Frittata: An Ode to the Egg

The egg is a wonderful thing. Its oval form and yellow yolk are visually pleasing, and, what’s more the egg provides hard-to-find nutrients, such as:

Lutein: for healthy eyes
Choline: regulates the brain, nervous system and cardiovascular system.
Vitamin D: one of the few foods that provides it in a naturally occurring form, easily absorbed by the body
Omega 3: found only in grass-fed, free-range eggs

We’ve become so health conscious about fat consumption that we’re consuming more and more unhealthy (modified saturated and trans fats found in packaged foods, and reduced fats) and less and less healthy fats (omega 3 and whole fat) found in fish and nut oils, butters, eggs and whole milk. Babies and children require healthy, whole fats to develop their brains, but adults need it as well.

You can boil eggs and carry them around in their shell for a quick and healthy protein snack for your little one. Or you can make frittatas…one of my favorite lunches to give Ilan. Whisk an egg or two, add some goat yogurt or whole goat milk, and toss in tomatoes, organic spinach, goat cheese and garlic. There are so many options for toppings and frittatas are great when you have little time to spare to make a fresh breakfast, lunch or dinner. I cut Ilan’s frittata into chunks for a great finger food and make enough for both of us to share.

Note: If you have a history of egg allergies in your family, avoid introducing eggs before age one. If not, eggs yolks can be introduced at 9 months without the egg white (egg whites contain the most allergens), and the entire egg can be enjoyed from age one. Choose free-range, non-medicated eggs for optimal nutrients and fewer toxins.

When to Choose Organic Food

Many people do not know the full benefits of choosing certified, organically grown food. I should clarify that we should not necessarily be striving to eat organic food all the time.

It is very difficult and expensive to have a 100% organic diet, especially when trying to eat locally as much as possible.

We recommend avoiding non-organic produce that tends to be most sprayed and prioritizing your organic shopping list with this in mind. For more info go to Food News.

I’d add animal products to your list of priority organic foods (or animal products that are free-range/grass-fed, non-medicated) as they are higher on the ‘food chain’ and bio-accumulate more toxicity during its lifetime. Also they are more likely to contain antibiotics, hormones, and beyond. My husband and I have become ‘part-time vegetarians’ for economical and environmental reasons.

Organic Farming:

• Doesn’t use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicide, fertilisers or anything chemical. Also no GMO’s. Nothing synthetic or unnatural used in the growing of the food.
• Promotes biodiversity by planting several varieties of the same plant as well as heirloom (old, nearly lost) varieties.
• Uses natural pest and weed management,
• Focuses on building soil and nurturing beneficial bacteria, fungi, earthworms found within. Bacteria decompose plant material, making the nutrients (minerals) available for roots. Fungi fight off soil pathogens and earthworms aerate the soil (and these are just a few of their tasks).
• Supports biodiversity of crops, as well as poly-cropping
• Encourages crop rotation so as not to deplete soil of a particular nutrient
• Recycles substances back into the land e.g. plant and food stuffs composted into soil
• Encourages beneficial insects by planting flowers
• Plans for the long term and farming sustainably

Not all local farmers can afford organic certification but still grow great food, with honour and integrity. Supporting farmer’s markets is a great way to get much of your food straight from the farmer. So, always ask to know the source and growing methods of your food as much as possible.

To find a farmer’s market in BC: Eat Local
For the US: Local Harvest

Whole Food Snacks on the Run

Making sense of packaged foods can be time consuming and misleading, particularly when you only focus on the ingredients. I was obsessed with giving my son brown rice cakes, as they were great for teething, an easy finger food, fun to play with and only made with organic whole brown rice, right?

I thought these were an alternative to the highly processed cheerios and other cereals and crackers that were common baby food snacks among my friends. When talking with Lisa-Marie, Weemunch Holistic Nutritionist, I learned that simply reading the ingredients on packages isn’t always enough…one has to look further at how packaged foods are made. It turned out that the process of puffing and shaping rice cakes (a method called ‘extrusion’) and other grains, denatures their nutritional integrity, including proteins, and makes them difficult to digest for infants, toddlers and adults. This may very well be why grain allergies are at an all-time high.

This week is devoted to finding good, whole foods that come out of packages…and make for quick, easy snacks when you are on the go. This is our list…tell us about yours.

Snacks

Peas (6 months +) great alternative to cereals, iron content and a fun finger food
Brown rice crackers (6 months +) one of the easiest grains for digestion. See soaking article on phytic acid. Note: these are not perfect but better than most.
Goat Yogurt (7 months +) organic, whole fat is best
Organic raw cheese (8 months +) some brands: L’Ancetre, Bio Bio, Little Qualicum, Earth’s Best
Sprouted Wheat Bread (8 months +) great with chevre, sprouted wheat is always easier to digest than whole wheat and white flour breads
Organic Raisins and other dried fruit (9 months plus, high in iron, choose non-sulphered)
Mandarin Oranges (9 months +), packed with Vitamin C, great finger food)
Goat Chevre ( 9 months +)
Edamame (9 months +) these are immature soy beans and therefore have not yet built up any phytic acid (other non-fermented/sprouted soy products are loaded with it!)
Avocado (9 months +)
Parmesan Crisps (9 months +) can be expensive, but a better alternative to white flour crackers
Suzie’s Flatbreads (9 months +) made from whole spelt or kamut flour and some seeds *not the easiest to digest but ok for an occasional snack on the go
Lara Bars (12 months + if nuts are not an issue) a very simple yummy ‘energy bar’ with only nuts and dates
Halvah Bars (12 months +) made from sesame seeds, with nuts and brown rice syrup for sweetener.

Drinks

Kombucha (12 months +)
Gerolsteiner (12 months +) a naturally carbonated spring water

Pumpkin Hummus

Here's a great recipe that both you and your little one (9 months and beyond) can eat and enjoy together.

Ingredients:

2 cups of pre-soaked and cooked organic chickpeas (soak for 24 hours then cook until soft – approx. 1 hour)
3 cloves of garlic (or to taste)
1 cup of pumpkin puree
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp green curry paste, optional
Pinch of unrefined sea salt
¼ to ½ tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp of olive oil

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in blender and blend.
2. Add the following as toppings (optional):
2 tbsp chopped cranberries
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chopped parsley, as garnish

Can serve in a hollowed out small pumpkin or squash.

On Preparing Legumes, Nuts and Grains

Have you ever noticed anyone soaking their beans for several hours before cooking them? Or perhaps fermenting their flour into sourdough?

Phytic Acid and other ‘anti-nutrients’ present in grains, beans and nuts
Fermenting, soaking, or sprouting grains, legumes and nuts/seeds is a traditional practice used by people from around the world. These techniques are required to break down ‘anti-nutrients’, such as phytic acid, creating better mineral absorption and other nutrient content as well increasing enzymes. It also creates a more alkaline product.

Without these principles, our modern fast-paced diets are taking a toll on our health with a huge increase in health issues such as food allergies, digestive/intestinal problems and immune deficiencies.

Science now proves:
• Phytic acid present in most grain and beans and nuts and seeds binds with calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron (rendering these nutrients almost impossible to absorb). Soaking them will neutralise the phytic acid and allow for optimal absorption of these critical nutrients.
• ‘Enzyme inhibitors’ are also neutralised with soaking, not only increasing vitamin content, but dramatically increasing enzyme content.
• Gluten and other hard to digest proteins are broken down, making for easy digestion. *Rye, Barley, Wheat, Kamut and Spelt and most oat products contain gluten.

Using this technique:
• Soak grains at least 7 hours before use, ideally in an acidic medium (e.g. a dash of apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon or tsp. of yogurt) or just water.
*If you're using flour, add water (just enough to make the dough moist, not runny) with a splash of yogurt/kefir/raw apple cider vinegar or use all yogourt/kefir/buttermilk (in lieu of 'wet ingredients') for a richer, more flavourful dough. Leave at room temperature, covered with a tea towel, to ferment (12-24 hours) . Even better, create a starter or 'mother' (breadtopia), which is the traditional method of making bread, and make it at home regularly. Any of these options improves the nutrient value and digestibility of even white flour but you will benefit far more from whole grains.
• Soak legumes for 8 to 24 hours, drain water, rinse if desired, and use fresh water for cooking.
• Buy or make whole grain sourdough breads, as they have undergone full fermentation of the dough. *Yeast fermentation does not do the same.
• Ingesting sprouted grains and legumes:
1. Immerse in grain/legume in jar about 1/3 full
2. Fill with water to top overnight
3. Pour off water, store away from direct light
4. Rinse out with water twice a day until ¼ inch sprouts appear
(1 to 4 days depending on type) Can be used in soups, eaten raw or mashed into dough to make bread.
• Soak nuts overnight, drain and then place in oven on lowest possible setting (pilot light for gas or 150 F electric) or, even better, a dehydrator to dry out (up to 12+ hours) for longer storage, better crunch and taste.

Oxalic Acid
This is found primarily in leafy green vegetables such as chard, spinach, beet greens, mustard greens. It binds with calcium and iron and inhibits their absorption. Lightly steaming is enough to neutralize the oxalic acid found within.

Do your best to get into the habit of at least soaking legumes, nuts, and grains to ensure better absorption for you and your child, whose digestion may not be as strong and resilient as yours. Eventually almost everyone will have problems over time without this vital step in the kitchen.

Don’t rely on commercial kitchens or restaurants to do this. Some do it, but most don’t, as it takes more planning and many just are unaware of the importance of it (just as many of us were). It seems to no longer be a piece of wisdom we naturally inherit from our parents.

Test Kitchen: Babycakes NYC Cupcakes

Ilan, my son, reached his first birthday on September 25. And, there was some serious family expectation, not only to host a birthday party, but to feed him his first sugary treat to place that candle on. I wasn't ready to introduce him to sugar and chocolate and more sugar just yet. I'm trying to keep him on a healthy whole food diet for as long as humanly possible or at least until outside influences prevail.

Lisa, my WeeMunch partner in crime, sent me two modified recipes for carrot cake and zucchini cake as alternatives (We'll post these soon). But then Goop.com (yes, reading Gwyneth Paltrow's weekly newsletter is a guilty pleasure) sent out three recipes from New York based Babycakes that are vegan, sugar and gluten-free deserts. I was so curious about the taste, that I chose to test drive their cupcake and icing recipes.

The cupcakes definitely taste vegan, sugar and gluten-free. That said, they're still really tasty. The texture of the cupcakes turned out more like a brownie texture, and we pumped up the vanilla icing by adding real vanilla bean. I wouldn't likely ever make these again and that's because if you don't have items like arrowroot starch, coconut flour, and garbanzo and fava bean flour on hand, you'll be looking at shelling out a lot of money just to get the basic ingredients from your local health food store, and, in the end, I'm not sure it was quite worthwhile.

Recipes

Chocolate Cupcakes
YIELD: 1 dozen

1 cup garbanzo and fava bean flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup agave nectar
6 tablespoons applesauce
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot water or hot coffee
Frosting for serving (see recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line one, standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, cocoa powder, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water directly to the dry ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth.

Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into each prepared cup. This portion will almost fill the cup up entirely. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tray 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The cupcakes will bounce back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Remove from the oven.

Let the cupcakes stand for 20 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack right side up and cool completely. Using a frosting knife, gently spread 1 tablespoon of Frosting over each cupcake. Place the cupcakes in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Frosting
YIELD: enough for 1 dozen cupcakes

1 1/2 cups soy milk
3/4 cup soy “Better Than Milk” powder
1 tablespoons coconut flour
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
In a blender or food processor, combine the soy milk, “Better Than Milk” powder, coconut flour, agave nectar, and vanilla. Mix the ingredients for 2 minutes. As the machine blends, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two until all parts are incorporated. Pour the mixture into an airtight container. Place the container in the refrigerator for 6 hours, or for up to 1 month, before using.

Source: goop.com

Applesauce Reduction/Spicy Applesauce

Most baby food sites recommend steaming some apples and then quickly pureeing them. While it takes a little more time, there really is nothing tastier than a reduced applesauce, and by this I mean that you leave the apples to simmer for an hour or two, letting the water you started with form a thick, naturally sweeter base. The reduction seems to draw out the natural sugars in the apples and is so tasty that I promise you'll be eating applesauce with your little one.

•8 to 10 organic, unwaxed apples
•Core and slice into small pieces.
•Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the raw apples to prevent oxidization
•Toss in a medium saucepan and cover with water by an inch
•Place on medium heat and let cook for thirty minutes
•Reduce heat and let simmer for an hour or two or until you have a thickened consistency.

Add a pinch of cinnamon to taste for babies 7 months or more to start introducing more flavours.


Note about peeling apples. Do not peel your apples if they are organic. Cook your apples with the peels and either puree with skins or separate using a coarse sieve or food mill. If you don’t have these tools in your kitchen, peel the apples and cook the skins on a low heat in a separate saucepan. After about 45 minutes, add the water to the applesauce reduction. The skin and the meat closest to it has most of the apple’s nutrients.

Spicy Apple Sauce
(9 months and beyond)

Use the apple sauce reduction recipe. Once your sauce has been cooking for thirty minutes, crush and add two cloves, 2 cardamom pods and a couple pinches of cinnamon to taste.