Breakfast of Champions

The other morning, while I was trying to coax breakfast orders out of my groggy six- and nine-year-olds, my husband said, “When I was a kid, unless it was my birthday and I got to pick out a box of cereal, my mother never once asked me what I wanted for breakfast.” Now that I think of it, neither did mine. Of course I want my kids to enjoy their food and therefore — at least theoretically — eat a balanced, healthy breakfast. But do I really have to be a short-order cook at 7 a.m.?

So I decided to just make something, put it in front of them, and see how it goes. So far my experiment — i.e. “it’s smoothies and boiled eggs today” — has gone over really well. In fact, I don’t even think the kids have noticed. 

I know breakfast, especially during the school week, can be a pain. But we all know how important it is. I think of breakfast as one of the only meals that I can completely control. I am not naive enough to think (for one minute) that the healthy lunches I’m packing every day are really exactly what my kids eat for lunch every day. For example, recently my son let it slip that he traded his (nitrate-free, organic turkey on whole wheat) sandwich for his buddy’s (GMO-laden, highly processed) Lunchables Ham & American Cracker Stackers. While the food evangelist in me cringes, the mom and former kid in me understands.

What about dinner? Well, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I am a big believer in family dinner — for about ten thousand reasons. One of the main reasons is that when we eat together, I can make sure there’s a nice pile of sliced veggies and lean, hormone-free protein on the plate. And we do eat together as often as we can. Which is certainly not every night. This is not because I’ve got a good excuse like a high-powered job or long commute; it’s simply reality. We try, but we’re busy. I do pack healthy on-the-go meals for my kids when they have after-school activities. But the truth remains that breakfast is my best shot at consistently getting real food into my kids’ mouths.

So, now I’m in charge of breakfast, which is less painful than trying to communicate about breakfast choices with a cranky kid (“Sweetie, we have the same kind of yogurt we had yesterday.”) — but also requires me to come up with something to feed them every day. Because I’ve read several studies that say eating protein at breakfast reduces cravings for unhealthy sugars and fats later in the day, I cook a lot of eggs. One egg has about 6 grams of high-quality protein and is a naturally good source of vitamin D, something a lot of us are deficient in. Not all eggs are created equal though. If you can’t get farm-fresh eggs, go for the next best thing, which is organic eggs from truly free-roaming chickens. There is an unbelievable difference in taste as well as health benefits: Pastured eggs have been shown to contain far less cholesterol and saturated fat but more vitamins A and E, omega-3 fatty acids, and beta carotene. My kids like them almost hard-boiled, so I cook them for 9 minutes and serve them in darling little egg cups with chicken feet.

Another big hit has been PB & J’s. My son sits at a nut-free table at school, so this is his only chance to have what I think is close to a perfect meal. The key, of course, to a healthy PB & J is getting the right ingredients. First, you need organic (to ensure you’re not eating GMO wheat) whole wheat bread. We love Rudy’s Honey Sweet Whole Wheat (the Whole Foods version is also good and is less expensive). Peanut butter is a very personal thing, so go with the brand you and your kids love. Of course I recommend going organic and avoiding the brands that add weird oils, sugar, or any unpronounceable ingredients to an item that really should contain one thing: peanuts (okay and maybe a little salt). As for the jelly, in order to keep it healthy, watch the sugar. (My banana jam is fabulous, if I do say so myself, and is actually quite low in sugar.) Otherwise, I buy Crofters Just Fruit Spread, which has 8 grams per tablespoon, compared to Smucker’s Raspberry Jam, which has 12 g. Another great idea is to sub out the jam for chopped and slightly smooshed fresh berries. When they’re good (like right now), this is beyond delicious, and nobody misses the preserves.

Next post will be a couple great smoothie recipes, because those are another staple around here. Hey, What’s your kid’s favorite breakfast?

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You’ll Just Have to Trust Me on This One

I realize I risk losing all credibility by posting this recipe for Burundian Spinach Stew. Also, I have to be up front and admit that my kids did not like it. (Words like “weird” and “huh?” were used.) But I promise it’s delicious. Really. When I first discovered this on the Operation Rice Bowl website last year, I was skeptical, too. The basic list of ingredients — spinach, peanut butter, and onions — reminded me of those strange concoctions my little sister used to make in the kitchen before my mom got home from work and then dared me to taste. But we had vowed to make as many of the African, Middle Eastern, and South American recipes from the site’s list as we reasonably could during Lent, and I happened to have most of the ingredients, so I bought about a bushel of spinach and made the stew.

And guess what? Those Burundians are amazing recipe developers. This stew is very quick and easy to make (although you will be shredding piles of spinach — a job I suggest foisting on one of your super helpful children), it’s thick and very flavorful, almost like a curry, and it’s chock full of dark green (i.e. healthy) spinach and other veggies. In addition to creating the rich consistency and flavor, the peanut butter adds protein, which we (part-time) vegetarians need; I’m pretty sure that’s what makes this stew so completely satisfying. I promise you won’t miss the meat.

As I said, my kids turned their noses up, which is not surprising since it’s brown and full of very well-cooked spinach. Plus, I made it a little on the spicy side (oops). My spouse couldn’t get enough. The kids ate bowls of the brown rice I’d made to go with the stew with some veggies and sliced eggs — everyone was happy and well fed, so it worked for me.

Of course I made a few minor tweaks and additions to the Burundians’ basic recipe, which I feel kinda bad about because I know we’re supposed to be eating in solidarity with them. But I couldn’t help myself. It might not be totally authentic, but my version was pretty darn tasty. I’ll put my changes and comments in italics so you can stick to the basic recipe if you want.

Burundian Spinach Stew
Ingredients

2 small onions, chopped
2 tbs. oil (I used olive oil.)
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced (I didn’t peel them.)
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I used red; I don’t like green peppers and imagine if the Burundians had access to red peppers, they’d be in agreement.)
2 lbs. fresh spinach (You can buy the bagged baby spinach, but it’s a lot cheaper to buy bunches of regular organic spinach. I used 3 large bunches.)
1 tsp. salt (Don’t measure, just taste it.)
2 chili peppers, sliced (I used Thai red chili paste, probably about 2 tsp.)
4 tbs. peanut butter (I think chunky would be off-putting so used creamy. I highly recommend all-natural peanut butter, by the way; it tastes much better and doesn’t have weird, unnecessary oils and sugars added to it.)
6 cups rice, cooked (I used short grain brown rice, which is more sticky and satisfying than long grain rice.)
Plus I added:
1/2 pint sliced, sauteed mushrooms
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 tbs. banana jam (You could also use marmalade, chutney, or honey; I just thought the stew needed a little sweetness).

In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, saute the onions in the oil until golden. Stir in tomatoes and bell peppers. Add spinach (First rinse really, really well in a large bowl or sink full of water, then tear off the stems and shred into pieces.), salt, and chili. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Give the spinach a nice cold bath.

Add several tablespoons warm water to the peanut butter to make a smooth paste. Add to pot (along with soy sauce, fish sauce, and jam) and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir frequently, adding small amounts of water to prevent sticking (about 1 cup). Add sauteed mushrooms. Serve over rice.

It tastes better than it looks.

Try it, you’ll like it. Next up: Nigerian Okra Paste with Cornmeal Porridge (just kidding).

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