is bananas for spaghetti. His carnivalesque affection for the stuff makes for some pretty fun illustrations, and ultimately, teaches the importance of being a good playmate and the dangers of overindulgence. (My only qualms with this book was that spaghetti has never tasted as good as it looked in this book – similar to the way I felt about Ninja Turtles pizza.) At any rate, is there a better kid-pleasing recipe than spaghetti? Don’t forget to let them throw the pasta on the ceiling to make sure it’s ready. This is the best part.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic glove, crushed
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 medium carrot, sliced
- 1 handful of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 14-oz. can of tomato sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried (or 2-3 sprigs fresh) basil
- pinch of dried oregano
- pinch of salt
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion until soft. Add the carrots, zucchini and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and spices. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth, or leave chunky if you want.
The Runaway Tortilla by Eric Kimmel
- (7- to 8-inch) corn or flour tortillas
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 small fresh poblano chili, finely diced
- A pinch of salt
- 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 small ripe avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
- 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Preheat oven to 300 F. Wrap tortilas in foil and bake until soft, about 10 minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add corn, chili and1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are crisp, about 4 minutes. Add black beans and mash coarsely with potato masher. Remove from heat. Spread 1/2 of each tortilla with about 1/4 cup bean mixture and f old each tortilla in half, pressing lightly to seal. Set aside. In a medium bowl mash together avocado, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Add 4 quesadillas and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with more cooking spray and remaining quesadillas. Top each quesadilla with spoonful of avocado mixture.
Image credits from the Open Library and by MacAnthony via Flickr.
