Oh, summer, you flew by, and school is starting soon. I know because I got my huge list of supplies, and I’m hoping to find all the required colored binders and composition books (and maybe some fun #2 pencils)! As the mother, though, I’d like to add to the list what to feed the kids when they come home from school “starving.” There are two “schools” of thought on that one: serve healthy snacks until a later dinner time or feed them supper the minute they walk in the door. Let’s try out both options.
Grazing Boards
Having a healthy snack ready when the kids walk in that door has been a game changer for us. Some days, I just put out hummus with carrots and peppers. Some days, I do a larger spread. I have been doing a host of “grazing” boards lately, like the charcuterie boards I described in my last column, as well as shalashudes and dessert boards. I’ve found these grazing boards perfect for after-school snacks as well. After the huge amount of energy children expend at school – including trying not to fidget during class or run in the hallways – when they come home, it’s as though their bodies and minds take a huge cleansing breath that says, “Hooray, I’m home.” And the very first thing their bodies are telling them (whether they know it or not) is that they’re hungry. A healthy, delicious snack recharges their energy before homework, playtime, or chores begin.
My good friend Tova Brody likes her children to eat a “rainbow” a day. (Skittles do not count!) I love this idea. I did a little research, and apparently it’s a “thing.” If children (or adults) eat a variety of colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple – they automatically get a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. (It’s a word; look it up.) Phytochemicals, in combination or separately, are like super heroes. They fight cancer, help the liver; improve brain function, eyesight, and the immune system; as well as promote cell growth, among many more positive effects. And aside from the fun of it, when you eat the rainbow along with your kids, you are setting a good example to try a variety of foods. As usual, even more than listening to what I say, my children are watching what I do.
The amazing thing about grazing boards is they really can include anything you want. I have listed many fruits and vegetables below in the different color categories. You can mix and match or have different boards for different days of the week – striving, always for variety. I like having dips, some sort of crunchy cracker/pretzel/tortilla chip, vegetables, and fruits on each board. I try to get a couple of samples of each color on the board.
I try to get all the shopping done on Sunday, so I’m ready for the week. (I love the delivery option! Seven Mile, Maven Market, Giant, and Walmart all have home delivery.)
A grazing board is a low pressure way to get picky eaters to try things. If they put it on their plate, they’re more likely to eat it, and if everyone’s saying how yummy something is, they might try it. Also, as I’ve said previously, I strongly believe that if a child can help in any way with the food prep (like taking the fruit/veggies from the fridge, washing them, peeling or cutting them) they are more likely to eat the food. Another “trick” is make a game out of preparing and eating the foods on the board: like asking people to create different combinations of dips, snack (chips/pretzels) and fruit/vegetable. Then everyone compares and is motivated to try new combinations. There’s a lot of talking around these boards.
To make your board, choose from the following:
- Red: grape tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon, apples, Craisins, cherries, grapes, pomegranate, roasted beets
- Orange: oranges, grapefruit, mangoes, papayas, baby carrots or carrot sticks, roasted and peeled sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, orange peppers, peaches
- Yellow: corn (or air-popped popcorn), baby corn, roasted yellow squash, yellow peppers, pineapple
- Green: broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, green grapes, green apples, asparagus, green beans, peas, celery sticks, olives, roasted zucchini, kiwi, avocado, edamame
- Blue/purple: blueberries, purple cabbage, roasted eggplant, plums, prunes, figs, blue corn tortilla chips, acai berry
- White/brown: cauliflower, roasted garlic, roasted onions, mushrooms, roasted potatoes, roasted parsnips, daikon radish, jicama, hearts of palm
- Snacks: pretzels, dried fruit (apricots, bananas, raisins), freeze-dried fruit, tortilla chips, crackers
- Dips: salsa, hummus, nut butters, bean dips, roasted red pepper dip, eggplant dip, tehina
Cut fruit and vegetables – one or two from each color group – into bite-size pieces and have everything prepared when the children get home. Next, let your “crew” help plate. If you can get your picky eater to move a pile of veggies he wouldn’t normally eat from the cutting platform to the board, that child has just made a huge step toward eating that vegetable. (You can’t mention it though; we mothers are crafty like that.) Place the dips (I like to have three) on the board in small bowls. Arrange the fruits and veggies in piles, and lay out two or three types of chips/crackers in rows.
Roast Vegetables
Roasting vegetables brings out their sweetness; they are delicious. You can serve them with the fruits and raw vegetables or make a grazing board with roasted vegetables alone. Choose any or all of these:
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Red potato
- Peeled sweet potato
- 1 T. oil per vegetable
- 1 pinch of salt per vegetable
- 1 pinch of garlic powder per vegetable
- Pepper to taste
Cut each vegetable into bite-size pieces. In a bowl, toss the vegetable with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oil, or use spray if cutting down on oil. On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, roast each vegetable separately at 400° for about 40 minutes (until soft to touch and browning slightly on top). Let cool, and store separately in fridge until you are ready to use.
Crock-Pot Orange Chicken
Having a hot meal ready immediately when your kids come home and you come home from work is an amazing thing, especially on days when appointments and other activities take up the pre-dinner hours. Crock-pots are not just for Shabbos any more! Just throw a bunch of ingredients into it in the morning and you’re set!
This dish freezes beautifully, so I would double or triple the recipe, if possible, so you can freeze half of it for another night. As I always say, there’s no sense in cooking twice if you can just cook once.
3 T. all-purpose flour (optional)
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut up, skin removed, and patted dry
1 pound baby carrots (could peel and chop regular carrots)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 pound red potatoes, chopped
1 c. orange marmalade
1 c. barbecue sauce
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T minced fresh ginger root
Rice (optional) or cooked noodles
If you’re using flour, as a thickening agent, coat the chicken with it in a gallon-size Ziplock bag. (I find it reduces the mess and coats the chicken more evenly. Repeat if necessary. Place chicken in your crock-pot lined with parchment paper or a roasting bag (to speed clean up) with carrots, celery, and potatoes.
In a small bowl, combine orange marmalade, barbecue sauce, soy sauce and ginger; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low until chicken juices run clear, 6 to 8 hours. Serve over noodles or rice.
If you want to add the rice to the crock-pot, I would strongly suggest using brown rice; it’s heartier and stands up to the long cook time. Add the rice and follow the directions on the bag for how much water to add.
If you want white rice, I would cook it separately, or you could add the rice 2 to 3 hours before the chicken is done. However, the whole point of crock-pot cooking is to avoid having to add another ingredient later, so I’d rather make the rice separately. (It means I have to clean another pot, but sometimes that can’t be helped.)
Freezer option: Freeze cooled chicken mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a pot or microwave, covered, until heated through. Serves 4.
Bracha Shor is president of Sweet and Good Catering and a sought-after speaker for
workshops, retreats, classes, camps, bar/bat mitzvahs and more. She says, “If you’re eating a rainbow a day, let me know how you’re doing it.” Also email her for your next event at bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com, or call 410-900-6640.
