Support your child's inner entrepreneur this summer by helping their lemonade stand really stick out from the competition! How about infusing plain ol' lemonade with ginger or lemongrass or lavendar? Start with our simple base lemonade reci-pea and offer one or a few flavor additions for passer-byers to customize their lemonade!
Base Lemonade:
This should be slightly concentrated because it will be diluted later with one of the flavor infusions below.
3/4 cup sugar
7 lemons, juiced
5 cups cold water
2 trays of ice cubes
Flavor Infusion(s):
Pour a cup of boiling water over 1 of the following aromatics and let steep 10 minutes. Strain and put in the fridge to chill.
lavender: 1/2 cup dried
ginger: 2 inch piece, sliced into thin rounds, about 12 slices
lemongrass: 3 stalks, bruised, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds
garam masala: 2 Tablespoons
hibiscus tea: 4 tea bags
Assembly:
Start with ice in a cup. Depending on the size of the cup, add 1-2 Tablespoons or more of a flavor infusion and then fill the glass with the base lemonade. Stir and serve.
Here is a great reci-pea that you can make with your kids, customize to your tastebuds, and feel good about the snacks they are eating because you made them!
This highly versatile recipe comes together from just four essential ingredients. To customize: add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese to make cheese crackers. Mix rosemary into the dough and sprinkle coarse salt on top for a gourmet snack. Add sesame seeds to the dough for added nutrients. The possibilities are endless for crackers healthier and tastier than any boxed brand!
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water
Optional additions for inside or on top of the dough:
herbs like rosemary and thyme, coarse salt, cracked pepper, sesame or poppy seeds, minced garlic or onion, parmesan, cheddar or other cheese, etc. We love adding a tablespoon of wheat germ for its nutty flavor and nutritious crunch!
For added richness, an equal amount of milk, half and half or cream can be used in place of the water. Butter can be used in place of the olive oil.
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or dust lightly with flour.
2. Combine flour and salt in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add oil all at once and then do a few quick pulses until oily clumps form. Do not over-process. Add about 1/4 cup of water and process with several longer pulses. Continue to add liquid a teaspoon at a time until mixture holds together but is not sticky. The dough should have streaks of oily parts of dough and wet parts dough which will make tender, flaky layers in the crackers.
3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed. Transfer sheet of dough to prepared baking sheet (drape it over rolling pin to make it easier). Score lightly with a sharp knife, pizza cutter or a pastry wheel so you can break crackers into squares or rectangles later on. Sprinkle with salt or other topping if you like.
4. Bake until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in an air-tight container for a few days.
Lentils are similar to beans in nutritional content and cooking method required (boiling). However, lentils cook much faster than dried beans (in 10-25 minutes compared to an hour or longer) and are a fantastic vegetarian source of protein, B vitamins and iron, calcium and more. With 26% of their calories coming from protein, lentils are second only to the soybean in protein content among legumes and pulses. With the info, tips, and recipes below, we hope this entry will encourage you to incorporate lentils into your family's diet.
Lentils are used throughout India, the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East. They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time and creates the same 'complete' protein in the diet as classic combos like rice and beans or a PB & J.
Apart from a high level of protein, lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Additionally, lentils supply soluble fiber which helps moderate cholesterol and blood sugar levels. There are many varieties of lentils from all over the world. Here are our three favorites that we always have in the pantry:
French Green (dark speckled blue-green) [pictured left]
cook time: about 20 minutes.
texture when cooked: maintain their shape and a firmer texture
use in: salads (warm or cold).
Example: Lentil Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers and Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. This is one of our favorite cookbooks. It contains another fabulous recipe with lentils, pasta and rice. Sounds strange but tastes awesome!)
*Note*: Red (or pink) lentils contain less than half the fiber of green lentils (11% rather than 31%), making red lentils a great one to start with when introducing them to a small child or anyone who is not accustomed to fiberous foods.
Preparation
For salads, drain lentils when they are cooked through but still firm.
For soups or purees, cook lentils until they are soft.
Lentils can be cooked in the microwave, but it takes almost as long as on the stovetop.
Earlier in 2010, we started a series on kid-friendly recipes with regional flare. (Culinary Adenture for Kids, Part 1) Each recipe in this series will have its own unique inspiration from a different region of the world, but will all have one thing in common: the sweet potato!
Our second installment in this series is inspired by the Caribbean. The first ingredients which come to mind when thinking about the tropics are: orange and pineapple! Try our version of the twice baked-potato with this reci-pea!
Tropical, Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes -4 small sweet potatoes, whole, unpeeled (about 1 3/4 lbs) -1/3 cup golden raisins -2 Tbs. brown sugar -1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon -1/4 tsp. nutmeg-1/4 tsp. salt (optional) -1 tsp orange zest -2 Tbs orange juice8 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained -1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Prick each sweet potato a few times with a fork, then bake them at 400 F until tender, about an hour. Let cool 15 minutes.
Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh while keeping the skins intact. Mash sweet potatoes. Stir in raisins, brown sugar, spices, salt (optional), orange zest & juice and pineapple. Mix well.
Spoon the mixture back into the skins. Sprinkle with chopped nuts (if using).Place potatoes in a baking dish (or on a baking sheet) and bake at 400 F until heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve. More destinations for the sweet potato to come in the months ahead!
You've asked for kid-friendly recipes with an ethnic flare.
We've accepted the challenge and offer an Iron Chef-like response. This entry is the first in a series of recipes that showcase: SWEET POTATOES. Each recipe in this series will have its own unique inspiration from a different region of the world.
We'll begin our quest with a North African twist on the sweet potato. Familiar flavors of cinnamon and raisins are accented with a hint of ginger. The sweet potato's creamy texture is contrasted by the crunch of toasted walnuts. This new combination of common ingredients may be the dish that inspires your kids to eat more adventurously. This dish is great over rice or couscous.
Moroccan-Style Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon, Raisins and Walnuts
2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 medium onion, ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, then sliced thinly (1/8-1/4 in) from pole to pole 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1 in cubes 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 cup raisins 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar 1/4 walnuts, chopped and toasted
Heat a large non-stick frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and cinnamon to the pan. 30 seconds later, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and saute until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sweet potatoes.
Saute for 5-7 minutes until the onions and sweet potatoes are golden brown in places. Add 3/4 cup water, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover and let simmer for 6-8 mins until the sweet potatoes are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. If the sweet potatoes are done but some liquid remains, cook uncovered for a minute or two to reduce. Serve hot with toasted walnuts on top.
We, at Peas of Mind, like to avoid adding sugar whenever possible, but there are some situations where added sweetness is necessary. For example, let's say your child has a few friends over and you decide to make lemonade. Might you consider using a 'raw' type cane sugar or maybe even agave syrup to stand in for the good ole' white standard?
Refined white sugar is 99.9% pure sucrose, which means it is almost entirely absent of any vitamins or minerals. When considering alternative sweetners, natural food stores offer such an overwhelming selection that its tough to know what to choose. Below is a chart we created to help differentiate among several natural sweetners:
Note the sweetners that are "sweeter" than white sugar (honey and agave). These naturally contain fructose which, molecule for molecule, tastes sweeter than the sucrose in table sugar. That means that you can use a smaller amount of honey or agave to acheive the same sweet taste as sugar!
Sources: On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar
We were recently invited to an extraordinary evening of pizza-making. Hosted by Cooking for Geeks, we were in pursuit of ways to achieve the crispiest pizza crust at home.
Here at Peas, we often make pizza from scratch at home. Making your own pizza is a great way to get kids into the kitchen where they can experiment and create a combination all their own. It makes for a darn fun dinner party as well. Making pizza together is a joyous experience, and its incredibly economical to boot.
Mmmmmm... heirloom tomato.
Producing a crackly crust can be tough to achieve at home, even when using a pizza stone in an oven at the highest temperature setting.
On this particular evening, our insanely curious friend hacked the lock on his home oven so he could effectively bake with the oven in cleaning mode. Yikes!!! At a temperatures nearing 900 degrees at times, one pizza cooked in a mere 45 seconds! Do not try this at home!!!
That gadget in hand is an infrared thermometer. Yes, it says 845 degrees F!
Now that's crrrrispy!
Here's a safer way to imitate this crazy hack.
The "Cast Iron Skillet + Broiler" Method:
Crank your oven to its hottest (approved) setting with a rack in the central position. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove top, giving it time to get super hot.
2 minutes before you bake, switch the oven to the broiler setting.
When you're pizza is topped and ready to bake, invert the cast iron skillet and slide your raw pizza onto the scorching hot base of the skillet. Carefully (!) transfer the skillet to the oven (now on broil). Keep an eye on that pizza because it will cook faster than imaginable!
What's your spin on homemade pizza? Tips to share?
Being that her dad was raised in Alabama, its not surprising that the owner of Peas of Mind grew up eating grits.
Inspired by this childhood favorite, the Black Bean Polenta Puffet was originally called the Black Bean & Grits Puffet. When nobody in California knew what grits were, polenta was the perfect substitution. But wait, what's the difference between polenta and grits? Two main differences: 1. The corn ground to make polenta is finer than that of grits, a difference that affects the final texture. 2. The corn used to make white grits is soaked in lye to remove the bran. The resulting corn is called hominy, which is also used to make masa harina (used to make tortillas.)
When facing baskets of fresh figs or a bin full of onions, how do you make your selection? What are the marks of quality produce?
'Compact' and 'heavy for its size' are universal qualities to look for when selecting produce.
Below are more specific traits
Vegetables:
artichoke: compact, with firm, fleshy, tightly closed leaves.
asparagus: tight, dark green or deep purple tips with firm slender stalks, preferably less than 1/2" in diameter.
eggplant: tight, smooth skin. small or medium-sized ones have fewer seeds (examining the scar on the blossom end to select 'male eggplants' is bunk! They possess both male and female parts and can self-reproduce.)
garlic: plump and compact with tight skin
onion: tightly-closed neck, firm and dry all over with crackly skin. all varieties should have a mild smell; a strong scent indicates rotting.
peppers: firm, tight glossy skin. heavy ones have thicker walls and therefore more juicy flesh.
Fruits:
passion fruit: large and heavy. ripe when deeply wrinkled.
persimmon: deep color; more red than yellow.
fig: deep color. white cracks and a slight leathering effect indicate extreme sweetness!
lychee: redder the fresher/better. with stems attached.
citrus: firm and round with smooth skin.
pomelo: heavy, fragrant.
grapefruit: flattened ends, skin that is not puffy.
lemon: bright yellow, not greenish.
lime: dark green ones taste freshest; yellowing indicates the degradation of tartness and overall flavor.
melon: slight softness and fruity aroma. look for a 'ground-spot' (slightly flattened, side where the skin is lighter in color where the melon once rested on the ground.) The more distinct the ground-spot is, the more time the melon spent ripening on the vine.
cantalope: golden under the netting, not dull green.
honeydew: freckles on the skin indicate sweetness.
watermelon: ground-spot should be yellow, not white.
* The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition by Sheldon Margen, M.D., University of California, Berkeley, Random House Inc., 1992.
We see many creative back to school lunchbox recipes around this time of year, but we can’t forget the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Peas of Mind wants to be sure the kids get off to the best possible start of their school year! This reci-pea combines ALL of the “super grains” and seeds that you’ve been hearing about over the last couple years. You can serve this hot or cold, for breakfast or as a snack. Here is a snippet of the health benefits of each of the reci-peas components:
Chia Seeds: These seeds slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar which translates to a longer lasting fuel source for your body. It’s the food version of turning your body from a gas guzzler to a hybrid car!
Quinoa: These seeds are a complete protein, which means they contains all of the 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body for building muscles. Typically, you must eat meat, or combination foods such as rice and beans, to obtain these nutrients.
Amaranth: These ancient grains contain an incredible amount of essential nutrients: protein, iron, fiber and calcium, along with essential amino acids required for brain cell maintenance.
Agave Syrup: This is a wonderful alternative to using regular processed sugars. It has a low glycemic index, even lower than sugars from fruit, which means it will not cause a sharp spike in sugar levels. In other words, parents, no more kids on crazy sugar highs!
Flax Seeds: These seeds are pretty amazing for their size! They help regulate blood sugar levels, increase energy and stamina, and help with Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD.)
Brainy Grain Cereal
Serves 6
1/2 cup amaranth
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 tablespoon chia seed
2 tablespoons light agave syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
6 whole graham crackers (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted coconut (optional)
Dark chocolate chips, melted for drizzle (optional)
In a saucepan combined the amaranth with 1 ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed (it has a consistency similar to Cream of Wheat.) In another saucepan combined the the quinoa with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and, then let simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until all water is absorbed (cooking quinoa is similar to cooking rice.)
In a large bowl, combine the amaranth, quinoa, flax seeds, chia seeds, agave syrup, brown sugar and salt.
To serve, spread 2 tablespoons of Brainy Grain Cereal onto graham crackers, sprinkle with toasted coconut, and drizzle with chocolate. You can omit the graham crackers especially if anyone in your family is allergic or intolerant to gluten. Serve Brainy Grainy Cereal straight out of a bowl or in a muffin cup! Another delightful treat, Brain Grainy Cereal right on top of a Nanna’s Banana Puffet.
We've outdone ourselves this time, we've created a fat free, baked vegetable donut made with sweet potatoes. Yes, a vegetable donut! The inspiration for this month’s reci-pea is Father's Day. We are dedicating this reci-pea to the father of our Marketing Manager, Kelly Walsh. Kelly's dad has a sweet tooth, but not for sweet potatoes. She teases her dad frequently saying, "Dad, who doesn't love sweet potatoes?" They're the greatest vegetable on earth; naturally sweet, slightly starchy, and you can prepare sweet potatoes in so many ways. Best of all, sweet potatoes are super high in antioxidants (vitamins A & C) and contain vitamin B6 that helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Baked Sweet Potato Donuts:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 of one large sweet potato (peeled, cut, boiled and mashed)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup regular sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking poweder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkle:
2 Tbl melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl sugar
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, mix the mashed sweet potato and applesauce together until combined. Using a stand-up mixer, and a paddle attachment, mix together all dry ingredients. Then add the sweet potato and applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on low for 10 seconds and then move to high for about 30 - 45 seconds or until all ingredients are combined to form a dough. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Prepare a well-floured surface. Gently, kneed the dough a couple of times to incorporate a bit more flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a ½ inch thickness. Use two round cookie cutters, (one large, one small) to form the donut shape. Gently place uncooked donuts onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 6-9 minutes (Do not over cook.) For the Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkle, combine the cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl. When donuts are out of oven brush each with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Fava Beans are and excellent source of fiber and folate. Folate is necessary for the production and health of new cells and is needed to make DNA and RNA. Kids will love to help you shell the fava beans (at least for a little while ;) )
Fava Fundip:
1 lb unshelled fava beans (this equates to 1 cup of shelled beans)
3 tbl veggie stock
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp chives, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
Preparing your fava beans: Fresh favas need to be husked. Shell the bean by pulling on the stem of the pod and "unzip" them on both sides. This will remove the outer shell and expose the bean. The beans have a waxy coating that needs to be removed. Remove by dropping beans into boiling water for 1 minute, then quickly plunging into ice water to stop the cooking process. Now remove the waxy outer coating.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
CAUTION: Do not eat raw fava beans. The risk of eating raw fava beans is small, but some have a reaction.
We're Peas of Mind, reinventing kid classics into healthy frozen favorites with full servings of veggies. Think fries, milkshakes, and pizza...but secretly good for you and your family!
