Food of the Month - Leeks

Holiday season has officially begun. Thanksgiving is over, we’re all still feeling full, a little tired but of course, ready for more. More cheer, more merry, more carols and most importantly more food. This month we decided to celebrate a winter vegetable that may go unnoticed in many dishes and perhaps, you’ve never even heard of it, but this veggie can be your secret weapon when it comes to turning any dish into a savory, warming and healthy holiday meal.

This December we’re chatting it up about the green, long and ridiculously delicious LEEK! A leek looks a lot like a giant green onion, in fact it’s in the onion and garlic family. Unlike it’s potent cousins, the leek has a more mild flavor and when cooked until tender, leeks can add a savory, sweet flavor that’s unlike any other.

Why eat a leek?

Studies show that leeks are anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. They also contain a large amount of allicin. When digested allicin, produces sulfenic acid which helps your body neutralize free radicals.  In layman’s terms: leeks can help your body fight off viruses, disease and even the common cold.

How to eat a leek?

Leeks are easy to prepare BUT it’s very important that you thoroughly clean a leek as they tend to have hidden dirt inside the edible part.  To clean and prep simply cut off green tops of leeks and remove outer tough leaves (these outer leaves are a bit woodier then the white parts of the leek but they make an exceptional vegetable broth. Either make your broth with the meal your preparing or put the leek tops in a ziplock bag and freeze for later use).  Cut the white/light green part of the leek into thin rounds, fill a bowl with water and add leek rounds to the water. Use your hands to clean out any dirt hiding inside the leek.  Strain leeks and use as you would onions and garlic. 

When should you eat a leek?

Like we mentioned, leeks are a wonderful replacement for any recipe that calls for a sautéed onion.  Trust us, the minute the aroma of the leeks cooking in olive oil hits the air, everyone in your family will wonder "what's for dinner?"

Here are a few simple ways to incorporate leeks into your diet:

Leek and potato soup

Fried leeks (instead of fried onions)

Caramelized leeks

Quiche with leeks

Creamy leek and mushroom pasta sauce

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!

Reinvented Fried Rice

Reinventing kid food is what we do best! We take pride in providing busy parents like you the Peas of Mind that comes with feeding your little ones all natural, veggie infused meals that take minutes to prepare.  This month we’re reinventing your family’s favorite take-out dinner: fried rice! 

 As usual we’re shaking things up by packing this dish with whole veggies while slashing the fat.  We’ve even replaced rice with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), which wows with 7 grams of COMPLETE protein per serving! Not only is this meal quick and easy to prepare, if the quinoa is cooked a head of time, it’s a one pot meal which makes clean up a cinch!

INGREDIENTS:

About 4 cups cooked quinoa, al dente

1/2 onion, small dice

1 large carrot, small dice

4 florets cauliflower, chopped

4 leaves kale (or cabbage or other leafy green), stems removed and shredded

1/2 cup frozen peas

about 1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, to taste (or substitute salt)

sesame seeds, for garnish 

METHOD

Cook quinoa according to directions. Bring to boil, then turn off heat and let sit covered while you begin stir-fry. It should be fully cooked but not soft or mushy.

Heat sesame oil over high heat. Add onion, carrot, cauliflower and ginger. Stir-fry about five minutes, until onion are translucent and cauliflower begins to turn golden brown. Add kale and cooked quinoa and stir-fry for two minutes to combine. Add frozen peas, lemon juice and tamari and stir to combine. Cover to steam about three to four minutes over low heat. Once peas are defrosted and bright green, taste for seasoning. Serve in bowls and garnish with sesame seeds (which are this month's food of the MONTH, find out why here).

Makes 4 servings

This recipea is not only packed with veggies and protein, it is unbelievably quick to make. In the time that you would call a take out restaurant and pick up the food, this reinvented fried rice will be ready to eat. So throw out those take out menus and breath a sigh of relief knowing that your kiddos are being nourished with this month's Recipea!

Food of the Month - Sesame Seeds

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 the ever-versatile sesame seed.  We love sesame seeds because of their nutty flavor, the incredible crunch they can add to any dish and most of all because when sesame seeds are ground up, they  make the one and only tahini (tahini is the secret ingredient in most hummus as well as the base for an incredible sauce/dressing and is simply sesame seed paste)! Sesame seeds and tahini are both a must have in your kitchen not only because they are incredibly tasty and adaptable, sesame seeds are a nutrient rich power food that can do everything from lowering cholesterol and reducing anxiety.

Health Benefits of sesame seeds and tahini:

• Rich in Mono-unsaturated fat, which can help lower “bad cholesterol” and raise “good cholesterol”
• High in protein and amino acids
• Contains B complex vitamins like B2, B1, B15, B3 and B5
• ¼ cup of sesame seeds (or 3 tablespoons of tahini) contains more calcium then a glass of milk  and is much easier for the body to digest
• Tahini has been known to aid in digestion and help the body absorb nutrients
• Sesame seeds and tahini are an incredibly rich source of iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium

Incorporating sesame seeds and tahini into your diet:

• Tahini salad dressing (¼ cup tahini, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, add water to thin (about ¼ cup and salt and pepper to taste)
• Add sesame seeds to marinades
• Toast sesame seeds and sprinkle on salads, stir fries, toast and cookies
• Hummus (you can make your own but most store bought hummus contains tahini…just read the ingredients)
• Add to granola (get creative and make your own using sesame seeds AND tahini) for a nutrient packed lunch box treat

So when your little ones ask what the white specs on her cookies are, you can proudly explain that they’re SESAME seeds: Big bird’s favorite seed and the namesake for the street he lives on!

A Dinner Story

Happy Friday peas-ful pea-ple! You made it through the week and congratulations are in order.  To end the week and begin the weekend festivities, we've brought you A Dinner Story.  This week we're celebrating Amber Estrada, a wonderful Mom of two totally adorable kids! Get ready for Amber's awesome meal ideas as well as some great tips on how to eat healthy during the busiest of weeks. 

Three cheers for Peas!

Where do you live?

"Livermore, California."

What are your kid's names and ages?

"Adeline 3years and Antonio 1year."

What meal do you make that you know, no matter what, your family will devour?

"It’s a tie….Macaroni & Cheese (they don’t even know it has vegetables hidden in) and homemade pizza."

What's your favorite Saturday morning breakfast to enjoy as a family?

"Scrambled Eggs, Turkey Bacon, and Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins…YUM.  We try to include the kids in the cooking as much as possible, so Saturdays are great because we’re not as rushed as the weekdays and we have lots of fun together in the kitchen."

What's your favorite Peas of Mind Product?

"The entire family loves Veggie Wedgies – we devoure Broccoli, Carrot, and Apple!  When we asked which flavor was our kid’s favorite, Adeline declared she loved them all and Antonio cheered (I’ll take that as all of them as well)!  Adeline is a very picky eater so her love of Veggie Wedgies shows how fantastic they are!"

How many times per week do you cook from scratch?

"At least 4 nights a week; we spend time on Sundays prepping food for the week so we can still have healthy options with our busy schedules."

What's your go to "I'm feeling unhealthy and need a nutrient-power punch" meal?

"Salmon, Quinoa, and Brussel Sprouts."

What kitchen tool could you never live without?

"Our food processor/blender is a necessary tool used daily!"

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

"Hawaiian Pizza."

Shocking Sugary Stats

We all know that too much sugar is a bad thing.  We know that processed sugar is just empty calories that can lead to obesity, tooth decay and other major and minor health problems.  But did you know that according to the USDA economic research service, the average child under twelve eats 49 POUNDS of sugar every year?  This means that there are five and six-year-olds out there eating their weight in sugar each year!  Here at Peas of Mind, we want to help you ensure that your child is not within this statistic. Check out these three easy tips that will help you and your family drastically lower your daily sugar intake.

1. Steer clear of the empty calories of sugary drinks by making your own homemade soda's, juices and spritzers.  Water is always the best liquid but we know this may not be what your child is craving.  Instead of juice from concentrate, freshly squeeze oranges or if you have a high powered blender, combine your favorite fruits and veggies and strain using a cheese cloth (much less expensive then buying a juicer).  Make a homemade soda by combining seltzer water with a dash of fresh squeezed OJ or a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of agave.  If your child has a major sweet tooth, make the spritzer to their sweetness liking then lower the amount of agave or OJ you put in the seltzer every day which will eventually change his pallet.
2. Making homemade desserts may sound like a large task but why not spend an hour on Sunday baking with the kids and getting them involved with their food?  You can easily lower the amount of sugar in a recipe by replacing the processed sugar with natural sweeteners like beet puree, applesauce and mashed sweet potatoes.  This will not only give the dessert the desired sweetness your kids crave, you’ll be infusing the sweet-treat with an extra dose of vitamins and minerals!  Check out our delicious, quick and veggie infused corn muffin recipea or our sweet potato cinnamon rolls recipea.
3. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again.  Read labels! Children should be eating between 12-16 grams of refined sugar per day so take that into account when buying packaged foods.  If the granola bar that you’re about to buy has 12 grams of sugar in a serving, put it down because that’s almost a days worth of sugar in one bar.  Here at Peas of Mind, we believe that it’s up to YOU, the parent, as to how much sugar/salt goes into your child’s food.  This means that we add very little to our products, allowing you to make the decision on how much sugar your child eats. Our Peas of Pie, Veggie Wedgies and Nuggets all have less sugar then leading brands so fill your freezer up with these delicious meals and give yourself some Peas of mind when it comes to your child’s sugar intake.