Recipe: Long Life Noodles

Celebrate Lunar New Year by eating this stir-fry noodle dish. Tradition believes that eating long noodles will give you a long life, but the real benefit is the healthy vegetables in this recipe.

Fiber:
All fruits and vegetables contain FIBER, which acts like a scrub in our bodies. It cleans our digestive system and helps it to work smoothly. Which ingredients in this recipe contain fiber?

Protein:
PROTEIN helps to build and support muscle, skin, bones, and blood. We can't live without it because they are the building blocks of life! Protein is usually found in meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, and beans, and in this recipe, you'll get a dose of fiber from the tofu because it's made from soy beans.

Long Life Noodles
Adapted from Food is Elementary
Serves 10 at 1 cup


Ingredients:
1 8 oz package of rice noodles
3 bunches baby bok choy
3 medium carrots
1 small head of cabbage
1 package extra firm tofu
2 large cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 Tbsp oil (Olive or sesame)
1/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce*
(*or make your own teriyaki sauce with recipe below)

Equipment:
Cutting board
Knife
Large pot or wok
Tongs or Two large spoons
Colander
Measuring cups and spoons

Directions:
1. Fill a large pot with warm water. Soak the noodles for 5-10 minutes, or until soft. Drain in colander and set aside.
2. Cut off the bulbs from the bok choy and cabbage. Compost bulb and separate all leaves.
3. Wash and scrub bok choy, cabbage leaves, and carrots.
4. With the help of an adult, finely chop garlic. Cut onions into strips.
5. Cut carrots into slices or half moons, and shred cabbage and bok choy.
6. Drain tofu and cut into smaller pieces.
7. Heat oil in pot or wok. Add onions and garlic, sauté until onions are clear.
8. Add carrots and stir. Then, add cabbage and bok choy. Stir fry for 3-5 min.
9. Add tofu and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir fry an additional 2 minutes.
10. Using tongs or two large spoons, carefully mix noodles with vegetables.
11. Add sauce to the mixture and stir. Serve warm and enjoy!

Make your own teriyaki sauce:
Replace the soy sauce with this to add a little sweetness to the dish.
Mix together:
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
5 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup sesame seeds (preferably toasted)

November Recipe: Go Green Saute

Go green with this saute! Dark leafy greens grow all year round in California, but grow best in cold weather. Now is the perfect time to use these greens in your favorite dishes to make your meals healthier for your body.

Examples of greens include:
- Collard greens
- Swiss chard
- Spinach
- Kale

Remember, the greener the leaf, the healthier it is.

After all, green fruits and vegetables help your eyes, bones, and teeth! What other green fruits and vegetables can you think of?

Greens have so many important vitamins and minerals that help our body, including Vitamin A which helps your eyes today (and tonight!), maintains smooth skin, and to fights off cancer!

For this recipe, think like a chef! What else can you add these sauteed greens to?

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Rainbow chard or kale
1/2 pound fresh Spinach
1/2 pound (8 ounces) rainbow pasta twists
2 cloves garlic
1/4 pound queso fresco or parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
Cooked brown rice or pasta


EQUIPMENT:
Colander
Large pot with lid
Large cooking spoon or tongs

Directions:
1. Rinse rainbow chard and spinach in water.
2. Rip leaves into small pieces.
3. Ask an adult to chop garlic into small, tiny pieces.
4. Have adult turn on medium-high heat and heat olive oil. Add garlic and stir.
5. Add the torn leaves to the pot and stir. Lower heat and cover for 2 minutes or until greens turn bright green. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and take off lid.
6. Mix greens with pasta.
7. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon and crumble cheese into pasta.
8. Enjoy!

October Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salad

This simple black bean and corn salad will build muscles, clean the stomach, and maintain a healthy immune system.

Serve with whole wheat pita bread to get the complete protein that your body needs for strong muscles!

Makes 10 servings at 1/2 cup each.





INGREDIENTS:
1(15-ounce) can low –sodium black beans
1 medium bell pepper
1 fresh tomato
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 clove garlic
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1/4 fresh jalapeno
2 limes
1 teaspoon chili powder
5 medium whole wheat pita pockets


EQUIPMENT:
Can opener
1 large bowl
Strainer or colander
Sharp knife (For adult use only)
Cutting board
Butter knife
Small spoon
Large spoon


1. Wash all produce and rinse beans in strainer. Put into large bowl.
2. Have an adult cut tomatoes into wedges, then cut in small pieces.
3. Have an adult cut pepper in half. Take out all of the seeds! Adult will cut the bell pepper into strips. Cut in small pieces.
4. Rip the leaves off of cilantro into small pieces. Add to bowl.
5. Ask adult to finely chop onion and deseed jalapeno and chop.
6. Have an adult cut lime in wedges. Squeeze over mixture.
7. Mix all other ingredients together.
8. Cut pita in half. Spoon salad on top of or scoop into pita. Enjoy!

October Recipe: Latin American Mixed Vegetables

Latin American Mixed Vegetables

This recipe uses butternut squash, an ingredient native to Latin America. Not only will you get a healthy dose of fiber from the squash to clean your digestive system, you will also get Vitamin C from the other ingredients.

Makes 8 Servings at 1 cup each


INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. package of frozen butternut squash
2 can of black beans
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 zucchini
1 green pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: jalapeno, deseeded and minced


Equipment:
Large bowl
Frying pan
Cutting board
Knife (use with adult supervision)


Directions:

Prep:
1. With an adult's help, carefully cut the onion into smaller pieces.
2. Finely mince the garlic.
3. Cut the zucchini, tomato, and bell pepper into smaller pieces. Keep separated.
4. Rip the cilantro leaves into smaller pieces.

Cooking:
1. Heat oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add squash and zucchini. Sauté until crisp-tender
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer until hot. Serve warm.

What can you eat this recipe with?

Tootie- Fruitie Smoothies

Drinking a cool smoothie on a hot day is a wonderful treat! Smoothies are also great for an energizing breakfast, or even a sweet dessert.

Click here for a fast and easy smoothie recipe:
Tootie Fruitie Smoothies

Pizza...with FRUIT on it!

One of the recipes for April is the Fancy Fruit Pizza. This is one of the more popular recipes....
with fresh banana, strawberries, and apples....no wonder it's a hit!

Check out the recipes below:
Fancy Fruit Pizza
Fancy Fruit Pizza (Spanish)

If you made a fruit pizza at home, what changes did you make?
Don't forget....any leftover fruit can be tossed together for a quick and easy fruit salad!

You can even make a fruit pizza station at your next party, where friends can build their own pizza just the way they like it.