COOK OUT LOUD

Chocolate, Berry Parfaits

These Parfaits are easy to make and they are healthy and delicious. Serves 4.

You'll Need: 4 cups of plain or vanilla yogurt (greek or regular), 4 cups dried granola, 4 cups fresh berries (washed and strained), 4 to 8 Tbsp chocolate chunks, 4 Tbsp honey, pinch cinnamon, whipped cream, 4-8 maracino cherries (stems on), 4-8 sprigs fresh spearmint or mint.

How to Prepare: in clear glass cups or bowls (taller look better to see the layers) start layering the ingredients... yogurt, granola, berries, chocolate. Repeat so you have 2 full layers. Then add a drizzle of honey, cinnamon and whipped cream. Garnish with mint and cherries. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Tortillas

Our three year old loves to help make these tortillas. They are fun, creative and delicious.
Makes 16 Tortillas
Takes about 30 minutes total
You'll Need: 2 cups Maseca, extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup Maseca for work surface and kneading, 1/3 cup almond meal (or you can use 1/3 cup regular flour if you are ok with gluten), 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp Mexican oregano, 1/4 tsp organic cinnamon, 1.5 cups warm water, food color gels

This is the Best Salsa you will ever eat (our homemade chips are amazing too; stay tuned as the chips recipe is coming soon)! This has mild to medium heat. If you like more heat, double or triple the pepper quantities in this recipe. Cook Out Loud and have Fun!

You'll Need: 8 fresh Roma or vine tomatoes (halved, about 2 cups worth), 1/2 of a fresh Anaheim Pepper (halved lengthwise, seeds removed*), 1/2 of a fresh Serrano Pepper (winter variety if you can find it, halved lengthwise, seeds removed), 1/2 a medium white onion (tough outer skin removed), 1 large clove of garlic (outer skin removed), 1/2 a large fresh mango (skin removed), 1 large lime (zest and juice, note always zest before juicing), 1 large handful fresh cilantro (about 1 cup), 1/4 tsp salt, pinch of ground white pepper

How to Prepare: Be safe and have an adult's help if you are new to the kitchen. Preheat your grill to medium heat. Using a zester, zest the lime (green parts only, not the bitter pith). Transfer zest to a bowl. Now cut the lime in half. It will go on grill too. Using an outdoor grill or an indoor kitchen grill, on medium heat, place the tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, mango and lime halves on the grill until you start to smell the amazing flavors and see nice browning (about 5 minutes). Then flip all the food on grill for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool for about 5 minutes. Using a juicing reamer, juice the grilled lime halves. Place the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, salt, white pepper, and all the grilled fruits and veggies into a food processor or blender (either way be careful with the sharp blade). Pulse the food until it is the desired texture. Taste the salsa to see if you need to add anymore salt or pepper and adjust accordingly. Some people like chunky salsa, others like it really pureed. You choose. Remove the blade carefully and transfer the salsa to a bowl. Enjoy!

Chef Izabella (3 years old in these pics) loves to help me make tartlets. All things miniature are fun. These are yummy too! And super easy.

Makes 10

You'll Need: 15 oz store bought pie dough (2 pie crust rounds, thawed), all-purpose flour (for work surface), 3 gala apples, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 cup raspberry jam, 2 Tbsp water (separated into 1 Tbsp increments), 1 egg, creme anglaise (optional, recipe follows)

Serves 6

3 Year Old, Chef Izabella, helped me make these. If she can do it, so can you. Izabella's Tip, measure out all of your ingredients and arrange them in preparation bowls on a tray (mise en place).

You'll Need: 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1/3 cup almond meal, 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, 4 strips turkey bacon, 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 cup low fat organic milk, pinch kosher salt, pinch freshly grated black pepper, pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 4 large eggs (separated), 3 large egg whites, 3/4 tsp cream of tartar, 2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley (chopped), 1/2 cup colby jack cheese (grated), 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated), 2 Tbsp fresh chives (diced), 2 tsp capers

We are using a parchment paper technique here, in which the food is steamed inside the paper, using very little oil. In Italian, "in parchment" is "al cartoccio" and in French it is "en papillote". It's a healthy, easy and quick way to make chicken, fish or just plain old vegetables taste delicious.

This is great for "stretching a budget" as you only need 2 large chicken breasts to serve 6 people.