El Nido Culinary Training and Kitchen Academy partners with ALDI

This year, ALDI has partnered with El Nido’s Culinary Training and Kitchen Academy to provide it’s students with the best quality foods by pledging a $2,000 donation in an effort for budding chefs to learn how to prepare fresh, wholesome foods on a budget.  ALDI partnered with El Nido Family Centers as part of their commitment to provide support to the Los Angeles’ disadvantaged communities.

This past month, students in the summer Culinary Training and Kitchen Academy program created sweet and savory summer dishes for everyone to enjoy.  The recipes were developed entirely by the students enrolled in the summer program using products from ALDI.  Throughout the course of their program, the students will continue to hone their culinary craft by developing recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Zucchini Pancakes with Berry Garnish and Whipped Cream and Red & Green Mexican Pizzas

Red & Green Mexican Pizzas

Yield: 2 pizzas

INGREDIENTS

Pizza Dough:

4 cups Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Stonemill Iodized Table Salt
1 tsp Baker’s Corner Granulated Sugar
 ½ cup Carlini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbs Simply Nature Organic Garlic Powder
2 packets instant yeast
10 oz water

Green Sauce Pizza:

12 tomatillos
½ onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper in 2 halves, seeds removed
½ a jalapeno
10 stems cilantro, all chopped
Juice of 3 limes
8 oz water
2 tsp Stonemill Iodized Table Salt
Happy Farms Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Recommended toppings

Happy Harvest Whole Kernel Sweet Corn
Summer squash
Happy Harvest Cut Green Beans
Kirkwood Fresh Chicken Tenderloins (dice and cook prior)
Friendly Farms Sour Cream
Cilantro (garnish)

Red Sauce Pizza:

30 oz Happy Harvest Diced Tomatoes
1 tsp Simply Nature Organic Garlic Powder
3 tsp marinade from Pueblo Lindo Chipotle Peppers
1 tsp Simpy Nature Organic Wildflower Honey
1 tsp Stonemill Iodized Table Salt
Happy Farms Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Recommended toppings

Appleton Farms Bite Size Original Salami
Fennel
Mushroom
Pueblo Lindo Chorizo Mild
Simpy Nature Organic Wildflower Honey

Dough Directions:

• Combine salt, water, and yeast, whisking well. Let yeast activate for 15 minutes,
• Combine dry ingredients separately from wet ingredients, then gradually combine wet to dry, stirring with a fork.
• Use hands to mold dough into a ball.
• Oil a large bowl, then place dough in bowl, covering with plastic wrap. Keep bowl in a medium-warm place for 30 minutes so it can rise. After 30 minutes dough will be ready to roll and use for pizzas, but remember to prick flattened dough with a fork to avoid large bubbles from forming.

Green Sauce Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees or set on broil.
• Place tomatillos, onion, ½ of the bell pepper, and jalapeno in bowl and season with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Roast in a 450 degree oven for 7 minutes, then add garlic and roast for 7 more minutes, or until garlic is golden brown and all other ingredients have some nice color.
• Let ingredients cool for 5 minutes, then combine in blender with cilantro, the other half of the bell pepper, water, lime, and salt. Pulse a few times, then blend continuously until sauce is smooth.

Red Sauce Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender until sauce is smooth.

Pizza Instructions:

• Roll out pizzas between centimeter and half-inch in thickness.
• Prick crust before adding sauce.
• Add cheese.
• Add recommended toppings, or pick your own.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 12-18 minutes, or until cheese and crust have turned a golden brown

Zucchini Pancakes with Berry Garnish and Whipped Cream

Yield: 12 medium pancakes

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini Pancake Batter:

2 cups grated zucchini
2 Simply Nature Organic Cage Free Large Brown Eggs
8 tbs Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Stonemill Iodized Table Salt
1 tsp Baker’s Corner Baking Powder
¼ cup Baker’s Corner Granulated Sugar
½ tbs Simply Nature Organic Ground Cinnamon

Berries:

2 packs (8 oz) raspberries 
1 pack (8 oz) blackberries 
2 cups strawberries 
1 lime 
¼ cups sugar

Whipped Cream:

1 pint Countryside Creamery Heavy Whipping Cream
1/8 tsp Simply Nature Organic Ground Cinnamon
1 tbs Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar 
1/8 tsp Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp orange zest
¼ tsp Stonemill Iodized Table Salt

DIRECTIONS

• Slice berries. Add lime juice and powdered sugar, let macerate while completing other steps.
• Whip cream.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, orange zest and place in fridge for later.
• Combine zucchini, salt, baking powder, and sugar.  Add spices.
• Mix in flour and eggs to zucchini mixture.
• Use zucchini batter to grill pancakes. Make sure to do so using moderate heat.
• Plate pancakes.  Top with berries and a little maple syrup.  Top berries with whipped cream.  Sprinkle cinnamon and orange zest on whipped cream.

This year, ALDI has partnered with El Nido’s Culinary Training and Kitchen Academy to provide it’s students with the best quality foods by pledging a $2,000 donation in an effort for budding chefs to learn how to prepare fresh, wholesome foods on a budget. ALDI partnered with El Nido Family Centers as part of their commitment to provide support to the Los Angeles’ disadvantaged communities.