Menu:
Meat and Rice
Roasted green beans and asparagus
Bananas
The meat and rice on the menu is a meatloaf that I crumbled up and added to brown rice because I thought that the kids might like it better. They seem to love rice dishes and rice is certainly a healthy grain.
The meatloaf and rice dish works well with anyone's meatloaf recipe. I combined one meatloaf that I crumbled with two cups of brown basmati rice and two small chopped tomatoes. My version of this week's meatloaf is below. I always use a green in meatloaf be it collards, kale or spinach...this one uses kale. I also use ground flax seed in place of one egg to provide extra fiber and omega-3s.
The asparagus went over really well with the kids too. I am so happy that they are enjoying the roasted veggies. I plan to make sure that at least one day a week next year consists of seasonal veggies roasted and paired with a grain.
My Veggie Beef Meatloaf:
1 lb of lean ground beef (*we just bought a beef share from a local farm)
one small onion
2 garlic cloves
2-3 celery stalks
one sweet red pepper
one bunch kale
1/4 c ground flax seed
salt
pepper
handful of fresh parsley
tsp ground mustard
oregano (about 1-2 tsp)
egg, blended
Preheat oven to 375. In a food processor combine the onion, garlic, celery, pepper, and kale. Mix well until everything is in tiny pieces. Combine that with all the ingredients in a bowl. I always mix it by hand. Form by hand and bake for an hour to an hour and half depending on the thickness of the meatloaf. The outside will be pretty dark with a thin "crust". If it isn't cooked well enough, it will fall apart when you place a spatula under it. I prefer to place my meatloaf on a broiler pan so the excess fat drips into the bottom of the pan.
Roasted asparagus and green beans:
-Bunch of asparagus
-Green beans
-Olive Oil
-Salt (I use sea salt)
Preheat the oven to 400. Prep the veggies. For the asparagus, I bend each piece toward the bottom to remove any hard portions. For the green beans, I just snap the ends off. I put the veggies out on a cookie sheet. Pour a TBSP or so of olive oil over the veggies and move them around to make sure that they are totally covered. For smaller veggies, it is easy to just toss them with olive oil in a bowl; however, asparagus is easier to be tossed on the cookie sheet. Make sure the veggies aren't crowded in the pan. I often use two separate pans if I have a lot of veggies. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for 15-25 minutes. I can't give an exact time on them because asparagus varies widely in size as it can be very skinny or super fat. Just check them after 15 minutes. When veggies are done, they will be brown on some of the edges which is what gives the vegetables the great caramelized sweet flavors.
I added some broccoli florets to one pan as well because I know that there are a few kiddos who really like it.
*Here is where I get the majority of my meat:
http://www.kookoolanfarms.com/Beef.html
If you are interested in this, I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
So, today I thought that I would like to try out some chickpeas on the kids. They are super healthy and have a texture that kids seem to like. I certainly would like to encourage everyone to eat more meat free meals and beans are great way to get the protein that little bodies need. Additionally, as a side I took the kids some raw cabbage. I want them to taste it and get used to it on their plates as I intend to incorporate it into future meals. Fallon eats bowls of shredded cabbage for snacks and loves it. Weird, I know but cabbage does have a flavor, it is mild and crunchy.
Menu:
Pasta with spinach, dill, and chickpeas
Raw shredded cabbage
Apples
Pasta with spinach, dill, and chickpeas
It's spring and although many veggies are just not ready yet, there is plenty of spinach, leeks, and fresh herbs. I saw a beautiful bunch of dill so decided to incorporate it into the children's meal for today. I used pagoda quinoa pasta; however, any whole grain pasta will work. I think that the small shapes are best for this type of pasta dish and the kids tend to like them as well. These pagodas are especially fun because they are tri-colored.
-One box of pasta, cooked per the instructions (al dente) on the box and drained
-3 TBSP Olive oil
-two leeks, white parts only chopped
-two cans of chickpeas (I ALWAYS buy Eden organics if I don't pre-soak dried beans because they come in BPA free cans...soaking overnight is preferred but it does require that the beans also be cooked for about 10-20 minutes before being incorporated into the recipe)
-salt and pepper
-spinach: cleaned, stems removed, and chopped into small strips...no need to dry it, allow it to be a little wet
-1/2 c fresh dill, chopped
-one lemon
Chop the leeks, prep the spinach, and dill. Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium low heat. Add the leeks. Saute for a few minutes until soft, moving them around the pan often to ensure that they don't burn or get too browned. Add the chickpeas and warm through. After about 2-3 minutes, add the spinach and dill. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Once the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes, add the drained pasta. Heat through. Add the juice of one large lemon. I usually add one more pinch of salt at the end.
This can be eaten warm or cold. I prefer it warm. It is also yummy without any pasta at all; however, I figured that the kids would prefer those pretty pasta pieces mixed in.
Menu:
Pasta with spinach, dill, and chickpeas
Raw shredded cabbage
Apples
Pasta with spinach, dill, and chickpeas
It's spring and although many veggies are just not ready yet, there is plenty of spinach, leeks, and fresh herbs. I saw a beautiful bunch of dill so decided to incorporate it into the children's meal for today. I used pagoda quinoa pasta; however, any whole grain pasta will work. I think that the small shapes are best for this type of pasta dish and the kids tend to like them as well. These pagodas are especially fun because they are tri-colored.
-One box of pasta, cooked per the instructions (al dente) on the box and drained
-3 TBSP Olive oil
-two leeks, white parts only chopped
-two cans of chickpeas (I ALWAYS buy Eden organics if I don't pre-soak dried beans because they come in BPA free cans...soaking overnight is preferred but it does require that the beans also be cooked for about 10-20 minutes before being incorporated into the recipe)
-salt and pepper
-spinach: cleaned, stems removed, and chopped into small strips...no need to dry it, allow it to be a little wet
-1/2 c fresh dill, chopped
-one lemon
Chop the leeks, prep the spinach, and dill. Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium low heat. Add the leeks. Saute for a few minutes until soft, moving them around the pan often to ensure that they don't burn or get too browned. Add the chickpeas and warm through. After about 2-3 minutes, add the spinach and dill. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Once the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes, add the drained pasta. Heat through. Add the juice of one large lemon. I usually add one more pinch of salt at the end.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
And we're back! April 4, 2012
So, here we are back at school again after a long break. I hope that all the families had a great time.
Menu:
Greek inspired green beans, potato, and tomato dish (Fassolakia Lathera)
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Apples and pears
There is a restaurant in NW where my in-laws often eat that serves this dish. I really like it and decided that I wanted to try it out on the kids. I looked at a bunch of recipes and this is what I did.
-large onion, diced
-2 to 3 garlic cloves
-4 cups of diced tomatoes (I used a combination of fresh and one box of Pomi diced tomatoes)
-1 cup Vegetable broth
-handful of fresh parsley, chopped
-salt
-pepper
-4 large red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I left most of the skin on the potatoes)
-one pound of green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into desired size
-Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
-Optional: Feta cheese crumbed on top
Saute onion and garlic in large pan or dutch oven. When soft, add tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add vegetable broth. Cook for a few minutes on medium high. Add potatoes and mix. Layer the green beans on top of the potatoes but do not mix them in as they will steam and stay crisper this way. Add the other handful of parsley on the top. Cook for about 30 minutes on medium low. Mix together. Add crumbled feta cheese on top.
*This is what I did not do but will do next time.
**When I made this to try out. I also cooked some ground beef in a saute pan. I removed the ground beef and drained. In the saute pan, I then added a diced onion and some minced garlic cloves. Once soft, I added half a cup of diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp of tomato paste half a cup of veggie broth, 1 tsp of oregano, a pinch of salt, pepper, and a quarter cup of milk. Once warmed, I added the meat back in.
This combo is great for pasta. I actually added it to the above recipe and it was awesome! I did not know if the kids would like the meat or not so I thought that I would start them on the bland side since kids seam to like blander foods.
Menu:
Greek inspired green beans, potato, and tomato dish (Fassolakia Lathera)
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Apples and pears
There is a restaurant in NW where my in-laws often eat that serves this dish. I really like it and decided that I wanted to try it out on the kids. I looked at a bunch of recipes and this is what I did.
-large onion, diced
-2 to 3 garlic cloves
-4 cups of diced tomatoes (I used a combination of fresh and one box of Pomi diced tomatoes)
-1 cup Vegetable broth
-handful of fresh parsley, chopped
-salt
-pepper
-4 large red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I left most of the skin on the potatoes)
-one pound of green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into desired size
-Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
-Optional: Feta cheese crumbed on top
Saute onion and garlic in large pan or dutch oven. When soft, add tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add vegetable broth. Cook for a few minutes on medium high. Add potatoes and mix. Layer the green beans on top of the potatoes but do not mix them in as they will steam and stay crisper this way. Add the other handful of parsley on the top. Cook for about 30 minutes on medium low. Mix together. Add crumbled feta cheese on top.
*This is what I did not do but will do next time.
**When I made this to try out. I also cooked some ground beef in a saute pan. I removed the ground beef and drained. In the saute pan, I then added a diced onion and some minced garlic cloves. Once soft, I added half a cup of diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp of tomato paste half a cup of veggie broth, 1 tsp of oregano, a pinch of salt, pepper, and a quarter cup of milk. Once warmed, I added the meat back in.
This combo is great for pasta. I actually added it to the above recipe and it was awesome! I did not know if the kids would like the meat or not so I thought that I would start them on the bland side since kids seam to like blander foods.
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