In Our Kitchen

Hey there gals- thought instead of the typical text book style of teaching nutrition, we would give you our favorite, healthy recipes straight from our kitchens!!! Much more fun for both us and you.

We of course always suggest using locally grown, organic produce, meats and dairy product whenever possible.

By GroO New York

RECIPE #1

This first recipe, I found in “The Soup Bible,” but of course added my own twist. I made it for a dear friend undergoing chemotherapy to help with the nausea. I realized after making it, that not only did this soup have a mild base, with the wonderful antiemetic effects of ginger, but it was DELICIOUS!!!!!

My 21 month old wouldn’t stop eating it, and my husband actually called it “beautiful.” So of course the lightbulb came on that this soup would be just amazing for pregnant women, nursing women and taste great to the rest of the family.

Bon Appetit!!!

Carrot & Ginger Soup:

2 T butter

1 small onion chopped

1 stalk celery chopped

1 1/2 lbs carrots peeled and sliced

1 medium potato peeled and cubed
2t chopped finely fresh ginger root

5 cups of chicken homemade stock or broth (if not homemade stock I suggest using broth for richness)

1 generous pinch nutmeg

7T heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Melt butter, celery and onion, cook about 5 minutes. Then add carrot, ginger, potato and broth. Bring to a boil then simmer on low for 20 minutes. With food processor or blender puree soup in batches. Put back in pan on low heat, add cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Secret Weapon: Add 1-2t of sherry at the end

RECIPE #2

Who doesn’t love guacamole? I know, I know, you have your own recipe, or should I say style of making this wonderful snack. But I can’t help but give you mine. A combination of my mother’s recipe with a few secrets I’ve picked up from friends. This dip is so yummy and healthy it should be a staple in your diet pregnant or not. Avocados are loaded with Omega 3s, monounsaturated fats, good for brain and central nervous system development along with a healthy heart. They are also loaded with Vitamin E, folate, and have more potassium than a banana!! Some say if you had to choose one food that you could live on solely for nutrition, an avocado would be it

So whatever way you like ‘em, get that green mush down, and give some to your baby while your at it.

Gaucamole

2 small avocados (ripe avocados are even in color and yield to a gentle squeeze)

1/2 can (4oz) mild green chilies, drained

1/4 C sliced green onions

1 clove garlic (minced)

2T fresh lemon juice

1/2t salt

1/4t worcestershire sauce (optional)

2 drops hot pepper sauce (optional)

*Add fresh cilantro and chopped tomatoes to taste

Directions: Mash avocados then stir in other ingredients, adding your cilantro to taste then tomatoes.

Baby’s Version (original recipe taken from Annabel Karmel’s Top 100 Baby Purees):

1/2 avocado

1/2 banana, sliced

2 T plain or vanilla yogurt (whole fat, organic preferable)

Extra Healthy Version: Add 1T of wheat germ ( I always do this for the extra protein, folic acid and Vitamin E).

Directions: Mash or puree together depending on consistency your baby is tolerating.

Secret Weapon: Wheat Germ!!! You can add 1-2T of this stuff to almost anything in baby food and it’s almost as good as making homemade. This is a great tip for mother’s on the go!! For more on the AWESOME benefits of wheat germ and how to make easy to store baby foods, please check out “Super Baby Foods”. You of course can find all these books in “On our bookshelf”.

Recipe #3

So this recipe is a family favorite, as you can tell by my sister’s request below!! It’s our mother’s spinach and mushroom quiche. Of course you can use the base and subsitute all sorts of different meats, veggies and cheeses according to your own taste. That’s what is so wonderful about having a tried and true excellent quiche recipe.

The base of quiche is made out of eggs!! Eggs are amazing for you and your family anytime, but especially when you’re pregnant. Eggs are loaded with protein, essential for your baby’s growth and development. They also have a healthy mixture of heme and non-heme iron, along with powerful antioxidants like zinc, lutein and zeathanthin. Wait, I’m not done yet, last but definitely not least is CHOLINE. Choline is a B-vitamin that has been found to significantly help with your baby’s brain development and memory function. It also, along with folic acid, decreases the chances of birth defects and neural tube defects. The suggested daily intake of choline is 450mg a day for pregant women, so 2 eggs a day will give you 250mg of your daily amount. So get cracking ladies, and let’s learn how to make some quiche!!

Mom’s Spinach and Mushroom Quiche:

1 9″ pie crust (homemade or storebought, I like the pillsbury frozen, saves us busy mom’s some time)

4 large eggs

2 C heavy cream (you can also use half-n-half if this is too rich for you)

1 C grated Swiss

1 pkg spinach, steamed and chopped

1 pkg mushrooms, sliced

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

dash of nutmeg (fresh if you have it)

2 T butter

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Beat together in a bowl the eggs then add heavy cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mean while, wash and steam your spinach, then drain, cool and chop. Saute your mushrooms in 1 T of butter till nicely browned. Add the cheese, spinach and mushrooms to the pie crust then top with egg & cream mixture. For extra yum take a tablespoon of melted butter and drizzle on top. Then bake for 30-45 minutes.

TIP: Make sure to cover edges of crust with tin foil to prevent burning.

Enjoy!! This is one yummy way to get those eggs down.

Recipe #4

This is a salad that even those who dislike salads will love!! It’s sweet, refreshing and has the most amazing homemade dressing

Plus it’s a great way to get your fruits and veggies down in the same delicious dish. Mandarin oranges are high in vitamin A and C and a good source of dietary fiber. Just another recipe from “your friend the midwife” that gives you a scrumptious way to eat healthy. Once you try this recipe you’ll find it becomes a staple when you’re entertaining.

Mandarin Orange Salad:

1/4 C sliced almonds

1T + 1t sugar

1/4 head iceburg lettuce torn into bite size pieces

1/4 bunch romaine lettuce torn into bite size pieces

2 medium stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 green onions, with tops thinly sliced

1 can mandarin orange slices drained

Directions: Cook almonds and sugar on low heat, stirring constantly until sugar is melted. Cool and break apart, store at room temperature. Wash, dry and mix all ingredients, placing the oranges and almonds on top. Then toss with dressing, recipe below.

Dressing:

1/4 C vegetable oil

2 T sugar

2 T vinegar

1 T snipped fresh parsley

1/2 t salt

dash red pepper sauce

dash of black pepper

Recipe #5

This salad is not just healthy and delicious but beautiful as well. Great to serve around the holidays or just a gathering of friends. Another salad that combines your fruits and vegetables in a scrumptious way!! Enjoy

Festive Holiday Salad

1 1/2 bunches of Romaine torn or if you like a more bitter flavor 5 medium heads of endive trimmed and cut into circles (you can also combine of course)

1 Red onion sliced in circles

1 medium green apple peeled, cored and cut into1 inch cubes

1/4 lb of blue cheese (goat is also a good) ** Remember if you’re pregnant pasteurized cheeses only please**

1 avocado peeled and sliced

2 T dried cranberries

2/3 C corn kernels defrosted or fresh off the cobb (cooked and removed)

Dressing: Use an oil and vinegar; or whisk together 2 lemons juiced, 1t salt, 1/2 t pepper and 1/4 C olive oil.

If you prefer a sweeter dressing use the dressing above for the mandarin orange salad or try a rasberry vinaigrette.

TIP: Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into bowl then toss lettuce and apple to prevent from turning brown.

Recipe #6 & #7

The next two recipes are soups!! Thick, hearty soups that are a meal within themselves. You won’t need more with them except maybe some of your favorite breads. Both these recipes are HIGH protein recipes. Protein is super important for your baby’s growth, in particular tissue and muscle development. Legumes are a big part of both these recipes. Legumes are a high fiber, high protein food that should be part of every balanced diet, especially when eating for two! The legumes used in these two recipes are split peas, kidney beans, lima beans and pinto beans. Other examples include black beans, soybeans, navy beans, black eyes peas, green peas, chick peas (Garbanzo beans) and Edamame.

TIP: To make complete proteins out of these legumes (meaning all essential amino acids are present) you must mix them with whole grains (unrefined). My Friend the Midwife will have more on these grains later. Quinoa and brown rice are good examples of unrefined grains.

Both these recipes may be made vegetarian but here will be given as the original family recipes with meat. Bon Appetit!!

Split Pea Soup

1 lb dry split peas (rinsed and soaked in water overnight) *You can skip this step but then plan on cooking soup for most of day on low*

8 C water

1 Meaty ham bone (or 2 hocks)

1 t chicken bouillon

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 large onion finely chopped

1 C carrots chopped

1 C celery chopped

1 potato peeled and cubed

1 C sour cream

1 T sherry

Directions: Rinse peas; place in kettle. Add water, ham bone, onion, bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium low for 90 minutes; stir often. Then remove ham bone, cut off meat into cubes. Discard bones and return meat to soup along with carrots, celery and potato. Simmer to desired consistency, then add sour cream and sherry.

*Vegetarian version exclude ham bone and use vegetable stock*

Taco Soup: (Original recipe given to me from my Louisiana friend Carla, with some adjustments I’ve made over the years. Thanks Carla, nothing like cooking and sharing recipes with good friends).

2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained

1 large onion chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 oz can of green chilis

1 t pepper

15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can lima beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can red kidney beans (may use 2 cans of pinto beans and no kidney if preferred), rinsed and drained

15 oz can of hominy or corn, rinsed and drained

3 cans stewed tomatoes

1 1/2 C water

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pkg Ranch dressing mix ( DO NOT LEAVE THIS OUT)

Directions: Saute onions and pepper till soft (about 5 minutes) then add meat, brown and drain most fat. Rinse and drain all beans and corn then add to pot, the add undrained stewed tomatoes, water and seasonings. Simmer for about 1-2 hours. This can also be done in a crock pot if desired.

Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips. YUMMY!!!!

Recipe #8

This recipe is easy, light, healthy and delicious! Can’t beat that. It’s a roasted vegetable dish with melted cheese. It’s fabulous as a side with just about any meal. Perfect for those nights that you don’t really feel like cooking but still want to keep healthy

Mom’s Roasted Veggies:

1 bunch of fresh broccoli cut into spears

1 pkg mushrooms cleaned and sliced

1 onion sliced

1 red bell pepper (you actually can use whatever color pepper you want here, just remember red, yellow and orange are sweeter than the green)

1/4 lb sliced provolone

garlic powder

1T olive oil or real butter

Directions: Steam fresh broccoli and set aside. Saute mushrooms in 1/2 the olive oil or butter till browned, they should shrink and be slightly crispy around the edges. Saute the onions and peppers in 1/2 the olive oil till browned. Layer the vegetables in shallow baking dish, sprinkle with garlic powder, then layer with provolone. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Recipe # 9

Let’s talk about peppers. Since the last recipe and this one include them as a main ingredient. Plus they are one our favorite foods adding tons of flavor and nutrition whether being used as a compliment or a main ingredient. They are low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. They are high in vitamins A &C, folate and B6, plus good source of fiber. Making them excellent foods for weight control, and fighting high cholesterol and heart disease. So eat up, and enjoy this yummy recipe for stuffed peppers. You can of course substitute green for any of the fabulous radiant colors bell peppers are found in. To make this dish vegetarian you can use more rice or bread crumbs as a substitute for the ground meat. Brown rice is a better choice than white nutrition wise if your family will eat it.

Nutrition facts: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Magnesium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese.

Stuffed Peppers:

4 green bell peppers tops cut off, remove seeds and membranes, wash

1lb ground beef

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 onion diced

1/2 C long grain rice

1/4 C parmesan

1 t dried basil or oregano

1t salt

1/2t pepper

1T worcestershire sauce

8 oz can of tomatoes chopped or tomato sauce

1/2 C water

Directions: Saute onion, garlic, chopped red pepper and meat until meat is browned and onion tender. Drain fat, add tomatoes undrained or sauce, water, rice, worcestershire, salt, pepper and basil. Bring to a boil then simmer covered for 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Add cheese and mix together. Stuff peppers with mixture, place in shallow baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until peppers are tender and heated through. You may sprinkle more cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes if desired. Let stand about 10 minutes then serve. Enjoy!!! This recipe is one of my very favorites

TIP: If you and your family are fans of green peas, adding these to the mixture frozen or fresh with the same step as adding the rice is a delicious addition.

17 Responses to In Our Kitchen

Stephanie WaldronFebruary 10, 2012 at 7:26 pm

Hey Becky,
Great recipes. How about the quiche recipe. Maybe the spinach and ham one. Eggs are great for pregnant women as you well know
myfr8796February 10, 2012 at 7:32 pm

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