Kitchen Hacks- Waffle Iron

Is the waffle iron something that collects dust in the back of your cabinet? We can attest that it does in our house. We decided to plug ours in and push it to its limits. We wanted to go beyond the waffle and try to cook everything from veggies to hamburgers in it.

Waffle irons cook food in minutes and are super easy to clean! Not to mention relatively safe for kids to use (with supervision). We find that when our kiddos participate in meal preparation they are more likely to eat at mealtimes! Here are some cool ideas to try:

1.   Veggie Waffles
Grate zucchini, beets, squash or a mixture of your favorite veggies. Mix with an egg, parmesan cheese and a little bit of rice flour (to get it crispy). mmmmmm this is sooo yummy right out of the waffle iron or you can freeze them and just pop them in the toaster another day!

2.   Fish Stick Waffles
Ok, we know these sound a bit strange but this is an easy version of a crab cake and definitely something to try! For best results shred the fish and instead of coating with flour then egg then breadcrumb just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and make into little patties.

3.   Falafel 
Follow your favorite falafel recipe and instead of baking or frying them put them in the waffle iron! Start with a flatter patty and they will come out really nice and crispy!

4.   Hot Sandwiches
This is a waffle iron version of a panini! Try PB&J or a Turkey & Cheese sandwich. This will require a little muscle to force the waffle iron closed… but super tasty and great for the lunchbox too!

Think beyond the waffle and share your waffle iron hacks with us!

What's In Our Lunchbox This Week?

Running out of lunchbox ideas for your child(ren)? Let us inspire you with some protein packed egg options:

1.   Deviled Eggs
we cream our yolks with some butternut squash puree!

2.   Egg Tortilla #1
try making a tortilla out of 2 scrambled eggs. Simply put in a fry pan and flip "tortilla" once. Remove from pan and fill with a great avocado smash and roll up like a taco. Yummy warm or cold!

2.   Egg Tortilla #2
try making a tortilla out of 2 scrambled eggs. Simply put in a fry pan and flip "tortilla" once. Add a slice of cheese and fold over. Remove from pan and top with a great avocado smash. Yummy warm or cold!

4.   Deconstructed BLT + Egg
let those little hands build their own sandwich by serving a side of bacon (or veggie bacon), lettuce, tomato, and egg (cook into an omelette and cut into squares when cool)

What's In Our Lunchbox This Week

Here is what we will be sending in the lunchbox this week

1.    Polenta Fries- great warm or cold

This recipe is easy to add veggies to – simply stir in some broccoli or carrot puree for crispy fingers that will keep your tot going all afternoon.

2.    Roasted Veggie "Chips"

Great side to any lunch protein/sandwich. Cut raw veggies into thin rounds (sweet potatoes, zucchini or even parsnip), toss in olive oil and bake on 425 until golden, flipping halfway through bake.

3.    Riced Cauliflower Bowl

Grind down raw cauliflower until small couscous like consistency and replace half the rice with riced cauliflower in a yummy rice bowl with avocado, cheese and a little salsa.

4.    Zucchini Waffles

There are a ton of recipes on the internet to follow. We like to mix parmesan with the zucchini which helps make them a little crunchy!

5.   No-Bake Carrot Balls- something sweet

Figs or dates hold these together, loaded with shredded carrot (or parsnip or beet) and tossed in some unsweetened coconut for a tasty afternoon snack.

Hot and Cold Lunches!

We all face different temperature issues when packing lunches for our kiddos. Sometimes it's how to keep everything cool, other times we try to find ways for them to eat a hot, home-cooked lunch.

Hot lunches are a great way to avoid sandwich fatigue and repurpose leftovers so we aren't always making something new. Some schools, especially for the younger tots, will heat up packed lunches for them. But as our kids have gotten older, it's a bit more of a free-for-all! Our best solution so far has been using a thermos, but here are a couple of our lunch packing tips!

For keeping cold:

Freeze your bread! Freezing the sliced bread for sandwiches keeps it fresher longer, and also ensures that the sandwich filling (like chicken or egg salad) stays cooler longer. The bread will be perfectly defrosted by lunch time!

Freeze yogurt! Yogurt can last longer than you think without strong refrigeration because it's bacteria cultures fight off anything hazardous, but freezing a yogurt is an easy way to add an "ice pack" without taking up a lot of extra space in a lunch.

Freeze a water bottle! Even a small water bottle or juice pack will keep lunches nice and cool in a backpack until lunch time.

Freeze the thermos! In the morning while you're packing a lunch and mainlining coffee, fill the thermos with ice water and let it sit in the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour out the ice water, put in your cold items, and be amazed at how long they stay chilly! This is perfect for packing a smoothie or milkshake for their lunches!

For keeping warm: 

Boil the (wide mouthed) thermos! Simply boil a small pot of water and pour it directly into the empty thermos, screw on the lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Remove the water and put in your favorite hot lunch! We love everything from an omelet, to chili, to meatball or mac n cheese. Even potstickers or shepherds' pie make great options!

Separate! Put napkins with utensils, a pack of crackers, or a banana in between the hot thermos and any sort of cold food you might be packing.

What are your lunchbox hacks? And how in the world do you get your kids to bring home the ice packs and all the containers?! :)

Lunchbox Inspiration Snack Edition!

Lunchbox Inspiration Round 2!

We gave you some great protein ideas, and this week we’re giving you some snack options! Too often, the lunches we’re packing rely on cheese and yogurt for snacks, and while we happen to be raising omnivorous, we try to get a well rounded diet into our tots. Fruit and dairy are our default for grab-and-go, but we decided to challenge ourselves to come up with some other alternatives.

Here are a few general ideas, but you can always head over to Pinterest for more specific recipes!

  Polenta Fries

This recipe is easy to add veggies to – simply stir in some pumpkin or carrot puree for crispy fingers that will keep your tot going all afternoon.

 Corn Salad

Corn off-the-cob with some olive oil and basil or veggies makes for an easy dinner-to-lunch snack that’s great hot or cold.

Chickpea Nuggets

Also known as panisse, cooking up a big batch of chickpea flour and cooling it means you can cut it into an array of toddler-friendly shapes and bake them. Not to mention its another recipe into which veggies can be easily added.

 Carrot and Pepper Dippers

Sliced red pepper sticks or coins make carrot sticks a little more exciting, and add a bevy of nutrients.

Zucchini or Cucumber roll-ups

Sliced thin the long way into wide ribbons, spread with anything from hummus to pureed black beans, and roll them into pinwheels. Toothpick them in place if they get unruly.

Carrot Coins

Roasting carrot coins, either in with a little honey or a more savory olive oil version make this super healthy vegetable easier to eat for tots with fewer fully developed teeth, and provide a kick of sweetness in the afternoon.

 Mini Veggie Frittatas

It’s easy to skip the cheese in these, and cubes of sweet potato make them a little heartier so that the drive home isn’t a meltdown.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

There are a million recipes for these using everything from quinoa to banana, so use what you’ve got, make batch and freeze them for a grab-and-go snack that will defrost by the time they’re ready for a snack.

Crunchy Cauliflower

Dredge your florets in any kind of batter or panko or chopped up nut, roast ‘til crunchy, and pack them in a lunch with some tasty dip for kids who have mastered the dunk. 

Taquito Rollups

Fill a few small tortillas with some smashed beans and avocado and corn, roll ‘em tight, and bake.

No-Bake Carrot Balls

Figs or dates hold these together, loaded with shredded carrot (or parsnip or beet) and tossed in some unsweetened coconut for a tasty afternoon snack.

Veggie Skewers

Cubed up veggies like cucumber or naturally small ones like cherry tomatoes make vegetables fun! 

Roasted Veggie Chips

Zucchini, sweet potato, and beets all work well for crispy yummy veggie chips.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip 

Blend this up with a little avocado and real egg mayo instead of cream cheese for a savory spread on whole-wheat English muffins or cucumber slices.

Bumps on a Log

A classic for a reason!

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Most recipes for this are little more than some mashed avocado, cocoa powder, and a little sweetener! A great alternative to pudding for the tiny choco-feinds!

Roasted Tomato

Cherry or grape tomatoes go under the broiler for a few minutes to get them extra sweet and concentrated, then straight into a lunchbox.

Back to School Lunch Inspiration

Part 1: PROTEIN!

Lunchbox inspiration is always a tough one, especially when you’re just trying to get back into the routine! Fruit is the easy part, but a good protein can often be a struggle, so this week we’ve rounded up the best Peas Perspective ReciPEAs to help you beat the back-to-school burnout!

Keep checking back as we’ll be posting Lunchbox Inspiration posts all season to answer all your questions, like hot v. cold, what to pack when they’re wearing white ;), and alternatives to fruit and dairy burnout!

1.     Healthy Hotcakes

These heart-healthy hotcakes are great for lunches, and folding in some leftover cooked quinoa give them a heartier texture AND ups the protein content! They’re even great smeared with a little nut butter for an added boost of protein!

2.     Homeade Granola Bars

By making them at home, you can control the sugar content and eliminate additives to make these tasty bars totally customizable for lunchboxes. Nuts like almonds, pistachios, and sunflowers have the highest protein to lowest saturated fat ratios, so they’re perfect to add in to these healthy bars.

3.     Kamut Krispies

We all know sometimes our littlest eaters skip the good-for-you parts of their lovingly packed lunch and dive straight into the sweets. Nothing feels worse than seeing their sandwich sitting untouched in their lunchbox when they get home. A batch of these Kamut Krispies will ensure that even if they only eat dessert, they are still getting some iron and protein!

4.     Curried Tuna and Pesto Egg Salads

This blog post has some of our favorite ideas for getting extra protein into little lunches. The Curried Tuna Salad uses yogurt instead of mayo for a double dose of protein, and the Waldorf Chicken Salad is perfect for kids with a sweet tooth by adding in diced apple!

5.     Whole Grain Quinoa Bowl

Using quinoa instead of rice for this recipe means an easy family dinner can instantly double as lunch tomorrow!

6.     Sandwich Sushi with Chickpeas of the Sea

Chickpeas replace tuna for a perfect Meatless Monday lunch hack! Plus, the lettuce keeps everything from getting soggy in a lunchbox and the “sushi” pieces make toddler mealtime a breeze.

Chick of the sea sandwich sushi!

Here at Peas of Mind, our mission is to get kids to eat their veggies.  We always say that we reinvent the classics! We take those unhealthy dishes kids love to eat, like pizza and fries, and infuse them with veggies for a nutritious meal the entire family will enjoy. Studies show that kids are more likely to eat foods that they had a hand in making; so instead of the regular ole sandwich format, we’re making Sandwich Sushi for the lunchbox. Not only is this a healthy reci-pea but a fun project your kids will enjoy preparing with you!

We reinvented the classic tuna fish sandwich using chickpeas instead of tuna. Did you know that chickpeas have almost as much calcium as a glass of milk plus loads of fiber and protein? So grab your kids, a rolling pin and enjoy some quality kitchen time together making chick of the sea sandwich sushi!

Ingredients:

-2-3 slices of whole wheat bread

-1 ½ cups of drained chickpeas

-1 small apple, diced

-½ medium onion, diced

-1 celery stalk, diced

-3 kosher dill spears, diced

-6 sheets of seaweed, torn up into small pieces

-1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

-Squeeze of lemon

Pour chickpeas into a food processor and pulse until lightly ground.  Add mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon and seaweed and pulse a few more times until the texture resembles tuna. Spoon mixture into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring until thoroughly mixed.

Cut the crust off the sandwich bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin. Top with filling. Cut into 1” slices and eat like sushi!

Other sushi sandwich options:

For breakfast: top flattened bread with bananas and peanut butter.

For a snack: top flattened bread with hummus, avocado and julienned veggies.

DIY English Muffins

Make our English muffins on Sunday and enjoy them all week long. They are a great breakfast treat, lunch box sandwich, or a quick and easy mini-pizza dinner! Making your own English muffins avoids using preservatives, and other industrial ingredients, found in most store bought varieties. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make a special Valentine's Day breakfast.

• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbl sugar + 1 pinch
• 1 packet yeast
• 1 cup water, about 110 degrees
• 2 Tbl melted butter (substitute with vegetable oil)
• 4 to 6 cups bread flour
• 2 tsp salt
• corn meal for dusting, about 1/4 cup
• cooking spray

Warm milk in saucepan and remove from heat when milk just starts to bubble. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, add the 110 degree water and stir a pinch of sugar. Then add yeast, stir gently, and let start for at least 10 minutes. Mix in the milk, butter (or oil), 1 teaspoon salt and 2-3 cups of flour. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 4 hours at room temperature or let rest in the fridge overnight for flavor development (optional).
Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar and mix well. Add flour until a moderately sticky dough is formed. Knead dough at least 5 minutes, using minimal flour so that it doesn't stick too badly, but is still tacky to the touch. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
Dust two baking sheets lightly with cornmeal and set aside. Roll dough out to about 1-1.5" thick lightly and cut into peices for muffins, about 2 inch squares (makes about 24 muffins). Place on dusted baking sheets and top muffins with a sprinkle of cornmeal. Let rise for 30 minutes.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. One batch at a time, spray hot pan lightly with cooking spray and add muffins. Flip when golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining muffins. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 405 days or freeze for up to a month.

Here at Peas, we're excited to take our blog in a new direction.

We're going to use this platform to provide tips and tidbits about cooking, kids & nutrition.

Our first tidbit is:

Snack for a healthy smile!

We know that dairy products are a great source of calcium, but turns out that cheddar-like cheeses have additional benefits to aid in the development and maintenance of teeth, particularly when eaten at the end of a meal.

First off, the minerals calcium and phosphorous present in cheese buffer the weakening effects that strongly acidic foods have on teeth.

Chewing on cheeses like cheddar activate the salivary glands to produce more saliva which helps remove residual pieces of food in the mouth. This is particularly effective after a child eats sweets: the cheese loosens and sweeps away sticky bits of candy and thereby helps prevent decay.

Eating cheeses that are semi-firm (like like cheddar, swiss, mozzarella and monterey jack) are particularly effective in this regard. These cheeses are made from very smooth curds that act similarly to a squeegie on a glass window, removing all of the grime, leaving teeth squeaky clean!

So at the end of a meal, consider serving a small cube of cheese to your little one, and enjoying a nibble for yourself.