At Cooking Capable workshops designed for youth with special needs, 17-year-old Ivy Prince prioritizes independence, health and fun. Enjoy these recipes from her workshops hosted at the Clemson Extension office in Horry County, South Carolina.
Spicy Apple Juice
Serves 16
Ingredients
16 cups (1 gallon) apple juice
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon allspice
Pinch of grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 orange
Pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
1 In a large pot over medium heat, add the apple juice. Stir in the brown sugar, allspice and nutmeg until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a low boil.
2 Stick the pointy ends of cloves into the orange so just the buds are visible. The entire orange should be covered with the cloves.
3 Add the orange to the cider and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon.
4 Serve in warm mugs.
Beef Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 14-ounce package beef sausage, thinly sliced
1 chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chicken broth
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ large bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces
1 14-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
Instructions
1 In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil, add the sausage and cook until browned, about eight minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl.
2 Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Season with salt and pepper.
3 Add the broth and three cups of water. Bring to a boil.
4 Place the potatoes in the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
5 Remove half the stew from the pot and puree it in the blender. Add it back to the pot along with the kale, white beans and sausage. Return to a simmer.
6 Cook until the kale is wilted, about eight minutes. Serve each portion hot in a bowl.
Recipe from the Disney Villains Cookbook
Cornbread Muffins
Yields 12 muffins
Ingredients
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups yellow or white cornmeal
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 Preheat your oven to 425°F. Spray your muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners.
2 In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together and make a well in the center. Add cornmeal.
3 Add butter and milk to the egg. Pour the liquid mixture into the well in the dry ingredients.
4 Stir until flour is incorporated. Do not overmix.
5 Place batter into liners. Fill about ⅔ full.
6 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cornbread is done when the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Sugar Cookies
Yields 60 2-inch cookies
Ingredients
½ cup butter or dairy-free butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour (gluten-free, all-purpose or white whole wheat pastry flour)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons milk (regular or plain plant-based milk)
For the icing
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3 tablespoons milk (regular or plain plant-based milk)
Sprinkles
Plant-based food dye
Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3 In a large mixing bowl, either with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for two minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds, scraping down sides if needed.
4 Add in half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add the other half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add in a tablespoon of milk at a time, beating on low speed until the ingredients form a dough ball.
5 Dust a clean counter or cutting board with flour and place half of the dough in a ball on top of the flour. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough ball and, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is ⅓-inch thick. Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters. Transfer the shapes to a baking sheet. Gather up the scraps of dough and re-roll them before cutting out more shapes.
6 Bake cookies for eight to 10 minutes or until they are just turning golden brown on the sides.
7 Let them rest on the cookie sheet for two to four minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Recipe by Michelle Oliver
Chickpea Blondies
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup all-natural peanut butter or almond butter
⅓ cup pure maple syrup, agave nectar or honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate chips of your choice
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8-by-8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2 In a food processor, add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until the batter is smooth.
3 Fold in ⅓ cup of chocolate chips. (Note: The batter will be thick and super delicious, so you could actually just eat it on its own!)
4 Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and sea salt on top.
5 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are a tiny bit brown.
