January 2008
Anyone who has a toddler knows that it is hit or miss when it
comes to meal times! They want to do everything themselves, and
they don't want anything unless it is on their terms!
Here are a few quick ideas that might make your mealtime a little
easier...
Rice & Cheese Balls
Ingredients: Rice
Mixed Vegetables
Cheese
Meat (optional)
Prepare rice according to package directions (for white rice it is
usually 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice).
Cut an assortment of vegetables into little pieces (this is most easily
achieved using a food processor).
Add vegetables to the rice while it is cooking.
If you are using meat, cook it in a separate pan and add it to the rice
and vegetables once it is cooked through.
Add your favorite cheese - Cheddar is almost always a hit! - and stir
until blended well.
For children who have not yet learned the intricacies of using
utensils; use a melon baller, or roll about a tablespoon of the rice
mixture into a ball with your hands, and serve!
Tips:
During winter months it may be more cost effective for you to use
quality frozen vegetables. They are frozen at their peek, and are often
better quality and less expensive than some of the 'fresh' produce
shipped in from elsewhere.
For variety try pieces of chicken, ground beef, pieces of pork, lamb,
or any of your favorite meats. Each will add its own unique taste for
a completely different dish!
Try changing the cheese to Havarti, Gouda, Feta, Goat Cheese...
The possibilities are endless and each will bring its own unique
flavor to the dish allowing your child to experience many different
tastes! (NOTE: If you are feeding a child under two, or a sensitive
child, you may want to stay away from FRESH or
UNPASTEURISED varieties as they may contain bacteria which
can be harmful).
February / March 2008
The importance of a good 'base' recipe is often overlooked. We get
into a routine as time goes on, and end up making the same thing
over and over until we are tired of it. Often it is forgotten that the
same thing can be just as appetizing when we mix it up a bit!
Here are a few quick ideas that might make your mealtime a little
easier...
The basic stir-fry;
Here is a one-pan dish that can be made new by simply changing
one ingredient!
Sauté chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp (or be even more creative and
combine a couple of them!) with onions in about a tablespoon of oil.
Add whatever vegetables you have on hand!
Now it's all you have to do is choose what flavour you want! How
about a few ideas to get you started:
Fresh Ginger & Garlic - because these ingredients have strong flavors
you only need to use a little. Chop them into small pieces and add
them before you add the vegetables to allow their flavours to be
brought out and integrated with the rest of the dish.
Lemon & Pepper - Zest a fresh lemon over your pan when you add
the vegetables. Fresh cracked pepper is best, but remember to add it
a little at a time towards the end of cooking for best results. (Pepper
that is added too soon can have a bitter taste by the time you serve
the meal).
There are also a variety of commercial sauces which work well for
this dish. However it is important to remember that many of them
contain high levels of iodized salt. When purchasing these popular
products take time to read the labels. The same product by a
different company may contain nearly half of the sodium. Also be
careful when reaching for labels marked "lower fat". Often the
sodium and sugar content has been raised in a product in order to
replace the taste that would otherwise be missing from the lower fat
product.
Bought in awareness and consumed in moderation these commercial
sauces can still be a tasty way to mix up your meal.
Whatever you choose, have fun!
Tips:
When adding vegetables to a stir-fry it is important to note that some
vegetables cook much faster than others. Asparagus, peppers, and
broccoli for example, are better added towards the end of cooking.
Eggplant, mushrooms, and zucchini can be added earlier in the
cooking process.
During winter months it may be more cost effective for you to use
quality frozen vegetables. They are frozen at their peek, and are often
better quality and less expensive than some of the 'fresh' produce
shipped in from elsewhere.
Anyone who has a toddler knows that it is hit or miss when it
comes to meal times! They want to do everything themselves, and
they don't want anything unless it is on their terms!
Here are a few quick ideas that might make your mealtime a little
easier...
Rice & Cheese Balls
Ingredients: Rice
Mixed Vegetables
Cheese
Meat (optional)
Prepare rice according to package directions (for white rice it is
usually 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice).
Cut an assortment of vegetables into little pieces (this is most easily
achieved using a food processor).
Add vegetables to the rice while it is cooking.
If you are using meat, cook it in a separate pan and add it to the rice
and vegetables once it is cooked through.
Add your favorite cheese - Cheddar is almost always a hit! - and stir
until blended well.
For children who have not yet learned the intricacies of using
utensils; use a melon baller, or roll about a tablespoon of the rice
mixture into a ball with your hands, and serve!
Tips:
During winter months it may be more cost effective for you to use
quality frozen vegetables. They are frozen at their peek, and are often
better quality and less expensive than some of the 'fresh' produce
shipped in from elsewhere.
For variety try pieces of chicken, ground beef, pieces of pork, lamb,
or any of your favorite meats. Each will add its own unique taste for
a completely different dish!
Try changing the cheese to Havarti, Gouda, Feta, Goat Cheese...
The possibilities are endless and each will bring its own unique
flavor to the dish allowing your child to experience many different
tastes! (NOTE: If you are feeding a child under two, or a sensitive
child, you may want to stay away from FRESH or
UNPASTEURISED varieties as they may contain bacteria which
can be harmful).
February / March 2008
The importance of a good 'base' recipe is often overlooked. We get
into a routine as time goes on, and end up making the same thing
over and over until we are tired of it. Often it is forgotten that the
same thing can be just as appetizing when we mix it up a bit!
Here are a few quick ideas that might make your mealtime a little
easier...
The basic stir-fry;
Here is a one-pan dish that can be made new by simply changing
one ingredient!
Sauté chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp (or be even more creative and
combine a couple of them!) with onions in about a tablespoon of oil.
Add whatever vegetables you have on hand!
Now it's all you have to do is choose what flavour you want! How
about a few ideas to get you started:
Fresh Ginger & Garlic - because these ingredients have strong flavors
you only need to use a little. Chop them into small pieces and add
them before you add the vegetables to allow their flavours to be
brought out and integrated with the rest of the dish.
Lemon & Pepper - Zest a fresh lemon over your pan when you add
the vegetables. Fresh cracked pepper is best, but remember to add it
a little at a time towards the end of cooking for best results. (Pepper
that is added too soon can have a bitter taste by the time you serve
the meal).
There are also a variety of commercial sauces which work well for
this dish. However it is important to remember that many of them
contain high levels of iodized salt. When purchasing these popular
products take time to read the labels. The same product by a
different company may contain nearly half of the sodium. Also be
careful when reaching for labels marked "lower fat". Often the
sodium and sugar content has been raised in a product in order to
replace the taste that would otherwise be missing from the lower fat
product.
Bought in awareness and consumed in moderation these commercial
sauces can still be a tasty way to mix up your meal.
Whatever you choose, have fun!
Tips:
When adding vegetables to a stir-fry it is important to note that some
vegetables cook much faster than others. Asparagus, peppers, and
broccoli for example, are better added towards the end of cooking.
Eggplant, mushrooms, and zucchini can be added earlier in the
cooking process.
During winter months it may be more cost effective for you to use
quality frozen vegetables. They are frozen at their peek, and are often
better quality and less expensive than some of the 'fresh' produce
shipped in from elsewhere.
Sarah Stringer (613) 767-0857 sarah@fromsarahsshelves.com |
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