Steps:
1. Step up your skills with a pro
2. Whip up a great breakfast
3. Fix a healthy lunch or dinner
4. Create a delicious dessert
5. Make your own meal
We decided to enroll in a park district class for this badge. The neighboring town's park district has a class that is designed to complete this badge. It was a little costly (about $15 per girl). We decided that our troop would pay half and asked the parents for the other half. We don't normally do this, but with 15 girls in our troop we thought it was a little too many to have in one of our kitchens. Besides, we do try to do our best saving our money on the other badges. Spending a little money on this badge shouldn't hurt us in the long run.
The girls started out making the dessert. Baked apples with Crumb Topping.
Once the apples were prepared, the girls moved on to make their Sandwich Bag Omelets. The girls were able to cook these and eat these before moving onto the main course, Turkey Tacos.
The girls all got a chance to mix, stir, prepare each menu item. They even got a copy of the recipes so they can try making them at home.
In case you do not have a program with your park district, here are the recipes that our troop made for our Simple Meals Badge.
Baked Apples with Crumb Topping
2 apples (Fuji, McIntosh or Granny Smith)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup strawberry jam or preserves
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp butter, cold and diced
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup oats, uncooked
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cut each apple in half and scoop out the core on both sides. (Using an apple corer would be easier). Rub exposed apple flesh with lemon juice. Put 1Tbsp jam/preserves into each hole.
Topping: In small bowl combine flour, butter, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Press this mixture on top of each apple and cover with jam. Place in baking dish filled with 1/4" of water. Bake until top is golden brown and apple is tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Sandwich Bag Omelets
2-3 re-sealable plastic freezer bags (Ziploc brand is best for this project)*
Salt and pepper
egg(s) (depends on how many you plan on making)
Optional add ins:
shredded cheese
cooked and crumbled bacon
cooked and crumbled sausage
diced ham
chopped bell peppers
chopped spinach
diced onion
diced tomato
sauteed sliced mushrooms
sliced black olives
Directions:
Crack your egg inside the zip lock bag and scramble using a fork (we used plastic forks). Add desired add ins and seal bag.
Drop bag into pot of boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Use tongs to remove bags and dry off.
Allow a few minutes for bags to cool before handling. Open bags and eat (or put onto a plate).
These are great for breakfasts on the go.
*I asked about the BPA's in the plastic bags and apparently Ziploc brand is best to use and nothing bad will leak out onto your food. We were also told not to use store brands or off brands. Not guaranteed that they will stay closed or leak.
Turkey Tacos
2 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
3/4 cup diced canned tomatoes
1 lb ground turkey
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Oil, for frying
12 5" flour tortillas
Toppings:
lettuce, thinly sliced
3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
avocado, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream
Directions:
Put oil, onions, garlic, jalapeño and spices in medium skillet. Season with salt an cook until tender.
Increase heat and add tomatoes and boil to thicken (about 2 minutes). Stir in the turkey and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until turkey is cooked through and the mixture thickens but is not too dry (about 12 minutes). Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the toppings.
