Cook with your kids

Easy-to-make, fun combinations

As a busy parent, you might find it hard to carve out time to spend with your kids on a weeknight. Why not combine “hanging out” with a chore that has to be done anyway – cooking? Check out the latest cookbook by Leah Shapira, co-founder of CookKosher.com, and Victoria Dwek, managing editor of Whisk, and make sure your kids never get bored or hungry.

The authors have a knack for cool combos, which will allow you to prepare some delicious meals while spending quality time with your kids. The recipe below illustrates the beauty of a successful combination by putting together two favorite menu items – hot dogs and garlic knots. What’s not to love?

Hot dog garlic knots

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 Tbsp oil

2⁄3 cup water

6 hot dogs, each cut into 6 pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp parsley flakes

pinch salt

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, yeast, oil, and water. Knead until smooth. Add 1 additional tablespoon of water if necessary. You can use your hands or knead the dough with an electric mixer.

2. Grease a bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise for 35-40 minutes. You can keep it in the mixer bowl or place it in a separate bowl.

3. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Divide dough into 4 parts. Cut each part into 9 pieces. Stretch each piece into a rectangle and wrap it around a piece of hot dog. Tie a knot at the top, and tuck the two ends underneath. You can also simply wrap the dough around the hot dog. Place wrapped hot dogs on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, parsley, and salt. Toss hot dogs in garlic mixture as soon as they come out of the oven.

Yields 36 knots

Cook’s lesson: Most dough that contains yeast needs to rise before it is baked. Place your dough into a large greased bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen. You should cover it with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel so it doesn’t form a crust. You’ll see the dough growing bigger and bigger as the yeast creates air bubbles inside it. Be patient!

To save a step, you can use store-bought dough or take a piece of your mom’s challah dough to wrap up your hot dogs.