Servings: 6
Serving size: ⅓ cup (40 grams)
Prep time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 1½ tablespoons (20 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C).
2. Place edamame in a strainer and run under warm water for 30 seconds. Spread edamame on a paper towel and pat dry.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together edamame, olive oil, sugar, curry, cinnamon, salt, pepper and cayenne.
4. Spread seasoned edamame on a baking sheet in a single layer.
5. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until light brown. Stir every 15 minutes to ensure even roasting. Let cool before serving.

Cooking note: Line baking sheet with parchment paper to avoid staining from curry powder. Increase baking time by about 20 minutes.

Nutrition per serving: 139 calories, 7g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 203mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 6g sugar, 10g protein, 462mg potassium, N/A phosphorus

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I pack weekday lunches for my two school-aged kids, so I’m always looking for ways to streamline the process. I’ve been using a bento box-style lunchbox, but it has six separate containers and lids to wash after every use — it’s a pain! I wanted to try the Yumbox because, with only two pieces, it seemed a lot more convenient.

The Yumbox Original has a clear plastic lunch tray inside a hard-shell lunch box. The one-piece tray has six compartments, which are labeled on the bottom with smart reminders for packing a balanced lunch: vegetables, protein, grain, etc. The lid is lined with silicone, which meets the lip of the tray when the lunchbox is closed. That means no spills or mess — as in, the yogurt won’t drip onto the crackers.

I packed lunch for my 6-year old in our new Yumbox. It was perfect for him because, like many kids, he prefers that foods don’t touch each other. His lunch always has a bit of everything — vegetables, fruit, whole grains, protein and a little treat — and the compartments gave me the perfect outline to build a healthy lunchbox. However, it’s not the right size lunchbox for a sandwich, unless you creatively cut the sandwich into cubes or sticks.

Once packed, the first test was to see if my little guy could open the lid by himself. Success! In the past, we’ve struggled with hard-to-open lunch boxes, which is problematic during a 15-minute lunch period with one busy staff supervisor and 30 kids requiring assistance. This was easy to open and fit perfectly beside an ice pack in his rectangular insulated lunch bag. He also totally loved the cool design and the pictures inside the box — ours has rockets and planets, and four other designs are available.

After my son enjoyed lunch, I noted two things.

1. The lunch box was a bit small for his appetite. The Yumbox Original is suggested for children aged toddler to 8 years, but my 6-year-old was still hungry after eating his whole lunch. I think it’s more suitable for kids on the younger end of the age range.
2. Clean-up was super-simple, since the lunchbox is just two pieces. It washed easily with dish soap and water and also is dishwasher-safe on the top rack. I love that I didn’t have to wash six containers and lids or worry about losing lids!

The Yumbox is a fantastic lunchbox for your little ones, and a great tool for teaching kids about eating a balanced meal and reminding busy parents what to pack. 

The post A Product that Makes School Lunches Fun and Easy? Believe It appeared first on HealthStylz.

Saturday mornings were meant for pancakes in my family. Now that my daughter is 10, she’s adept at flipping pancakes, but still makes a huge mess when mixing and pouring the batter. That’s why I was intrigued by the promise of “pancakes with no accidental spills” from Whiskware’s Batter Mixer. I hoped it would be a kid-friendly tool.

How It Works

The Batter Mixer allows you to prep, mix and pour pancake batter with an all-in-one tool. Like many of Whiskware’s products, the bottle-shaped container holds a whisk-style stainless steel BlenderBall®. You simply add pancake ingredients to the bottle, shake so the BlenderBall® can mix the ingredients together, then pour perfectly round pancakes on your pan. The bottle is BPA- and phthalate-free, and the pouring spout is made from soft silicone, which helps dispense batter with a good degree of control.

Our Kitchen Tool Experience

I tested this product with my daughter and let her do most of the work. Our first thought when we saw the tool was, “How are we going to get a cupful of spelt flour into that small 2-inch top opening?” But Whiskware thought of that! The bottle inverts and the bottom lid comes off, leaving a large 4-inch space to add your ingredients. Even better — the bottle balances on the top base lid, so it stays steady as you add your ingredients.

Once we secured the bottom, we flipped the bottle and gave a vigorous shake. As promised, the BlenderBall® evenly whisked all of our ingredients together, and we were pleased to see it left no lumps. With our hot pan at the ready, we were eager to test the “no accidental spills” claim by pouring pancakes. No spills? Not exactly. It was messy to start, because it took a few tries to master the batter flow and figure out the right amount of “squeeze” to apply when dispensing batter. But once we did, there were no more dribbles or spills. My daughter was able to create perfect, evenly sized round pancakes with no mess. Totally kid-friendly! The Batter Mixer would also be handy for filling all those nooks and crannies in a waffle maker.

Cleanup was easy. We added soap and water, gave another shake, and rinsed it clean. The tool also is dishwasher safe, but it wasn’t necessary. Once dry, the five-piece bottle gets put back together for easy storage and no lost parts.

Thumbs Up

Pancakes are already an easy-to-make staple, and this tool makes them even easier. If you prep pancakes often and hate the mess, the Whiskware Batter Mixer is the answer.  There are no messy bowls, whisks and spoons to clean, no spills to wipe up, and your pancakes will be evenly sized and perfectly round.

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That’s why I’ve been experimenting with meals that require no cooking at all. I start with local, farm-fresh produce and pair it with protein options that require no cooking such as beans, nuts, seeds, canned fish and Greek yogurt. Here are some of my tastiest no-heat-required meals.

Breakfast: Overnight Oats

I love oatmeal in the winter, but a steaming bowl of comfort food during a heat wave is totally unappealing. Enter overnight oats, a refrigerated oatmeal concoction that requires no heat to prepare. Bonus: it’s served cold! In a jar, combine ½ cup oats, ½ cup milk (or non-dairy alternative), ⅓ cup of Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add a handful of in-season berries and breakfast is done.

Here’s another recipe for Apple Pecan Refrigerator Oats by Stone Soup blogger Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LDN.

Lunch: Customizable Salad

I can’t get enough of juicy field tomatoes and English cucumbers in summer. These seasonal wonders become the base for an easy Greek salad, which also includes canned chickpeas, feta cheese and Kalamata olives. It takes five minutes to prepare, and is great for toting to work in a large jar.

I also love building salads on a bed of greens, then adding seasonal produce. To make the salad into a meal, I add any of these no-cook protein options:

• Canned tuna or salmon
• Canned chickpeas, beans or lentils
• Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans or pistachios
• Seeds such as sesame, pumpkin or sunflower
• Cheese such as feta, goat, asiago, cheddar or mozzarella
• Crunchy chickpeas, peanuts, wasabi peas or soy nuts
• Store-bought rotisserie chicken

These items allow for unlimited combinations, so I can enjoy a new lunch salad every day!

Dinner: 4 No-Cooking-Required Inspirations

Here’s a twist on using appliances in summer — only rely on the ones that don’t give off heat! I love making an easy gazpacho with shrimp. The only kitchen tools used are a blender and a freezer. It’s made with watermelon, cantaloupe, tomato, cucumber and jalapenos, and topped with defrosted frozen pre-cooked shrimp. Simple and delicious!

Or, how about tacos? Of course, I have no desire to brown meat when the sun is beating down. That’s how I discovered that canned lentils — mashed with oregano and chili powder — perfectly mimic the taste and texture of cooked ground beef. Add it to corn tortillas and top it with avocado, salsa and cilantro for a delicious meal.

Some days, nothing beats a sandwich. I love making dinner sandwiches with crusty whole-grain bread, hummus, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, shredded carrot, spinach and sliced raw beets. (That’s right raw beets! They add terrific crunch and a sweet, earthy flavor.) I also keep plenty of shaved turkey breast, smoked tofu and hummus on hand for use in wraps, pitas or corn tortillas.

One last idea for a no-cook dinner: a plate of cold “tapas.” Try artfully arranging bean salad, whole-grain pita, marinated mushrooms, prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, roasted red peppers and hard cheeses on a platter.

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Today, while we keep many traditions alive, my Passover menu has changed quite a bit. My husband and I are mostly vegetarian, my sister-in-law is gluten-free and allergic to coconut, my dad is a traditional meat-eating guy, and the four children are as picky as you'd expect. Here's how I sort through the chaos and create a modified Passover dinner to meet everybody's needs.

Gluten-Free Passover

Matzo is an unleavened flatbread and Passover staple. Some form of it — matzo flour, matzo meal, matzo balls — can be found in everything from soup to potatoes to dessert. Matzo is wheat-based and contains gluten, so careful menu planning is critical if you have guests avoiding wheat and gluten.

These days, gluten-free Passover foods are widely available. They are tasty, but tend to be nutritionally sparse because they are usually made from refined potato starch and tapioca. And, anything with potato starch does not fare well in matzo ball recipes — trust me, I've tried. Gluten-free potato noodles are a globby mess, too.  

I solve the side-dish dilemma by relying on quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash. Quinoa flakes can replace matzo flour in some recipes (but not matzo balls), and is more nutritious than the ubiquitous potato starch. Kids love my quinoa macaroni and cheese.

Vegetarian Passover

My usual vegetarian protein staple — legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils — traditionally are not permitted at Passover. Some rabbis now say legumes are OK during Passover for those following vegetarian or vegan diets, if it will make their lives easier. Ultimately, it's a personal choice. I don't serve legumes at Passover dinner, but do eat them during the week. For the Passover dinner, I shift my vegetarian protein sources to eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts.

Since we serve vegetarian, dairy-based foods at our Passover dinner, we don't serve meat (mixing meat and dairy is not kosher). However, fish is not considered meat and can be served alongside dairy foods. Luckily salmon is "meaty" enough for the carnivorous traditionalists at our table. Problem solved.

My Passover Menu

So, here's my semi-traditional, gluten-free, allergen-aware, kid-friendly, vegetarian Passover menu.

• Gluten-Free Matzo
• No-Chicken Soup
  Made with vegetable broth and one-ingredient egg noodles
• Hard-Boiled Eggs in Salt Water
• Grilled Salmon 
• Roasted Potatoes 
• Tzimmes
  Carrots and sweet potatoes with dried fruit
• Green Salad with Goat Cheese
• Quinoa Macaroni and Cheese
• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and Figs

We all love the Passover meal, but what matters more than the food is having the family together. That's the real tradition. Now, if I could just find a recipe for good-tasting gluten-free matzo balls …

The post My Gluten-Free, Vegetarian Passover Menu appeared first on HealthStylz.

Here are my five favorite ways to enjoy the flavor of sesame.

Gomashio

This Japanese condiment is a simple combination of sesame seeds and salt (and, sometimes, toasted nori seaweed). You can make gomashio at home or buy it pre-made in condiment shakers – I use it the way other people use salt. It's often sprinkled onto sushi, but I also add it to stir-fries, avocado toast, pastas and savory Greek yogurt.

Tahini-Lemon Sauce

I love the natural bitterness of tahini combined with the tartness of lemons – it's a combination that awakens the taste buds. I mix one-part tahini to two-parts lemon juice, add sprinkle of salt and stir. I use this blend as a salad dressing, sauce, dip, sandwich spread and on rice bowls.

Sesame-Crusted Salmon

For this picture-perfect recipe, I press a salmon filet onto a plate of both white and black sesame seeds, then quickly pan-fry the salmon seed-side down in a hot pan with a bit of oil. The seeds form a crust and lock in the moisture of the salmon. Delicious!

Bliss Bites

I love making bite-sized sweet snacks using a combination of nut butters, seeds and dried fruit. One of my favorites is a snack made of a mixture of dates, honey and tahini, rolled in toasted sesame seeds.

Peanut-Sesame Noodles

So simple, yet so divine! This dish includes sesame three ways: seeds, tahini and toasted sesame oil. It can be made with any noodles, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and some vegetables (I like to add carrot, red peppers and broccoli). It's pulled together by this perfect sauce.

The post My 5 Favorite Ways to Enjoy Sesame appeared first on HealthStylz.

Products Reviewed:
PaperChef Culinary Parchment Multipurpose Non-Stick Paper and PaperChef Culinary Parchment Cooking Bags

The multi-purpose parchment paper used in PaperChef products is non-stick and biodegradable, making it an easy and environmentally friendly solution for lining baking sheets or cooking French-style “en papillote” dishes. I tested two PaperChef products: Culinary Parchment Multipurpose Non-Stick Paper and Culinary Parchment Cooking Bags. I prepared chocolate chip cookies, cod with lemon “en papillote” (which literally means “in parchment”), and rainbow trout with basil and mint “en papilotte.” Finally, I froze some berries, using parchment to line the baking sheet.

Starting with the culinary parchment, I easily lined two baking sheets for baking chocolate chip cookies. The sharp cutting edge on the box helped me cut perfectly sized pieces to fit on standard baking trays. My cookies baked evenly and did not stick to the paper, which made for easy cleanup. After baking two batches on the same piece of parchment, I was able to dispose of the paper with my food scraps, since it is 100-percent biodegradable. (PaperChef’s parchment is also recyclable, if your region does not collect compostable waste.) I also found that, because the parchment paper is non-stick, I did not need to use any butter to grease the pan before baking.

I also used the culinary parchment to freeze berries. I laid the berries down on a baking sheet and placed them in the freezer. This allowed the berries to freeze separately — if you just put a bunch of berries in a zip-top bag in the freezer, they become a huge frozen ball. Typically, when I freeze berries, I use aluminum foil and am left picking hard chucks off the foil. But, when using culinary parchment to freeze berries, they came right off the paper.

Finally, I tested the culinary parchment’s handling of the traditional French technique known as “en papillote” by making cod. The results were delicious, the method was easy and the presentation was very professional-looking. It would be perfect for a fool-proof dinner party recipe that’s sure to impress

I also prepared fish using the PaperChef Cooking Bags, which are pre-folded for leak-proof sealing of your “en papillote” recipes. The bags were so easy to use! You simply slide a piece of fish and other ingredients into the bag, then fold the opening so it seals shut. The fish cooked quickly and was so flavorful and tender! Plus, cleanup was easy (no baking dishes to clean): I simply disposed of the environmentally-friendly parchment. Using my convection at 400°F, all of my recipes cooked evenly with no scorching.

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