RIPPONLEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Cooking Corner 

MADE FROM SCRATCH

- Ruby 5/6A

 

Ruby and I (Dad) baked this delicious Cheese and Onion Tart for our family dinner. Ruby worked on every part and helped every step of the way. Cooking together has been a great comfort during COVID-19 as its a wonderful distraction and putting something delicious on the table for lunch and dinner is one of life's great pleasures. Cooking properly from scratch is also an essential skill for children to learn, as it leads to better health, happier relationships and is much more cost effective than buying pre packaged and pre prepared foods. 

 

 

- Eve 5/6B

We have been very lucky to enjoy some great cooking from Eve during lockdown.

Her signature dish is Gnocchi – she first learnt to make this dish in Italian in Grade 2 – with Signorina Fusco! 

SOMEONES IN THE KITCHEN

- Jasmine 1/2D 

 

- Tom 3/4A 

 

- Brij Foundation C 

 

- Max & Felix 1/2E & 1/2C

RECIPE CORNER

Easy Crustless Quiche

          Kim Fitzgibbon 

  • 1 cup cubed cooked pumpkin (I love to roast pumpkin in garlic infused olive oil)
  • 1/2 cup barely wilted baby spinach leaves
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour (gluten free is fine)
  • 1 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup (250g) fresh ricotta cheese

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease a 24cm springform or dish; line base with baking paper
  2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl
  3. Add the flour; whisk until relatively smooth
  4. Stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Place the pumpkin and spinach in the base of the pan; pour the egg mixture over. Shake the pan to settle the egg around the vegetables
  5. Add dollops of the ricotta in and around the vegetables
  6. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

Bake for about 45 minutes or until browned and just firm in the centre.

This base recipe is great for using up leftover vegies and any fresh herbs you may have. 

 

Pumpkin Seed Crunch

Melissa Laity

 

Ingredients

250g (1.5 cups) raw, hulled Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

2 Tbsp hemp or sesame seeds

2 Tbsp Rice Malt Syrup

Pinch of sea salt

Method: 

1. Lightly toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently and be sure not to let them burn. They should start making slight popping sounds when they are ready. 

2. In a mixing bowl add all of the seeds, salt and rice malt syrup. Stir well until combined, work fast. The heat from the pumpkin seeds will melt the rice syrup making it easy to mix but it will cool quickly. 

3. Place the mixture onto a lined baking tray, spread out evenly and pop into the oven at 150C and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. 

4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares or bars.

For this recipe I have used rice malt syrup instead of honey. Rice malt syrup contains complex carbohydrate (maltose) and a small amount of glucose and is fructose free. It is a slower releasing sugar that does not have the same blood sugar spiking effect as honey. 

The addition of hemp seeds in this recipe boosts the protein and omega-3 fatty acid content. You can also replace some of the pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds for an extra protein and Vitamin E boost.

Warning: these crunchy snacks are so delicious, it is hard to stop at just one....

The Power of Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) are the edible kernels from the pumpkin fruit. 

These tasty little seeds are a rich source of vitamins and minerals essential for healthy childhood development.

They are an excellent source of magnesium and zinc which are important minerals for:

  • Appetite
  • Picky eaters with low interest in food
  • Immune function
  • Growth and development
  • Regular sleep patterns
  • Mood and behavioural issues
  • Skin conditions, irritations and slow wound-healing
  • Growing pains

In addition to zinc and magnesium, pumpkin seeds are a rich source of the amino acid tryptophan which is essential for the biosynthesis of the “feel-good” hormone serotonin. As the sun goes down, serotonin is converted to the “sleep” hormone melatonin. 

 

 

Pumpkin seeds contain sufficient amounts of nutrients to make significant health improvements and resolve symptoms associated with mineral deficiencies when included into the daily diet.