Feed My Kid!

How to approach your shopping list and food groups

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 28, 2009

When I shop for food, I tend to break down my mental list into categories.  Although I don’t buy the same things each time, I do try to cover off at least one item from each category so that I have a selection of needed items available no matter what I choose to make during the week.

grains:

flour, kernels, breads, pastas

legumes:

dried, canned, milk, pasta, bread

sweet vegetables:

e.g. squash, sweet potato, carrots, parsnips

healthful flavourings:

seaweed (nori, kombu etc.), sesame seeds, dried ginger

prepared foods:

baby food puree in jars, vegetable broths and soups in tetra-paks

sweet stuff:

honey, syrups (maple, grape, pomegranate, date), granulated sugars (maple, organic raw cane, succanat, xylitol etc.)

binding agents with nutritive value:

agar, xanthan gum, quail eggs, goat & sheep’s milk dairy products, nut butters (cashew, almond – if your child doesn’t have an allergy to nuts), seed butter (if your child is safe with seeds)

liquid elixirs of health:

teas high in calcium (e.g. Japanese kukicha/bancha tea), anti-oxidant teas (e.g. decaffeinated green tea, roobios), nourishing and stomach-settling brews (e.g. loose chamomile buds or peppermint leaves)

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Recipe: Jasmine-Pear & Jasmine-Pear-Mango Rice Milk

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 14, 2009

NO:  gluten, wheat, beans, soy, eggs, dairy products, nuts
This is a milk based on the fragrant Thai rice, Jasmine.  Additional flavourings come from the flavour of juice you choose to dilute it with.
This milk combines the calcium and minerals of kombu with the anti-oxidant benefits of green tea, and the fruit juice used primarily in this recipe (pear) is a very low reactivity food.
Ingredients: Ingredients for tea: Implements:
240 ml white jasmine rice
1 strip of kombu
470 ml of spring water (soaking)
pinch of sea salt
3800 ml spring water (cooking)
5 ml pure vanilla extract
5 ml extra virgin olive oil
3 large bay leaves
470 ml pure pear juice
2 teabags of organic green tea
710 ml spring water measuring cup
measuring spoons
1 litre pyrex measuring cup/bowl
large pot
stirring spoon for pot
small/medium fine-mesh strainer
blender or cuisinart
1 litre bottle for milk storage
smaller stainless steel pot for tea
tongs
Directions:
The Night Before …
1. Measure out 240 ml of rice
2. Wash well under cold water, using fine-mesh metal strainer
3. Put rice into a large cup or bowl (or measuring cup)
4. Take 1 strip of kombu and rinse well in cold water.  Pat dry with paper towel.  Then cut strip in half and add kombu pieces to washed rice
5. Add 470 ml of room-temperature spring water
6. Add a pinch of salt
7. Put bowl into refrigerator to soak for several hours/overnight
The Next Day/Many Hours Later …
1. Pour soaked mixture into large pot – include soaking water
2. Add 1900 ml cold(ish) spring water
3. Turn element on stove to high heat
4. Add 5 ml pure vanilla extract
5. Stir; wait for mix to boil
6. Allow to boil for approximately one minute, then lower heat to medium
7. Add 5 ml extra-virgin olive oil 
8. Allow pot to simmer for about 30 minutes, then add another 950 ml of spring water; stir
9. Allow pot to simmer for about another 25-30 minutes, then add another 950 ml of spring water; stir
SIDEBAR:  BREWING YOUR TEA
In a smaller, stainless steel saucepan, bring 710 ml of spring water to a boil.  Once water is boiling, add 2 teabags of organic green tea.  Turn element off of stove, but leave pot on element and allow bags to steep for approximately 5 minutes.  Scoop out teabags.  This is the mixture to be added to the larger pot of rice liquid, see below.
10. Add brewed green tea to larger pot on stove
11. 20 minutes later, add 3 large bay leaves; stir
12. After another hour, turn heat on stove down to low (3/10)
13. After another 25-30 minutes, turn the heat off on the stove and remove the pot from the element
14. Allow cooked mixture to cool in the pot for an hour
Making the milk drinkable – how thick do you want it?
Batch #1:  Jasmine-Pear
1. Set up your blender
2. Using ladle, measure out 590 ml of rice goop from pot into measuring cup (avoid skin/foam on top of pot, as well as kombu chunks and bay leaf pieces), then pour into blender
3. Add 470 ml of 100% pure bartlett pear juice
4. Blend on low for 5 minutes
5. Pour and serve
Makes:  1070 ml of liquid
Batch #2:  Jasmine-Pear-Mango
1. Set up blender
2. Add 590 ml of rice goop plus 240 ml of pear juice plus 240 ml of mango juice
3. Blend on low for 5 minutes
4. Pour and serve
Makes: 1070 ml of liquid 
 

NO:  gluten, wheat, beans, soy, eggs, dairy products, nuts

 

Notes:

This is a milk based on the fragrant Thai rice, Jasmine.  Additional flavourings come from the flavour of juice you choose to dilute it with.

This milk combines the calcium and minerals of kombu with the anti-oxidant benefits of green tea, and the fruit juice used primarily in this recipe (pear) is a very low reactivity food.

@               @              @

Ingredients:

  1. 240 ml white jasmine rice
  2. 1 strip of kombu
  3. 470 ml of spring water (soaking)
  4. pinch of sea salt
  5. 3800 ml spring water (cooking)
  6. 5 ml pure vanilla extract
  7. 5 ml extra virgin olive oil
  8. 3 large bay leaves
  9. 470 ml pure pear juice

Ingredients for tea:

  1. 2 teabags of organic green tea
  2. 710 ml spring water

 

Implements:

  1. measuring cup
  2. measuring spoons
  3. 1 litre pyrex measuring cup/bowl
  4. large pot
  5. stirring spoon for pot
  6. small/medium fine-mesh strainer
  7. blender or cuisinart
  8. 1 litre bottle for milk storage
  9. smaller stainless steel pot for tea
  10. tongs

@               @              @

Directions:

Stage 1: The Night Before …

  1. Measure out 240 ml of rice
  2. Wash well under cold water, using fine-mesh metal strainer
  3. Put rice into a large cup or bowl (or measuring cup)
  4. Take 1 strip of kombu and rinse well in cold water.  Pat dry with paper towel.  Then cut strip in half and add kombu pieces to washed rice
  5. Add 470 ml of room-temperature spring water
  6. Add a pinch of salt
  7. Put bowl into refrigerator to soak for several hours/overnight

 

Stage 2: The Next Day/Many Hours Later …

  1. Pour soaked mixture into large pot – include soaking water
  2. Add 1900 ml cold(ish) spring water
  3. Turn element on stove to high heat
  4. Add 5 ml pure vanilla extract
  5. Stir; wait for mix to boil
  6. Allow to boil for approximately one minute, then lower heat to medium
  7. Add 5 ml extra-virgin olive oil 
  8. Allow pot to simmer for about 30 minutes, then add another 950 ml of spring water; stir
  9. Allow pot to simmer for about another 25-30 minutes, then add another 950 ml of spring water; stir
  10. Add brewed green tea to larger pot on stove
  11. 20 minutes later, add 3 large bay leaves; stir
  12. After another hour, turn heat on stove down to low (3/10)
  13. After another 25-30 minutes, turn the heat off on the stove and remove the pot from the element
  14. Allow cooked mixture to cool in the pot for an hour

 

SIDEBAR:  BREWING YOUR TEA

In a smaller, stainless steel saucepan, bring 710 ml of spring water to a boil.  Once water is boiling, add 2 teabags of organic green tea.  Turn element off of stove, but leave pot on element and allow bags to steep for approximately 5 minutes.  Scoop out teabags.  This is the mixture to be added to the larger pot of rice liquid, see below.

 

Stage 3: Making the milk drinkable – how thick do you want it?

Batch #1:  Jasmine-Pear

  1. Set up your blender
  2. Using ladle, measure out 590 ml of rice goop from pot into measuring cup (avoid skin/foam on top of pot, as well as kombu chunks and bay leaf pieces), then pour into blender
  3. Add 470 ml of 100% pure bartlett pear juice
  4. Blend on low for 5 minutes
  5. Pour and serve

Makes:  1070 ml of liquid

 

Batch #2:  Jasmine-Pear-Mango

  1. Set up blender
  2. Add 590 ml of rice goop plus 240 ml of pear juice plus 240 ml of mango juice
  3. Blend on low for 5 minutes
  4. Pour and serve

Makes: 1070 ml of liquid 

 

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recipe: jasmine-mango rice milk/aspic

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 13, 2009

Jasmine-Mango Rice Milk/Aspic
NO:  gluten, beans, nuts, soy, eggs, dairy products, wheat
NOTE:  If your child is going through a high amine or histamine response period, don’t include the cinnamon called for in this recipe.
This differs from Jasmine-Apple Rice Milk (see previous page) in two main ways.  First, it is higher in calcium.  Second, because we  use more seaweed in the base, this liquid will solidify into an aspic if not drunk more or less immediately.  That’s why I refer to this as “milk/aspic” – the form it takes all depends on your consumption timing.
Ingredients: Ingredients for tea mix: Implements:
120 ml jasmine rice (organic, california jasmine is what I use)
pinch granulated sea salt
1900 ml spring water
3 bay leaves
1 stick of cinnamon (approx. 9-10 cm long)
4 sticks dried kombu
15 ml pure vanilla extract
15 ml organic granulated sugar
45 ml 100% pureed mango
590 ml tea mix
590 ml spring water
15 ml kukicha twig tea measuring cup
measuring spoons
1 litre pyrex measuring cup/bowl
large pot
stirring spoon for pot
small/medium fine-mesh strainer
blender or cuisinart
1 litre bottle for milk storage
smaller stainless steel pot for brewing tea
tongs
 
Directions:
Stage 1: The night before … 
1. Measure out 120 ml of dry jasmine rice
2. Pour into a medium sized bowl or mug
3. Add 470 ml of spring water plus a tiny dash of sea salt to rice
4. Put bowl or mug in fridge
5. Leave it there to soak overnight
Stage 2:  The following morning …
1. Take the bowl of soaked rice from the fridge
2. Pour entire mixture into large pot, including the soaking water
3. Rinse your kombu sticks in cold water and add to pot
4. Add 1420 ml of spring water plus cinnamon stick, bay leaves, vanilla extract, mango puree and sugar
5. Turn element on stove to high; stir
6. In a separate pot, make your kukicha tea
SIDEBAR: Making kukicha tea for use in this recipe
In a medium saucepan, take 590 ml of spring water and add 15 ml of roasted kukicha twigs.  Bring to a boil.  Allow to boil for approximately 2-3 minutes.  Then take stewed tea and, using a fine-mesh strainer, pour the boiled liquid into the main cooking pot for the rice milk.
7. Once ready, add kukicha tea to main pot & stir.
8. Bring entire mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for maybe 2-5 minutes or so.  NOTE: If the pot starts to overflow, remove it from the heated element for a minute or two.
9. Then, turn the heat on the stove down to medium heat and simmer
10. Allow to simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring periodically
11. Using tongs, remove the kombu, bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
12. Cool in pot (removed from element) for approximately 5 minutes.  Then pour mixture from pot into oversized heat-resistant/pyrex measuring bowl.
13. Leave to cool on counter for about an hour
14. Set up your blender
15. Pour entire mixture into blender
16. Blend on low for about 5 minutes
17. Pour into glasses & serve OR pour in bottle(s) and store in fridge.
Makes:
Approx. 1 litre of milk

NO:  gluten, beans, nuts, soy, eggs, dairy products, wheat

NOTE:  If your child is going through a high amine or histamine response period, don’t include the cinnamon called for in this recipe.

This differs from Jasmine-Apple Rice Milk (see previous post) in two main ways.  First, it is higher in calcium.  Second, because we  use more seaweed in the base, this liquid will solidify into an aspic if you don’t drink it more or less immediately.  That’s why I refer to this as “milk/aspic” – the form it takes all depends on your consumption timing.

@               @              @

Ingredients:

  1. 120 ml jasmine rice (organic, california jasmine is what I use)
  2. pinch granulated sea salt
  3. 1900 ml spring water
  4. 3 bay leaves
  5. 1 stick of cinnamon (approx. 9-10 cm long)
  6. 4 sticks dried kombu
  7. 15 ml pure vanilla extract
  8. 15 ml organic granulated sugar
  9. 45 ml 100% pureed mango
  10. 590 ml tea mix

Ingredients for tea mix:

  1. 590 ml spring water
  2. 15 ml kukicha twig tea

 

Implements:

  1. measuring cup
  2. measuring spoons
  3. 1 litre pyrex measuring cup/bowl
  4. large pot
  5. stirring spoon for pot
  6. small/medium fine-mesh strainer
  7. blender or cuisinart
  8. 1 litre bottle for milk storage
  9. smaller stainless steel pot for brewing tea
  10. tongs

@               @              @

Directions:

Stage 1: The night before … 

  1. Measure out 120 ml of dry jasmine rice
  2. Pour into a medium sized bowl or mug
  3. Add 470 ml of spring water plus a tiny dash of sea salt to rice
  4. Put bowl or mug in fridge
  5. Leave it there to soak overnight

Stage 2:  The following morning …

  1. Take the bowl of soaked rice from the fridge
  2. Pour entire mixture into large pot, including the soaking water
  3. Rinse your kombu sticks in cold water and add to pot
  4. Add 1420 ml of spring water plus cinnamon stick, bay leaves, vanilla extract, mango puree and sugar
  5. Turn element on stove to high; stir
  6. In a separate pot, make your kukicha tea
  7. Once ready, add kukicha tea to main pot & stir.
  8. Bring entire mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for maybe 2-5 minutes or so.  NOTE: If the pot starts to overflow, remove it from the heated element for a minute or two.
  9. Then, turn the heat on the stove down to medium heat and simmer
  10. Allow to simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring periodically.
  11. Using tongs, remove the kombu, bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
  12. Cool in pot (removed from element) for approximately 5 minutes.  Then pour mixture from pot into oversized heat-resistant/pyrex measuring bowl.
  13. Leave to cool on counter for about an hour

 

SIDEBAR: Making kukicha tea for use in this recipe

In a medium saucepan, take 590 ml of spring water and add 15 ml of roasted kukicha twigs.  Bring to a boil.  Allow to boil for approximately 2-3 minutes.  Then take stewed tea and, using a fine-mesh strainer, pour the boiled liquid into the main cooking pot for the rice milk.

Stage 3: Once Mixture Has Cooled …

  1. Set up your blender
  2. Pour entire mixture into blender
  3. Blend on low for about 5 minutes
  4. Pour into glasses & serve OR pour in bottle(s) and store in fridge.

Makes: approximately 1 litre of milk (or aspic, depending on your perspective)

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Recipe: Jasmine-Apple Rice Milk

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 13, 2009

NO:  gluten, beans, nuts, soy, eggs, dairy products, wheat
NOTE:  If your child is going through a high amine or histamine response period, don’t include the cinnamon called for in this recipe.
When I’m deciding what to make, the first thing I usually do is look to see what I already have.  Rice?  Check.  Water?  Check.  Apple juice?  Grab a few of my son’s lunch drinking box tetra-paks – not the most environmentally friendly solution, granted, but they’re there and ready to go when I am.  Salt, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and organic granulated sugar?  No brainers – standard kitchen supply.
This is one of those easy recipes that requires night-before forethought – because you’re using rice, it really does need to soak overnight.  But that’s about it for planning – the rest of the ingredients are probably already there in your pantry somewhere!

NO:  gluten, beans, nuts, soy, eggs, dairy products, wheat

NOTE:  If your child is going through a high amine or histamine response period, don’t include the cinnamon called for in this recipe.

@               @              @

When I’m deciding what to make, the first thing I usually do is look to see what I already have.  Rice?  Check. Water?  Check.  Apple juice?  Grab a few of my son’s lunch drinking box tetra-paks – not the most environmentally friendly solution, granted, but they’re there and ready to go when I am.  Salt, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and organic granulated sugar?  No brainers – standard kitchen supply.

This is one of those easy recipes that requires night-before forethought – because you’re using rice, it really does need to soak overnight.  But that’s about it for planning – the rest of the ingredients are probably already there in your pantry somewhere!

@               @              @

Ingredients:

  1. 120 ml jasmine rice (for this recipe, used Lundburg California Jasmine Rice)
  2. 1300 ml pure spring water (depending on how thick you want your milk)
  3. between 250 ml (1 juice box) and 750 ml (3 juice boxes) of pure, unsweetened apple juice
  4. dash sea salt
  5. pinch cinnamon
  6. 1.25 ml pure vanilla extract
  7. 2.5 ml organic sugar (or some other kind of sweetener)

Implements:

  1. medium sized bowl or large cafe au lait mug
  2. strainer
  3. medium stainless steel pot
  4. spoon for stirring
  5. blender
  6. measuring spoons
  7. measuring cup
@               @              @

Directions:

Stage 1: The night before … 

  1. Measure out 120 ml of dry jasmine rice
  2. Pour it into a fine weave strainer
  3. Wash rice well
  4. Take well rinsed rice and scoop it into the medium sized bowl or mug
  5. Add 1&1/470 ml of spring water plus a tiny dash of sea salt to rice
  6. Put bowl or mug in fridge
  7. Leave it there to soak overnight

Stage 2:  The following morning …

  1. Take the bowl of soaked rice from the fridge
  2. Pour entire mixture into medium-sized pot, including the soaking water
  3. Add 710 ml of spring water, pinch of cinnamon, vanilla and sugar
  4. Turn element on stove to high; stir
  5. Bring to a boil.  Allow to boil for maybe 2-5 minutes or so.  NOTE: If the pot starts to overflow, remove it from the heated element for a minute or two.
  6. Then, turn the heat on the stove down to low (2 or 3 out of 10) and simmer
  7. Allow to simmer for 2 hours, stirring periodically
  8. Remove from heat; allow to cool for another 45 minutes
  9. Set up your blender
  10. Pour entire mixture into blender

Stage 3: How thick do you want your milk to be?

@ For thick, syrupy milk (kind of like a milkshake), add 250 ml (1 juice box) of unsweetened apple juice
Makes: 950 ml of liquid

@ For a medium consistency milk, add 750 ml (3 juice boxes) of unsweetened apple juice 
Makes: 1450 ml of liquid

@ For a thin, more watery consistency milk, add 750 ml (3 juice boxes) of unsweetened apple juice + 470 ml of spring water
Makes: 1920 ml of liquid

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making your own ingredients: milk: overview

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 13, 2009

Sure, it’s easier to buy pre-packaged.  No argument here.  But what if  your child is reacting to those tetrapaks of rice milk or oat milk or soy milk that you are buying?  What if 0.02% barley traces is too much?  Or the oil in the soup bottle isn’t quite the right kind?

You could give up altogether.
But if you’re still stubbornly plowing forward to look for that substitution solution, here are a few recipes to get you started.
Remember: experimentation is key here.  Play with the ingredients and proportions until you find a taste and consistency you’re happy with.  
My son’s – and my – favourite, calcium-enriched rice milk manufacturer had just gone out of business and the short-dated tetra-pak supply I’d bought the health food stores out of was dwindling.  The only remaining rice milk products on the market either had something else added, like the ever-problematic barley, or they didn’t make a vitamin-enriched formula in the 250 ml drinking box size I needed to send with my son to school and daycare.  I was fed up.  So I started looking through store cookbooks and then on the internet for ideas on how to make milk from grains.
Tips & Tricks: Making Non-Dairy Milk
1.  The longer you soak the grain before you use it, the softer the kernels become and the less gritty your milk will be.
2.  The longer you cook your mixture, the softer your grains and therefore the smoother your milk will turn out.
3.  Invest in a blender.  You will need it to smooth everything out and prevent your child from drinking chewable milk.
4.  The better the quality of your ingredients, the better your end product will taste.
5.  If you’re looking for a drink without the floaty bits in it, then make sure to strain out the thicker particles before serving it to your child.
6.  Use seaweed as a base but be aware of the potential ramifications.  Too much kombu, for example, can take a milk and turn it into a custard or even pudding.
Ready to start?  Here we go!

Sure, it’s easier to buy pre-packaged.  No argument here.  But what if  your child is reacting to those tetrapaks of rice milk or oat milk or soy milk that you are buying?  What if 0.02% barley traces is too much?  Or the oil in the soup bottle isn’t quite the right kind?

You could give up altogether.

But if you’re still stubbornly plowing forward to look for that substitution solution, like I was, let me share a few recipes to get you started.

Remember:  experimentation is key here.  Play with the ingredients and proportions until you find a taste and consistency you’re happy with.  

My son’s – and my – favourite, calcium-enriched rice milk manufacturer had just gone out of business and the short-dated tetra-pak supply I’d bought the health food stores out of was dwindling.  The only remaining rice milk products on the market either had something else added, like the ever-problematic barley, or they didn’t make a vitamin-enriched formula in the 250 ml drinking box size I needed to send with my son to school and daycare.  I was fed up.  So I started looking through store cookbooks and then on the internet for ideas on how to make milk from grains.

 

Tips & Tricks: Making Non-Dairy Milk

  1. The longer you soak the grain before you use it, the softer the kernels become and the less gritty your milk will be.
  2. The longer you cook your mixture, the softer your grains and therefore the smoother your milk will turn out.
  3. Invest in a blender.  You will need it to smooth everything out and prevent your child from drinking chewable milk.
  4. The better the quality of your ingredients, the better your end product will taste.
  5. If you’re looking for a drink without the floaty bits in it, then make sure to strain out the thicker particles before serving it to your child.
  6. Use seaweed as a base but be aware of the potential ramifications.  Too much kombu, for example, can take a milk and turn it into a custard or even pudding.

 

Ready to start?  Here we go!

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shopping for food: embrace multiculturalism

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 13, 2009

Creating new dishes and making it possible to rotate your child’s food ingredients regularly requires you – and them – to have an open mind.  You must be willing to explore the options out there, even if they seem odd or unfamiliar.
Just because you live in North America, Europe, the Middle East – or whichever part of the world you’re reading this book from – doesn’t mean you have to be limited by your local, mainstream supermarket or even health food store options.
Embrace multiculturalism.
This chapter is designed to give you some clues on where/how to locate the many ingredients used in this book.
Some of the really cool foods and ingredients you can find by doing a bit of exploring …
The Americas:
agave syrup (made from cactus)
blue corn meal
cassava
dulce de leche
polenta
sorghum
white corn meal
yellow corn meal
Asian Markets:
acorn starch
glutinous rice flour
green bean flour (starch)
green bean noodles
jasmine rice
nori (seaweed)
roasted black bean powder
roasted pot barley flour
roasted sesame seed oil
roasted sweet rice poweder
sweet potato noodles
tapioca flour (starch)
water chestnut flour (starch)
East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan Markets:
burfi (fudge – gluten free)
chickpea flour
dhokla flour (cake flour) – made from chana dal (yellow split peas) and rice
dosa (gluten-free crepes)
lentil flour (dal)
moong dal flour (mung beans)
roasted millet flour
sorghum flour
Italian:
almond milk
chestnut flour
goat’s milk cheese
good quality rice pasta
polenta
sheep’s milk cheese
Portuguese:
goat’s milk cheese
lupine flour
sheep’s milk cheese
Middle East:
carob molasses
chickpea flour
date honey
date molasses
date vinegar
grape molasses (Lebanon)
haloomi (goat or sheep) cheese
pomegranate syrup
tahini
Kosher:
marshmallows (kosher for Passover – corn-free)
range of strictly dairy-free products (kosher)
kosher sheep’s milk feta cheese (Israeli)
Each country and culture has something to offer you.
I discovered most of these things by exploration and trial.  Frankly, I drive my family crazy sometimes – I see a food store from an ethnicity I haven’t seen before (or haven’t seen in a long time) and I have to browse, read the labels, and see if there are any new ingredients I haven’t thought of before.
Which area of town you head for before you start to cook may well depend on what you’re in the mood to eat that day.
Funky flours?  For cooking pancakes etc., I go asian or far eastern – chickpea flour, glutinous rice flour, bean flour, millet flour etc.
Baking?  I head more for the Italian, Asian and Health Food store bulk aisles for my chestnut, glutinous rice flours, tapioca beads etc.
Cheese?  Well, my favourite dairy haunts are Italian, Greek and Jewish but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other great options that you might prefer.
To be continued …

Creating new dishes and making it possible to rotate your child’s food ingredients regularly requires you – and them – to have an open mind.  You must be willing to explore the options out there, even if they seem odd or unfamiliar.

Just because you live in North America, Europe, the Middle East – or whichever part of the world you’re reading this from – doesn’t mean you have to be limited by your local, mainstream supermarket or even health food store options.

Embrace multiculturalism.

And to help you get there, a few clues on which types of stores to go for which kinds of ingredients used in my recipes.   Some of the really cool foods and ingredients you can find by doing a bit of exploring …

The Americas:

  • agave syrup (made from cactus)
  • blue corn meal
  • cassava
  • dulce de leche
  • polenta
  • sorghum
  • white corn meal
  • yellow corn meal

 

Asian Markets:

  • acorn starch
  • glutinous rice flour
  • green bean flour (starch)
  • green bean noodles
  • jasmine rice
  • nori (seaweed)
  • roasted black bean powder
  • roasted pot barley flour
  • roasted sesame seed oil
  • roasted sweet rice poweder
  • sweet potato noodles
  • tapioca flour (starch)
  • water chestnut flour (starch)

 

East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan Markets:

  • burfi (fudge – generally gluten-free, depending on where it’s made)
  • chickpea flour
  • dhokla flour (cake flour) – made from chana dal (yellow split peas) and rice
  • dosa (gluten-free crepes)
  • lentil flour (dal)
  • moong dal flour (mung beans)
  • roasted millet flour
  • sorghum flour

 

Italian:

  • almond milk
  • chestnut flour
  • goat’s milk cheese
  • good quality rice pasta
  • polenta
  • sheep’s milk cheese

 

Portuguese:

  • goat’s milk cheese
  • lupine flour
  • sheep’s milk cheese

 

Middle East:

  • carob molasses
  • carob syrup
  • date honey
  • date molasses
  • date vinegar
  • goat-milk based haloomi cheese
  • goat-milk based labaneh cheese (it’s like a creamy cream cheese spread made from yoghurt)
  • grape molasses (Lebanon)
  • haloomi (goat or sheep) cheese
  • pomegranate syrup
  • tahini

 

Kosher:

  • marshmallows (kosher for Passover – corn-free)
  • range of strictly dairy-free products (kosher)
  • kosher sheep’s milk feta cheese (Israeli)

 

Each country and culture has something to offer you.

I discovered most of these things by exploration and trial.  Frankly, I drive my family crazy sometimes – I see a food store from an ethnicity I haven’t seen before (or haven’t seen in a long time) and I have to browse, read the labels, and see if there are any new ingredients I haven’t thought of before.

Which area of town you head for before you start to cook may well depend on what you’re in the mood to eat that day.

Flour alternatives?  For cooking pancakes etc., I go asian or far eastern – chickpea flour, glutinous rice flour, bean flour, millet flour etc.

Baking?  I head more for the Italian, Asian and Health Food store bulk aisles for my chestnut, glutinous rice flours, tapioca beads etc.

Cheese?  Well, my favourite dairy haunts are Italian, Greek and Jewish but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other great options that you might prefer.

To be continued …

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Overview: Sweeteners

Posted by: B Dranoff on: May 13, 2009

Have you been told to take your child off refined sugar? Do you suspect that some of their symptoms are being caused by sugar, do you have a philosophical issue with the granulated white stuff, or are you simply looking for some other options?

There are lots.

At your local health food store, you are likely to be able to find:

  • organic, granulated cane sugar
  • fructose – make sure it’s fruit-based, as opposed to having been made from a corn syrup base
  • maple syrup – commonly found in the American and Canadian north-eastern states & provinces
  • honey
  • brown rice syrup
  • stevia
  • xylitol
  • agave syrup
  • barley malt

NOTE: If you are pregnant, Health Canada (among others) recommends avoiding honey products which have not been pasturized.  Unpasteurized honey is commonly found in health food stores as well as international groceries, such as Greek or Russian or Turkish.

Agave syrup may also be found at a Central or South American food seller, since it’s derived from the same kind of cactus from which tequila is made.

Middle Eastern shops (Israeli, Lebanese, Syrian, Iranian, Iraqi, Libya etc.) are good places to find these:

  • carob molasses
  • carob syrup
  • date molasses
  • date honey
  • grape molasses
  • pomegranate syrup
  • honey (Note: This is frequently of the unpasteurized variety)

Pomegranate syrup can also be found at former-USSR (Ukrainian, for example) food markets, as can unpasteurized honey. Greek and Turkish establishments also generally carry unpasteurized honey.

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dairy alternatives: animal-based non-cow dairy options

Posted by: B Dranoff on: October 24, 2008

Working around the problem

Just because your child can’t have gluten or nuts doesn’t necessarily mean that cow-based dairy is a problem.   For some reason though, people who are highly sensitive to a lot of foods tend to be reactive to cow dairy as well.

One health food store owner I encountered tried to convince me that it’s the hormones and other trace medications that we give our cattle here in North America which was causing the problem; buy organic, he claimed, and you’ll notice that you won’t have any problem with dairy anymore.

Ok.  Not discounting that this might be the case for some people.  Reactive individuals are frequently being triggered by something hidden, and hormones and other medications that cause reactions in the general population anyway might well have the same effect when we ingest milk products from an animal that has been fed these hormones and other medications.

Me, I’m Canadian and can sometimes have dairy products here.  I have no reaction to cow dairy products from Europe, where they treat their cattle with no medication and no hormones.  But American dairy, as amazing as it can taste, makes me really quite ill – my only guess is that it’s the BSE that US cattle is given that Canadian cattle still don’t take yet.

But this again falls into the category of me not telling you what to do.  (You thought I might, eh?)  Just because this is something I’ve observed for myself, this doesn’t mean it applies to your child or to you.  Frankly, it depends on whether your child is reacting to the drugs in the milk or to the lactose or to the milk protein or even to the kind of milk protein.

Goat Milk, Sheep Milk

In our household, we replaced cow-based dairy for both goat and sheep milk products.  This section covers some of the most common non-cow dairy products I use in my cooking. 

Goat Milk Products Commonly Used:

  • chavroux (goat milk cream cheese)
  • milk
  • yoghurt
  • butter (occasionally)
  • feta
  • curds
  • mozzarella/cheddar/marble cheddar

Sheep’s Milk Products Commonly Used:

  • liptoi (sheep’s milk cream cheese)   
  • pressed cottage cheese
  • powdered/grated romano (Pecorina Romano)
  • yoghurt
  • Pecorina Siciliano

NOTE:  If you are living in the Greater Toronto Area, you can now find actual sheep’s milk by the jug at Ambrosia Natural Foods on Doncaster Avenue (just north of Yonge and Steeles).

One thing to be careful of is pasteurization.  Feeding a child – or yourself, if you’re pregnant – anything that hasn’t been pasteurized is currently somewhat controversial.  The current wisdom seems to say unpasteurized dairy products may be safe for children and/or babies, but not for women who are pregnant.  However, sometimes medical wisdom has a habit of changing.  My strong suggestion is that you ask your competent medical practitioner about the latest findings and ask what they recommend.

Disclaimers done!  And now, for some other cheeses you might consider starting with …

Regional Cheeses Made from Goat Milk Include:

  • Manouri – Greece   
  • Chevre – France
  • Ekte Gjetost – Norway
  • Chavroux – France/Canada
  • Labaneh – Lebanon/Middle East

Regional Cheeses Made from Sheep’s Milk Include:

  • Romano Pecorino – Italy   
  • Manchego – Spain
  • Haloumi – Cyprus
  • Feta – Israel, Bulgaria (some)
  • Serpa – Portugal
  • Velho – Portugal
  • Liptoi – Canada

Cheeses Made from a Mix of Goat and Sheep’s Milk Include:

  • Kasseri – Greece   
  • Feta – Greece

Where can I find these cheeses?

Your best bet is to go to a specialty cheese store – at least when you’re starting out – and specifically ask for those cheeses that don’t have cow dairy in them.  Sample a variety.  Once you find what you like, then you can broaden your search to the smaller stores where you might have to figure out the cheese you want without help but at a lower price.

The advantage of going with one of these smaller, specialty shops is that the people who work there tend to actually know about the product they’re selling.

Another place to find alternatives to cow’s milk products has become, surprisingly, the supermarket.  The closest one to me – and we’re talking about a no frills type of place – actually sells goat milk, 2-4 kinds of goat milk cheese (chevre is big), as well as sheep’s milk feta (the kosher variety from Israel, and another version from Bulgaria).

And of course, the second-last place listed is probably the first place you’ll end up looking: your well-stocked health food store.  Some carry a good variety and some don’t.  Take a look and see what they have available – you might be surprised.

None of these options possible for you?  Then the Internet is where you’ll have to go.  Lots of specialty cheese stores online are open and no doubt ready to both serve and ship to you.

  Copyright 2008 Beth Dranoff. All rights reserved. No reprints or copies of the materials found on this site are allowed without the express permission of the author.

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dairy alternatives: nut-based options

Posted by: B Dranoff on: October 24, 2008

Almond Milk, Almond Cheese

If your child can handle nuts – and keep in mind that this is another one of those top-10 potential food offenders – it’s an easy way to help them get protein and nutrients that isn’t crunchy or funny-looking.

Almonds are sodium free and very low in cholesterol.  They’re also able to provide the following benefits:

  • very high in vitamin E
  • very high in magnesium[i]
  • very high in biotin
  • very high in tryptophan[ii]
  • very good source of copper
  • high in phosphorus
  • high in riboflavin
  • good source of calcium
  • good source of iron
  • good source of zinc
  • good source of essential amino acids[iii]
  • good source of dietary fibre
  • decent source of thiamin
  • decent source of niacin
  • decent source of potassium

Adding almond milk to your foods, or even serving it straight to your child, is a helpful way to sneak nutrients and balance into your hard-to-please one’s diet.  Just be sure that they’re not allergic to nuts before you do it!

If nuts are ok for your child but casein is not, be very careful to read the labels on the almond cheese.

Hazelnut Milk

A variation on the theme, this is milk made from hazelnuts.  But be careful – hazelnuts are also one of the more highly allergenic nuts out there.

Healthful benefits of hazelnuts include:

  • low in cholesterol
  • low in sodium
  • very good source of copper
  • very good source of essential amino acids
  • good source dietary fibre
  • good source of protein
  • good source of vitamin E
  • good source of Thiamin
  • good source of magnesium
  • decent source of vitamin B6
  • decent source of folate
  • decent source of iron
  • decent source of phosphorus
  • decent source of potassium
  • decent source of zinc
  • source of niacin
  • source of calcium
  • some vitamin C
  • some riboflavin
  • some pantothenic acid[iv]

If your child can handle nuts, particularly hazelnuts, this milk is really yummy – I’ve made some great sorbet/ice cream recipes from it.

A final note about plant-based dairy products

Commercial milk is great, especially if your child can handle all of the ingredients.  Can’t beat it for convenience either.  But I’ve found that, for nutritive value and an interesting taste my son loves, home-made milk is the best.  It’s more work, no question – but if you’re curious about trying out that option, check back soon to get some of the alternative milk recipes I’ve created here in this blog.



Copyright 2008 Beth Dranoff. All rights reserved. No reprints or copies of the materials found on this site are allowed without the express permission of the author.

[i] Nutrition Facts and Food Composition for Nuts, almonds.  Copyright NutritionData March 16, 2004.  Source cited as USDA SR16.  http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s02dp.html

[ii] World’s Healthiest Foods: Almonds.  Copyright 2002 George Mateljan Foundation.  Page updated January 2, 2004. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20

[iii] Nutrition Facts and Food Composition for Nuts, almonds.  Copyright NutritionData March 16, 2004.  Source cited as USDA SR16.  http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s02dp.html

[iv] Nutrition Facts and Food Composition Analysis for Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts.  Data provided by USDA SR16.  Copyright NutritionData 2004. http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s02ek.html

dairy alternatives: soy-based products

Posted by: B Dranoff on: October 24, 2008

Soy is a wonderful opportunity brought to the West from Asia.  It’s also one of the top-10 potential food allergens.

If your child’s reactivity is to the protein(s) in cow’s milk products, and they have no other food issues (other than being a picky eater!), then soy gives you a range of options from milk to cheese to ice cream and beyond.  Among other things, soy has the following healthful benefits:

  • high in tryptophan
  • high in iron
  • high in calcium
  • decent source of manganese
  • decent source of selenium
  • decent source of protein
  • decent source of phosphorus
  • source of magnesium
  • source of copper
  • source of omega 3 fatty acids
  • source of vitamin B1 (thiamin)
  • source of zinc[i]

Tofu/Doufa

When I was growing up, and my family was into Macrobiotics, tofu cheesecake was an incredible treat.  All the pleasure of a cheese-like desert without the dairy products!

Of course, there was that wee issue of bad food combinations – soy, which is a protein, being eaten with sweets which should really be eaten in isolation.  Plus the grain crust.  Tasted good going down but man … let’s just say those nights were a gas!

Tofu is a very flexible food.  On its own, it’s almost tasteless – as long as you make sure to rinse off any preservatives in cold water, store the slabs immersed in water, and change that water daily.  Tofu is very tempermental and spoils very quickly and easily, so keep an eye on it and don’t push your dates.  Don’t leave it out in the sun, and throw out any excess refrigerated pieces within 3 days once you’ve opened the package.

Tofu will take on the taste of whatever it’s cooked with.  Marinating it before cooking is an effective way to seep the flavours into the pieces.  If you blend it in the food processor or blender, it becomes the base for any kind of lunch spread or whipped cream or icing or filling you’d like it to be.

Despite the usefulness of tofu, you will find very few recipes in this book that use it.  My son was unable to eat soy for a long time and we have only been able to reintroduce on a rotational basis.  As a result, I cook with it very infrequently.

Soy Milk

Soy Milk is naturally higher in calcium than rice milk, and has the added bonus of being high in protein as well.  There are a lot of commercial options available, and best of all many of those options are sold in the supermarket.

As with rice milk, the key is in experimentation.  Some soy milks are thicker than others; some are mixed with either oat or rice milk.  Always read the labels: some of the commercial brands found in the supermarket are laden with sugar and unpronounceable additives, and some are not.

Soy Cheese

You definitely will need to experiment here.  I’ve had good soy cheese and I’ve had vile soy cheese.

The good thing about soy cheese is that it is frequently available not only in well-stocked health food stores, but also in supermarkets these days.  It tends to melt pretty well; however, the texture can be a bit rubbery.   Don’t forget to read the label – some brands of soy cheese contain casein which can be a problem if your child is allergic to the protein in cow’s milk.

But if your child can manage soy, it’s a great way to get some protein into their lunchbox.

At the time of publication, soy cheese was available in brick, shredded, individually-wrapped slices, feta and mock parmesan forms.

Soy Ice Cream

Soy milk-based ice creams are rich and available in many flavours.  Gluten is unlikely to be present in most of these taste possibilities, but as always you need to read the label to make sure.

Other Soy-Based Dairy Products

At this time, the other dairy products available (that I know of) are soy yoghurt, soy mock sour cream and various kinds of soy-based puddings.  But people are infinitely creative.  Be sure to check your supermarket, health food and Asian food markets on a regular basis for new products.



Copyright 2008 Beth Dranoff. All rights reserved. No reprints or copies of the materials found on this site are allowed without the express permission of the author.

[i] The World’s Healthiest Foods: Tofu.  Copyright 2002 George Mateljan Foundation.  Page last updated 2003-07-08. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=111

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