Mustard Greens with Garlic and Mustard Seeds

Calcium has been on my mind a lot lately. We don't do dairy (or soy), which cuts a lot of calcium out of our diet. Or does it? The more I think of all the greens we eat around here, the less concerned I am about our calcium intake. I am challanged as to how to get the girls to eat calcium-rich greens like DH hnd I do, but they eat sardines, which are one of the foods that are very high in calcium (and omegas!) and I will be buying more hemp milk for them to drink, which will help.

So my very favorite dark leafy greens are high in calcium - kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, spinach, arugula and to a lesser extent, beet greens. Even cabbage has a lot more calcium than I thought it did. The greens that are even higher in calcium than all of these? Collard greens, turnip greens and dandelion greens. I've never tried those, and that will have to change!

Tonight I'd like to offer this recipe for mustard greens. I really like mustard greens. They are very slightly bitter, but lemon juice brightens their flavor (like vinegar does with kale). On the off chance we have any leftover sauteed greens, I like to chop them and toss them with quinoa and other leftovers for a kind of hippie chow. I love hippie chow. Leftovers thrown together and tossed in a bowl for lunch - yum!


Mustard Greens with Garlic and Mustard Seeds

1 large bunch mustard greens
1 generous tbsp. olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice or more to taste

Remove the spines from the mustard greens. Wash the greens and tear them into chunks. Place them in a bowl and set aside. You don't want them dripping wet, but you don't need to spin-dry them, either.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlice and mustard seeds and cook, stirring, 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the wine and the mustard greens, tossing the coat the greens with the garlic and mustard seeds. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been evaporated. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

I have a friend whose husband is Vietnamese. They just recently traveled to Vietnam with his family to visit family members still living in Vietnam. One of the highlights of her trip was visiting an old great aunt who lives on a farm. Everything she made for them she grew or raised on her farm, and my friend said it was some of the most delicious food she's ever eaten. I am very slightly green over that, it sounds amazing! However, I am afraid to fly and there's no chance I'd get on a plane to travel 22 hours for that experience! I'll stay here and be very happy with my friend's Pho Ga. Her sisters-in-law showed her how to make it and then happily, she showed me how to make it. I'd never had Pho Ga before and was hooked by the first bowl. It's delicious, aromatic, flavorful, and addicting! My friend has graciously allowed me to post her recipe (which I'm happy to finally do tonight as I keep losing her paper copies!).

Clear broth is a must and there are a lot of steps to this soup. However, it's totally worth it. My friend's recipe calls for culantro, which can be found at Asian markets. If you can't find culantro, cilantro is a fine substitute.

For the stock
1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds, cut into pieces
1 large onion, unpeeled and cut in half
3 inch chunk of fresh ginger, unpeeled
12 whole cloves
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. peppercorns
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup Thai basil, culantro or cilantro leaves
1 minced red chili
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. fish sauce (Thai Kitchen is gluten free)

First, char the onion and ginger - this adds a lot of flavor to the broth. To do this over the range or the grill, place the onion and ginger directly over a burner set to medium-low or on a grill set to medium-high heat. Let the skin burn, rotating to char all over. Grill this way for about 10 minutes or until soft and fragrant - it does not need to be completely blackened. To do this under the broiler, set the oven to broil on high. Place the onion and ginger on a baking sheet and place 4 inches from the oven's heating element. Turn the onion and ginger every few minutes for about 15 minutes to get an even char. Remove from the heat and let cool. When cool, rinse the onion under warm water, rubbing off the charred skin. Set aside. Trim the ends of the ginger and remove the skin with a butter knife. Wash off any blackened bits. Slice the ginger into chunks. Set aside.

Next, place the cloves, star anise, cinnamon stick and peppercorns in a frying pan. Toast over low heat for a few minutes until fragrant - this releases their oils. Set aside.

Next, parboil the chicken. Place the all chicken parts except the breasts in a stock part. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for 5 minutes to release the impurities. Dump the chicken and water into a colander in the sink. Rinse the chicken to remove any clinging residue. Scrub the pot clean. (I find this part to be a bit of a pain in the rear to do but it's essential if you want a clear broth.)

Return the chicken parts to the pot and add about 4 quarts of water. Add the uncooked reserved chicken breasts. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a very gentle simmer - the pot should not boil again. Gently skim off any scum that rises to the top - you don't want the scum to mix with the broth. After 15 minutes the chicken breasts should be cooked - remove them from the pot and set aside to cool. After they are cool, shred them and save them for serving with the soup later.

To the simmering broth add the reserved onion, ginger, spices, garlic, Thai basil or culantro, red chili, salt, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer at least 1 1/2 hours, skimming the funk off the top every 20 minutes or so as necessary and adding water if needed if the level gets too low. Turn off the heat.

Last, line a large sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a large pot. Strain the stock through the lined sieve. Discard the solids. Adjust the flavor of the stock with additional salt, sugar or fish sauce (last time I made this I thought it needed a bit more fish sauce). The broth should be very aromatic and flavorful. Keep the broth hot while you assemble the items for the table.

For the table
1 pound dried rice noodles, prepared according to package directions
reserved shredded chicken
2 cups bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
culantro or cilantro leaves
Thai basil leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 lime cut into 8 wedges
Sriracha hot sauce

Place some rice noodles in large soup bowls. Ladle hot broth over the top. Let the guests at the table add whatever else they would like. I am partial to adding a lot of the fresh greens, lime juice and Sriracha into my bowl of soup even though the Sriracha turns the broth pink! Serve the soup with Asian soup spoons, if you have them. Any leftover stock can be refrigerated up to three days or frozen up to three months.

As you can see, I winged it for the bowl of soup above. Having no time to run to the Asian market, I used cilantro, sweet basil and Italian flat leaf parsley for the soup. It was good, but I like culantro better. I also fudged the minced red chili and used Sriracha in the broth, so the broth is not clear (my bad, that's what I get for winging it). Next time I make it, I'll post a picture of the clear broth.

Excitment!

A lot of exciting stuff has happened lately! In no particular order, here's the scoop.

I am honored and humbled to have So Delicious and Daiya post links to a few of my recipes on their Facebook pages. How spiffy is that? Even spiffier is that their foods totally rock my kitchen. When we first went casein and soy-free, there were no dairy alternatives we could have that tasted good. But now with yummy things like dairy free, soy free margarine, coconut milk yogurts, ice creams, milks and creamers, and melty mozzarella and cheddar cheesy awesomeness I can enjoy converting my favorite old recipes that have languished in the back of my closet for want of safe alternatives. I also love being subversive and baking gluten-free and vegan for friends and family. Nobody has ever said "ick" (in fact they're more prone to say "Holy crap, that's vegan and soy-free? And gluten-free too?!". But you know what I like most about all this is being able to simply have margarine on toast, or blueberries with yogurt, or potato skins topped with cheese.

You know what else would really rock? Dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free cream cheese. Or ricotta. Is anybody working on this? Can it be done? Is my hope that these will become vegan soy-free realities all in vain???

Also, I'm so excited by all my followers! Like, wow. I started the blog as my cookbook and didn't dream anybody would really dig what I was conjuring up in my little kitchen. I'm really happy people are digging what I'm doing. Thanks, guys. But...while I bake gluten-free and vegan, I'm not actually a vegan. I love me some good vegan food almost all of the time. But I use meat too. I know that being a healthy vegan takes a lot of thought and work and I just don't know how to do that with kids to ensure they get all the nutrition they need for optimal health. So while I will continue posting recipes that feature meat, I will do my best to balance that with vegan offerings as well. It will be a good challenge!

Lastly, I am super excited to tell you that I am getting closer to an ADHD Inattentive Type (apparently the term ADD is not technically correct anymore) diagnosis for Megan. I know it sounds weird to say I'm all excited about it, but we will be able to help her most effectively after we get a definite diagnosis and can implement accommodations that will help her cope. I will write more about that later, but suffice it to say - I'm totally relieved about this!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies - simple, subtle and sublime. What more can I say?

Dry Ingredients
2 cups GF flour blend (I used this one)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
dash salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Additions
1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
2 tbsp. flax seed meal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet, set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the canola oil, brown sugar and maple syrup. Add the mashed banana and vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until smooth. Add the chocolate chips flax seed meal. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake about 12 minutes or until the bottoms and edges of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes just over 2 dozen cookies.

Happy Valentine's Day

DH and the girls took a trip to Whole Foods yesterday to pick out flowers for me for Valentine's Day. DH says the woman at the flower counter was at first charmed by the girls picking out flowers for their mom. She became considerably less charmed after Anna loudly exclaimed "These flowers are freaking expensive!".

I enjoyed my Valentine's Day, especially my (too expensive) flowers. I hope you enjoyed yours too.

Funk Begone! The Truth is...

I am reading Driven to Distraction, a book about recognizing ADD in children and adults. My educational consultant/former teacher/remediator of reading difficulties/ASD guru friend gave it to me after I went and observed Megan in her classroom and took detailed notes. My friend read my notes. She observed Megan at her office. You know what Megan's primary problem is? It's not anxiety. That's right, my friends. My little girl is not an anxious child. But get her into the classroom, what you'll see is ADD masquerading as anxiety. Anxiety is a secondary issue to the primary problem, which is ADD.

I am so certain of this that I have contacted the educational psychologist for another consultation and review of my classroom observation. I may consult with a neurologist next, since ADD is a neurobiological issue, a genetic one that runs in families. Yes, that's right...guess who else has ADD? My dear dad does, and he sees it in Megan. Guess who else probably does? Probably me too (but more on that later). Guess who else has a neurobiological issue? Anna does. Yes, we seem to be all sorts of neurobiologically challenged over here.

My mother (who does not have ASD or ADD, bless her), sees the ADD in Megan too. I told her that I've honed in on the problem and she let loose one of her favorite nicknames for me - Terrier. I have grabbed the issue and will worry it until I get the truth and the results I need.

I feel like recent family history is repeating itself. I was worried about autism for Anna as early as when she was 2 years old. I was told to wait and see...she's to young to assess for autism...she's too smart to have autism...wait and see. I waited and Anna (and our family) was the worse for it. I, the mom, knew it was autism, but listened to everybody telling me it wasn't. You know what? It's happening again with my second child. I've suspected ADD for a full year. Everybody keeps saying...she's too young...she's too smart...wait and see...But I am not doing it again. The longer we wait, the worse it will get, and Megan and our family will be the worse for it.

My educational consultant friend tells me to seek solutions, not truth. I have to respectfully disagree with her. I will seek both. My mom does not call me Terrier for nothing.

And so I am reading Driven to Distraction. It sounds like Megan across the board in all areas of her life - at home and at school. Things at home related to the anxiety have improved but the things related to the ADD have not improved. I strongly believe Megan has ADD with secondary anxiety, where the anxiety is a direct result of the ADD. I am arming myself with evidence, like I did with Anna. I will take notes, write updates, and generally be a pain in everyone's patooty until Megan gets what she needs - namely, an ADD diagnosis and accommodations in the classroom to help her cope. My friends, I have faced down autism. I am not afraid of this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interesting excerpts from Driven to Distraction (Hallowell and Ratey, authors)

Preface
"(ADD is) an inherited neurological syndrome. (It is) an imperfect label...the syndrome is not one of attention deficit but of attention inconsistency...hyperactivity may or may not be present; some children with ADD are quite dreamy and quiet. ADD...almost never occurs in a pure form - that is, without some accompanying problem, such as a learning disability or low self-esteem."

page 9
"...within the domain of properly diagnosed ADD there is also much variability...there is another kind of ADD that shows no hyperactivity whatsoever. Indeed, these people can be underactive. This is the child, often a girl, who sits at the back of the classroom daydreaming..."

page 13
"Four major traits (of ADD): (1) deficits in attention and effort, (2) impulsivity, (3) problems in regulating one's level of arousal and (4) the need for immediate reinforcement."

page 16
"...secondary psychological problems...typically develop in the wake of the primary neurological problem of ADD."

pp 41 - 42
"One must look carefully at the child's individual history. The (ADD) diagnosis rests primarily upon the history. There are also psychological tests that can (my emphasis) provide additional evidence in making a diagnosis. Certain subtests of the WISC...may suggest (my emphasis) ADD. There are other tests that attempt to assess attention and impulsivity, but it should be stressed that there is no one definitive "test" for ADD (my emphasis). The most reliable diagnostic tool is the individual's history as elicited from the child, from parents, and from teacher reports...One must make a judgment based on a comparison of the individual child to his or her peer group. If he or she stands out as markedly more distractible, impulsive, and restless...then the diagnosis of ADD can be entertained."

Page 42
"While psychological testing can be very helpful, it is not definitive (author's emphasis). Children who have ADD can appear not to have it when psychologically tested. This is because the structure, novelty, and motivation associated with the testing procedure can effectively, for the moment, "treat" the child's ADD. The child may be focused by the one-on-one structure of the testing, focused by the novelty of the situation, and be so motivated to "do well" that the motivation overrides the ADD. For these reasons, the clinical data - the teachers' reports, the parents' reports, the evidence of human eyes and ears over time - must take precedence over the data garnered through psychological testing."

Page 43
"For those children who do have ADD, it is of great importance that the diagnosis be made as early as possible so as to minimize the damage to self-esteem that usually occurs when these children are misunderstood and labeled lazy or defiant or odd or bad. The life of a child, and his or her family, with undiagnosed ADD is a life full of unnecessary struggle, accusation, guilt, recrimination, underachievement, and sadness. The sooner the diagnosis can be made, the sooner this unnecessary pain can cease. While diagnosis and treatment do not put an end to the difficulties ADD creates in the child's life, at least they allow for those difficulties to be known for what they are."

"...a good example of a person with ADD: impatient, impulsive, distractible, energetic, emotionally needy, creative, innovative, irreverent, and a maverick. Structure is one of the hallmarks of the treatment of ADD...(it can beautifully capture) the dart-here, dart-there genius of the ADD mind."

page 52
"...the crucial difference between the primary and secondary symptoms of ADD...Primary symptoms are...distractibility, impulsivity, restlessness, and so forth. The secondary symptoms, and the ones that are the most difficult to treat, are the symptoms that develop in the wake of the primary syndrome not being recognized: low self-esteem, depression, boredom and frustration with school...The longer the diagnosis of ADD is delayed, the greater the secondary problems may become."

"...ADD occurs within a developmental framework. That is to say, it evolves over time, just as a child's personality and cognitive ability evolve over time. It is not a stagnant phenomenon but a dynamic one, and it's influence changes over time. The tasks of each stage of development may be unnecessarily difficult as long as the ADD remains undiagnosed."

page 65
"...as early as kindergarten (children with ADD can get) distracted easily and distract others..."

(Megan meets at least 6 of the 8 criteria for ADD/Inattentive Type found in the DSM IV. For comparison's sake, Anna displayed 11 of the 14 signs of autism.)

My further reading:
http://www.estronaut.com/a/attention_deficit_disorder_girls.htm
http://www.helpforadd.com/add-in-girls/
http://www.ncgiadd.org/pdf/GirlswithADHD.pdf
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1626.html
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_diagnosis.htm
http://www.helpforadd.com/criteria-for-add/
http://www.borntoexplore.org/DSM.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Postscript: I cannot believe I was thrown into such a tailspin by an anxiety diagnosis. Most of it was because I didn't see the extreme anxiety. Neither could my family or close friends. So I've waited all this time, spinning my wheels and thinking, waiting to start treatment because I didn't think it was simply anxiety. I mean, anxiety was present, I could see it, but I knew it was hiding something else. While it felt like her school issued a blow by not allowing my professional representative into Megan's classroom for an observation, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I went and observed myself, armed with what to look for from someone who knows. And I saw it in the classroom, the same thing I see at home, the same thing I see elsewhere in Megan's life...the inability to stay focused. With resulting anxiety. I feel so much better now, it is centering to know... I can now operate from a place of strength to pursue solutions. The educational psychologist said in her report that we should not rule out the possibility of ADD in the future. The future is now. The anxiety related to the ADD will not get better until the ADD is addressed.

Pasta with Butternut Sauce

Cold weather makes me want to cook squash. Lots of squash. I've been buying butternut squash on a regular basis and we've been enjoying butternut fries (the only way the girls will eat butternut!), but I was hankering for something different. And then, what to my wondering eyes should appear but Ina's recipe for Pasta with Squash, Leak and Bacon! There was a butternut on my counter and a snow day to play, so I whipped up my own version of butternut sauce, tossed it with pasta, stuck it in the oven with some Daiya cheese and called it dinner. And it was delicious. Mind you, the girls won't go near this, but that's fine...someday they will. And until they do, DH and I have this all to ourselves. DH is not as fond of squash as I am but he really dug this dish...it did not see the light of the next day.

There is a little prep work involved in this dish, mostly roasting the squash. It's not hard and takes only a little bit of time. From start to finish dinner can be ready in just over an hour. Someday when I make lasagna, I'll use this butternut sauce instead of tomato sauce to layer between noodles. Yum. Thanks to Ina for posting her original recipe and letting me post my version of it!

Pasta with Butternut Sauce

1 pound butternut squash, more or less (one small to medium squash)
salt, pepper and olive oil
1/2 cup diced chopped onion
4 - 6 large cloves minced garlic, depending on your taste
1 tbsp. dried parsley, or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup coconut milk, more or less (I used Thai Kitchen Lite Coconut Milk)
1/2 package gluten free penne or pasta spirals (I like Tinkyada)
1 cup Daiya cheese, more or less according to your taste (I like less - a little Daiya goes a long way)
pine nut meal, if desired, or gluten free bread crumbs if you have them

Roast the Butternut
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the hard stem from the squash. Slice in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy pulp. Smear the cut halves of the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the squash goes through cleanly - it should not meet much resistance, but the squash should not be too soft, either. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool long enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile
While the squash is roasting, saute the onion and garlic in 2 - 3 tbsp. olive oil over low heat until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, return to the pot and toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.

Make the Sauce
When the squash is cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. Place the squash, onion and garlic into a food processor. With the food processor running, add enough coconut milk to make a smooth and thick puree. Add the parsley and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bake the Casserole
Smear a small baking dish (8x8 works well) with olive oil. Toss the pasta with the butternut sauce and 1/2 cup Daiya cheese. Place the pasta in the casserole. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup Daiya cheese on top of the pasta. Sprinkle pine nut meal or gluten free breadcrumbs over top of the cheese, if desired. Bake about 15 minutes, or until the dish is heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

*Roasted broccoli would be a good addition, toss with the pasta and sauce and bake as directed.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

Baby, it's cold outside! I have not felt this cold in a long time! On Monday night we got treated to sleet accumulations of about 2 inches. The girls are thrilled with the novelty of making sleet angels and sliding down the slick driveway in a cardboard box (because the once-a-year snow we get does not justify buying sleds). Driving around is another matter, the roads have been covered in ice all week... though in a way it's fun to take the car out and remind myself I still know how to drive on the ice. School has also been out all week and it's canceled again for tomorrow - yippee!

So what's a gal to do when the kids are cooped up in the house and it's frigid outside? Heat up the oven and make some scones! These scones are simply fabulous, if I say so myself. I'm really happy with how they turned out - light and airy, not too sweet, not too dry. We're supposed to get slammed with more winter weather tomorrow. I'm planning on firing up the oven and making more scones!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones (inspired by this recipe here)

1 1/2 cups GF flour blend
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. flax seed meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. guar gum
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. palm shortening
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside a baking sheet.

In a large bowl sift together the flour through the salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine meal. Make a well in the center and set aside.

Combine the pumpkin puree and the yogurt. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients, then add the chocolate chips. Stir with a fork until well-blended. The mixture will be sticky. Lay a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet and turn the dough out onto it. Sprinkle a little bit of some gluten free flour blend and pat into a circle with your hands about 1/2 inch high. With a sharp knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges.

Cut away any parchment paper that overhangs the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and bottoms are sturdy and light brown. Remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes. Take another sharp knife and cut the scones into separate wedges. Place the wedges on a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.