Chef Eric Provides Recipes for Kids to Help with July 4 Dinner Prep!

July 4 is almost here. While we have been featuring food and beverages for that day, there’s someone almost left out of this equation– KIDS! What about the kids? Why not bring them into the kitchen to help you put together the dishes to hit the BBQ. It’s so important for kids to help and learn the pride as well as cooking skills to put together a meal that consists of more than PB + J! Chef Eric of Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom in West Los Angeles has some fabulous recipes that don’t require a lot of time, but have elements in each course that kids can make (with supervision) that are fun and tasty things to eat– from entree to dessert!

Grilled Swordfish with Herb Butter Yield: 4 Servings

Chef-Eric-Grilled-Swordfish

Swordfish or other meaty fish, cut into 2 pounds 1 to 1 ½ inch steaks
Olive oil 1/4 cup
Lemon, zested and juiced 1 each

Herb Butter

Unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 c/1 stick
Mixed herbs, chopped 1/2 cup
(Parsley, dill, chives, tarragon, chervil, thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Brush the fish with the olive oil and lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

2. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the butter and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Prepare a grill pan on medium heat.

4. Spray the grill pan with oil and grill the fish for 7 to 10 minutes, turning once.

5. Remove the fish from the grill and place on a heated serving platter. Brush with the softened herb butter and garnish with the lemon zest.

Beef and Red Onion Kabobs with Hummus Yield: 4 Servings

Chef-Eric-Beef-and-Red-Onio

NY strip steak, cut into 2-inch cubes 2 pounds
Small red onion, cut into eighths 2 each
Ground cumin 1 Tablespoon
Olive oil 5 Tablespoons

Hummus
Chick peas, drained 14 oz can
Garlic, peeled and sliced 1 clove
Lemon juice 1 lemon
Olive oil 1/3 cup
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Place the cubes of beef in a large bowl and toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the cumin over the beef and mix to coat the cubes thoroughly. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade and thread the cubes onto skewers, alternating meat cubes with wedges of onion – 4 to a skewer.
3. Brush the kabobs lightly with the remaining tablespoon of oil and grill on the grill pan, turning occasionally until they are nicely browned, about 10-20 minutes.
4. To make the hummus, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve at room temperature with the kabobs.

Multi-Color Potatoes with Pesto and Parmesan Yield: 5 Servings

Chef-Eric-Multi-Color-Potat

Pesto 1/3 cup
Baby Red Potatoes 3/4 pound
Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes 3/4 pound
Baby Purple Potatoes 1/2 pound
Grated Parmesan Cheese 1/4 cup
Olive oil 2 Tablespoons

Method:

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and roast, uncovered for about 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender. Then add the pesto and stir gently to combine.

4. Continue to roast for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and add the cheese. Toss to coat and serve.

Grilled Fruit Brochette with Two Sauces Yield: 4-6 servings
Chef-Eric-Grilled-Fruit-Bro

Pineapple, ripe 1 each
Bananas, ripe but firm 2-3 each
Seedless grapes, large 1 bunch
Navel orange 1 each
Wood or metal skewers 12 each

Method:

1. Peel and core the pineapple. Cut the cleaned pineapple into bite sized chunks. Place the pineapple in a bowl and set aside. Wash and drain the grapes. Pick the largest grapes you can find, place them in a bowl and reserve.

2. Preheat a grill pan on medium heat or barbeque to medium heat. If using wood skewers, soak them in water for at least half an hour.

3. Just before assembling the skewers, peel and cut the banana into 1/2 inch thick slices. If you want to cut the banana ahead of time, toss the slices in a small amount of lemon juice to keep the banana from oxidizing.

4. Thread a piece of pineapple on a skewer. Be sure to thread the skewer just slightly off center. Take a second skewer and thread the pineapple again. Each brochette will have two skewers. This technique keeps the fruit from spinning as you cook.

5. Lightly coat the grill pan or barbeque rack with vegetable oil. Grill the brochettes until lightly marked, about 5-7 minutes. If you wish, you can sprinkle some turbinado or brown sugar on the brochettes, but this will increase the caloric content. While grilling the brochette, cut the orange in half and grill until nicely marked.

6. When the brochettes and orange are nicely marked, remove them to a platter and serve with two sauces.

Not only are these recipes kid-friendly to make but they are wonderfully tasty for young and old.

Connect with Chef Eric on the following social media platforms!
For more information on Chef Eric, visit culinaryclassroom.com.

For more about cooking classes: http://culinaryclassroom.com/

www.facebook.com/chefericsculinaryclassroom

www.twitter.com/chefericcrowley

cheferic@culinaryclassroom.com

2366 Pelham Avenue – Los Angeles, CA 90064 – Phone: 310-470-2640 – Fax: 310-470-2642

This won’t be the ONLY post from Chef Eric this summer. I just can’t fit in ALL the photos and recipes in one post!

Cook well, eat well!

Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com

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3 thoughts on “Chef Eric Provides Recipes for Kids to Help with July 4 Dinner Prep!

  1. It is such a good idea to get kids involved with food preparation. They are creative and enjoy eating what they make. Cool the chef Eric is introducing healthy ideas early.

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