Chimichurri Sauce

Recently in the cafeteria we served Sliced Beef with a Chimichurri Sauce. Chimichurri is one of most delicious and versatile sauces around. It's traditionally served with grilled steak, and is an essential part of the Argentinian parilla, but it goes great with chicken and fish too. The response was overwhelming and many asked for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup (packed) fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup yellow onion

¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

Method:

Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Bon Appetit!

This summer has been full of excitement for all of us here at the Harlem Childrens Zone. In the Garden and the Kitchen we've been growing lots of vegetables and exploring new culinary options for feeding our students and our selves with healthier, tastier fresher produce. As any local New Yorker knows, it's been a hot dry summer here in Harlem and our crops have struggled a bit to keep up with the heat. But the struggle always makes the fruit of your labor all the sweeter!

Our senior staff at HCZ has also renewed our focus on healthy eating, active living and we've been brainstorming many exciting ways to improve the programs and services we offer to our whole community to support positive change in these arenas. We are always looking for ways to further engage the community around making healthy choices accessible, affordable and easy. What are some of your ideas? What ways would you like our support? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section of this blog.

Today is our second annual Health and Wellness fair. The event is being held in the Gymnasium and Blue Room. We will have a booth and will be serving a delicious Watermelon Caprese Salad. Please see the recipe below:

Watermelon Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups seedless watermelon, ½ inch dice

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, ½ inch dice
1 large vine-ripened tomatoes, ½ inch dice
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Coarse salt to taste*
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to incorporate. Just before serving, drizzle on some top-quality balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Garnish with a sprig of basil.

Serves 4

Menu Change for June 13th

tomorrow we are featuring a new menu item. Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice. Stop over for lunch.

What's for Lunch? June 5, 2012

Today we are featuring a new menu item. Mexican Rice Bowl. The bowl is comprised of Roasted Chicken, Yellow Rice, and topped with a Fresh Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Please join us. Bon Appetit!

CHOP CHOP Summer edition

We recently received the most recent edition of Chop Chop. Please pick up the Chop Chop magazine from the Promise Sites or Gems Sites. The magazine has a lot of great articles and recipes.

Berry Bold Banana Smoothie

Smoothies are fun to make for breakfast and snacks. You can use any fruit you like, but this version is pretty perfect, so check it out! Be sure to use bananas that are mushy and a little brown to give the smoothie a smooth texture.

 

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup orange juice
• 1⁄2 cup low-fat or nonfat yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 1⁄4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries
• 1⁄2 overripe banana (Peeled and sliced)
• 2 ice cubes

Instructions

Wash your hands with soap and water, then gather all your equipment and ingredients and put them on a counter.

1. Put the orange juice and yogurt in the blender, then add the fruit and ice cubes.
2. Put the top on tightly. Turn the blender to a medium setting and blend until the ice is chopped and the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Serve right away, or refrigerate up to 4 hours.

please visit http://www.chopchopmag.org/ for more recipes and information.

Whats for Lunch, May 29th, 2012

Today we are featuring a new menu item. Sliced Roast Beef with Chimichurri Sauce, Rice Pilaf and Garden Salad.

Chimichurri (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃimiˈtʃuri]) or Chimmichurri is a sauce used for grilled meat. It is originally from Argentina but is also used in Uruguay and in countries as far north as Nicaragua, Colombia and Mexico.
Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red vinegar. Additional flavorings such as paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leaf may be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added.


Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)