Healthy Active Children

I’m sounding a lot like my mother. Though I promised myself that it would never happen, I can hear myself echoing her words.

My mom, circa 1958: “When I was a girl, I walked over a mile to school in the snow. I spent the whole summer playing outside with the neighborhood children.”

Me, circa 2008: “I walked to school every day. And it was uphill. I rode my bicycle all summer long – to play with friends and to the swimming pool.”

Well, my mom turned out to be a smart lady. Although I was not even close to being athletic, I could (and still can, thank God) ride a bike, jump rope, hike a few hilly miles and swim the length of a pool.

My sons can thank me for insisting on after-school sports, swimming lessons and bicycles. As adults, they still seem to be in pretty good shape.

But many children today are in trouble. They’re heavier and less active than ever before. It’s happening at a younger age.

And the Jewish community is not exempt. In fact, our children may be worse off than others.

In a survey of the Chicago Orthodox Jewish community, 54% of the children were overweight and 26% were obese. In the general population, childhood obesity was 13%.

Israeli children were among the least active (and the most connected electronically) in a recent 14-country study of childhood behaviors.

It’s not hard to figure out why.

Too many hours sitting in the house and not enough time running around outside. Carpools instead of bicycles. Computers, videos and television instead of swimming pools, playgrounds and sports.

The effects are disturbing:

An increase in the number of children suffering from Type-2 diabetes (which used to be called adult-onset diabetes)

High cholesterol and high blood pressure in children

Overweight young teens with eating disorders

Decreased bone density – By the late teens and early twenties, bone mass is complete. The quality of the bones we’ve built by then has to last us the rest of our lives

What can you do?

Whenever possible, let your children walk rather than ride in a car.

Limit your children’s time with electronic games, television, computers and phone calls.

Encourage your children to participate in after-school sports and fitness classes.

Take walks together. Ride bicycles. Swim. Jump rope.

Keep moving!

The Trans Fat Dilemna

Trans fats (also known as partially hydrogenated oils) are commercially produced fats made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils. The process turns liquid fats into solid ones.

Recent laws in New York City and California have banned these artery-clogging trans fats from restaurant and bakery products.

It’s an issue that hits kosher bakeries especially hard. For years they’ve been dependent on baking mixes containing trans fat to make parve cakes, cookies and pastries. Recently, a Los Angeles Jewish newspaper reporter asked me to address the problem.

At home, it's not too difficult to use liquid oil in place of solid fats like margarine. Or to use a little butter for dairy baking.

But commercial baking is different.

The obvious choice is a liquid vegetable oil. Health-oriented bakeries do this, but it's expensive. And you can't just substitute liquid oil for solid fat. Recipes need to be re-formulated. Baked goods won't have the same taste, texture and long shelf life that we’re used to.

So most commercial bakeries are switching to new trans fat-free baking fats.

What’s the “new” ingredient in most of them? Highly saturated palm oil.

It wasn’t that long ago that palm oil was taken out of baked goods. Now they’re putting it back in as a substitute for trans fat.

So it’s either hydrogenation or increased saturated fat. Not a great choice, in my opinion.

The best bet is to eat fewer baked goods altogether. The sugar and fat in coffee cake, rugelach, cookies and donuts has not served our health well at all.

Another option: bake at home.

Legislation is a start. But only when consumers demand healthier products from kosher bakeries will they respond by baking healthier products.

An Easy Soup for Chol Hamoed Sukkot

We're coming down the home-stretch of the holiday season. We've been cooking a lot. And most likely eating a little too much.

With Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah ahead of us, I'm trying to keep things easy - less fussing in the kitchen and fewer calories will have everyone feeling better.

Here's a simple recipe from my book - a nutritious, warming soup that is perfect for cool nights in the Sukkah.

Moadim B'simcha! Chag Sameach!

Red Lentil Soup (Parve)

Small red lentils cook quickly and give this soup a golden hue.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash cayenne pepper, optional
6 cups water

1 1/2 cups red lentils, sorted, checked and rinsed well in a strainer
1 small can diced tomatoes (14 to 16 ounces/400 gm), with their juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic and spices and cook, stirring for a minute or two. Add the water or broth, lentils and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the soup, partially covered, until the lentils are cooked and the soup is thick. You may want to add more water if the soup is too thick.

Season the soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Serves 6 to 8

Stuffed Turkey Breast and Thoughts on Tishrei

I received numerous questions about how to prepare the turkey breast that I described.

We ended up cooking ours for Shabbat dinner, when we were fortunate to have two "last-minute" visiting student guests. (Ben Gurion University has an impressive overseas student program, for anyone thinking about "junior-year-abroad" here.)

The turkey turned out delicious! Here are instructions:

1. Saute thinly sliced fennel and leeks in olive oil until soft. Season with freshly ground pepper. (My husband did this a few days ahead of time.)

2. Purchase half a turkey breast and ask your butcher to make a pocket. In Israel, turkey breasts come already skinned and boned.

3. Lard the turkey with garlic. (No, that doesn't have anything to do with using treif fat. Just slice a few garlic cloves into quarters, cut small "pockets" for them on the surface of the turkey and stick in the garlic pieces.) Fill the pocket with the stuffing. (My husband did all of this too. I'm very lucky!)

4. Put the breast into a covered cassorole or baking pan. We used a clay pot. (These need to be soaked in water and placed in a cold oven - read the manufacturer's directions before using.) There was no need to tie the turkey. Any extra stuffing can be spooned around the turkey.

5. Surround the turkey with sliced carrots and potatoes (winter squash would be good too). Add dry white wine, a few sprigs of rosemary (we took it from our garden; you can use other herbs as well) and pour olive oil over it all.

6. Cover the turkey breast and bake it. With our clay pot, we use a very high oven temperature. Using a regular baking pan, 350 degrees Fahreinheit (180 Centigrade) should be fine.

Cook the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahreinheit (71 Centigrade). This is very important, so I always use a thermometer.

If you cook white meat of poultry beyond this temperature, it will be tough and dry. (Dark meat, on the other hand, should be cooked to 170 Fahreinheit/77 Centigrade, and is more forgiving of overcooking.) You don't want to undercook the meat either, as this could lead to food poisoning.

7. Uncover the pot for the last few minutes of cooking, to crisp the vegetables. Baste with the pan juices a few times. If it's not Shabbat or a holiday, slice and serve. We cooked ours in the morning, refrigerated it whole until just before Shabbat. Then I re-heated it in the microwave for about five minutes and set it on the plata/hot plate until dinner. Slice it (another of my husband's specialties) just before serving and enjoy!

Our medium size half breast (about 2 pounds/1 kilo) served 6 people.

Thoughts on Tishrei

This time of year I feel like I'm swimming the breast-stroke: Holiday, Shabbat, up for a breath. Another holiday, Shabbat again and another breath before the next chag.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy every one of the chagim. There's nothing like the holidays - especially in Israel where you see and feel them everywhere.

This morning my green grocer was juggling half a dozen customers while trying to restock his shelves. Flowers stands pop up on street corners overnight. Women at my gym share holiday recipes while trying harder to burn off extra calories. And now sukkahs are popping up next to apartment buildings, in back yards and even at the mall.

But I started feeling a little worn out this afternoon. Sukkot menus started getting a little blurry in my mind. What was I planning to serve for lunch on Monday? Or is it Tuesday? Should I be baking yet another batch of challah?

Then I thought about what I love about Sukkot. Eating leisurely meals of hearty soup and bread in the sukkah. Not running off to work and classes right after a meal. How, instead of doing laundry almost every day, I'd use that time to relax. Read a book or two, even bring out a pad of drawing paper and pastels. The last time I did that was on vacation last June!

So my husband and I cooked a few things this evening, and I plan to go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow I want to try a new recipe for cabbage soup that looks easy and sounds satisfying. With a few soups in the refrigerator I won't have too much cooking to do during the holiday. My goal is to end this rather hectic month of holidays on a more laid back note.

I wish all of you a joyful and relaxing Sukkot.

Favorite Sukkot Foods

Sukkot, celebrating our liberation from Egypt and the end of the agricultural year, brings to mind abundance and a bountiful harvest. No wonder that stuffed vegetables and filled pastries are traditionally eaten at this time.

Sweet red peppers are in season and are perfect (and easy!) for stuffing. I cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stem and seeds and stuff each half with a whole grain filling. Arrange them in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice or a simple tomato sauce, cover and bake. Rice is a traditional filling, but the possibilities are endless. Here are some other ideas:

Bulgur, raisins, pine nuts and dill
Curried quinoa and diced zucchini
Brown rice, lentils and tomatoes
Barley, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes

For Shabbat dinner during Sukkot I’m planning to stuff half of a turkey breast and roast it in a clay pot. The stuffing may be leeks and fennel or mushrooms and onions, seasoned with fresh sage or rosemary from the garden. I’ll add cut-up potatoes and carrots, and pour dry white wine and some olive oil over it before baking. A green salad and apple crisp for dessert rounds out the menu.

Sometimes, stuffing vegetables and meat seems too labor intensive when you’re feeding a crowd in the sukkah. One of our favorite Sukkot meals is dairy lasagna and a green salad. I use lasagna noodles that don’t require pre-cooking to make it especially fast and easy. Layer them with ricotta cheese, vegetables, (defrosted frozen spinach, sliced zucchini or roasted eggplant and red pepper all take to lasagna), a touch of grated parmesan and lots of flavorful tomato sauce. Be sure the sauce is thin enough to cook the noodles, since ready-to-use lasagna noodles absorb more liquid. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the noodles have softened and everything is cooked.

Soup is another of our Sukkot favorites. I favor hearty meal-in-a-bowl soups such as lentil and Swiss chard, minestrone, sweet potato, and mushroom barley. Vegetable soups with meatballs, tortellini, beans and grains are all great for Sukkot – easy, filling, nutritious and deliciously warming to eat in the sukkah on cool evenings. Served with bread or muffins and a salad, and you’ve got a complete meal.

Here’s an easy soup recipe that you may want to try this Sukkot:

CAULIFLOWER AND PASTA SOUP (PARVE OR DAIRY)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium or 1 large onion, thinly sliced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bay leaf
½ -1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 medium cauliflower (2 pounds/1 kilo), cut into florets, washed and checked
1 cup small whole-wheat pasta
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onions until they’re soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce and herbs and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the cauliflower, reduce the heat and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until done. Add pepper to taste, and salt if needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on each bowl.

Approximately 6 servings.

Feeding Your Children at Home

No one says that feeding children is easy.

One child eats any kind of sandwich you make, while another only agrees to peanut butter and strawberry jam. Your son cleans his plate while his sister just pokes at her food. The child who ate everything yesterday is suddenly picky today.

We’re all concerned with our children’s health. We know that good eating habits start early on. And as parents, we want to do our very best to see that our children get off on the right foot nutritionally.

Here are some tips for encouraging healthy eating:

• Serve child-sized portions


• Don't use food as a reward or punishment


• Serve water instead of sweetened drinks


• Discourage eating while doing other activities, like homework and reading


• Eat meals as a family as often as possible


• Be a role model by eating healthy foods

The last point may be the most important. Children learn from what their parents do.

Eat a variety of nutritious foods, eat in moderation and eat mindfully and your children are likely to follow your example.

Healthy Holiday Tips

It's so easy to put on weight during the holidays. The table is heavy with plates of delicious food. And soon after we've digested one meal, it seems like another is on the way!


Here are some tips for smart holiday eating:


1. Eat something light before Erev Chag so you won't be really really hungry when you sit down to dinner. Fresh fruit, vegetables and yogurt are good choices.


2. There's something satisfying about a full dinner plate. So go ahead and fill up your plate using this rule of thumb: Fill up half of your plate with vegetables, a quarter with whole-grain carbohydrate and the remaining quarter with low-fat protein.

3. Avoid fatty gravy and sauces. Trim the fat and skin from red meat and chicken.

4. Save on calories by drinking water rather than juice. And don't overdo it on wine.

5. If you have the option, choose fruit for dessert. Or take a small portion of cake or pastry.


6. Take a brisk half hour walk before Erev Chag and on both days of Rosh Hashanah.

7. Don't be tempted to nibble on leftovers. Pack them up for the freezer, set them aside for another meal or give them away.

8. If you've overeaten during the holidays, don't let guilt feelings get you down. Get right back on track with healthy eating, exercise and a positive attitude.

9. Relax and enjoy the holiday!

WISHING ALL OF YOU A SHANAH TOVAH U'METUKAH - A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SWEET NEW YEAR.

Simanim Part II

Here are the brachot (blessings) and the "requests" said with each of the Simanim before the main Rosh Hashanah meal.

After Hamotzi and before eating the main holiday meal, say the following:

Date (tamar)

Say the blessing borei pri ha’etz and eat a date; then take another date and recite: May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that they (our enemies) cease to exist
(yitamu sounds like tamar).

Take a vegetable (not one of the symbolic ones below) and recite the blessing borei pri ha’adamah, while having in mind the other vegetables that will be eaten.

Leeks (karte)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that they be decimated (she’ikartu sounds like karte) – our foes and our enemies and all who seek our harm.

Beet greens or Swiss chard (selek)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that they be removed (yistalek sounds like selek) – our foes and our enemies and all who seek our harm.

Black-eyed peas (rubiya)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that our merits increase like rubiya.

Winter squash (kara)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that You tear up (sh’tikra sounds like kara) the evil edict of our judgment; and may our merits be declared before You.

Pomegranate (rimon)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that our merits be plentiful as the seeds of a pomegranate.

Head of a lamb or fish (rosh)
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that we be like a head and not like a tail.

Apple dipped in honey
May it be Your will, Hashem our God, God of our forefathers, that there be renewed for us a good and sweet year, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.

(Translations are from The Orot Sephardic Rosh Hashannah Mahazor, Orot, Inc. 1996)

Baked Chicken and Rice

I enjoy cooking. So I'm looking forward to cooking for Rosh Hashanah. What's harder for me is the planning. I just don't feel relaxed until I've planned at least the basics of the menu. Not that I follow it precisely. But having something written down helps me feel organized and ready to go.

A week or so ago I started browsing through cookbooks for new ideas. The order form from our organic farm co-op just came, so I'm deciding on fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. They don't have everything we need, so I'm making a list for the green-grocer. And another for the grocery store.

It's still quite hot here in Beer Sheva, so we're skipping soup this year. We'll have the Simanim, cooked as salads or side dishes: black-eyed peas in tomato sauce, braised beet greens, and leeks cooked with Indian spices. The butternut squash may go into sambousek - small pastries made with an olive oil dough. The trick is to make them this week, freeze them and bake them before dinner.

We're having chicken for dinner and salmon for lunch.

Here's an easy chicken recipe that you might want to try for Rosh Hashanah. It uses brown rice and Sephardic-style seasonings, including baharat, a Mediterranean blend that often includes cinnamon, cloves and chili peppers.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 1/2 cups brown rice, rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground baharat (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
2 1/2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1 1/2 kilo) chicken, cut into pieces and skin removed

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celcius).

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, stirring, until golden. Put the onion into a large shallow baking dish or casserole. Add the rice to the onions and mix together.

Mix the spices and salt in a small bowl. Set aside a few teaspoons of the mixture and add the remaining spices to the water. Pour this over the rice in the baking dish. Place the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture.

Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and browned.

Serves 4 to 6

Rosh Hashanah - Simanim Part I

Ask anyone what foods they associate with Rosh Hashanah and the answer you’re likely to get is “apples and honey.”

Would anyone say black-eyed peas? Or beet greens?

Not that long ago, I certainly wouldn’t have thought of these as Jewish holiday foods.

Weren’t black-eyed peas “soul food” in the U.S.? And who ate the tops of beets? I remember seeing them once in my mother’s borscht.

Then I moved to Israel and learned about Simanim – traditional foods eaten on Erev Rosh Hashanah. The Talmud mentions five of them: Gourds (winter squash), black-eyed peas, leeks, beet greens and dates. We arrange these on our holiday table, along with a pomegranate, fish head, apples and honey.

Each food symbolizes a wish for the coming year, based on its Hebrew or Aramaic name.

Since the Simanim are all seasonal, healthy and delicious foods, I incorporate them into our holiday meal. They make wonderful salads and side dishes that compliment our main course of poultry or fish. Add whole-wheat challah, a light soup and fresh fruit for dessert and you’ve got a healthy gourmet holiday meal - a wonderful start to the New Year!

Here's a holiday recipe for beet greens. You can use Swiss chard as well:

BRAISED BEET GREENS OR SWISS CHARD (PARVE)

2 pounds (1 kilo) beet greens or Swiss chard, washed and checked well
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Slice the greens, including the stems, into ribbons, about an inch (2 to 3 cm) wide.

Put them into a pan with the remaining ingredients. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the greens are very soft and silky. Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary to prevent sticking. If the greens are too watery, uncover the pan and cook for a little longer. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

The beautiful watercolor above is courtesy of Beer Sheva artist Ruth Gresser. To see more of Ruth's art, visit her website at: http://www.ruthgresser-ruthart.com/home/