plant parenthood

Just like it's never too early to get them cooking, kids are never too young to start gardening! Nora absolutely loved planting peas, nasturtiums, green onions, italian parsley, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower and beets. I prepped the containers and the beds with the soil and made the holes or trenches for the seeds. Then Nora picked them out of my hand and dropped them in the holes, saying 'bye-bye' to each one. I don't know if she understood what she was doing, but I'm hoping by the summer, when we start watching the plants grow and then we eat them, she might make the connection.
No matter what she learned, we had such a fun-filled family day. The warm sun beating on our backs, the cool soil on our hands, the cats rolling on the sidewalk. Not only were we all outside getting things done, but so were all the neighbours. Nora loves to say 'hi' to everyone and watch the bikes go by.
Urban agriculture is a big topic these days, but like organic farming, it's really just the way it's always been. Home gardens used to be the norm, just like farming without all of the chemicals. But we've become so removed from it over the last 60 years, that there has to be a 'movement' to get it back. The difference now is we have a choice. We don't have to grow our own food...we can easily buy it all at the supermarket. But, it's part of the sustainability movement to do our share and grow some food (or at least try).
Food you grow yourself tastes amazing because it's so fresh. You eat more veggies and fruit because they are right at your fingertips. And what a sense of satisfaction when you create something on the journey from dirt to fork. Gardening is also a continual learning experience...well I'm a beginner so maybe that's just my perspective. But I would imagine that in 40 years, when I'm retired and have a huge garden, I will still be learning from mother nature every season.
Kids can learn so much from gardening...the life cycle in progress every day. And the ability to grow your own food is a skill that will last a lifetime. Who knows if the point may come when it's not a choice any longer, but a necessity to grow your own food, like it was a century ago. I want Nora to have that skill and an appreciation of nature. She already loves the outdoors. And she loves helping her parents...for now anyway:)
Kids also eat more veggies and fruit if they are involved in the growing, harvesting and processing of them. Or that's the anecdotal evidence coming out of school garden programs. I'll let you know what happens with my personal experiment by the end of the summer....

that's a wrap!

We used to break up all Nora's food into bite-size pieces for her to pick up and feed herself. But, one evening we were out for dinner at our favourite taqueria, Bandidas. I was eating their amazing breaded walnut tacos and had been breaking off little pieces for Nora. But she kept pointing at my taco, so I offered her a bite. Well, she never wanted to eat the pieces again...only the wrap and only the way momma does it. That was when I realized a whole world of new meal ideas was waiting for us.
Wraps, burritos, tacos, rotis, falafels...all basically one-handed meals, packed with delicious fillings and often nutritionally complete, meaning they have all 4 food groups. The outer shell can be a wholewheat or corn tortilla, a pita, a chapati or roti. This counts as 1 or 2 servings from the grain group. The dairy or alternatives group can be seen in the cheese or a yogurty sauce often added to help everything hold together. The veggies can be cooked or raw, from sweet potato to cabbage, or you could even put fruit in them, like mango. Of course the meat and alternatives group is often fulfilled with legumes, but can also be fish or chicken, or eggs for a breakfast burrito. As you can see, the possibilities are endless!
Over the years, I've been perfecting my wrap technique. They are so easy to overstuff...but then they lose their one-handed eatability. No one likes a wrap that falls apart, so another thing I've discovered is the final skillet searing. After you've filled and rolled your wrap, you place it in a dry skillet over medium heat. Allow it to brown on one side then flip and brown the other. This helps seal and crisp up the shell and also warm and melt all the yummy cheese and filling. Then it's much easier to transport too and is such a perfect meal or snack if you need to eat on the bus, at your desk or on a hike.
One of our favourite camping meals is a type of wrap that can be modified for any need or preference. We call them Campfire Burritos and you basically just make your favourite burrito, wrap it in tinfoil and cook it in the glowing coals of your campfire. They are great for your first night out because you can make them ahead at home, keep them in the cooler and save the need for any food prep when you're busy setting up camp and settling into your weekend. Stay tuned for this summer and more posts from my camp kitchen...
Not that I'm all about convenience and one-handed eating. I also believe in the slow food idea...when you have time for it;) Although Nora still mostly eats with her hands, she is starting to master the art of the spoon (another post will be about creating the perfect texture of food to withstand the upside down test). I hope she'll be using a fork, and maybe even a knife, by the time she hits kindergarten. Otherwise I'll be feeling the wrath of Jamie Oliver! I just watched him lose it on some lunch ladies who never serve any food requiring more than hands or a spoon to eat. His new show is all about trying to revolutionize the way Americans eat, starting in the school cafeterias. On one episode he swapped chicken nuggets and french fries for a real piece of chicken (a leg or thigh, I think) and homemade wedgie potatoes. This required a fork and knife, which the American cooks didn't think kids could use. Jamie felt it could be part of the school's job to teach them if they didn't know how and encourage them to try new foods. I commend his efforts, am entertained by the show and truly hope something comes of it.
But even Jamie would approve of a hand-held meal, if it was packed with healthy and wholesome ingredients. This simple and satisfying wrap was inspired by one I had at a little cafe on Toronto's west side. They are so delicious and loved not only by Nora but also by my picky, meat-loving brother Jesse.



Sweet Potato & Chevre Wrap:
Makes 3

1/3 cup black beans, dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup black beans, dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
4.5 tbsps black pepper goat cheese/chevre
3 large wholewheat tortillas

Place beans in a pot with cover with lots of water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes then turn off for 1 hour and leave covered to quick soak. Drain and rinse beans and then recover with fresh water. Bring to a boil then add the bay leaf and 1/2 tsp salt and reduce heat to simmer until tender, approximately 1 hour. This can be done a day or more ahead if needed. Drain and reserve cooking liquid and then mash beans lightly, adding cooking water back as needed to make them hold together.
Meanwhile preheat oven to 400F. Roast sweet potato until tender when forked. Allow to cool then remove peel and mash in a small bowl with oil, cinnamon, cloves and 1/2 tsp salt. This can also be ahead of time, if needed.
Spread 1.5 tbsps goat cheese on each tortilla, then top with 1/3 of the beans and 1/3 of the sweet potato. Roll them up and sear in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown on each side.

Nutrient Information (per wrap):

541 Kcals
22 g Protein
19.5 g Fat
73 g Carb
11 g Fibre
4.5 mg Iron
176 mg Calcium
178 RAE Vitamin A

do you know the muffin girl?

It's never too early to start them cooking! Getting kids involved in the kitchen is not only fun and an important life skill, but they also seem to eat more of the food they help make.
Nora is very independent for her age (I think) and she is usually content to entertain herself while I'm cooking. She plays with her toys in the living room or her bedroom, and she also has a large drawer of kitchen stuff that she's allowed to throw around. But, she only lasts a certain amount of time and then starts asking to come 'up', which still sounds more like a grunt. I have learned to perform a lot of kitchen tasks with one arm, while keeping her hands and feet away from the counter, but some things will always require two hands.
Then, my only option if she wants to be up at my level, is to plunk her on our large counter and keep her focused and sitting in one spot. At this age (14 months), she's mostly entertained playing with the measuring spoons, the baking powder container, etc. But she's really starting to understand and wanting to participate in 'helping' mom and dad. So while making pumpkin muffins on a Sunday morning, Nora helped me by shaking in the cinnamon and pouring in the vanilla. She also loved licking the utensils, as you can see:)
I don't know if the theory is proved true by this experiment, but she loves these muffins! She ate 2 of them in one sitting, but now we are rationing them to the halves we send to daycare for her lunch (they freeze nicely, so make an easy grab).
They are packed with fibre and other great nutrients from the pumpkin, oats and ground flax seeds.
As she gets older, I plan on getting Nora more and more involved in the kitchen and hope to inspire a love of cooking that both her dad and I share. Kids really can do a lot if you find the patience to allow them to learn and likely make a mess in the process. Let them get their hands dirty mixing granola or dough or forming patties or balls. Nora already loves the lettuce spinner, but she's still having a hard time with many raw veggies. Eventually it would be great to put her in charge of the salad every night and she can choose the toppings (nuts, seeds, grains, cheese, egg, veggies, dressing, etc). It's key to come up with knife-less ways of doing things, like using an egg slicer or a cheese/carrot grater.
I remember cooking with my grandparents as a child...baking cinnamon rolls and oatmeal cookies with my grandmother and making soup with my grandfather. My whole family congregated at our cottage, so the batches were huge and filled up the chest freezer. My grandmother's mixing bowl was always big enough to bathe in, although Nora got to use the new kitchen sink for her first cottage bath last summer. I still make the recipes I learned with my grandparents, but I have had to 'healthy' them up over the years, subbing in whole grains and healthy fats for white flour and bacon.
Cooking together can change a chore into a life experience. You can make memories, delicious food and family traditions with kids in the kitchen.

Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12

2 eggs
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
3 tbsp molasses
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oat bran or ground oats (or 1 cup wholewheat flour)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup flax seeds, ground
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (*optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. In a medium-sized bowl, beat eggs then whisk in remaining wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients then add wet ingredients and mix to just combine. Scoop into 12 greased or silicone muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry when tested in the middle of a muffin.
Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrient Information (per muffin, without pecans):
216 Calories
4 g Protein
11 g Fat
28 g Carbohydrate
3 g Fibre
80 mg Calcium
2.5 mg Iron

corn nut

'Are you raising your daughter as a vegetarian?' I must have been asked this question fifty times already. Nora is growing up in a bi-eating household...my husband eats meat and I don't. I have been a vegetarian for fifteen years, mostly for moral reasons but the health issue plays in to it too now. I did start eating fish again a few years ago because I was recommending it to patients so often.
My husband, Paul, is very supportive of my food choices (when he's not pressuring me to get back into meat;). He rarely eats meat at home and I certainly don't buy it or cook it for him. But once in a while, he'll pick up some organic chicken or get a recipe idea for a dinner we're hosting and make a meaty stew or something.
I'm not a preachy vegetarian. I mean I could be, but I sure don't want to be preached to about my food morality. I include meat in meal plans for my clients, because the majority of them do eat it. But, for health reasons, I also include lots of legumes, fish and seafood, which is a big change for a lot of people.
Anyway, back to the 'big question'...does Nora eat meat? Sure, because it's good for her now and eventually, it will be her decision whether she includes meat in her diet. She doesn't encounter it often, but so far she's tried chicken, turkey and beef, in pretty small amounts. Most days her protein comes from fish, dairy and legumes and she's just started trying nuts. This is perfectly healthy for a growing girl and she could do just fine without meat, but I definitely do not want to be 'forbidding' her from eating something, especially if her dad is eating it. But you can guess that her exposure to a more vegetarian style of eating is much greater than the average kid and I can only hope it leads to an appreciation of a variety of healthy foods.
Already, Nora, a girl after my own heart, loves her legumes. Paul made chicken for dinner for himself and Nora, which we served with polenta and greens. It was a huge hit and she probably had 4 helpings of polenta (thus, the name Corn Nut). I made some delicious kidney beans for my protein, and Nora ended up going crazy for them too. Not that she didn't also like the chicken...
In fact, she liked it so much, I asked Paul if he would like to do a guest post on my blog to talk about his chicken recipe. Stay tuned for that:)
In the meantime, try these oh so easy, hearty and healthy, Italian-style beans.

Red Beans with Rosemary
Serves 4

2 cups kidney beans, dried (or sub navy beans)
water
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs rosemary, fresh
1 tsp salt

Place beans in a medium pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes then turn off heat and allow beans to soak for 1 hour (or can soak them overnight). Drain and rinse beans then place in same pot and cover with fresh water. Add herbs and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, covered, until tender (1-1.5 hours, depending on size of beans).
Serve over sauteed greens and polenta.

Nutrient Information (per serving):
310 Kcals
21 g Protein
56 g Carbohydrate
14 g Fibre
1 g Fat
6 mg Iron
581 mg Sodium


Polenta
Serves 4

4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal (coarse for polenta)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add salt, then gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat and continue stirring until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, oil and cheese. Serve immediately.

turn over a new leafy green

Leafy greens are another one of those superfoods. They are packed with fibre and nutrients and we should all aim for 1 serving a day. Infants and small children may have a harder time eating some of the coarser greens, as they can be a bit stringy, depending if they are raw or lightly cooked. But they are so good for them...and definitely keep things regular:)
Nora has had all kinds of greens by now...spinach, swiss chard, collard greens and kale...they are especially prevalent in Vancouver at this time of the year and we even grow chard in planter boxes on our porch. You can't get more local or more seasonal than that! She hasn't successfully managed raw greens yet, even lettuce is a little difficult. So we've been experimenting with different cooked greens. Any Italian food recipe can handle some greens thrown in (e.g. lasagna, risotto, polenta), but usually they call for milder ones like spinach or chard. These also work really well in crepes, if you steam the greens first then squeeze out all the moisture. Coarser greens need to be cooked a little longer, but do wonderfully mixed with beans (stay tuned for my post on wraps:) or in soups and stews, where they get to cook longer.
Tonight, I couldn't believe how well Nora ate this kale! Well, everything goes down easy when covered in mashed potatoes. But seriously, what a way to add colour and so many nutrients to potatoes. By freezing the kale first, it crumbles really easily and becomes less tough. This technique can be used for cooking kale in all kinds of recipes. It makes it almost an essential to add kale to any mashed potato dish.
This recipe is based on a dutch dish called Borenkool or Farmer's Kale. Using sausage makes it a big meal, substituting a fried egg makes it a little lighter for dinner or a casual brunch.



No Fail Kale
4 servings

1 bunch kale, washed & dried
1 lb potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 cup milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup cheese, grated
salt & pepper
4 eggs or 4 sausages(veg or meat), fried

Place kale in freezer for 20-30 minutes. Place potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then crumble frozen kale on top, removing stems. Simmer for 15 minutes or until tender, then drain excess water. Add milk, fat, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well. Divide into 4 bowls then top with a fried egg or sausage.

Nutrient Information(per serving):
*calculated with the fried egg; if using sausage, all macronutrient values increase
286 KCal
18 g Protein
20 g Fat
11 g Carbohydrate
2 g Fibre
2.5 mg Iron
400 mg Calcium
725 RAE Vitamin A

food, nutrition and nora

I learned a lot about how and what to feed kids when I was studying to be a dietitian at UBC a few years ago. I was really interested in it because I knew I wanted to start a family soon after finishing school, but also because I was keen to start my private practice and counsel parents on feeding their families.
It was all just theory, research and anecdotal evidence until last year when my daughter, Nora, started eating solid food. Now I'm waist-deep in my own personal anthropological experiment!
Before Nora started eating solids, I was so excited and couldn't wait to start feeding her. But, I quickly became overwhelmed with the extra work on top of an already busy life with a 6-month old. There was the time it took to make food, to feed her, to clean up afterwards and then sometimes she wouldn't even eat anything! I had to consider food allergies, appropriate textures, the right nutrients, flavour, keeping her interested, keeping her regular...the list seems endless.
I really wanted her to eat mostly homemade food for a few reasons:
1. You know what's in it.
2. It's way more affordable.
3. It can be as close to nature as possible.
This last one is one of my overall philosophies for food and eating. It basically means eating foods that are processed as little as possible and so have less 'non-foods' added to them (for example, using steel-cut or plain, rolled oats instead of a package of instant, flavoured oatmeal).
Back in school, I had read a lot of the research on how to feed babies, especially the work of Ellen Sattyr (www.ellensattyr.com) , who talks about needing to offer a food to a baby more than 10 times before determining they don't like it. I definitely believe in the idea that the parent decides what foods and when to offer them, but the baby decides if they want to eat and how much.
But what we didn't learn in school and despite practicing as a dietitian and talking to parents, I had never had any experience preparing homemade baby food. Although I had a couple of kids cookbooks, I also ended up consulting a fabulous website (www.wholesomebabyfood.com) that gives great recipes for making simple baby foods like fruit and vegetable purees, cereals and teething biscuits.

So, throughout this blog, I hope to pass on my experiences, my recipes and my tips that I have developed over these last 6 months feeding Nora. She didn't start out as a great eater and I went through moments of frustration, worry and momma-meltdowns (e.g. my husband comes home to Nora and I on the kitchen floor, covered in peaches). Now, it's all paid off and she's doing really well with eating these days. It helps that we're reaching that 1 year marker when more foods can be introduced and she can mostly eat what we eat.
Tonight, for example, I made an amazing fish recipe (Snapper with Lemon & Capers), a barley pilaf and a green salad with cheddar and avocado. Nora ate it up! Even my husband gave it a perfect 10...

Snapper with Lemon & Capers
serves 3

1 lb snapper or other fish
salt and pepper
3 tbsps olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsps capers

Wash and dry fish, season with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish. Whisk together oil, vinegar and lemon juice, then pour half of the mixture over the fish, reserving the other half. Marinate the fish in the fridge for 45-60 minutes.
Place dinner plates or a platter in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet on high then add fish and turn down to medium. Cook 1-2 minutes then flip and cook another 5 minutes, unless very thick and then may need a little longer. Remove fish on plates or platter and cover with foil.
Turn skillet to medium-low and add remaining oil mixture and capers. Cook until reduced by half then pour over fish. Garnish with lemon zest.

Nutrient Information (per serving):
220 Kcals
31 grams Protein
9 grams Fat
2.5 grams Carbohydrate
0 grams Fibre
238 mg Sodium
52 mg Calcium
0.5 mg Iron
4 mcg vitamin B12