Fish is Delish!

Fish is delicious,

but I often get frustrated because it seems like I can only figure out a few boring ways to cook it.  Another ingredient I struggle with are greens like chard, kale and spinach.  I like them for their flavour and love them for their nutrition, but something about a pile of greens on a plate doesn’t seem very tempting to me…  So I recently experimented in the kitchen and came up with an amazing and easy dish, that went over really well with my little guy and big guy… and I’ll tell you the big guy resists the greens!  Check out the recipe below!

But before the recipe a few words about fish and babies. Fish is really, really good for you and in North America we generally do not get enough in our diet.  Try to have fish at least once a week.  Full of Omega fats; fish is brain food – which is very important for our growing little ones!

What about Mercury? Mercury is a problem in large fish like shark, swordfish and tuna, too much mercury can cause neurological problems, especially for young children. Go to the Environmental Working Group Safe Fish List. These guidelines are for pregnant women, but I think they are good to follow for our growing children as well.

When can you introduce fish? If you follow strict allergy guidelines, it is one year.  If you are from any cultural background where fish is a major part of your diet, you would probably say much earlier.

• If you, your partner or your other child has a fish allergy, wait until at least one year or 18 months before introducing fish
• If you have no concerns about fish allergies, you can introduce fish at 10 months.  This is generally a good time to introduce animal protein
• A word about shellfish… shellfish can be highly allergic, more so than fish.  Wait until one year before introducing shellfish.  Again if there is an allergy in your immediate family wait until 18 months.

Fish ‘n’ Greens

This easy recipe uses one pot on the stove.  You can use the fish  and greens recommended or try it with salmon or tilapia, kale or spinach.  Serve it with mashed potatoes or brown rice.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 large vidalia (sweet) onions, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 large fillet of steel head trout, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
• 1 large bunch of Swiss Chard
• 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 tsp dill
• Sea Salt and pepper
• 1/4 C feta cheese

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter.  Add the onions, shallot and garlic, add 1/4 tsp sea salt and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until soft.  Place lid on pot, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes.  While the onions are simmering, wash the chard well.  Slice the chard leaves into large pieces and cut the bottom stems into 1 inch pieces.  Put the chopped stems in the pot.  Let simmer.  You can let these simmer for a minimum of 5 more minutes or a maximum of 30 minutes, the longer everything simmers the sweeter the onions will taste.  Place the fish, skin side down on top of the onions.  Squeeze the lemon over the fish and season with salt, pepper and dill.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  Place the chard leaves on top of the fish and put the lid on the pot.  Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.  The timing for cooking the fish will depend on the thickness of the fish.  The meal is done when the chard leaves have wilted and the fish flakes easily with a fork.   Put the greens on the plate, top with the fish and onions and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Help for a New Mom-to-be

For those of you from Erin, Ontario, you may remember Meghan McGuire, the youngest sister of Brianna, Seamus and Shannon.   But even if you don’t, I have a story to share.

Meghan, my neighbour growing up, recently moved to Whitehorse, Yukon with her husband Mark and found out in May that they were going to expand their family with a baby who is due mid-December.  In August, their family plans were side-swiped with the discovery that Mark had several brain tumours and has now been diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma.  Since the diagnosis, they have spent most of their time in Vancouver as Mark gets the treatment he needs from medical experts.  As you can imagine this is a stressful and trying time as Meghan gets into the later days of her pregnancy and Mark deals with the side-effects of chemo, and now radiation.

You can read and follow their story at http://smashinit.blogspot.com/

In a situation like this it is easy to feel powerless, and you don’t have to know them to feel their anxiety  and want to do something to alleviate it.  While I am not religious by any means, I do believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking.  Studies by Masuru Emoto have found that studying the water crystals of water that has been prayed over form clear unbroken crystals and religions around the world have used prayer to help their sick for centuries.  While it is not a cure, thinking positively and praying for the health of others is one step in a multi-faceted strategy for health.

This holiday as you rush around with your young family and feel the stress of the holidays build, please take a moment to send a message of love and health over to Meghan and Mark. Read their blog, leave them a note of encouragement and share their story with others.

Thanks, Laurie

Granola Cookies

There should always be time for homemade cookies!

Yum!  After I made my granola last time, I decided to experiment and came up with this great recipe for granola cookies.  They went over really well in my house.  In fact, I had made them for a trip and we almost ate them all before we left!

These do not have a lot of sugar, but are sweet because of the juice and applesauce.  This makes them a great treat for a one-year old (and 30-something year old!)

Laurie’s Granola Cookies

• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/4 C apple juice
• 1/2 C applesauce (unsweetened)

In a small bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and egg.  Add the vanilla, juice and apple sauce and mix well.

• 2 C whole spelt flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 2 C granola
• 1/4 C raisins

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add the granola and raisins.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine until all of the flour is wet.  This is a tough batter, so get those biceps working!  Once combined, place 1 tablespoon of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.  Use a fork to pat down the cookies.

Bake in a 350 deg. oven for 12 minutes, until brown on the bottoms.  Let cool and enjoy!

That’s Salty! (a.k.a. Labels 101-b!)

I have written before about the problems with processed foods and my concern is that it is difficult for moms & dads to know how to read a food label and make a good choice.  This time I am going to focus on sodium, also known as salt.

Did you know that children’s cereals have 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults?  While salt is a necessary part of our diets, it is present in all foods and really doesn’t need to be added.  It is added however because of its ability to help preserve food and heighten flavour.  That is also why salt is in many recipes.

If you are using salt at home; buy sea salt.  Sea salt is made from evaporated salt water, while table salt is from underground salt deposits.  Table salt is processed to remove trace elements, also iodine and anti-clumping materials are added.   Iodine is a trace element and it is present in dairy, seafood, and sea vegetables.  Iodine is also naturally present in sea salt, in lower amounts. It is best to get iodine from these foods rather than table salt. An easy way to get iodine in your diet is to buy a sea vegetable like kombu.  Throw one piece of kombu in your pasta or rice water.  While the pasta or rice is cooking, the grain will absorb the minerals.  Remove it before eating.  You will never taste it.

When you are looking at processed foods look at the % daily value for sodium on the label. Remember that in general, Canadians eat more than double the recommended daily amount of sodium.

• 5% is low sodium
• 10% sodium is high
• 20% sodium is too high

–77% of sodium in our diet is from restaurants & processed food

–11% occurs naturally in food

–12% is added at the table or in cooking

Laurie’s Famous Granola

Yummy Granola!

Oats are really good for you;

they are a great source of the feel good mineral selenium and they also are a source of iron and magnesium.  they are an amazing source of fibre and the fiber actually helps lower cholesterol by binding with the bile acids in the body and sending them out of the body.

So what’s healthier? Steel cut oats?  Rolled oats?  If you heard Oprah talk, Steel Cut oats are the only way to go.  Here are the facts:  Steel-cut Oats are the oat groats that are cut with a steel blade.  They are chewier and nuttier than rolled oats.  See my delicious recipe for Baby-Mama Breakfast Oats here.  Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats are steamed and then rolled; because these oats are steamed, it is assumed that they indeed have lost nutrition in the processing.  Quick-Cooking Oats are steamed and then rolled and then chopped into finer pieces.  Instant Oats have been partially cooked, often sugar, salt and other preservatives are added to these oats.  Oat Bran is the outer layer of the oat only; it is often called for in recipe to increase the fibre content.  Finally, Oat Flour is the result of grinding whole oats into a flour.  You can make your own oat flour by grinding up steel cut oats in a food processor or coffee grinder.

Lots of people like granola in the morning, myself included, however I do find that the granola from the store tends to be expensive, full of sugar and there is never a lot in the box.  That is why I make my own.  This recipe makes about 8 cups of cereal, so it will last you quite a while. Feel free to make it your own by choosing your dried fruit and nuts and perhaps using rolled barley or other grains. 

Granola is a great finger food for a child over 1 year of age, if you do not include nuts you can give it to an 8-month old.

Laurie’s Famous Granola

• ½ C Apple Juice (or cider)
• 1/3 C Maple Syrup
• ¼ C coconut or sunflower oil
• 1/3 C sucanat or brown sugar
• 1 T cinnamon
• ½ t sea salt*
• ¼ C ground flax
• 3 T sesame seeds
• 4 C quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 C Old-Fashioned rolled oats
• 2 C mixed nuts & seeds (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)
• 1 C dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries, etc.)

In a small saucepan combine apple juice, maple syrup, coconut (or sunflower) oil, sucanat (or brown sugar), cinnamon, sea salt, ground flax and sesame seeds.  Simmer over medium heat until well combined.

In a really large bowl combine oats, nuts and seeds.

Pour the liquid ingredients onto the oat mixture and stir to coat all of the oats in the liquid.

On a baking sheet, with sides, place a pice of parchment paper.  Put the granola on the baking sheet, patting it down.  It should be thick.

Place in a 325 deg. oven for 15 minutes.  Bake until it is light brown along the edges.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Pour back into the large bowl.  Add the dried fruit and stir to combine.  Put into a sealed cereal container.  Enjoy!

Tune in for my granola cookie recipe, coming in 2 weeks!

Portion Control!

Click here to read my latest newsletter on Portion Control…

No matter your denomination, as November comes to an end and December begins, the holiday eating takes over.  It is important as the holidays approach to enjoy the food put in front of you and not feel bad about it.  Watching your portion sizes is the best way to do it!  For more information click here!

Food Labels 101 (a)

Law-makers in the U.S have forced Kellogs to remove the immunity health claim from their cereal boxes

I plan to provide further information on label reading over the next little while to help parents navigate the grocery aisle.  If you have a particular question about a food product or label, send me a note and I will try and address it on the blog!

There has been some talk in the news lately about a new study from Yale about Breakfast Cereals, and the results of the study are important, but sadly, not new.  You can read the article from CBC here: click here!

Here are the highlights…

•  Cereal companies are spending $156 million a year marketing to children, using television, web sites and online virtual worlds
• The least healthy cereals are marketed most aggressively.  These cereals are full of sugar and sodium and low in fibre.

In the U.S., law-makers are beginning to take action and the results have been positive for families.  In San Francisco, law-makers sent a letter to cereal companies asking them to provide research information to prove the health facts printed on labels.  The Connecticut Attorney General sent a letter to all 8 cereal companies informing them of an investigation into the recently rolled out Smart Choice label.  His letter stated “My investigation… continues to seek any scientific research and evidence behind a program that promotes mayonnaise, sugar-loaded cereal and ice cream as healthy choices…Self responsibility and good parenting are key to healthy lifestyles, but impossible when food manufacturers misguide them”.  YAY!  This strong letter resulted in all 8 food companies involved in the Smart Choices program to put the program on hold.    

How does Canada fare?  We have food mis-labelling issues of our own.  Health Check, Blue Menu and other store ‘healthy’ brands can be misleading.  Health Check has been targeted frequently in the media and with good reason.  A company has to pay to put the logo on their package.  This means that often better products are overlooked by individuals because they wrongly assume that product is the best on the shelf.  This goes for all of the health related labels.  In Canada there are only four claims that can be made on the front of a package

•  A diet that is low in sodium and high in potassium can reduce the risk of high blood pressure;
• A diet with a sufficient amount of calcium and vitamin D can reduce the risk of osteoporosis;
• A diet that is low in saturated and trans fats can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease;
• A diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

The following statements are not health-related and must be read with an eye to detail…

•  Calorie-Reduced – this is only in relation to the original product, and not necessarily healthier
• Low Fat – what replaced the fat?  Often it is sugar
• Light – can refer to flavour, colour, taste, texture (not calories, like you probably thought!)
• Enriched – The natural nutrients were removed during processing & replaced with man-made nutrient substitutes
• Fortified – Extra nutrients are added.  This disrupts the natural ratio of nutrition in the food.  Did you know that you can get too much calcium?  When you have more than 500 mg at one time the extra calcium is stored along artery walls

Is there a food label or ad that drives you crazy?  Whenever I see that add for Nutella (which has its first ingredient as sugar), I get angry!  Delicious?  Yes!  Nutritious?  NO! 

Pesto Pizza Poppers!

A great snack for little fingers!

Pesto Pizza Poppers – say that 10 times fast!

No these are not related to the Pizza Pops you are thinking of…  I was making up my big batch of pizza dough, some to freeze and some for dinner tomorrow night and I made this quick little snack.  I love it because they are tasty and a snack full of good greens and grains.

This snack is good for 10 month-old babies, who have had seeds.

Pizza dough is very versatile and you can do many different things with a little dough,  your favourite sauce and your creativity.  Look at my ideas below but then use your imagination!  You can try any combination with cheese, tomato sauce, pesto, finely chopped chicken, veggies & herbs, make it your own by using your family favourites.

Get my easy recipes for Spelt Pizza Dough and Pepita Pesto.

Pesto Pizza Poppers - Roll out a small piece of dough to a rectangle, about the size of a piece of paper.  Spread pesto on the entire piece of dough.  Roll up the long side of the dough.  Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch piece off the ‘tube of dough & pesto.  Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet and drizzle 1 tsp on olive oil on each popper.  Place in a 350 deg. oven and bake for 10 minutes!

Pizza Pretzels - roll out the dough to a rectangle, about the size of a piece of paper.  Cut the dough into 1″ long strips.  Shape the dough any way you like (hearts, pretzels, circles, let older kids do it!).  Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle on parmesan cheese.  Place in a 350 deg. oven for 10 minutes!

Maple-Cinnamon Treats – in a small bowl combine 2 Tbsp of maple syrup with 2 tsp of cinnamon.  Have 1 tbsp of chopped almonds on stand-by (optional).  Roll out a small piece of dough to a rectangle, about the size of a piece of paper.  Cut the dough into squares.  Brush each square with the syrup-cinnamon mix and sprinkle with chopped almonds.   Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Place in a 350 deg. oven and bake for 10 minutes!

Pizza Pops - You can make your own Pizza Pops too!  roll out a large piece of dough and cut the dough into large circles (5″ wide).  On one half of the dough circle spread a generous amount of pizza sauce.  Add a sprinkle of cheese and some chopped veggies (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, peppers).  Fold over the other half of the dough circle.  pinch the edges together.  Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet . Brush each top with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.  Place in a 350 deg. oven and bake for 20 minutes!

Do you have other ideas for pizza dough?  Feel free to share!

Egg Rolls… a great snack?

A great carry along snack or meal is homemade ‘Egg Rolls’.  Many years ago I lived in South Korea, and these snacks were often served.  I have North Americanized this great little treat.  Not only are they a great way to serve up more veggies, they make great finger food too!

I know what you are thinking… Egg Rolls?  But these are nothing like the deep fried Egg Rolls you may be imagining…

Veggie Egg Rolls

These are good for a one-year old.

• Finely chop 3/4 C steamed or leftover cooked vegetables
• In a small bowl beat 2 eggs and pour onto a hot non-stick pan.  Tip the pan so the egg covers the entire pan in a thin layer
• Reduce heat to medium and watch the egg closely, when it is mostly cooked on the bottom, but not cooked through, sprinkle the chopped veggies across the egg.  You can also add grated cheese.
• Using a spatula, carefully pull the egg up from the pan and begin to roll the egg.
• Roll it until the entire egg ‘crepe’ is a big roll.  Carefully remove it from the pan and thinly slice the egg into sushi-like rolls.  Serve it warm or cool with steamed veggies, or on it’s own as a snack!

With these egg rolls the trick is really the frying pan.  I have tried this in my cast iron pan to great failure, the only pan it seems to work with is my non-stick (non-teflon) pan.  Try to make sure the egg does not cook completely while you are rolling it.  It will cook itself once it is rolled, but if you wait too long it won’t roll well.  If it fails, serve it like an omelet; but if it works it makes a fancy treat for a toddler!

Help The Toronto Zoo!

Hi Readers, I know this is a nutrition post, but I am a part of an exciting fundraising project I wanted to share and invite you to take part! 

Do you consider yourself a fiber artist?  Do  you have a secret love of creating things with yarn?  Do you enjoy spinning, knitting or crocheting?  Do you love animals?

Join Project Zoo!  An energetic crafter in Toronto came up with a terrific idea and we are looking for more people to help make it happen!  Hair from the Toronto Zoo animals (alpacas, camels, and others) will be collected in the spring, crafty folks will be spinning this into yarn, and local knitters, crocheters, crafters and fibre artists will make them into items which will then be sold in the Toronto Zoo gift shop.  If this sounds like a project for you, click here for further information!