More on Wasted Food

A week and a half ago there was a great article in The New York Times about wasted food. Finally, this issue seems to be getting the attention it deserves. The story notes that Americans (as a society) waste the equivalent of one pound of food per person every day. To make you feel even worse, the tons of food we send to landfills rots and then produces methane, aka a huge source of greenhouse gases. Yikes! This information certainly doesn't help to assuage my all-consuming thoughts about the convergence of skyrocketing grocery store bills, a pending global food shortage, and the toxicity of mass food production.

Mentioned in the article is a blog written by journalist Jonathan Bloom called, appropriately, Wasted Food. I really like this blog and would encourage you to check it out; in particular note the suggestions he makes in his recent post Pantry Patrol.

As a new mother these issues have a strong resonance with me especially as I begin to think about how to prepare Baby Flava to live in the world that will come. For now, where to begin? Well first, we are going to continue our campaign to be thoughtful grocery shoppers, we will continue our effort to minimize our food waste, we will begin to cut back on the amount of meat we consume, and now, I will take on the task of seriously reorganizing our pantry!

- Mama Flava -

**Note, the two trays of food in the image above sat outside during a summer event. A few people nibbled on a few pieces of fruit/veggies, all of the rest of the food was thrown away.

Quick Veggie Quesadillas

The saying that you never know when love will strike is true. My taste buds have had a passionate affair with the quesadilla that started in a food twilight zone known as the Astoria neighborhood in Queens, New York. Around the corner from my apartment was this little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. They served a black bean and cheese quesadilla (and not much else) that was something to fall in love with. When I moved back to the Upper West Side of Manhattan I found a local Tex-Mex haunt that served a mushroom and spinach quesadilla on a whole wheat tortilla that spoke to my evolving desire for healthier alternatives to my favorite foods. In the many years since I left New York I have been on a quest to make a quesadilla at home that would take my taste buds back to those passionate days in New York (I think I've stretched the love theme too far).

Here is my recipe for quick and healthy veggie quesadillas. We serve them with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa for the grown-ups - Daddy Flava likes his with a Negra Modelo. Baby Flava loves hers sans accoutrement. I love a quesadilla for Baby Flava because it is such a well rounded toddler meal (whole grains, dairy, two kinds of protein, and veggies) and it is also super tasty. Plus, BF can pick up the triangles and feed herself, which is always a plus in our house.


Quick Veggie Quesadillas
1 package of 100% whole wheat wraps/tortillas
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1 cup shredded Parrano
1 can of fat-free refried black beans (we like the Trader Joes brand)
Canola Oil (preferably in a spray can)
Pinch of salt
Veggies
- Sliced sautéed zucchini
- Sauteed spinach
- Sauteed mushrooms

Pre-heat a large skillet on the stove, once warm spray lightly with Canola oil. Take one wrap/tortilla and spread a generous helping of beans on one half. Sprinkle 1/4 of the Gouda and 1/4 of the Parrano on top of the beans. Place a generous helping of your veggies of choice on top of the cheese. Fold the wrap/tortilla in half and place it in your hot skillet. Cook until the bottom is golden; then spray the top half of the quesadilla with canola oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt before flipping over. Once both sides of the quesadilla are golden brown remove it from the pan, let cool for 2 minutes, and then cut into triangles. Repeat with the remaining 3 wraps/tortillas.

These are great hot off the skillet but leftovers also make a tasty snack cold.

- Mama Flava

The Price We Pay For Groceries

For the last few months I have been listening to and reading my fair share of doomsday reports about the state of the American economy. Every day there seems to be a new story about entire neighborhoods of foreclosed homes, predictions that the price of gas will reach $5 a gallon by the end of the year, and warnings that the looming food crisis will drive up the price of every basic food we consume. For a while my coping strategy was to embrace a state of numbness to this global conversation happening around me. Could things really be this bad? Well, I think they actually might be.

Yesterday I did two things that drove this looming crisis home for me. I stopped at a gas station and had to pay $43 to fill up my little Honda Civic. Afterwards, I drove to Whole Foods to pick up some meat for the week. I needed peppers and decided to grab them while I was there rather than making a second stop at Trader Joes. Three red peppers cost me over $7.50. For the first time since talk about a recession began I felt scared. What will $150 of groceries buy me in one year, will it be enough to feed a family of four for a week? More importantly, how will someone less fortunate than we are afford basics like milk and eggs when the prices skyrocket?

I don't mean to get all doom and gloom on this generally upbeat blog but I am eager to know what other moms think. Does anyone else feel like every week you go to the grocery store and come home with a higher bill and less food? Are you worried about the price you will pay for healthy groceries one year from now? Have you already made adjustments to your diet in order to compensate for the increased cost of basic food items?

- Mama Flava -

Salmon (the new tuna) Sandwich

First I want to wish all of our readers a belated Happy Mother's Day. I hope you each had the chance to relax and spend some quality time with your family. We celebrated mother's day with my in-laws in Virginia. It was rainy here on Sunday so we spent most of the day inside, eating. My father-in-law packed us a dogie bag to take home that included some lovely poached salmon, which he had ordered from Whole Foods.

Yesterday I opened the fridge to make Baby Flava's lunch and decided that the leftover salmon would make a great sandwich. I took out a piece of Ezekial bread (this is a new favorite product of ours) and cut it in half. In a small bowl I mashed a few oz's of the fish; ours was very moist so there was no need to add anything but you could add a little organic mayo to fish that is dry. After spreading the fish on half the bread I layered on a few slices of ripe avocado. Then I closed the sandwich and sliced it in half. As a side I washed a few blueberries, which thanks to Baby Flava's new molars, she enjoys tremendously. It was as healthy as a quick and easy toddler lunch can get!

My husband and I often talk about what a shame it is that canned tuna is so high in mercury. Recent studies say that a child can safely eat canned (chunk light) tuna only once every few weeks and some say that children under five should not consume tuna at all. Growing up we used to eat tuna four or five times a week. It is sadly ironic to me that eating canned tuna for lunch has become a real treat in our house. However, I don't think our kids need to miss out on tasty fish sandwiches. Once BF gets a little bit older I will start buying canned salmon and preparing it as I would a can of tuna. Salmon is canned with small bones that can be mashed up, so until she is a bit older we will only use leftover fresh salmon for her sandwiches. It is a very tasty alternative to tuna and the best part of serving salmon is that your little one enjoys all of the benefits of the fish's high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

In my opinion, salmon is the new tuna!

- Mama Flava -

Spanakopita

Spanakopita is one of my all time favorite foods. I love it anyway, anytime, which is why I was shocked by the realization that I had not yet made it for Baby Flava. Normally I prepare the dish in an 9x13 '' baking pan but for BF I thought spanakopita in it's appetizer form would be easier so that she could pick up the pieces with her hands. This recipe includes enough to make a full sized spanakopita for your family and plenty of pockets for your little one. Of course, the kiddos can also eat the regular version of this dish, especially if they are adept at using a spoon or fork. Baby Flava LOVED this dish and, as always, I felt great because she was eating so much spinach!

Spanakopita (adapted from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook)

1 package of whole wheat filo dough
2 packages of frozen spinach (1lb each)
1 container of low fat cottage cheese (1lb)
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
5 eggs
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
2 T flour
1 onion
1 T canola oil
3/4 cup Organic Earth Balance

The night before making this dish take the filo dough out of the freezer and put it into the fridge. One hour before preparing the dish place the filo on your counter so that it can come to room temperature. Preheat your over to 375 degrees. Defrost the spinach completely and place it in a colander to drain. (You can squeeze the excess water out of the spinach to speed up the process.) While the spinach is draining, dice the onion and saute it in the canola oil until lightly browned. Combine the spinach, onion, cheeses, spices, eggs, and flour in a bowl and mix well. Separate one cup of the mixture and set aside.

Open the filo dough, spread it out on a clean counter and cover with a damp washcloth. Melt the Earth Balance (EB). To begin assembling the spanakopita brush the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish with EB, place one filo sheet in the pan and brush it generously with EB. Continue the process of placing a sheet and brushing it with EB until you have 7 sheets stacked in the bottom of the dish (the sheets will hang over the edge.) Place 1/2 of the spinach filling on top of the filo and then start the process of layers sheets again until you have another 6 stacked. Place the remaining spinach mixture on top of the filo and then stack another 7 sheets. Fold the excess filo in along the edges being sure to make tight corners. Brush the top of the dish generously with the remaining EB. Place the finished dish in the oven for 45 minutes (uncovered) until the top is flaky and brown.

With the remaining spinach mixture and 4 filo sheets you will make a few pockets for your little one. Take one filo sheet and place it on your counter, brush with Earth Balance and then place one other filo sheet on top. Cut the sheets into three long strips. Place a spoonful of the spinach mixture in the lower corner of one strip and fold up into small triangles adding a brush of butter in between each fold. Repeat on each strip and then again with the remaining two pieces of filo dough. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in the 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. (My folding technique is not impressive but remember that your little one doesn't care how pretty the folds are, just that the dish is tasty!)

- Mama Flava -