Cold Rice Dishes
Perfect for lunches, side dishes, or pot luck dishes cold rice salads can rock! Use leftover rice or cook your rice the night before. Make sure you use a long grain rice and don’t use too much water! Feel free to use wild rice or brown rice! Rice cooked in chicken or vegetable stock will add a lot of flavor but make sure you use low sodium and add salt to taste later.
These can be made a day or two ahead of time. Just add dressing right before serving.
Cold Rice Salad W/lots of Veggies!
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cooked rice
1c Broccoli
½ c Peas (fresh or frozen)
1/2c Corn (fresh or frozen)
1c raw tomatoes, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
1c pea pods or snow peas
2T EVOO
1T of your favorite vinegar (apple cider or balsamic work really well in this)
Dash of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper (to taste)
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Blanch peas, corn, pea pods, and broccoli (Boil water, dump veggies in until they start to just get soft, no more than a min or two, strain and stick in an ice bath)
Combine everything in a big bowl, toss and season to taste!
Citrus and Fruit Rice Salad
Ingredients
2 ½ c Wild rice (cooked)
½ c red seedless grapes chopped into fourths
½ c apples chopped very fine
Dressing Ingredients:
2T fresh lemon juice
3T fresh orange juice
2T EVOO
2t honey (optional, if you don’t use this add a little orange juice for sweetness)
½ t of both lemon and orange zest (the outside of the peel chopped very fine, don’t use the white part!)
1/4t died or fresh tarragon
Salt to taste
Dressing:
Combine juices in a blender and turn on high
Drizzle in EVOO and honey
Slow down blender and add zest, tarragon, and salt to taste
Add Dressing to rest of ingredients!
Rice and Beans- the cold way!
Don’t give up on this one yet, it is great on summer nights or as a side that you can make a few days ahead of time for taco night!
Ingredients
3c Cooked rice
16oz Black beans (from a can or pre-cooked)
1c (1 medium) bell pepper (your choice of colors) chopped
1/4c finely chopped raw onions OR 1/2c sautéed onions (for a more mild flavor)
Dressing Ingredients
2T Canola oil
1 LARGE clove of garlic minced
Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
1/2t lime zest
1T Cumin
2T cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine juice, zest, garlic and spices in blender
Drizzle in oil
Add dressing to rest of ingredients
Top with grilled chicken breast, sour cream, or eat as a side dish!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Rice!
Rice!
This week I am going to explore rice!
Baby: One of a child’s first foods is rice. This comes through the form of “rice cereal” that is usually placed in a bottle or fed with a spoon around 6 months old (some earlier, some later).
When picking your baby’s first cereal make sure you go with organic. You should also look for BROWN rice (see more below) and make sure it is iron enriched! Rice cereal should be made to package directions, but can also be made into other foods (like Ty’s favorite pancakes, which he is eating right now!).
Rice cereal should be fed rice cereal until around 18 months old to make sure they are getting enough iron.
Toddler: Rice is perfect for toddlers because you don’t need to cut it up or do anything special for them to eat it! Just make sure it is cool enough to feed them and be ready for a mess if you let them feed themselves!
Organics!?!?!?!?
Just a side note on the organics before I start…I know that there are many studies being done on the possible benefits of eating organic products. Many people believe that organic foods do not offer any nutritional difference and that the chemicals in the foods do not hurt you when they are eaten.
Even if the end product that you eat may not be “healthier,” and time will tell on this one, many of the chemicals used to kill pests and weeds have been proven to be very toxic to humans, groundwater systems, and wildlife! So even if you are not eating the chemicals they are leaching into the ground water system and you are consuming them as a byproduct.
Organic vs. Non-Organic rice
Recent studies including one done by PANNA (Pesticide Action Network North America) found that there are over forty pesticides used in growing rice many of these (around 15) have been found to negatively effect humans and water systems.
Rice is cheap. Seriously, cheap. The best part is, there is little difference between the price of organic and non organic rice. (I recently found rice for .88 for a pound of white rice and 1.14 for a one pound bag of white rice)
Brown vs. White rice
To make brown rice the rice is run through a husker to remove the outer tough husks that protect the rice on the plant. White rice is made by removing the rice bran (inner husk) by polishing by using glucose or talc.
White rice was eaten in Asia for many reasons. Brown rice spoils quicker, you have to chew brown rice a little more, and white/polished rice was seen as a food eaten by those who were better off because of the extra processing.
Nutrition wise brown rice has more fiber, vitamin E, potassium and well, just about everything else that is good for you. It also has more flavor and is fine to use in most foods!
Although I like brown rice just fine, there are some foods I prefer white rice with (including most Chinese food!). This week I hope to provide everyone with recipes that use brown rice in creative and delicious ways!
For more on rice nutrition: http://web.tri-isys.com/greenhearts/orgbrown.htm
Coming up this week!
Cold rice dishes
Rice casseroles
Rice deserts
Gourmet rice dishes (without the work!)
This week I am going to explore rice!
Baby: One of a child’s first foods is rice. This comes through the form of “rice cereal” that is usually placed in a bottle or fed with a spoon around 6 months old (some earlier, some later).
When picking your baby’s first cereal make sure you go with organic. You should also look for BROWN rice (see more below) and make sure it is iron enriched! Rice cereal should be made to package directions, but can also be made into other foods (like Ty’s favorite pancakes, which he is eating right now!).
Rice cereal should be fed rice cereal until around 18 months old to make sure they are getting enough iron.
Toddler: Rice is perfect for toddlers because you don’t need to cut it up or do anything special for them to eat it! Just make sure it is cool enough to feed them and be ready for a mess if you let them feed themselves!
Organics!?!?!?!?
Just a side note on the organics before I start…I know that there are many studies being done on the possible benefits of eating organic products. Many people believe that organic foods do not offer any nutritional difference and that the chemicals in the foods do not hurt you when they are eaten.
Even if the end product that you eat may not be “healthier,” and time will tell on this one, many of the chemicals used to kill pests and weeds have been proven to be very toxic to humans, groundwater systems, and wildlife! So even if you are not eating the chemicals they are leaching into the ground water system and you are consuming them as a byproduct.
Organic vs. Non-Organic rice
Recent studies including one done by PANNA (Pesticide Action Network North America) found that there are over forty pesticides used in growing rice many of these (around 15) have been found to negatively effect humans and water systems.
Rice is cheap. Seriously, cheap. The best part is, there is little difference between the price of organic and non organic rice. (I recently found rice for .88 for a pound of white rice and 1.14 for a one pound bag of white rice)
Brown vs. White rice
To make brown rice the rice is run through a husker to remove the outer tough husks that protect the rice on the plant. White rice is made by removing the rice bran (inner husk) by polishing by using glucose or talc.
White rice was eaten in Asia for many reasons. Brown rice spoils quicker, you have to chew brown rice a little more, and white/polished rice was seen as a food eaten by those who were better off because of the extra processing.
Nutrition wise brown rice has more fiber, vitamin E, potassium and well, just about everything else that is good for you. It also has more flavor and is fine to use in most foods!
Although I like brown rice just fine, there are some foods I prefer white rice with (including most Chinese food!). This week I hope to provide everyone with recipes that use brown rice in creative and delicious ways!
For more on rice nutrition: http://web.tri-isys.com/greenhearts/orgbrown.htm
Coming up this week!
Cold rice dishes
Rice casseroles
Rice deserts
Gourmet rice dishes (without the work!)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Work Food update
Work food:
As you all know, I bring Tyler to work. Although I was out of work recovering from my surgery I recently went back. I try to bring most of Ty’s food and supplement only a little with their food (usually a few crackers, some left over fruit, or milk). Here is what I usually pack for Tyler each day.
Breakfast: granola balls, pancake, toast, sandwich, fruit, cereal…the usual stuff. When I get to work Ty immediately is put in his little travel chair (don’t worry, I got a new one Jen!) and I give him food while I set up his little cage and start my work. He usually eats some and then gets out of his chair and eats a little more throughout the morning.
Shopping or organizing: Smoothie prepared the night before.
Lunch: Usual stuff with some crackers, fruit, or vegetables if we have been shopping. If Tyler sees me putting them away he ALWAYS asks for some (and he now says “please” which sounds like “peas”)
Nap: If we stay all day, which we usually do not, Ty has a smoothie for his nap.
Snack: Is usually whatever I have left over
Packing food tips:
Don’t pack anything that goes bad quickly, that way it can be reused the next day.
Don’t use anything that gets soggy over night. I always pack the night before because I have to leave the house before 6:30.
Drinks, drinks, drinks! Bring them all with you and bring extras.
Use an insulated reusable lunch bag.
Use containers instead of bags for less waste.
Use fruit that can be re-used. Bananas stay good if kept in peels and you can serve half at a time. Oranges stay good for days even when segmented. When cutting up apples/pears cut in half. Save the uneaten half in the peel and cut away browned parts the next day.
As you all know, I bring Tyler to work. Although I was out of work recovering from my surgery I recently went back. I try to bring most of Ty’s food and supplement only a little with their food (usually a few crackers, some left over fruit, or milk). Here is what I usually pack for Tyler each day.
Breakfast: granola balls, pancake, toast, sandwich, fruit, cereal…the usual stuff. When I get to work Ty immediately is put in his little travel chair (don’t worry, I got a new one Jen!) and I give him food while I set up his little cage and start my work. He usually eats some and then gets out of his chair and eats a little more throughout the morning.
Shopping or organizing: Smoothie prepared the night before.
Lunch: Usual stuff with some crackers, fruit, or vegetables if we have been shopping. If Tyler sees me putting them away he ALWAYS asks for some (and he now says “please” which sounds like “peas”)
Nap: If we stay all day, which we usually do not, Ty has a smoothie for his nap.
Snack: Is usually whatever I have left over
Packing food tips:
Don’t pack anything that goes bad quickly, that way it can be reused the next day.
Don’t use anything that gets soggy over night. I always pack the night before because I have to leave the house before 6:30.
Drinks, drinks, drinks! Bring them all with you and bring extras.
Use an insulated reusable lunch bag.
Use containers instead of bags for less waste.
Use fruit that can be re-used. Bananas stay good if kept in peels and you can serve half at a time. Oranges stay good for days even when segmented. When cutting up apples/pears cut in half. Save the uneaten half in the peel and cut away browned parts the next day.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Juice and Jello
Juice!
Now that Ty is older he NEVER gets normal juice. Your typical juice from a bottle is nothing more than sugar water. Even if you are getting “100% fruit juice” it is still the sugars and flavoring cooked out of the fruit with very little of the good stuff left over.
We do however give
We used juice a lot when I had my surgery and Ty was grumpy. We also use it when he is teething, has intestinal problems, and when we just want to spoil him a little. By serving “juice” in this way we keep the fiber, vitamins, and “good” stuff in the juice but take out the fake and processed crap.
Jello!
I did not use regular Jello when I made Ty’s gelatin treat. I did not want the fake flavor, chemicals and tons of sugar/fake sugar in the Jello so I bought WHITE grape juice, boiled it and followed the directions on a pack of PLAIN gelatin. I made a denser Jello and cooled it in an ice cube tray. I then cut the chunks into smaller pieces and let Ty play with it.
Plain gelatin comes from cows unless you get a Kosher gelatin, in which case it comes from fish. I have yet to find a “good” vegetarian Jello (I used to be a vegetarian and tried a few types) because they all seemed too soft or had an odd flavor.
Next time I will use Ty’s fruit puree and water to make the Jello. I will also probably put in a few berries or chunks to make it a little more fun!
Picture from: http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PFWRSQPAL._AA280_.jpg
Seriously, I am back!
The blog is back for real this time! After a request from my cousin and a friend I am starting it back up. It was down while I was recovering from my surgery, but since I am feeling much better I am going to start it back up again. So this week is pretty much going to be a catch up week and then I will resume normal entries (themed).
The Tyler Food Update:
Pre-Breakfast
½ a sippy cup of milk when he wakes up.
Tyler does not really have a "comfort" object (like a blanket or a binkie). Instead he likes to have a sippy cup around for whenever he wants a drink. We provide him with milk or water throughout the entire day.
Breakfast
Ty eats a bread, protein, fruit (1 handful or ½ a banana, no more), sometimes dairy, and sometimes vegetable. He always gets water along with his milk with breakfast.
Favorite breakfast foods:
- Ty’s pancake (baby cereal, important up to 18 months, egg, and cinnamon)
- Cereal: Toddler cereal, iron enriched and organic, served dry
- Granola balls (cream cheese with baby safe homemade granola around it)
- Toast (whole wheat (ww) or sprouted grain (sg) and organic) with sunflower butter or cream cheese and cinnamon
- Egg, hardboiled and cut up or scrambled
- Egg with cheese and vegetables
Typical meals
· ½ pancake or French toast, handful of fruit, cream cheese pieces
· Handful of cereal, ½ banana, cheese cubes (1/2 a cheese stick), handful of frozen peas
· Hardboiled egg, thawed carrots (carrots cooked and then frozen), cream cheese, handful of cut fruit.
Lunch
Please give Ty a bread, protein, vegetable, fruit, and if he seems really hungry dairy
Typical Foods
· ½ tortilla (ww or sg and organic) or 1 piece of bread with melted cheese, tofu, and tomato
· ½ tortilla or 1 piece of bread with sunflower butter
· Leftover breakfast
· Steamed peas, broccoli, carrots, other veggie with a little salt and pepper or some cheese
· Tofu cubes with tofu seasoning (cinnamon, stevia, ginger)
· ½ an organic cheese stick in cubes
· Granola balls
· Frozen peas (still frozen), he loves this when he is teething
· ½ Serving (or more) of a casserole from the freezer warmed up to just above room temp
· ½ banana
· ½ small apple cut into pea sized chunks
· handful of strawberries cut up into small pieces or other berries
· small serving of plain yogurt (with smashed fruit) or cottage cheese
· pasta with parmesan cheese and EVOO
· Cut up chicken with BBQ spice
· Crackers (broken up into small pieces)
Dinner
For dinner we serve Ty similar to what he eats for lunch or he eats what we are eating. Ty usually does not eat a lot of food for dinner, reserving his larger meals for earlier in the day.
Snacks (2 per day)
· Smoothie (berries, bananas, tofu, spinach, broccoli…..)
· Cheese, crackers, fruit
· Fruit, cheese, vegetables
· Leftovers from meals
Foods we are not yet serving Tyler
Peanut butter, nut pieces, popcorn, hot dogs, processed meats
Juice-See more information on juice in the next blog
Non organic and non whole milk.
We try to give Ty only organic dairy products.
We also try to stick to organic bread and WHOLE wheat or grain products or sprouted grain. It is important to read labels when picking out bread products.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Eggplant for babies and Ratatouille
Eggplant for babies
Ty LOVED and still loves eggplant from an early age. For baby food I would not cut and salt the eggplant, instead I would jut slice it and steam it. After cool I would puree it and wahlah! Babyfood! For first finger food stage I would cut it into little cubes and steam it. Although it would turn a pretty nasty color, and really have no taste, Ty would scarf down the soft little cubes in no time flat.
Garden Vegetable and
This is not really Ratatouille (a vegetable stew), well the top is, but come on, what kid does not eating it after watching one of the best animated films ever made? This is great food for toddlers and adults! Feel free to change up the vegetables to your favorites as well as the meat choice (or you can leave the meat out vegetarians).
- 1 medium summer squash
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 large onion
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1lg green/red/yellow pepper, sliced
- (All the above should be sliced into very thin rounds)
- 1lb cooked ground turkey
- 2c cooked brown rice (you can use brown rice pasta if you would like or any of your other favorite rice/pasta) cooked in your favorite sodium free broth
- handful of fresh or dried herbs (think Italian herbs, rosemary, basil, oregano)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 jar of your favorite tomato based pasta sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- EVOO
- Put a thin layer of pasta sauce on bottom of large glass oven safe pan and top with rice
- Top with turkey, salted and peppered, mix garlic in to turkey first
- Top turkey with more pasta sauce
- Take all your vegetables and put them in a large bowl.
- Salt, pepper, and toss vegetables with a little EVOO and mix in herbs
- Place vegetables on top of meat in an even layer
- Bake at 350 until vegetables are soft!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
I am back- The wonderful world of EGGPLANT
I know, I know, I have not been posting. But I am back and ready to pick up the normal pace.
This week is going to focus on the delicious eggplant (make sure you check back for dishes that use eggplant). Yep, you read that right, delicious EGGPLANT. Ok, so eggplant is not that delicious and pretty much tastes like what ever you cook it with, but if you have been afraid of eggplant in the past (mostly because everyone says “yuck”) or if you have had some bad eggplant dish that turned you off, it is time to give it another try. Trust me, eggplant can rock if you cook it right.
Eggplant nutrition
Eggplant is a low calorie food that is great source of fiber. It is also a great source of vitamins K and B6 as well as Thiamin, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.
You can fatten up your eggplant in a hurry with many traditional fried recipes or those full of cheese so this week I will try to show you how to make those recipes still delicious but also healthier for you!
Picking out an eggplant at the grocery
Look for eggplants that are size appropriate (for their kind, like a mini eggplant should be small). Don’t buy the huge ones because they will be tough and have lots of seeds. Make sure it is firm and still has a little bit of stem on it (leaves are good too).
Eggplant prep
Wash outside of eggplant well (you are eating the skin here so try to buy organic if you can)
Cut off the stem, top of eggplant, and bottom (just to make it flat) and then slice the plant in slices 1/2 to 1 inch rounds. You can also go with long slices, but make sure they are still 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
Sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt and leave in a strainer for at least 20min to draw out the moisture. Eggplant will turn brown if not salted, and still may turn brown, don't worry about it!
Blot eggplant with a paper towel (or better yet a clean lint free towel) and remove any excess salt.
Cook!
Growing an eggplant
We grew them this year because I got some plants for free. We only got one eggplant per plant (probably because of where I placed them) but they were great! It takes about 75 days for an eggplant to mature and bear fruit. You want to pick them when they are firm and not at all spongy (poke it with your finger, you should not leave an imprint and if it does the skin should bounce back right away). The skin should be taunt and not turning brown (if it is brown, you need to pick it ASAP). Don’t wait for your eggplant to get huge or you are going to end up with some crunchy seeds in your food. When you pick your eggplant use garden shears and leave a little stem on it. They will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
This week is going to focus on the delicious eggplant (make sure you check back for dishes that use eggplant). Yep, you read that right, delicious EGGPLANT. Ok, so eggplant is not that delicious and pretty much tastes like what ever you cook it with, but if you have been afraid of eggplant in the past (mostly because everyone says “yuck”) or if you have had some bad eggplant dish that turned you off, it is time to give it another try. Trust me, eggplant can rock if you cook it right.
Eggplant nutrition
Eggplant is a low calorie food that is great source of fiber. It is also a great source of vitamins K and B6 as well as Thiamin, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.
You can fatten up your eggplant in a hurry with many traditional fried recipes or those full of cheese so this week I will try to show you how to make those recipes still delicious but also healthier for you!
Picking out an eggplant at the grocery
Look for eggplants that are size appropriate (for their kind, like a mini eggplant should be small). Don’t buy the huge ones because they will be tough and have lots of seeds. Make sure it is firm and still has a little bit of stem on it (leaves are good too).
Eggplant prep
Wash outside of eggplant well (you are eating the skin here so try to buy organic if you can)
Cut off the stem, top of eggplant, and bottom (just to make it flat) and then slice the plant in slices 1/2 to 1 inch rounds. You can also go with long slices, but make sure they are still 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
Sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt and leave in a strainer for at least 20min to draw out the moisture. Eggplant will turn brown if not salted, and still may turn brown, don't worry about it!
Blot eggplant with a paper towel (or better yet a clean lint free towel) and remove any excess salt.
Cook!
Growing an eggplant
We grew them this year because I got some plants for free. We only got one eggplant per plant (probably because of where I placed them) but they were great! It takes about 75 days for an eggplant to mature and bear fruit. You want to pick them when they are firm and not at all spongy (poke it with your finger, you should not leave an imprint and if it does the skin should bounce back right away). The skin should be taunt and not turning brown (if it is brown, you need to pick it ASAP). Don’t wait for your eggplant to get huge or you are going to end up with some crunchy seeds in your food. When you pick your eggplant use garden shears and leave a little stem on it. They will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
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