What better way to honor Earth Day than to prepare a dish that's easy on the environment? Look for spring gems like asparagus, blueberries, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms and peas at your nearest farmer's market. Eating local supports your economy and involves fewer miles traveled - and fewer pollutants emitted.
Angel Hair Pasta with Asparagus
Ingredients
8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Sauté asparagus in the pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and mushroom slices; cook 3 minutes more.
3. Drain pasta, and transfer to a serving dish. Gently toss pasta with asparagus mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan and crushed red pepper.
You'll want to try these healthy, wholesome banana blueberry muffins that are both quick and easy to make. Full of fiber, these morning muffins are a great way to start a nutritious day.
Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients•
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1-1/2 teaspoons egg replacer (dry)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix until smooth. In a small bowl or cup combine water and egg replacer; stir into banana mixture. Fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon batter evenly, about 1/4 cup each, into muffin cups.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Happy Cooking!
Lori Tinella, founder
Little Chefs
* For more information on getting your children eating healthier foods or upcoming children’s fun cooking classes go to http://thelittlechefs.ca
Showing posts with label healthier eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthier eating. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Cooking Healthy Food Fast........
So-called fast food is a blessing for rushed parents. Not only is it what the name implies but kids can’t get enough of it.
The trouble is that fast food does not get very good press. And rightly so because fast food still tends to be high in fat, salt, sugar and other additives.
But what if you could make the same meal at home? If it didn’t take that much longer to prepare and was so much healthier because you’re controlling what goes into it?
Burger, Fries and Tomato Salsa?
Ingredients:
1 lb organic ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
½ teaspoon ready-made mustard
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 small onion
Olive oil
For Serving:
4 whole grain buns
Iceberg lettuce
Tomato salsa (see below)
Sliced cucumber and tomato
What you do:
· Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Peel and finely dice the onion.
· Using your hands, mix everything, except the oil, together. Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into burgers. It’s a good idea to make the edge slightly thicker: that makes the burger less liable to break up.
· Put them on greaseproof paper and leave them in the fridge, covered with more greaseproof paper, for about 30 minutes before cooking.
· Using a little oil and a non-stick pan, if you have one, fry the burgers until cooked, remembering to turn them once. Alternatively you can brush them with oil and grill them.
· Serve in buns with salad and salsa, and with oven-baked wedges (see below).
· Chicken and turkey are much loved by dieticians for their low fat qualities, and lots of kids prefer white meat burgers
Spicy Turkey Burger
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 clove garlic, crushed
½” fresh ginger root, grated
1 small red onion, finely diced
Handful coriander
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons paprika
½ tablespoon ground dry mustard
½ tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Dash Worcestershire sauce
What you do:
Mix everything together and shape into 4 burgers. Brush lightly with oil and grill until cooked. Serve with tomato salsa and oven-baked wedges (see below).
Oven-baked wedges
Ingredients:
2 baking-sized potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chilli or curry powder
What you do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub the potatoes and cut each potato into 8-10 wedges. Pat them dry with kitchen towel.
Place the chilli/curry powder in a plastic food bag with the oil and shake it up a bit, then add the potato wedges and give them a good shake, rubbing if necessary to make sure they’re all coated.
Spread the wedges out onto a baking tray and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
2 large ripe tomatoes
½ red onion
1 green chili (optional)
Coriander or basil
Salt & pepper
A pinch of sugar
What you do:
Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Dice the flesh.
Peel and finely dice the onion. If you’re using a chilli, remove the stalk and seeds and chop very finely. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and avoid touching your eyes.
Chop the coriander or basil. Mix everything together, seasoning and adding the sugar, which draws out the flavour of the tomatoes. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
There are many variations on this recipe. Some include garlic and green peppers; others, especially in the winter, use canned tomatoes and simmer the sauce for a short or long time, depending on the desired consistency! See which is your favourite !
Yours in good health,
Lori Tinella
Little Chefs
Healthier Kids One Bite At A Time!
519-940-1131
The trouble is that fast food does not get very good press. And rightly so because fast food still tends to be high in fat, salt, sugar and other additives.
But what if you could make the same meal at home? If it didn’t take that much longer to prepare and was so much healthier because you’re controlling what goes into it?
Burger, Fries and Tomato Salsa?
Ingredients:
1 lb organic ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
½ teaspoon ready-made mustard
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 small onion
Olive oil
For Serving:
4 whole grain buns
Iceberg lettuce
Tomato salsa (see below)
Sliced cucumber and tomato
What you do:
· Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Peel and finely dice the onion.
· Using your hands, mix everything, except the oil, together. Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into burgers. It’s a good idea to make the edge slightly thicker: that makes the burger less liable to break up.
· Put them on greaseproof paper and leave them in the fridge, covered with more greaseproof paper, for about 30 minutes before cooking.
· Using a little oil and a non-stick pan, if you have one, fry the burgers until cooked, remembering to turn them once. Alternatively you can brush them with oil and grill them.
· Serve in buns with salad and salsa, and with oven-baked wedges (see below).
· Chicken and turkey are much loved by dieticians for their low fat qualities, and lots of kids prefer white meat burgers
Spicy Turkey Burger
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 clove garlic, crushed
½” fresh ginger root, grated
1 small red onion, finely diced
Handful coriander
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons paprika
½ tablespoon ground dry mustard
½ tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Dash Worcestershire sauce
What you do:
Mix everything together and shape into 4 burgers. Brush lightly with oil and grill until cooked. Serve with tomato salsa and oven-baked wedges (see below).
Oven-baked wedges
Ingredients:
2 baking-sized potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chilli or curry powder
What you do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub the potatoes and cut each potato into 8-10 wedges. Pat them dry with kitchen towel.
Place the chilli/curry powder in a plastic food bag with the oil and shake it up a bit, then add the potato wedges and give them a good shake, rubbing if necessary to make sure they’re all coated.
Spread the wedges out onto a baking tray and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
2 large ripe tomatoes
½ red onion
1 green chili (optional)
Coriander or basil
Salt & pepper
A pinch of sugar
What you do:
Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Dice the flesh.
Peel and finely dice the onion. If you’re using a chilli, remove the stalk and seeds and chop very finely. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and avoid touching your eyes.
Chop the coriander or basil. Mix everything together, seasoning and adding the sugar, which draws out the flavour of the tomatoes. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
There are many variations on this recipe. Some include garlic and green peppers; others, especially in the winter, use canned tomatoes and simmer the sauce for a short or long time, depending on the desired consistency! See which is your favourite !
Yours in good health,
Lori Tinella
Little Chefs
Healthier Kids One Bite At A Time!
519-940-1131
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Are Kids Eating Too Much Junk??
Thought that with Easter around the corner and treats galore parents should be planning ahead!
Very few of us can resist eating junk food so imagine the battle in getting your kids to stop eating it! The sad fact is that junk food is all around us - you can't get away from it! How to get kids to kick this habit can be a huge problem. You may never be rid of junk food entirely but here are some ways you can introduce "healthier foods" into your kids' diets and help them reduce those junk food cravings!
~Start by being a good role model and establish a solid foundation of healthy eating habits while your children are young. Create an environment that encourages nutritious eating for everyone, so no junking it in front of the kids! Try to prepare 3 nutritious meals and 2 healthy snacks per day. Content kids are less likely to seek fast food. Educate kids at an early age about nutrition and smart food choices.
~Take your kids grocery shopping. Teach them how to read labels and how to identify unhealthy ingredients.
~Bring healthy snacks with you on outings so you won't have to buy anything at the snack bar. ~Offer younger kids many new and different varieties of foods - this keeps things interesting so they don't get bored, always eating the same foods. If they don't like something, don't force them to eat it but do try again at a later time.
~Try switching to low-salt variety of their favourite snack chip or crackers - it's a start! Even better, opt for baked snacks instead of fried. Choose popcorn or pretzels instead of potato chips for a quick nibble. Buy lower-fat, lower-salt, sugar-free versions of your kids' favourites.
~If your kids are into sweets, try baking your own treats and reducing the amount of sugar and fats by half.
~If your kids can't live without candy or chocolate, save it for a special occasion rather than an everyday indulgence. Make it a once a week treat!
~Offer fruit juice instead of pop. For a carbonated treat, mix 1/2 cup of fruit juice with 1/2 cup of plain carbonated water or sodium-free soda water.~Instead of an ice cream, try frozen yogurt desserts or a real fruit frozen juice pop. Try a fruit smoothie instead of a milkshake.
~If you must have pizza, eliminate the high-fat toppings such as sausage, pepperoni and meatballs, and stick with vegetable toppings instead.
~As a treat, try to make "Fast-Food" at home. Tacos, burritos, fajitas, and pizza are dinners that most kids love.
Eating some junk once in awhile should be allowed but it should be the exception, not the rule, for healthier eating habits!
.
Very few of us can resist eating junk food so imagine the battle in getting your kids to stop eating it! The sad fact is that junk food is all around us - you can't get away from it! How to get kids to kick this habit can be a huge problem. You may never be rid of junk food entirely but here are some ways you can introduce "healthier foods" into your kids' diets and help them reduce those junk food cravings!
~Start by being a good role model and establish a solid foundation of healthy eating habits while your children are young. Create an environment that encourages nutritious eating for everyone, so no junking it in front of the kids! Try to prepare 3 nutritious meals and 2 healthy snacks per day. Content kids are less likely to seek fast food. Educate kids at an early age about nutrition and smart food choices.
~Take your kids grocery shopping. Teach them how to read labels and how to identify unhealthy ingredients.
~Bring healthy snacks with you on outings so you won't have to buy anything at the snack bar. ~Offer younger kids many new and different varieties of foods - this keeps things interesting so they don't get bored, always eating the same foods. If they don't like something, don't force them to eat it but do try again at a later time.
~Try switching to low-salt variety of their favourite snack chip or crackers - it's a start! Even better, opt for baked snacks instead of fried. Choose popcorn or pretzels instead of potato chips for a quick nibble. Buy lower-fat, lower-salt, sugar-free versions of your kids' favourites.
~If your kids are into sweets, try baking your own treats and reducing the amount of sugar and fats by half.
~If your kids can't live without candy or chocolate, save it for a special occasion rather than an everyday indulgence. Make it a once a week treat!
~Offer fruit juice instead of pop. For a carbonated treat, mix 1/2 cup of fruit juice with 1/2 cup of plain carbonated water or sodium-free soda water.~Instead of an ice cream, try frozen yogurt desserts or a real fruit frozen juice pop. Try a fruit smoothie instead of a milkshake.
~If you must have pizza, eliminate the high-fat toppings such as sausage, pepperoni and meatballs, and stick with vegetable toppings instead.
~As a treat, try to make "Fast-Food" at home. Tacos, burritos, fajitas, and pizza are dinners that most kids love.
Eating some junk once in awhile should be allowed but it should be the exception, not the rule, for healthier eating habits!
By Toronto4Kids
Yours in good health,
Lori
Little Chefs Healthier Kids One Bite at a Time! 519-940-1131
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