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Healthy Lunchbox 2012

August 10, 2012 By 4 Comments

Welcome to Healthy Lunchbox 2012!

One year ago, I had an idea…

Every year the struggle to fill my children’s lunchboxes with healthy foods they will enjoy seems to become a little more complicated.

To keep things interesting, I asked some of my favorite bloggers for some help.

Thus, the Healthy Lunchbox Series was born.

Last year was the first year all five of my children were full-time students.

This year, with a new dedication to healthy eating, my husband joins the list of lunches that must be packed.

And if you weren’t certain, I too work full-time and bring my lunch to school as well.

That’s a whopping seven lunches every day, and sometimes I run out of ideas!  

To help with this, I once again sought help from a number of fabulous bloggers and am happy to announce that over the next 31 days, dozens of fabulous bloggers will be sharing their secrets to a healthy lunchbox with you!

What makes a healthy lunchbox?

Well, that depends on who you ask.

The government will tell you that a healthy lunchbox should reflect the new MyPlate plan.

I don’t know about you, but I trust the government with my health about as much as I can throw them, collectively.

My pyramid looks a little more like this one from Mark Sisson:

We love to bring sandwich rolls containing uncured meats, tuna, lots of veggies and healthy fats. Hard Boiled eggs, planned-overs and slices of salami make for easy to eat and carry lunches, too.

There is always a side of vegetables and often a side of fresh fruit, although for variety I love to throw in things like these Perfectly Sweet Fruit Roll-Ups.

Most importantly, a healthy lunch is a simple lunch.

These are the lunches I packed for my week away from home.

Planned overs with Shirley’s Bacon Chicken, Farmer’s Market Plums and Cucumbers.

 

Hard boiled eggs, carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and Roasted Red Pepper Paleo Hummus

 

Dixie Chik Bok Choy Tuna Rolls (sans dip), cucumber and grapes from the farmer’s market.

 

Uncured turkey rolls with Melissa Joulwan’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise vegetables, cucumbers and cherries.

 

Columbus Salami, avocado dipped in lemon juice, carrots and cucumbers.

 

The cucumbers serve a double purpose…not only are they refreshing and nutritional, eating cucumber slices after your lunch can help refresh your breath without the need to rely on a chemically-packed piece of gum.

Once I learned this trick, cucumbers became my new best friend. :)

I cannot wait to share all of the amazing lunches my friends have been sending my way.

Be it school or work, I know you’ll find lots of new ideas and tasty ways to be proud of the lunches you are sending every day.

xoxo

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Healthy Lunchbox, Main Courses, Other, Paleo, Sugar Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Growing Up Isn’t So Bad, Peter Pan Squash Spiced Oven Fries

July 25, 2012 By 25 Comments

Today on FoodNetwork Summer Fest, food and garden bloggers are joining up to highlight the vibrant staple: Summer Squash.

Oddly enough, the title “Summer Squash” has less to do with the time a squash is grown or harvested and more to do with the sustainability of a squash.

You see, summer squash like zucchini, yellow squash, bulan and ball squash as pictured here all have thin, edible skins and will only maintain their edibility for a few weeks after they are picked. Wherein winter squash like pumpkin, butternut, spaghetti squash and Hubbard squash have thick rinds and are able to keep for months at a time; hence, they are perfect for winter storage.

Of course, as it is with all vegetables, the sooner they are eaten after they are picked, the better the nutrient retention will be.

Still, when preparing food storage or planning meals, it is good to know how long you will be able to keep vegetables like these.

Today though, I would like to talk to you about my friend Peter Pan.
No, not the boy who refused to grow up…

Rather Peter Pan the squash. Peter Pan squashes are light-green scalloped squashes that are typically harvested when they are a mere 2 ½ to 3 inches across. Among the smaller of the summer squashes, it is said that their name comes from their refusal to ‘grow up’ like it’s sister squash, Patty Pan, which is golden in color and generally twice as large as Peter Pan squash is at harvest.

I told my kids that between the funny shape and light-green color, they look like something Peter Pan would wear and that must be how they got their name.

Meh. You decide.

Oddly enough, I had never eaten a Peter Pan squash before one of my dear Farmer’s Market vendors introduced me to them this year!

Goodness knows how I love to play with my veggies so I asked her what she does with them.

“Fries,” she said, “these make the perfect oven fries.” Then she continued “but I love to cover mine in an egg and flour batter so I don’t know what you’ll do with them.”

To which I smiled and said “oh, I’ll figure something out.”

;) That is what I do after all, isn’t it?

But you know, she is right. These precious little squash bake up to be some of the tastiest oven fries I have ever enjoyed.

The perfect mixture of grown-up savory yet maintain childlike undertones with just a hint of cinnamon and cocoa, great for children of all ages I hope you enjoy these Peter Pan Oven Fries as much as we do.

Print
Peter Pan Squash, Spiced Oven Fries

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Peter Pan Squash (about four squash)
  • 1 ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp Smoked Cayenne (I get mine from a local FM vendor, regular cayenne would work well, too)
  • 3 Tbs Olive Oil (not evoo)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425f.
  2. Clean squash but leave skins intact. Slice squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut squash into fry-sized pieces and place in large mixing bowl.
  3. In small bowl, mix together smoked paprika, cinnamon, cocoa powder, sea salt and cayenne. Set aside.
  4. Drizzle cut squash evenly with olive oil, sprinkle spice mixture evenly on top and mix the squash with your hands to ensure even coverage. I recommend using gloves for this step if you have sensitive skin, that cayenne can sting!
  5. Spread spiced covered squash over parchment lined cookie sheets, ensuring they are in one thing layer—anything more will leave them soggy and nobody wants soggy fries.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
  7. Remove from oven and serve.
  8. Makes 6-8 servings
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Be certain to stop by all of today’s FoodNetwork Summer Fest featured recipes for more fantastic ideas on how to use your summer squash today! xo

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Quick and Easy Sesame Summer Squash Stir-Fry

Cooking With Elise: Orange Summer Squash Bread

Feed Me Phoebe: Summer Squash and Cornmeal Cakes With Tarragon

Chez Us: Zucchini Pancakes With Minty Dill Crème Fraiche

Made By Michelle: Pattypan Squash and Tomato Frittata

Cooking Channel: Our Top 5 Favorite Squash Recipes

Daily*Dishin: Summer Squash Confetti Salad

Delicious Lean: Summer Squash Ribbons With Feta and Pine Nuts

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Summer Squash Chips

Ingredients, Inc.: Summer Squash and Kale Sauté

Thursday Night Dinner: Summer Squash Medley

Sweet Life Bake: Zucchini Fried With Tequila-Spiked Avocado Dip

Dixie Chik Cooks: Fried Summer Squash Parmesan Sliders

Healthy Eats: Summer Squash Any Way You Slice It

FN Dish: Cheesy Summer Squash

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Fermented Spicy Garlic-Dill Cukes and Zukes

July 11, 2012 By 7 Comments

Between the digestive issues my daughter has faced since she was a baby and my own celiac diagnosis, I have been somewhat obsessed with healing our guts for quite some time.

For many years, I thought yogurt and liquid acidophilus were our only options.  It has not been until recently that I have learned the magic of fermented foods.

More specifically, fermented vegetables like cucumbers and cabbage—better known as pickles and sauerkraut.  So when I was invited to join in on this year’s FoodNetwork Summerfest, I was excited to see cucumbers as the first ingredient on the produce-packed list!

If you have never made fermented vegetables, now is a great time to start!  Not only are they really easy, making your own fermented vegetables is extremely affordable and delicious!

How does fermenting work?

According to Exploratarium.edu, proper fermentation helps to keep away “bad” spoilage-causing microorganisms and allows the “good” bacteria, lactic acid, to flourish.

Of all the ‘friendly flora’ in our guts, lactobacilli, are among the most important and the most fragile.  Stress, poor diets and antibiotics will kill off lactobacilli, but eating foods rich in good bacteria will help them replenish.  Given that our digestive system is the heart of our immune system, it is very important to take care of your gut. Very important.

Of all the vegetables you can ferment, cabbage and cucumbers produce the most lactic acid bacteria and should be included in anything you choose to ferment.

Slicing your vegetables will help accelerate the fermentation process and ensures a snackable treat once the fermentation process is through!

It is important to use purified water.  Chlorine is present in most tap water and will kill off the beneficial bacteria before it has a chance to take over.  If you do not have a filter, either use bottled water or boil your water for 10 minutes and allow it to cool.

Additionally, too much salt will kill the fermentation process as well!  Use 100% salt. Non-iodized salts like pickling salt, pure sea salt or Himalayan salt are your best options.  Make certain the only ingredient on the label is “salt.”

The best salt-to-water ratio for any fermented vegetable recipe is 1.5-2 tablespoons to 1 liter of water.

Before you begin, be sure to sterilize everything! Your jar, your lid and most especially, your rock.  This can be done using the sterilization setting in the dishwasher or by boiling all of the equipment for 15-20 minutes prior to use.

As always, organic vegetables are best.  Everything used in this recipe is in-season and should be readily available at your favorite store and most especially, at your local farmer’s market.

I hope this recipe for fermented cukes and zukes finds you well!

Happy summer!

 

Print
Fermented Spicy Garlic-Dill Cukes and Zukes

Ingredients

    Equipment Needed
  • 1-Steralized Half Gallon Glass Jar with a Screw-on Lid (I use an old pickled okra jar)
  • 1-Steralized Rock, small enough to fit in the lid of the jar, big enough to keep your vegetables below the brine
    • Ingredients
  • 3 heads of fresh dill
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded for mild, whole for spicy
  • 1 lb cucumbers, sliced
  • ½ lb baby zucchini, sliced
  • 1.5-3 Tbs Pure Salt (Non-iodized Pickling, Sea Salt or Himalayan)
  • Purified Water

Instructions

  1. Place dill, garlic and jalapeño in the base of sterilized jar. Layer sliced cucumbers and zucchini’s as desired, I like to slice and layer vegetable by vegetable as I go.
  2. Stop adding vegetables once you have filled the jar to 1.5 inches below the surface.
  3. Place rock on top of vegetables, ensuring you have centered it well enough to keep vegetables below the surface during fermentation process.
  4. Mix together 1 litre of room-temperature water with 1 Tbs salt, stir until dissolved. Follow this process until vegetables are covered in brine, stopping when there is ½ inch head space between the brine and the top of the jar.
  5. Screw on lid and place jar in bowl to help capture overflow during the fermentation process.
  6. Set jar away from windows in a cool room, with temperatures below 72 degrees for 2-2 ½ weeks. Because gasses will form and pressure will build while the fermentation process, it is important to unscrew and release pressure from your jar on a daily basis until the vegetables are ready for refrigeration. Make certain you set a calendar reminder, put the jar in a place you will not forget to do this, get in the habit of doing this first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast, after you get home from work, whatever you need to do to remember to unscrew the lid. Too much pressure can mean danger, worst case scenario it means an exploding jar and ruined vegetables (or worse). Nobody wants that.
  7. Keeping the lid on helps prevent harmful bacteria from forming. If a white scum forms on the top, skim it off. The liquid will cloud over time, this is a normal part of the good bacteria growth.
  8. Once fermentation is complete and you are satisfied with the flavor, fermented vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
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I hope you enjoy these fermented vegetables as much as we do! Be sure to visit the rest of the FoodNetwork Summer Fest bloggers for more idea on how to enjoy your cucumbers this season!

The Sensitive Epicure: Chinese Style Cucumbers

What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber, Herb and Pita Salad

Ingredients, Inc.: Easiest Cucumber Salad

Virtually Homemade: Cucumber Strawberry Cooler

From My Corner of Saratoga: Marinated Cucumber Salad

The Cultural Dish: Pasta With Roasted Shrimp and Cucumbers

Daily*Dishin: Southern Benedictine – Creamy Cucumber Spread

Delicious Lean: Cucumber Jicama Salad

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumber and Avocado Open-Face Sandwiches

FN Dish: No-Cook Cucumber Recipes

Cooking With Elise: Wedge Salad With Cucumber-Ranch Dressing

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Raw, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Down at the Farmer’s Market

November 3, 2011 By 9 Comments

If I have been quiet lately, it’s with good reason.  My family and I are in the process of relocating.

We are staying in the same town, mind you, just moving to a larger home that is more appropriate for a family of our size.

In the meantime, while I will not be sharing any new recipes with you tonight, I do want to share with you some of my favorite people.

I have mentioned several times how important it is to grow your own food as you are able, buy locally as often as possible, support your local CSA and shop at your community Farmer’s Market.

Interesting enough…it took me nearly three years to finally make it out to our West Texas Farmer’s Market.

Part of this has to do with the fact that I have been blessed with the ability to grow much of our own food over the last couple of years.  Part of this has to do with the fact that the closest farmer’s market is nearly 30 minutes away and only open from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays…my one day to sleep in and get everything from laundry to baking done.

Still, I finally found my way over to Midland for some locally grown goodness.

And you know what?  30 minutes didn’t seem so far for all that I found.

First there is my favorite squash lady….

Sure, the Flying Y Farms sells more than squash, but I seem to buy a lot of squash from her…Hubbard, pumpkin, yellow, spaghetti, butternut, acorn, etc. etc.  I visit with her every time I make it to the market and always walk away happy that I did.

 

Then there is my favorite meat supplier…imagine my surprise when (after months and months of looking), I found a grass-fed beef supplier right here at the market. Then imagine how excited I was to find that the meat here is not just higher quality, it is also less expensive than even the ‘cheap stuff’ found in the grocery store.  Yay!

 

I have learned that many markets have locally grown honey stands, and ours is no exception.  I grab some of these raw honey sticks every time I visit the market…my kids love them as a treat in their lunches.  They’re happy, I’m happy. Win!

 

Oh…and guess what? Even here in our somewhat isolated area of West Texas, I found that we have a Gluten-Free baker on site! Yay!

While many of their items are not dairy-free, the goodies that are have pleased us every time.

We have singers and florists…

Bow makers and self-published authors…

Canned goods….

Homemade soaps…

Beautiful peppers and heirloom vegetables…

Jolly farmer’s….

And treats for your pup.

Last but not least, there is an unofficial mascot with the sweetest face and the kindest demeanor.

 

While the growing season is coming to an end, I was happy to learn that our local market will be open the 2nd Saturday of every month through March, until it opens every weekend in April.

 

So even though the days are turning cold and it may seem local growers are running out of goods, do not forget the plethora of winter goodness that is right around the corner.  It is worth checking with your local market to see if they offer the same opportunity.

This is the perfect way to fill your holiday table with natural goodness, help your neighbor and make new friends.

After all, isn’t that what this season is truly about?

 

What is your favorite thing to pick up at your market?

Before you go, can I ask you a favor?  The Circle of Mom’s is seeking out the top 25 Food Allergy Blogs of 2011.  I would be honored to have you vote for me.  Please click on the image below for more information. xoxo

 

 

 

Happy harvesting! xoxo

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