Proteins are important building blocks for a growing child. They are required for growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues. Different kinds of specialized proteins also perform many important functions like carrying oxygen in our cells and fighting infections. In a recent Ask the Expert column, dietitian Emma Stirling wrote about protein power and offered tips on getting enough protein in your child’s diet. Children 1-3 years old need about 0.5 g of protein per pound of body weight, which comes to about 13-16 g of daily protein. In most cases, it is not a problem to get this much from a typical American diet. But if you have a picky eater, or if you are following a strict vegetarian diet, you need to pay a little extra attention to your child’s protein needs.

In this week’s Five for Fridays, I want to highlight 5 vegetarian sources of proteins. We routinely include them in our meals using many of our simple recipes. Even if you are not a strict vegetarian, you can try them occasionally to bring variety to your diet.

Lentils

Source: Wikimedia

Lentils are dry seeds of a pulse crop. They are rich in protein, iron, dietary fiber and B vitamins. More importantly, they are rich in the essential amino acids (there are 9 essential amino acids our body cannot produce). Sprouted lentils provide all of the 9 amino acids. On a 100 g dry weight basis, lentils provide 26 g of protein! Just like whole grains, soaking lentils  in water removes phytates which allows better mineral absorption in the GI tract.

One of our favorite recipes is a lentil soup which we often eat with basmati rice.

Chick Peas

Source: Wikimedia

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, have been around for a long time! You will find them in almost any cuisine around the world, especially in the Middle East, Mediterranean and South East Asia. They are super rich in protein, vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.

Here is one of our recipes with beef and chickpeas. There are many different ways to cook chickpeas without any meat.

Red Kidney Beans

Wikimedia Commons

There are many different types of beans, but our favorite are red kidney beans. They provide a lot of protein, iron, calcium, B vitamins, magnesium and zinc. Soaking them in water overnight reduces cooking time and removes complex sugars that would otherwise cause indigestion and gas.

Red kidney beans with olive oil is one of our favorite recipes.

Nuts

Source: Wikimedia

Unlike vegetables, nuts are actually dried fruit. If your child does not have any allergies to nuts, they can offer a good balance of calories from fat, carbs and proteins. Our favorites are almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnut. We like to soak almonds overnight in water then peel the skin off before eating the soft white core. We use walnuts in salads and pecans in some of our recipes like the steak and vegetables with pecans casserole. Nuts also provide healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids.

Quinoa

We discovered quinoa not too long ago, and since then it has taken up a regular place in our kitchen cabinets. Quinoa is really the unrecognized superfood because it is not so common in America. It is beginning to be more available now in some stores, so check it out! It is low in glycemic index, and although it is not a grain, it can be a nice replacement to rice with your entree. It is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.

One of our favorite recipe is chicken with quinoa. And for the strictly vegetarian, here is our quinoa with vegetables.

Enjoy these recipes and let me know what is on your mind!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

We have been grilling a lot of vegetables this summer! Recently we enjoyed a meal with pan-fried tilapia with a few grilled vegetables and basmati rice.

Ingredients

• 2-3 fillets of tilapia
• 2-3 Portabella mushroom tops
• 1 cup sweet peppers
• 2-3 tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 cup seafood fry mix (we used McCormick Golden Dipt)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pour seafood fry mix in a bowl or a plastic bag. Wash tilapia fillets with water, shake off excess. Coat evenly with the fry mix. Let stand for 5 minutes and remove to a second dish. Pan fry in olive oil on medium heat turning once to brown evenly. Cook until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork.

Lightly brush vegetables with olive oil before grilling. Apply oil to the surface of a grilling pan (we use a mesh grill pan from Williams Sonoma) and place over the grill while it is still cold. Fire up the grill to high and add vegetables to the grill pan when it has stopped smoking. Grill over medium heat until vegetables are cooked, turning a few times for even cooking.

Serve with basmati rice.

If you have a favorite recipe you want to share on our blog, send me a note via our Contact Us form.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

TwinToddlersMom got creative with leftover grilled steaks from the night before as she cooked up this dish. It turned out to be really good!

Ingredients

• 1-2 grilled steaks cut into thin slices
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 2 cups frozen peas/carrot blend
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1 cup warm water

Saute onions with olive oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper and mix well. Stir in steak slices and pecan halves. Saute a little more then add frozen vegetables.  Add in warm water. Cover and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Serve with basmati rice or bulgur pilav.

If you have a favorite recipe you want to share on our blog, send me a note via our Contact Us form.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

One of our close friends made these yummy cheesecakes for a party recently. A sweet indulgence for a special occasion with a built-in portion control trick!

Ingredients

• 42 Cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (example Oreos), 30 whole and 12 coarsely crushed
• 2 lb cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 °F.  Place one whole cookie at the bottom of a paper muffin cup. Place the lined cups inside a standard muffin tray.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with a handheld mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beat until combined and add vanilla extract. Add eggs and continue beating until well mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in crushed cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups. Bake about 20 minutes, rotating muffin tray half way. Allow to cool, the refrigerate for 4 h, preferably overnight, before serving.

Enjoy but resist the temptation to eat more than 2!

If you have a favorite recipe you want to share on our blog, send me a note via our Contact Us form.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This eggplant recipe is similar to babaganoush, but with a little twist! It is prepared in yogurt instead of tahini. Now that it’s summer time, we like to grill the eggplant instead of baking it in the oven. Serve it chilled as a side dish with grilled fish and rice – you will love it!

Ingredients

• 5-6 small Asian/Indian eggplants
• 1  cup plain yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• salt, pepper to taste

Method

Cut small slits in the eggplants and lightly brush each with olive oil. Place eggplants in a stainless steel wire grilling pan and grill over medium high heat, turning gently once in a while until the skin is dark and partially charred.

Remove eggplants from the grill and let them cool for a few minutes. Peel off the skin and collect the flesh in a bowl. Cut in smaller pieces and then puree in a food processor. Remove in a bowl.

Mix with plain yogurt until smooth and homogeneous. Add garlic, salt and pepper.  Garnish with ch0pped cilantro. Chill in a refrigerator before serving.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This recipe came from Tommy’s Mommy of Milwaukee.

Thai Chicken Satay

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 16 skewers a little oil or coconut milk for basting

Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or other veg oil)
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into long, thin slices to get about 16 slices. Place chicken into work bowl and add marinade ingredients, gently tossing til will mixed. Marinate in fridge for 2-24 hrs.

Thread each chicken slice onto a skewer (for appetizers/parties, I cut the skewers in half). Baste chicken with oil or coconut milk. Place skewers on grill (a grill pan works well) or under broiler for 2 min. per side. Baste one more time. The satays are done when they have turned golden brown and crispy along the edges.

Sever with….(not if your child has peanut allergy)

Thai Peanut Sauce

• 5 oz roasted peanuts
• 4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 Tabespoons sugar
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce

Process peanuts until they are a fine meal. Reserve.

Heat half the coconut milk in a saucepan on high heat and add curry pasteBring to a bubbling boil. Lower heat and add sugar, lemon juice and fish sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and oil rises
Take pan off heat and let rest 30 min. Skim off excess oil if desired, or stir it back in. The sauce should be thick like cream — add water or oil to blend

Serve sauce lukewarm or hot. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated or frozen (I usually make a half batch or freeze half of it)

If you have a favorite recipe you want to share on our blog, send me a note via our Contact Us form.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb okra, cut in 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, crushed in a food processor
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 1 tbsp Sera tomato paste (Domates Salcasi from Turkey)
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Salt, red pepper to taste
• Fresh ginger, cut in small pieces, about 1 tbsp
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Saute onions in olive oil over low-medium heat. Stir in garlic, ginger and spices. Then add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and mix well. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add okra and fold in over the sauce. Pour a little warm water, about 1/2 cup over the mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until okra turns soft. The sauce should be rich and smooth with an oily texture at this point.

Serve with bulgur pilav or basmati rice.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Börek is similar to spanakopita except it is not presented in a triangular shape and has a few more layers of the phyllo dough pastry. It makes a delicious, healthy snack or an appetizer before the main meal. Enjoy and let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!

Ingredients

• 1 box of phyllo dough sheets (Athens brand)
• 1 bag baby spinach, washed and chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, crushed in a food processor
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 egg
• Shredded cheese, cheddar, mozzarella or feta
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Prepare spinach filling: Add about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and saute onions over low-medium heat. Press chopped spinach to remove excess water before adding to the pan. Saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare liquid mix: Add milk, yogurt and a little bit of shredded cheese in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. The liquid mix will go between every two layers of the phyllo dough sheets.

Prepare the pastry: Grease the bottom of a glass dish with olive oil. Place two layers of the phyllo dough sheets to cover the bottom and sides. Spread 2-3 tbsp of the liquid mix on top of the phyllo dough layer and sprinkle a little shredded cheese. Take another two layers of the phyllo dough sheets and repeat this procedure. Now spread all of the spinach filling evenly on top. Resume layering of phyllo dough sheets in twos with 2-3 tbsp of the liquid mix spread between each pair. Continue until all of the phyllo dough sheets are placed in layers.

Whisk the egg in a bowl. Brush the egg evenly on the top layer.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the glass dish with the assembled pastry on the lower rack and cook until the top is light brown, about 30 minutes.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This recipe is similar to our Whole Chicken with Orzo Salad we wrote about a while back. Whole chicken is very easy to cook and also very economical. Give it a try and let us know if you like it!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces about 1 inch long
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 tsp rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, whole
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Remove and discard giblets and neck from the chicken cavity. Clean the chicken under running water.  Rinse off excess water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place a few pieces of potatoes and some carrots inside the cavity. Rub outside of the chicken with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and place in a deep covered baker (we used one from The Pampered Chef) lightly brushed with olive oil. Arrange the remaining potatoes and carrots around the chicken in the baker.

Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 ºC). Bake covered for 60 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and continue roasting for another 25 – 35 minutes. Remove chicken from baker about 10 minutes before carving.

Serve with bulgur pilav or basmati rice.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow pasta
• 1 jar Bertolli Alfredo sauce
• 1 lb shrimp, cooked
• 2-3 small yellow squash, peeled and cut in rounds
• 1 onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 2-3 small sweet peppers finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes crushed in a food processor
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

Method

Cook pasta according to instructions on the box. We like to add a little salt and olive oil to the boiling water just before adding pasta. Do not overcook; the best way to judge if the pasta is cooked is to taste it.  Drain into a colander and shake well to remove all excess water. Mix with Alfredo sauce in a large pan and set aside.

Saute onions and garlic  in olive oil in a large saucepan over low-medium heat until brown. Add crushed tomatoes and saute more for 1-2 minutes. Add peppers, shrimp, squash. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and mix well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta with Alfredo sauce to the shrimp mix. Keep on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (chicken breast is also an option)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1-2 yellow squash or zucchini cut into small rounds
• 1 small onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro or parsley
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Rice

• 1 box Near East Sesame Ginger Rice Pilaf
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/2  cup water

Broccoli

• 1 small bag of cut broccoli
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method

Wash chicken pieces and cut into small cubes. Saute onions in olive oil in a non-stick saucepan over low-medium heat until soft. Add chicken and saute more until chicken pieces turn light brown. Add squash, potatoes, salt, pepper and mix well. Add coconut milk to the mixture. Reduce heat and cook covered until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked. Remove from heat, sprinkle cilantro or parsley and cover it until ready to serve.

Cook sesame ginger rice pilaf according to the instructions on the box. Typically it involves first adding olive oil to water and bringing it to a boil. Then add the spice mix and add the rice pilaf. Reduce heat and cook covered until rice is fully cooked, about 20 -3 0 minutes.

Steam broccoli in a steamer until soft but not overcooked. Prepare a sauce by mixing olive oil, crushed garlic and white wine vinegar. Add sauce to taste just before serving.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 1 onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 jar (1 lb 10 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Finely grated Parmesan cheese

Method

In a bowl, mix ground turkey, onions, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Knead with hands to make an even mixture. Add more bread crumbs if necessary. Add chopped cilantro and mix again. Press the mixture into small balls about 1 inch in diameter.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Arrange the turkey meatballs evenly on a baking tray. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until fully cooked through the center.

Warm up the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Pour over cooked meatballs. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese right before serving.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1 8 oz box of baby bella mushrooms, washed and cut into small pieces
• 3-4 mini sweet peppers (red, yellow, green)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Method

Wash and cut chicken thighs into small bite sized cubes. Heat olive oil in a large stir fry wok or a saute pan. Saute onions for about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken – the heat should be high at this point so that the chicken sizzles when added. Stir fry until light brown and edges begin to get a little dark. Add mushrooms and peppers in a different area of the saucepan if it is big enough. If not, then stir fry separately. Add to chicken and mix well. Stir in pecans and stir fry for another minute or so. Add soy sauce. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately over basmati rice.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Last week we got a fresh stock of Turkish groceries from tulumba.com, a specialty online store for products from Turkey. One of our favorites is bulgur, which is essentially like cracked wheat except that it is parboiled before use. It is  a low glycemic index, high fiber, protein-rich grain of much higher nutritious value than rice or couscous. We like to substitute it for rice as a side dish with our main meal.

Ingredients

Bulgur

• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 small onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 – 2 cups warm water

Tilapia

• 2 medium tilapia fillet, cut into halves
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad

• Salad greens, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, green onions
• Walnuts
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Saute onions with tomatoes in olive oil in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until soft. Add bulgur, mix well and add enough warm water to cover the bulgur inside the pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes. When completely cooked, bulgur should be soft and fluffy.

Cover tilapia fillets with bread crumbs and pan fry in remaining olive oil until crispy brown on the outside and soft inside.

Make a salad with greens, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers and green onions. Add walnuts. Our regular dressing is a mix of freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil.

Serve with steamed asparagus.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hope you all enjoyed the day’s festivities. Our twins had fun at their daycare where they got green milk for breakfast! It was quite a novelty for them since we don’t usually offer them colored or flavored milk. It was fun to see them proudly display their green milk moustache! They also threw a small party in the afternoon and invited the parents to come hang out with the kids and the teachers.

Green happens to be my favorite color, which is one reason I like this holiday. And when it comes to food, the nutritious value of green vegetables is unbeatable. That is why I want to highlight a few green recipes in this week’s Five for Fridays. Some of them are our own favorites which we have published before in our Simple Recipes column. A few others I found on blogs of some of my favorite bloggers. Check them out and feel free to share your personal favorite St. Patrick’s day recipes!

Pasta with spinach and mushrooms

Salmon and broccoli in green curry sauce

Avocado and pears salad

Rebecca has this Easy South Indian Spinach recipe on her Chow and Chatter blog

Jenna has this Green Macroni and Cheese recipe on her Kid Appeal blog. She also has a very nice lineup of other St. Patrick’s Day recipes you might want to check out!

Enjoy and do share your favorite green recipe!