With trepidation I tried to plan ahead this week for lunches for the 2010 school year. Inspired by Gillian McKeith's lunch ideas, and my kids' love for hummus and dips in general, I've created some dips that are safe for nut-free schools, and should work for most food sensitive kids.
Thinly slice 2 types of raw vegtables your kids like (french fry shape is good).
Some options are:
-carrots
-red peppers
-yellow peppers
-orange peppers
-cucumber
-cherry tomatoes
-celery
Darth Vader (or Witch, or Bat Man) Dip
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/8-1/4 cup water
1 can black beans
freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lime
dash of salt
Raw Seed Dip - General
3/4 cup of seeds (examples: sunflower, pumpkin, sesame).
1/8-1/4 cup of water
1 can beans (examples: white beans, black beans, chickpeas)
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
dash of salt
In food processor make paste of seeds and water, then add beans and citrus. Then salt to taste. You can add garlic if they like or can tolerate it. Skip the lemon or lime juice if it's not tolerable. Herbs are a nice thing to add too - but I have to be careful not to put too many adult-like flavors in there - my kids like it bland.
USE RAW SEEDS because they are far more nutritious than roasted.
In addition to creating fun names for your dips, get an interesting container. I found some great ceramic containers with plastic lids at my Asian market, but you can make something cool out of small Pyrex containers with special paint pens from an art store. Let the kids decorate their own or make that Darth Vader Pyrex yourself and surprise them!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Nightshade-Free Chili
Since tomatoes and peppers rank high on my list of foods to avoid, I created a nightshade-free chili that my whole family will eat. In fact, given a choice my daughter chooses 'orange chili' over red. I call it curried chili. If you know anyone that suffers from arthritis, this is a good solution - as nightshades are known to aggravate joints.
1 butternut squash, peeled, cubed, steamed
1 yellow onion, diced and sautéed in oil until translucent
15 oz of beans
1 lb ground turkey, cooked separately
1 tbs turmeric
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp ginger
Put the steamed squash and sautéed yellow onion into a food processor and mix until it has a sauce-like texture. You may want to add a small amount of water from the steamed squash. Combine sauce with cooked turkey, beans and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes and taste.
You can use any bean that suits you. It's best to soak your own beans over night, but a can will do nicely.
For a vegetarian option, just omit the turkey and add more beans. Try different types of beans.
1 butternut squash, peeled, cubed, steamed
1 yellow onion, diced and sautéed in oil until translucent
15 oz of beans
1 lb ground turkey, cooked separately
1 tbs turmeric
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp ginger
Put the steamed squash and sautéed yellow onion into a food processor and mix until it has a sauce-like texture. You may want to add a small amount of water from the steamed squash. Combine sauce with cooked turkey, beans and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes and taste.
You can use any bean that suits you. It's best to soak your own beans over night, but a can will do nicely.
For a vegetarian option, just omit the turkey and add more beans. Try different types of beans.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Cost Tips
There was a big article in the New York Times on Saturday about the high cost of being celiac. I'd like to pass on what I have learned in relation to dealing with food sensitivities, which often includes living gluten-free.
1. Don't over-rely on processed foods. It is expensive if you buy pre-made foods, so choose wisely. Make your own bread, cookies, pancakes, meat marinades and sauces. It's cheaper to do it yourself. Making pasta on the other hand I find a little too time consuming, so I find it worth spending the extra money.
2. Don't go out to eat. You've got no idea what is in your food when you go out to eat - and if you did know you'd be more inclined to learn to make your own. Meet for coffee or tea instead.
3. Don't assume that you have to buy organic fruits and vegetables, you can buy conventional. If you wash your produce very well, or soak it in a bowl full of water before you eat it, you'll reduce your intake of pesticides. Also note that the safest conventionally grown crops to consume are Broccoli, Eggplant, Cabbage, Banana, Kiwi, Asparagus, Sweet peas, Mango, Pineapple, Sweet corn, Avocado and Onion.
The bottom line for the food sensitive - it's better to know what's in your food and it's also more economical when you make it yourself.
1. Don't over-rely on processed foods. It is expensive if you buy pre-made foods, so choose wisely. Make your own bread, cookies, pancakes, meat marinades and sauces. It's cheaper to do it yourself. Making pasta on the other hand I find a little too time consuming, so I find it worth spending the extra money.
2. Don't go out to eat. You've got no idea what is in your food when you go out to eat - and if you did know you'd be more inclined to learn to make your own. Meet for coffee or tea instead.
3. Don't assume that you have to buy organic fruits and vegetables, you can buy conventional. If you wash your produce very well, or soak it in a bowl full of water before you eat it, you'll reduce your intake of pesticides. Also note that the safest conventionally grown crops to consume are Broccoli, Eggplant, Cabbage, Banana, Kiwi, Asparagus, Sweet peas, Mango, Pineapple, Sweet corn, Avocado and Onion.
The bottom line for the food sensitive - it's better to know what's in your food and it's also more economical when you make it yourself.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Cupcake Conundrum
Today someone brought in cupcakes for their daughter's birthday at my kids' summer camp. Usually, if I'm aware of a birthday, I send along super-fab cupcakes that make my kids feel good and everyone wins. In this case I didn't have notice so instead they ate from my stash when we got home. I make these up ahead of time and freeze them for situations just like this one. It's suitable for just about anyone with food intolerances.
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup oil
Preheat oven to 350 F. Add a small amount of oil to each muffin tin and place in the oven while it's preheating for a few minutes. Mix dry ingredients first, then add the wet and mix until just mixed. Bake for 10 minutes (baking times may vary depending on your oven). The batter will puff up then collapse near the end or after removed. Do not over bake. The toothpick test will come out wet, but don't worry. These are moist and chewy.
For icing, just mix together palm shortening with unsweetened chocolate powder and some agave nectar. Wait for the cupcakes to completely cool before icing.
You can substitute just about any ingredient. Amaranth also works well in place of buckwheat. Corn or arrowroot will work in place of tapioca flour. If anyone is allergic to chocolate, try carob powder. Also the nectar can be substituted with thawed apple juice concentrate, maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
I created this recipe after being inspired by a carob brownie recipe I found in "allergy and celiac diets with ease" by Nicolette M. Dumke
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup oil
Preheat oven to 350 F. Add a small amount of oil to each muffin tin and place in the oven while it's preheating for a few minutes. Mix dry ingredients first, then add the wet and mix until just mixed. Bake for 10 minutes (baking times may vary depending on your oven). The batter will puff up then collapse near the end or after removed. Do not over bake. The toothpick test will come out wet, but don't worry. These are moist and chewy.
For icing, just mix together palm shortening with unsweetened chocolate powder and some agave nectar. Wait for the cupcakes to completely cool before icing.
You can substitute just about any ingredient. Amaranth also works well in place of buckwheat. Corn or arrowroot will work in place of tapioca flour. If anyone is allergic to chocolate, try carob powder. Also the nectar can be substituted with thawed apple juice concentrate, maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
I created this recipe after being inspired by a carob brownie recipe I found in "allergy and celiac diets with ease" by Nicolette M. Dumke
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