“Keen-wah”
Once considered sacred to the Incas and usually thought of as a grain, Quinoa (”Keen-wah”) comes from the seed of the chenopodium quinoa plant which is actually related to green leafy veggies like swiss chard and spinach. The World’s Healthiest Foods reports that it’s a complete protien, and full of many other nutrients like manganese.
The great thing about quinoa is that it’s incredibly versatile and easy to cook. Just add 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water and bring to a boil over the stove. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and you can fluff with a fork. You will know when it is ready because it will have a little white curly Q look to it.
I purchased some in bulk on the cheap at the local co-op and, since I really liked this stuffed squash recipe a few months ago, I decided to try a Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash dish for my first go at making this wonderful “grain” at home. You could also use it as a substitute for white rice in stir fry, as a breakfast food mixed with oats, and I’ve since used it in a fabulous gluten-free Quinoa and Black Bean Chili.
Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted from the “Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking”
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 c chopped onions
1/2 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 c vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup chopped almonds toasted
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange acorn squash cut side down in a baking pan. Add 1/2 inch of water to the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the squash are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Take the squash out and let cool, leave the oven on.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Add quinoa, stirring until toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock , salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Uncover and cool slightly.
Stir in the nuts, parsley, and 2 tbsp. of the cheese. Spoon mixture into the squash cavities. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Interview With a Smart Mom
We previously featured a fantastic website, Smart Foods Healthy Kids, right here. The following is a interview with the CEO/Chief of Belief Kelly Corbet.
What inspired you to start SmartFoodsHealthyKids.com?
My oldest son was sick and obviously in pain when he first arrived. We went to several doctors, but none seemed to be able to help. So, I did what I’ve seen so many mothers do since: I searched for answers to make my baby better. I discovered that, for him, it was all about food! Once I changed our diets (he was nursing), life improved dramatically. Strangers in similar situations started calling (having heard through the grapevine), asking how to help their own sick kids. Before I knew it, I was teaching classes. Having run an international environmental consulting firm, I know way too much about chemicals to feel good about getting too many in and on kids, so, of course, I share that info with other moms, as well! What continues to inspire me is watching kids get better. In a way, we were lucky to have an “immediate feedback loop” for my son. He’d eat a cracker and throw up, so the connection was easy. For parents of kids with everything from ADHD, to asthma, to eczema, to Celiac disease, to you name it, dot-connecting can be more complex. But I’ve witnessed amazing results when moms start feeding their kids whole, fresh foods bodies were meant to eat. I’d even call some changes “miracles!” :)
The site obviously focuses on kids, how do you get your own kids excited about eating healthy and taking care of the planet?
In our house, healthy is just what we eat. And since every kid loves a cookie or cake, I try to make healthier versions for my own kids. I never want them to feel like they are “missing out” because of their healthy diet. I’ve noted in my own life how force creates resistance.
Probably the biggest factor in my kids’ healthy diet is the input they have. I try to empower them by having them help me prepare meals, and take them shopping with me. I give them choices, and if they want cookie dough for breakfast, that’s fine—healthy in fact, given the way I make it! (See Kelly’s Cookie Dough recipe below).
Of course, the rest of the world doesn’t eat like us…yet! And I don’t want our kids thinking other people are “wrong.” We are all on different paths, and I let our children know that for our own family, we eat the perfect things for us.
I noticed you have written a book, “Love Lessons From My Mom,” any plans to write a second?
Oh yes! I’ve just got to put the final touches on my cookbook. I call it a “cookbook,” but it’s a mixture of food, philosophy and public policy…sort of like our website!
Read the Full Article…
Fermented Oatmeal
With all the talk about oatmeal lately, I was so excited to hear from a friend about a fermented oatmeal recipe using miso paste. I know, you are probably asking yourself, what the heck are you doing adding miso to oatmeal? Similar to other fermented foods like the raw fermented sauerkraut, unpasturized miso contains lactobacillus, the “friendly” bacteria, and other microorganisms that help create a healthy digestive environment. So, in adding miso to oatmeal during the cooling process you began the fermentation and you end up getting the best of both worlds - all the good stuff of oatmeal and the digestive power of the miso.
To try a little fermentation at home, all you need to do is too cook the oats in the evening before bed about for about 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Let the oatmeal cool and when it reaches room temperature, add the miso, cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. In the morning warm and serve. I love South River Sweet White, pictured above, which is a little pricey but contains 60 servings! I tried it with steel cut oats and despite Rhaya’s creative ideas from yesterday, didn’t need to add anything. The original recipe found here, has other suggestions for various miso flavors and different grains, but it is imperative that you use unpasturized miso.
Banana Nut Oatmeal
I have yet to to taste a better bowl of oatmeal than the one my sister-in-law, Allison, makes. So as temperatures once again dropped below freezing this past weekend, I called on Allison for her recipe, and decided to warm up the weekend by celebrating National Oatmeal Month and making some oatmeal of my own.
Oatmeal is all about customization, and even though I ended up straying from Allison’s recipe (which includes dates, molasses and her favorite 9-grain cereal from Whole Foods), I did take her tip of substituting milk for some (or all) of the water that the recipe calls for.
I followed the instructions on the Organic Old-Fashioned Oats package from Trader Joe’s, but I opted for adding the oats right away rather than after the water is simmering, which results in a softer oatmeal. Then, while it was still on the stove top, I stirred in a little maple syrup and organic brown sugar. I scooped it into a bowl and then topped it off with organic bananas and walnut pieces.
Oatmeal can be as traditional or unique as you want it. Whether you add Molasses and Dates, or Goji Berries and Agave Nectar, or are like Renee, who eats her “ugly oatmeal” on the go, don’t overlook this hearty and wholesome breakfast that can be made just the way YOU like it.
Swappin’ Soup
Today is National Soup Swap Day! I’ll be participating in my first swap tonight with a group called ”Almost Foodies.” It’s my first time, but here is what I am expecting: a group of people each make 6 quarts of soup, freeze it into 1 quart containers, bring it to the soup swap party, tell their soup’s story, then pick 6 new containers of different soups to take home for the freezer to enjoy for the rest of winter.
So, to prepare, Sunday I set out to find a freezable, “local,” soup that I could bring and I found this wonderful Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Soup (pictured above with a drizzle of maple syrup) by The Juniper Spoon, a whole foods catering service in central Indiana, courtesy of Victoria at Going-Local. The bulk of the soup was locally grown from the butternut squash, apples, to the garlic, and, of course, the maple syrup was harvested locally as well. I can’t say it was quick, since I had to triple it to get 6 quarts (which ends up being a lot of chopping!), but it was super-easy and really tasty.
I’ll be excited to see the other swapper’s creations and will be equally excited to tell the story of my soup, sharing all the good of “going local.” And, it’s not to late to organize your own, who says you have to have it on the official day?
Grassfed
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Shannon Hayes, a local farmer, mom and author. She and her husband were at the co-op showcasing meat from their family farm, Sap Bush Hollow Farm. I picked up her most recent cookbook, The Grassfed Gourmet (pictured above), and was anxious to try the Beef Stew recipe (below).
Grassfed meat is the obvious choice over the factory farmed variety, for many reasons. But, for me, it comes down to knowing exactly where my food came from and knowing that I am getting healthy food raised in an environmentally responsible way.
Old Fashioned Beef Stew
from the Grassfed Gourmet by Shannon Hayes
1 c all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 crumbled bay leaf
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 28 ounce can tomatoes, whole or crushed, undrained
2 cups beef broth
2 quarts water
6 to 8 carrots, scraped and cut into chunks
2 small turnips, peeled and cubed
4 boiling potatoes, cut into large chunks
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a shallow bowl.
Dredge the meat in the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat, and brown on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients, except the carrots, turnips, and potatoes. Cover. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
Add the carrots and turnips, cover, and continue cooking 45 minutes longer. Add the potatoes, cover once more, and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork.
Serves 6.
Chocolate + Orange
One of my favorite flavor combinations is chocolate with just a hint of orange. So after stumbling upon this recipe over at GLiving, and knowing that I had a new set of cute little tart pans to break in, I just couldn’t resist. What I love about this little double chocolate treat is that incorporates lots of fresh, wholesome ingredients, no baking required. And, while it does need to chill for a bit, it only took me about 10 minutes to put together. It was as good as I had hoped!
Chocolate Orange Tart
adapted from a GLiving recipe by Vanessa Sherwood
For the crust:
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup raw pecans
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup (or Agave Nectar)
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle of Cayenne
Combine the nuts in a food processor and process until fine. Add the remaining ingredients and process until starting to clump together. Evenly press into mini tart pans and chill for 30-60 minutes.
For the filling:
1/2 ripe avocado*
1/2 banana
1.5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1-2 tsps. orange zest
Process everything in a food processor until smooth. Fill tart shells and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours until set.
*Similar to the previously posted chocolate pudding, I used avocado and banana instead of the coconut meat called for in the original recipe because, as I mentioned already, I couldn’t wait to try this and didn’t have any coconuts around, and, frankly, I’m a little intimidated be the idea of trying to crack one open!
Smart Mom
Looking for healthy, kid-friendly recipes? Started by a smart mom concerned about the health of her kids and the alarming statistics on childhood obesity, diabetes, and various other health issues, www.smartfoodshealthykids.com is a wonderful resource for you. Smart Foods Healthy Kids is all about teaching moms (and dads) how to create healthier families by arming them with innovative recipes and savvy tips to keep the home safe for all, while promoting a “Good Better Best” attitude.
With lots of videos, articles and tidbits throughout the site, they are making it easy and fun to be “smart” about your family’s health. Not only do many of the recipes provide great alternatives to common kid allergies such wheat and nuts, but they are easy to make and suggest clever ways to get your kids involved in the process!
One of my favorite recipes so far is the “Best Sauce Ever” which I have made about a half a dozen times already and use as a salad dressing almost everyday. It delivers huge flavor and tons of antioxidants. It’s is egg, dairy, gluten, nut, and soy free, and contains only 7 wholesome ingredients including hempseed, garlic and honey.
Best Sauce Ever
1/3 cup hempseed
3 cloves garlic (more or less, according to your tastebuds)
2 Tbs. sweet white miso
3 Tbs. honey or agave nectar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 cup water
Mix everything in a blender or food processor and whirl around until smooth. Use as a salad dressing or a dip for fresh veggies.
Local Flan
Motivated by my love of squash and my desire to eat as locally as possible, I decided to try this interesting Squash Flan recipe from Tree Hugger tonight. Despite my husband’s continual questions as to why we were having pie for dinner, it was a delicious new way to incorporate local foods in the winter. It was very flavorful, savory, not too heavy, and looked pretty good for my first attempt at a flan and using phyllo dough. A perfect dinner for a frigid cold day here in the upstate New York where the temperature remained in the single digits all day. Below is my slightly modified version of the recipe. Now I just need to find a good baklava recipe to use up the rest of this great organic phyllo dough!
Squash Flan with Mushrooms
First, preheat oven to 450. Peel and dice a big Butternut squash (Hubbard or Acorn should work too). Toss with salt and pepper, a big drizzle of olive oil, and maple syrup in a baking dish. Dot with butter and bake until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring a few times. Remove and place squash into a strainer to seperate any liquid and to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375.
Next, prepare your pan. Layer 8 sheets of organic phyllo dough lining a spring-form pan, brushing each layer with melted butter, working quickly to prevent dough from drying out.
Then, saute 1/2 of a chopped onion until translucent. Add the squash and cook about 5-10 minutes to reheat and dry slightly. While that cooks, combine 4 whole eggs and 5 egg yolks (from a local farm, of course) in a blender, saving the extra egg whites for an omelette in the morning. Add to the blender 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan like Grana Padano or Parmiagiano Reggianno. Then add the squash and onions to the blender and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into prepared phyllo dough mold. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and cool.
To prepare the mushrooms, start by warming a little olive oil in a saute pan with garlic. Add julienned mushrooms (shiitakes, or I used baby bellas) and cook for about a minute. Add 2 oz of Marsala cooking wine (or white wine) and 1 oz of balsamic vinegar and allow to cook off completely.
Release the flan from the pan, slice, plate, and top with a little more fresh grated Parmesan and sauteed mushrooms.
Edible Beauty
When I recently stumbled upon a fun book called Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles, I realized that making some of my own beauty products at home would be even better for my skin, certainly less toxic and easier on the environment. With over 175 recipes for homemade concoctions for face, hair, body and everything in-between, this book will keep me busy. I started off with something easy, the Honey and Wheat Germ Softening Mask. The author says honey is a humectant which pulls moisture from the air to the skin, perfect for these cold winter days.
To make the mask, mix the following in a small bowl:
1 tbsp. fresh, raw honey
1 tsp. sunflower seed meal * (or finely ground almond meal)
1 tsp. fresh, raw wheat germ
*To make the “meal,” place a handful of the sunflower seeds or almonds into a food processor and pulse until becomes a consistency similar to Parmesan cheese.
Once thoroughly mixed, apply to a clean face with clean fingers. The mask will go on kind of thick but once the honey warms up on your skin it will thin out a little. Lay down and relax for 30 minutes, then rinse with a warm wash cloth.
I’ve used it a few times now and it works just as well as any “miracle” mask from a tube at a fraction of the cost, and it tastes good too!
