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 Brushing the pita with oil |
Meals Kids Might Eat:
Instant Middle Eastern!
by Jyotsna “Jo” Sreenivasan, from the March 2006 newsletter
My kids love dips. I can trick them into consuming actual vegetables if I provide something to dip them into. And a Middle Eastern dinner is a great way to accomplish this, especially because you can buy so much of your dinner ready-made or as a mix.
The Co-op has ready-made hummus in the deli case and in the refrigerated case at the back of the store. Besides the regular flavor, you can choose from roasted red pepper, kalamata olive, spinach and feta, olive and garlic, or jalapeno and garlic. Makes me want to eat hummus every day! You can also buy a dry hummus mix in the bulk section. I was skeptical about this, but it is quite tasty. Add your own scallions or other herbs for additional flavor.
In terms of tabouli, take your pick from deli-made or the Fantastic Foods mix (you add water, oil, lemon juice, and tomatoes). We like both.
No Middle Eastern dinner is complete without a yogurt dip – at least, in my opinion. Try mixing one of the Fantastic Foods Soup and Dip Recipe Mixes with yogurt. You can choose from vegetable, onion or garlic flavors. Absolutely delicious!
In terms of dippable vegetables, we like: baby carrots, bell pepper, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, cucumber, and sunchoke (tastes kind of nutty).
And of course, you’ll need pita chips. Buy them in a bag, or try the recipe on this page for homemade pita chips.
Round out your meal with olives from the deli’s olive bar, the deli’s dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), and feta cheese.
If you have time, you might like to make the herbed carrot soup featured on this page. I think it goes really well with this meal, and my younger son loves using the blender to puree the soup!
NOTE: In a future column I will be interviewing a registered dietician who specializes in working with children and families.
Plain or Fancy Pita Chips
(adapted from Breads, Soups and Salads! by Sharon Winstein)
3 (6-inch) pita pocket breads – white or whole wheat
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Optional seasoning mix:
1 tablespoon grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
Any or all of the following: 1/2 teaspoon dried basic, marjoram and/or oregano; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, caraway seeds, and/or cumin seeds.
Put oven rack on center shelf and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pitas in half crosswise. Cut each half open along the seam. Place the 12 half-circles inside-up on your work surface. Brush the surfaces with the olive oil (a pastry brush helps with this).
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the pitas (optional).
Arrange two half-circles to form a whole circle and cut into eight wedges (a pizza cutter is helpful here). Use a pancake turner to transfer pieces to ungreased baking sheets. They should be in a single layer.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. You can store the cooled chips in a plastic bag at room temperature.
(adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen)
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram or oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium potato (the size of a medium fist), peeled and chopped
4 cups water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (if your stock is salty, you might not need this)
Sauté onion in butter or oil for about five minutes. Add garlic and dried herbs, and sauté for one or two more minutes.
Add carrots, potato, water or vegetable stock, and optional salt. (To make an easy vegetable stock, we like using the Celifibr brand vegetarian bouillon cubes, available in the soup section). Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Let soup cool somewhat, and then puree in batches in a blender. (I have found that a food processor does not work well here – you want a very smooth soup, and a food processor tends to produce a grainy soup).|
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