Guest Blog Post By Catherine Morba, Community Health Education Programs Coordinator
Cooking Matters aims to alleviate hunger by inspiring individuals and families to make healthy, affordable food choices. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle partnered with like-minded community organizations to offer Cooking Matters classes that teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals. Normally these classes depend on participants coming together to practice hands-on culinary skills and share a group meal with one another. At the end of class each week, the participants leave with nutrition and culinary knowledge, a bag of fresh groceries, and the support of their fellow classmates to make healthier and budget-friendly choices for their families. When the pandemic hit North Carolina, members of our community were left without the ability to congregate but were still experiencing food insecurity. To continue providing shopping and meal preparation solutions, the Community Health Education team at the Food Shuttle began offering the Cooking Matters classes as online webinars that participants could log in to from the safety of their homes.
While the delivery of this important material has changed, the spirit of participants to learn and connect with others in their communities has not wavered! This past month, Community Health Education offered two online workshops for participants to learn shopping and food preparation techniques useful during a pandemic. The “Family Meals” and “Snacking” workshops covered tips for stocking a long-lasting pantry, weekly meal planning, and ways to get kids involved in the cooking process. The webinars also provided those who attended a place to discuss their own challenges and strategies for feeding their families. Most agreed that it was more difficult to keep a kitchen stocked with healthy meal options now that family members are spending more time at home, but that going to the grocery store with a meal plan in mind helped to stretch their ingredients and budgets. After attending, participants are sent $10 Food Lion gift cards to put the new shopping strategies to the test, as well as to put food on the table for their families. Registration is currently open for two more webinars scheduled for July: “Kids in the Kitchen” on Thursday, July 16, and “Flexible Recipes!” on Thursday, July 30.
The Cooking Matters Cookbook offers a wide variety of nutritious and budget-friendly recipes to try at home, including the following one for a Vegetable Frittata. It is important to note that a carton of eggs will last for 3 to 5 weeks if properly refrigerated. Available vegetables or frozen vegetables can be substituted for those that are fresh, along with various dried herbs from the pantry.
VEGETABLE FRITTATA
Serves 8, 1 slice per serving
Ingredients
1½ pounds seasonal vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, turnips, or bell peppers
2 medium onions
4 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese
12 medium eggs
1 teaspoon dried dill, thyme, or oregano
Non-stick cooking spray
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional Ingredients
8 ounces mushrooms
¼ cup fresh or dried parsley, thyme, or basil leaves
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Rinse and cut seasonal veggies evenly into small pieces. Peel, rinse, and dice onions. If using, slice mushrooms and rinse and chop fresh herbs.
3. Grate cheddar cheese.
4. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add seasonal veggies to boiling water. Briefly boil, about 30 seconds. Using a colander, drain the veggies.
5. In a large bowl, whip eggs with a fork until well blended. Whisk in dried herbs. Set aside.
6. Coat medium skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. If using mushrooms, add now. Add boiled seasonal veggies. Continue cooking until soft and some of their juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes more.
7. Coat 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Layer ingredients in the baking dish in the following order: veggie mixture, egg mixture, cheese, salt, and pepper.
9. Bake until eggs are firm and cheese is melted, about 35 minutes. A thermometer inserted in the middle should read 160°F.
10. If using, garnish with chopped fresh herbs.
11. Cut into 8 equal-size portions.