Fried Okra - Good for the Gut

I snagged some locally grown organic okra at Mid-town Farmer's Market this weekend. This is the most adorable babiest okra I've prepared, I almost hated to take a knife to them. I plucked out some of the tiniest specimens to show to the boys exclaiming, "look how adorable these are, have you ever seen such tiny okra?" Little boo snatches one out of my hand and before I could advise against trying it raw, he crunched it up remarking "mmm, pretty good." Big boo inquired "what does it taste like?" Little boo replied "yummy," and down the hatch went one for big boo. Little boo wanted to know if he could "crunch up" the stem too. At times I forget how fond of raw veggies they are, love it!

Okra is in the "super green" veggie category. But it doesn't stop at being full of good for ya stuff like Vitamin A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium and zinc. While researching okra for this article, I was surprised to find there are okra supplements available. Turns out the fiber in okra is pretty amazing stuff. Anyone with issues related to blood sugar, constipation, colon function, high cholesterol and ulcers would be interested in reading the fine print on okra. I like anything that's good for the gut, so I'll be all over eating more okra. Sadly, I didn't find okra on George's World's Healthiest Food List, nor is it in Dave Grotto's 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, but after reading up on Okra it seems to be worthy of inclusion in both.

I liked this ezine article as it lists out several health benefits, but it doesn't cite the nutritionist. I found two other sources citing nutritionist Sylvia Zook, PhD University of Illinois. Like most plant based food, it's nutrients are best retained by consuming it raw, or slightly cooked using low heat. And no, frying does not count as low heat, but darn it, I'm a southern girl and it tastes good fried. We eat minimal chips and other fried convenience foods, so I'm OK with frying up these babies. The boos had the right idea, going for it raw. (As I type, they keep going over to the pan of cornmeal coated slices still raw and munching.) Next time I snag fresh market orka, I'm trying it raw! And I'll cook it whole, especially if I get these baby kinds again.

Okra Health Benefits

• The mucilage and fiber found in okra helps adjust blood sugar by regulating its absorption in the small intestine.

• The fiber of okra has many superior qualities in maintaining the health of the gastro-intestinal tract.

• It helps reabsorb water and traps excess cholesterol, metabolic toxins and surplus bile in its mucilage and slips it out through the stool. Due to greater percentage of water in the bulk it thereby prevents constipation, gas and bloating in the abdomen.

• It is an ideal vegetable for weight loss and is storehouse of health benefits provided it is cooked over low flame to retain its properties. This also to ensure that the invaluable mucilage contained in it is not lost to high heat.

• Okra facilitates the propagation of good bacteria referred to as probiotics. These are similar to the ones proliferate by the yoghurt in the small intestine and helps biosynthesis of Vitamin B complex.

• For adding bounce your hair. Boil horizontally sliced okra till the brew become maximally slimy. Cool it and add a few droops of lemon and use this as the last rinse and see your hair spring back to youthfulness and jump.

• Okra is an excellent laxative treats irritable bowels, heals ulcers and soothes the gastrointestinal track.

• Protein and oil contained in the seeds of okra serves as the source of first-rate vegetable protein. It is enriched with amino acids on the likes of tryptophan, cystine and other sulfur amino acids.

This is my grandma's recipe. I still remember garbing up in hat and long sleeves in the hot summer (sun and mosquito protection) to pick okra as a girl. Then we'd spend all day washing, slicing and blanching to freeze for the winter. I'd get little slices on my finger tips from the constant contact with the edge of the paring knife. Now those were the salad days. I miss Ma.

Ma's Fried Okra

1 lb Okra

1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal

Grapeseed oil (1-2 inches deep in appropriate pan)

Wash the okra, pat dry and slice in 1/4 inch thick slices. Place 1/2 cup of whole grain cornmeal in a pie plate. Spread the okra slices out and sprinkle lightly with salt. Coat in the cornmeal and let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat 1-2 inches of grapeseed oil in a saucepan or dutch oven on medium high heat. Add okra to hot oil in batches (single okra layer). Be careful not to over crowd the pan or the oil loses it's heat and you'll end up with longer fry times and soggy end product. Fry until golden brown (mine took 2-3 minutes). I didn't have to turn mine because the oil just covered the thin slices. Using a slotted spoon remove the okra from the oil and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with a little salt while the okra are still warm.

In my opinion, this stuff is better than popcorn. Hubby said this was light compared to batter fried okra and enjoyed it.

If you have a fave way to eat okra, please share. I'm looking to fix it more often and need to venture out from fried from time to time. Frying with grapeseed oil gets expensive....

Market Produce-Jerusalem Artichokes, Okra, Persimmons, Greens

The guys took me on a morning date down to the mid-town farmer's market at t'afia. I have been on the t'afia mailing list for nearly a year, drooling over the local seasonal produce and list of prepared food vendors. It took a year, but we made it out there, and it was a great way to spend a morning. Well, I thought so as I asked the farmers a zillion "what's that" and "how do you eat it" questions. Hubby got the job of chasing the boos around making sure they weren't licking or breathing on food items we weren't going to buy.

T'afia is a Houston Mid-town eatery, run by Monica Pope, that uses local produce to create seasonal and fresh menus. I haven't had a chance to eat there, but one day, one day. On Saturdays the parking lot transforms to a farmer's market with fresh produce, meat, dairy, honey and durable goods outside and prepared food vendors inside. Today we found a coffee booth, cheese table, bakery, Indian baked goods and sauces and a few vendors selling prepared salads, dips, nuts mixes. Plenty of food to taste inside, but my focus was outside with the vendors. Hubby wanted more cheese and found a table of smoked meats. Guess where he was?

At the market I was on a strict produce diet. I knew I had a limited amount of cash, and a limited amount of time to prepare and consume what I bought, so I had to be selective and left many items behind that I wanted to try (like the hybrid butternut zucchini foot long squash that curled around in a spiral and white eggplant). If I'd had a wad of cash and a week to play in the kitchen my bags would have been much fuller. I told myself I could try stuff I didn't get this week next week when we come back, but that's a lie really. We can't spend half of every Saturday at the market, or at least not in this season of our lives.

I learned about Emile Street Community Garden that sounds like an urban gardening co-op. Emile Street, is one of two locations of the Last Organic Outpost. If my family is up for it we can go and offer our labor in trade for produce. The best thing is we get to practice growing from folks who know more about growing than we do. Big boo was distraught when the maroon cored carrots we planted never made it past sprouts. He keeps watering the dirt where they once grew hoping magic carrots will appear. Sounds like a great opportunity to get the boys involved with dirt, seeds, sun, weeding and harvesting. Maybe then (and a house with more dirt that gets sun) we can have a garden.

The biggest surprise is that I like persimmons, we all tried them and concurred. As we left the table little boo chimed "I want some more of that sweet crunchy slice." We bought one years ago at the grocery store, ate it raw and it tasted like mushy banana peel. After reading about them online we froze one. We tried eating that one (after it defrosted), and that was a no-go. In my pre-recovering picky eater days, I would have passed over the buckets of persimmons on the table. Just goes to show that when you buy something from the farmer and ask them the best way to eat it, your experience is so much more pleasant. I shall have to plan an earlier arrival so I can attend the cooking class next time. Here is what Monica did with her persimmons last week in her Plum Cooking class.

There was one table manned by Monica Pope's forager Joe. His job at the market is to help all the small farmers who don't have enough bandwidth to man a table at a market sell their harvest. I could have spent hours with Joe learning about local produce and how to enjoy it, but alas another buyer with two small children were waiting in the wings. I needed to sponge up some tidbits, make a few selections and move along. Big boo was equally impressed with Joe who told us that in Asia parents teach their kids that persimmons will enable them to whistle. Big boo eagerly ate up his persimmon sample at the booth. Upon arriving home, he confessed "I can't wait to gobble those sweet red slices up. Then I'll whistle."

My loot
1 lb of Jerusalem Artichokes (I'm thinking roasted??) From the community farmers
Persimmons (raw, although on turkey sandwiches or pureed in baked goods was suggested)
a bag of sweet potato tops (blanched and sauteed??) From Emile Street
Okra (the tiniest babiest okra you've ever seen, usually i coat in corn meal and fry it, but not sure I can take a knife to these babies) From Emile Street
A dozen farm fresh eggs (poached, soft boiled, in egg toast)
Dried Bay leaves (for soups and weekly pot o beans), from a farmer whose name I don't recall

Hubby's loot
2 packages of Chicken Samosa's and a carton of Cilantro Peanut Chutney from Nisha's Indian Food

I am one happy mama. Happy that my guys take me on dates even when there's something else they'd rather to. Happy to be outside in the morning with my family. Happy to see and buy local food. Happy that I get to figure out how to cook all that new food. Happy to eat it and share it with my family. Happy that Monica Pope, Joe the forager, all the urban farmers and all the great prepared food vendors that make up a place like Midtown Farmer's Market exist in Houston. Happy market day!

For any of readers in Houston, go enjoy a breakfast market morning at Midtown Farmer's Market. It's a great way to enjoy the cooler temps with your family.

Garlicky Black Bean Taco Soup in the Crock Pot

I don't usually get out my crock pot on the weekend, but half of us are sickies, so I thought I'd get a pot of soup going for dinner shortly before we sat down for lunch. This turned out to be one of those whatever-you-have-in-the-pantry-and-freezer soups. It turned out pretty good considering all the one-offs I tossed in there. I'm posting this because I want readers to know that you don't have to have everything in the recipe to pull something nourishing together. Turns out, that in the routine of feeding the family, some meals are more sustenance and less amazing dinner.

I had 4 cups of veggie stock in the freezer. It was purple because I added the uneaten portion of a purple sweet potato left over from dinner. If you're a regular reader, you know I have a fascination with purple food, and big boo loves sweet potatoes so I though this would be a hit. I probably just need a different preparation. I nuked it which is how I serve sweet potatoes most of the time for a quick side. Big boo called it purple glue. I ate my slice, but I was just setting a good example, I did not serve myself any additional slices. Little boo picked at his slice and didn't taste it (his dining companions weren't very encouraging). Hubby opted out completely, not even putting a slice on his plate. I shuddered at the thought of letting all those anthocyanins (gives food the red or purple color and lab studies shows potential health effects in cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, bacterial infections) go to waste. I had a pot of stock on already, so I, gulp, tossed it in there. I don't know about you, but root vegetables aren't usually a part of my stock pots....

The stock has been staring at me from it's perch next to the ice bucket in the freezer for a month. I sigh as I see it thinking, "Why do I do these things? What can I use purple stock for?" When I had bean soup in my head, and realized all I had was a bag of black beans, the purple stock seemed well suited for the job. The bean juice would mask any unsightly purple soup stock! Only one more tub of purple stock to go. Wonder what that will end up in? Thought about using it to make rice see if the rice would end up lavender.

I used 8 cloves of garlic! Garlic is known as a healer, so I wanted to give big boo the most anti-viral, anti-bacterial protection I could, and help little boo beat his sick germs as quick as possible. Hubby really liked the flavors of it and downed two huge bowls. Calling this taco soup because I used chili powder and cumin and ground beef, which is pretty much my taco meat.

Garlicky Black Bean Taco Soup
1 bag rinsed black beans (not pre-soaked)
6 cups stock/water
1 can tomato paste (would have used stewed/diced tomatoes if I had them)
1 diced onion
3 ribs sliced celery (plus the leafy tops, taken out after 45 mins in a boil)
8 cloves chopped garlic
1 lb browned ground beef (meat didn't enhance this meal, I'll leave it out next time)
1 tsp each of Cumin, Chili Powder and Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Add all ingredients (except celery leaves) to the crock pot on high setting. Cook for 6 hours. If using celery leaves add them when the pot boils and remove them in 45 minutes. There are important nutrients in celery leaves, I don't like them raw, so I always throw the tops in stock/soups.

We served with shredded cheddar cheese. The boys are always more enthusiastic about soup night when shredded cheddar is involved.

I want to hear about your what's left-in-the-pantry meals!

Where's the Kid Appeal Forum?

Sadly, the forum became over run with spam, and I could no longer keep up with removing the spam on a daily basis. In the past few months the only person posting on the forum besides me were bots. While I had lofty ideas about the forum when I launched this blog, it seems that readers just weren't that interested in posing questions, and starting a dialog. I know a lot of the threads got read, but the forum was intended to be an interactive community where concerned parents could ask questions about their experiences getting kiddos to eat better. It ended up be a collection of links to recipes I wanted to try and a repository for spammers. Bye bye forum, sorry things didn't turn out better!

Kids and Ketchup-Healthy Chicken Nuggets

One of the first posts I wrote for this blog was on home made chicken nuggets. A healthy alternative to packaged or fast food versions. This was before I was in the habit of taking pictures of all the recipes I posted. Since I just posted on frugal whole-grain breadcrumbs and FINALLY added a picture of chicken nuggets, I wanted to share the healthy chicken nugget recipe and post with you again. You can also find out about nutrients in chicken that is good for little ones in that post.

Is Ketchup Healthy?
As I re-read the post it dawned on my that big boo's ketchup consumption habits have changed dramatically in the past year. As a toddler he wouldn't eat any kind of meat unless he dipped it in ketchup. As he got to be an older two year old, I stopped putting the ketchup on the table, and if he asked for it, I told him he could go get it for himself. He always did, and I never refused or really encouraged him to try it without ketchup. I was just happy he was eating what I made, as animal protein was always something he rarely ate with gusto. He still goes to get the ketchup when I make breaded meat or oven fries, and he always uses it when we occasionally eat fast food. But if I make pork chops, grilled chicken breast, fish, etc. he doesn't even ask for it anymore. I'm so glad I never made a big fuss about how much ketchup he ate. His ketchup consumption bothered hubby, but I felt confident he'd grow out of it. It's not like he was drinking 8oz of ketchup at dinner. Sure it's got some sugar and sodium in it, but not enough to fret about in small quantities.

So my take on condiments is as long as the salsa, ranch, cheese, sour cream, ketchup, butter, syrup etc. is going on something healthy like raw veggies, whole grain pancake or a home made taco, let them eat it. Teach them to use sensible condiment portions, and make sure they actually eat the thing they're adding the topping to. I always let big boo have one "squirt" of ketchup. If he wanted more ketchup he had to take more meat. In time he learned to ration out his ketchup dipping with how much food he had to dip in it.

Frugal Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs

Do you toss your bread heels out? Not me. Not anymore. You may have caught my recipe for Frugal Whole Wheat French Toast a few months back. Another thing I like to do with bread heels is make bread crumbs. I'm a lazy cook so I don't like pulsing a slice of bread when I need breadcrumbs for a recipe. And I'm an label reading snob, rarely choosing the packaged version of anything I can make at home (I am guilty of buying store bought bread, haven't ventured out to baking bread yet, but if anyone wants to give me a bread maker for Christmas I suppose I could make room on my counter top for it...) I also like to avoid wasting anything I buy, so using up bread heels for bread crumbs fits right in with my kitchen philosophy.

I save my bread heels in a plastic bag in the freezer until I have a dozen or more pieces, then I make up a batch of french toast or bread crumbs. Mostly I use bread crumbs to dredge meat before baking or pan frying, like in chicken tenders. They also go in to bind meat for meatballs or salmon patties. For stuffing recipes, I can turn a stash of freezer heels into bread cubes using the same method below.

Frugal Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
12 or more whole wheat bread heels

Directions
Place bread heels on a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree oven. You're trying to dry the bread out, not toast it. Check bread in 10 minutes, and turn over when top side feels dry. Bake for 10 minutes (or more) on second side. Times are approximate, frozen bread will take longer to dry out than room temp bread. Let bread cool off, break into pieces (it will break if it's dry, if it tears there is still too much moisture in it and it won't preserve as long) and pulse in processor until you have crumbs or desired consistency. Store in fridge in air-tight container. I usually use my supply up in a month or two, so not sure how long they'll keep.

For Frugal Whole Wheat Bread Cubes cut the bread into cubes before drying in the oven. Store until ready to use, or mix with herbs, butter and veggies before stuffing and baking. Here is my recipe for Pork Chops with Pomegranate Stuffing.

Got a frugal kitchen tip to share? Read you in the comments!

How to Deal with a Picky Eater-Guest Post

Guest post by Alison Barkman, MS, RD.

Please enjoy this guest post from an RD about preventing picky eating. I remember once a friend said, "I long for the days when I fed my daughter baby food, when I could control what she ate." I asked her if her 3 year old was able to drive to the grocery store and pay for the family groceries. She laughed and said no. You may not realize it, but while you may not be able to control what your toddler, preschooler, gradeschooler, tween or teen puts in their mouth, you do control what's available for them to eat at home. If 80% of their food choices at home are nutritious and they don't have unlimited access to the treats in the house, at least at home, the vast majority of what they do eat is nurturing their growth.

About Alison:

Alison is a registered dietitian (RD), nutrition writer and communications consultant. On her blog Food Chat (www.alisonbarkman.blogspot.com), she reviews the latest foods on the market and dissects nutrition research for health-conscious readers. Her other newly launched blog, RunBuggy (www.runbuggy.blogspot.com), is a candid view of Alison’s deepest thoughts on running while pregnant and pondering what to expect as a soon-to-be running mother. Alison can be contacted at adbarkman@gmail.com.

As a registered dietitian (RD), I have counseled moms and kids for weight management and overall healthy eating. I am amazed at the number of kids, well into their tweens and teens, who gag at the thought of a fruit, vegetable or other healthy food. Equally, I am alarmed by the number of moms who are cooking numerous meals at dinner to please the palate of one or more picky eaters. As if moms aren’t busy enough?

Parents of picky eaters, it is time to take back control of meal time! This post will help answer why your child may be picky and offer steps to breaking this behavior.

Why is my child a picky eater?

The peak time for a child to become a picky eater is in the toddler or preschool years. A 2007 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a strong genetic link in children with aversions to certain foods. However, the researchers stressed that genetics were only part of the cause. Environmental factors, or the child’s surroundings, also play a major part in picky eating.

Environmental contributors to picky eating can have a life-long impact if not corrected. These include giving in to a child’s irrational food requests, and cooking different meals to cater to picky palates. Also, arguing and yelling at meal time will only exacerbate the problem.

What can I do if my child is a picky eater?

There are several steps you can take to help prevent or ease your child out of these behaviors. First and foremost, do not panic or give up too quickly. It may take several trials and taste tests of various foods.

Try some of these steps when working with your picky eater:

• Your kid doesn’t like what you made for dinner and refuses to eat. Offer him a plate, let him know this is what is for dinner tonight, no questions asked. Experiment with different types of food. If salmon, broccoli and a baked potato is on the menu tonight, try chicken, green beans and rice pilaf tomorrow.
• Associate healthy foods with things kids can relate to. Telling a child to drink their milk “because it’s good for you” will not always work. Try associating milk with an interest. For example, tell your child milk builds strong bones and muscles, and this can help improve her soccer game.
• Have patience when introducing new foods. Kids sometimes require 10 to 15 exposures to a food before they will eat it, so keep offering foods your kid may not like initially. Try serving an item different ways. For example, try broccoli with melted low-fat cheese, mix it into a pasta with marinara sauce or a low-fat macaroni and cheese dish.
• Get your kids involved with the food buying, planning and preparation. Take your kids to the grocery store. Act excited over all the bright colors in the produce aisle. Make it a game and ask your child to pick out fruits and vegetables from each color group.

Don’t make a picky eating habit worse!

Unknowingly, a parent’s reaction to a picky eater can make the behavior worse. Parents who give in and prepare a dinner for themselves, chicken nuggets for Tommy and a grilled cheese sandwich for Lilly are not improving the situation. This teaches your children that they are in control of mealtime. Parents job is to offer nutritious options. Kids decide what and how much to eat of what is offered.

Do not create a hostile environment with yelling and forcing a child to clear her plate. If she eats a few bites and does not want anymore, remember that tomorrow is another day to try something else. Forcing a child to clear his plate or bribing with dessert teaches eating for reasons other than hunger, which can lead to overweight and obesity issues down the road.

Try not to overly disguise foods. Secretly placing bananas in vanilla pudding or spinach in brownies will not teach your child about good nutrition. True, they may eat the spinach. But if it is hidden in a brownie they will never truly know if they like it or not.

What should a nervous parent do?

Remember that it is always beneficial to give your child a daily multivitamin to ensure their growing bodies receive proper nutrients. If you are concerned your child’s picky eating is out of hand and causing health problems, speak with your pediatrician. Seek help from a registered dietitian, especially one with expertise working with families and children (go to www.eatright.org and search for an RD by zip code).

A quote that sums it up best is by Ellyn Satter, an expert in nutrition and feeding for children, and author of “Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense” (Bull Publishing, 2000):

"You can't control or dictate the quantity of food your child eats, and you shouldn't try. You also can't control or dictate the kind of body your child develops, and you shouldn't try. What you can do, and it is a great deal, is set things up for your child so she, herself, can regulate her food intake as well as possible, and so she can develop a healthy body that is constitutionally right for her."

References:

Cooke, LJ, Haworth, C, & Wardle, J (2007). Genetic and environmental influences on children's food neophobia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86, 428-433.

Drotz, Keeley (2008, April). How to outsmart picky eaters. Retrieved September 2, 2009, from Healthcastle.com Web site: http://www.healthcastle.com/children_picky_eating.shtml

Schmitt, B.D. (2009, June 9). Picky Eaters. Retrieved September 2, 2009, from Pediatric Advisor Web site: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_pickyeat_hhg.htm

Severson, Kim (October 2007). Picky Eaters? They get it from you. Retrieved September 2, 2009, from New York Times Web site: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/dining/10pick.html?_r=1