Food of the Month - Cauliflower

Cauliflower is the ugly duckling of the vegetable world. To some, she is the bland white, knobby thing that ruins the frozen vegetable medley that we all keep stocked in our freezer. Or maybe she’s that horrible side dish that comes boiled and under-seasoned when you have dinner at Aunt Margaret’s house.  But to us, she’s SO much more.  All you have to do is take off her glasses and add a little lip-gloss and POW, she can be your new favorite vegetable. If you can’t already tell, this month we’re celebrating cauliflower, one of our favorite fall/winter vegetables.

First things first, why eat cauliflower? Not only is it totally de-lish, it’s a member of the cruciferous veggie family. Like it’s brothers and sisters (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and kale), it’s loaded with Vitamin C and K, folate, fiber and B6.  Cauliflower also helps the body naturally detoxify and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

Now, how do we glam-ify this nutritionally packed veggie?  Here are our top three favorite way to make cauliflower kid/husband friendly.

When you turn a head of cauliflower into this famous junk food staple; you’ll totally turn heads. Check out our delicious recipea for BBQCauliflower wings. They look and taste just like your favorite finger food but they’re all veggie, have a perfectly crunchy outside and a deliciously “meaty” inside and are totally gluten-free.

When you turn cauliflower into this fancy Italian dish, you’ll leave your family singing, “when the moon hits your eye like a big dish of RISOTTO…that’s amore-eee.”  Simply dice up a half a head of cauliflower (dice into very small, rice like pieces) and add to your favorite risotto recipe. Most recipes call for you cook the onions and garlic then add your veggies (before you add the Arborio rice), this is when you’ll add the cauliflower. You want it to cook down and become creamy like the rice. Use a large pot because this will give you more servings of risotto. Most people won’t even know that you’ve replaced a good amount of the main ingredient with a veggie!

And our final cauliflower recommendation is something you don’t have to make yourself. Our FAVORITE way to eat this nutrient powerhouse is via our delicious AND fat-free cauliflower VEGGIE WEDGIES.  A serving of Peas of Mind’s cauliflower veggie fries contain 2 servings of veggies, are gluten-free, vegan and can be prepared in about 12 minutes.  If you want to spice up a bag of fries, check out our garlic fry recipe and get ready for your little ones to ask for seconds and thirds!

We Give a Fig!

September's Food of the Month is FIGS! 

More than a modest leafy cover-up, figs (and their leaves!) are the most luscious and versatile of our September harvest. We don’t mind saying goodbye to summer when it means fig season! This month is prime-time for figs to shine in your house, and they’re a great source of nutrients in a kid-friendly package.

Turns out, figs are one of the oldest cultivated foods known to man. We have been farming them for over 11,000 years (likely before most grains) and they’ve been growing in California (producer of 98% of the nation’s figs) since the Spanish explorers brought them in the 1500’s. With the PeasHQ located in the heart of San Francisco, we feel it’s our duty to take advantage of fig season!

Figs are jam-packed with loads of great nutrients.  In their freshest and ripest form they are packed with antioxidants and fiber, and per the USDA, they are a good source of Calcium and Potassium, as well as Vitamin K and Magnesium.

Their sweet flesh and cartoon-cute shape make them an easy sell with kids. Not to mention that bright colored inside can attract even the wariest of our little ones. The best part, however, is definitely the fact that these little superfruits are perfect for literally any age – our young ones with small hands and only a smattering of tiny teeth can power through our ripest figs while our older ones can just grab-n-go with no worries about a pit or a peel.  We’ve all been handed those apple cores and banana peels as though we had a wastebasket for a handbag!

Getting Choosey

When you’re eyeing the figs at the market this month, what should you look for?

-       Plump and tender

-       Slightly leathery skin (but not withered or dry)

-       Aromatic – they should smell sweet!

-       Deep, rich colors

Once you’re home, toss them in the fridge if they’re ripe (well, don’t actually toss them, but you know) or leave them on the counter if they’re a touch under. Just remember to use ‘em fast (never a problem in our house!) because they are so delicate and perishable. To help extend their life in your house, don’t wash them until you’re about to eat them.

Use Em’ or Lose Em’

Okay, so now you’ve come home with a pint or two of these beauties. How to make the best use of them while they’re abundant?

We have a few suggestions from the PeasHQ

Easy:  Figs and breakfast are the most laid back of friends. Slice those babies over some greek yogurt, oatmeal, or a big bowl of cereal. An easy way to get a few extra nutrients into the morning routine.

Medium:  Put a fig on it! Slice your figs into quarters or so. Grab some pizza dough, or phyllo dough, or even some frozen naan. Any flatbread will do here. Spread some cheese on the dough while your oven heats up (375 should do the trick.) Figs LOVE cheese – anything from ricotta or goat cheese to fontina or mozzarella. Now add your figs and a nut or an herb. Walnuts are lovely, as is a bit of basil or oregano. Get fancy with pomegranite seeds or caramelized onions. Bake until the cheese is melted and the figs are roasted. Slice. Try not to burn your mouth.

Extra Credit

OH NO! : So it’s happened to us all – you forgot about the figs in the fridge, or went out for pizza, or took a decadent weekend trip to Hawaii (a mom can dream!) and now you’ve got to use those figs STAT! Here is where jam comes to your rescue. Chop em up, throw them in a thick-bottomed pot (more Kardashian than Kidman) with a glug or two of honey. Cook on low for half an episode of Modern Family. Stir it when you remember. Now it looks like a jammy preserve, right? If not, give it til the end of the episode. Add a touch of vinegar or lemon juice, Done! Now chill it in clean containers and it’ll keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

No matter how you eat them, figs are a great way to introduce new food and seasonal eating habits to our favorite little ones!

Food of the Month - Apple Cider Vinegar

If you haven’t noticed, here at Peas of Mind we LOVE food! We love to make it, eat it, talk about it and write about it.  We are constantly finding new foods that we are amazed by or finding new uses for some of our favorite foods.  That’s why we’re starting a Food of the Month club; where each month we’ll feature a new, nutrient packed power food!

This month we’re featuring one of our favorite condiments, Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV as it’s known by it’s super fans (it’s important to note that in order to get the desired effect, you must find apple cider vinegar that says “raw and unfiltered”).   ACV is a must have condiment in your house because as you will see by our list below, it’s a power food that can do everything from alleviating allergies to clearing up acne.

 Health Benefits of ACV:

• Improves Digestion
• Balances high cholesterol
• Helps fight the common cold by boosting the body’s immune system
• Relieves sore throats
• Provides an added caffeine-free energy boost
• Cures constipation
• Alleviates allergies (in both humans AND animals)
• Relieves heartburn by alkalizing the body
• Supports weightless by increasing the metabolism
• Helps balance blood sugar 

Incorporating ACV into your diet:

In a perfect world, every morning before your coffee you would dilute 2 tbsp into a glass of water and chug it down, but we must admit that it’s potent stuff and can take some time to get used to.   To begin, try the above recipe when you need it most (ie have a sore throat or are suffering from indigestion) and on days where you’re feeling healthy simply add ACV to:

• Salad dressings
• Salsas
• Sauces
• Smoothies
• Mix with honey and add to fruit salad
• Sprinkle with salt on your Peas of Mind Veggie Fries
• Really, anything that you normally add vinegar to

Let the Apple Cider Vinegar concoctions begin!