SERVINGS: 2
SERVING SIZE: 1¼ cup (210 grams)
PREP TIME: 18 minutes
COOKING TIME: 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) canola oil, divided
• ¼ cup minced lemongrass, stems removed (about 3 stalks)
• ½ cup chopped leek, white part only
• 1 red chili, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari, divided
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• 6 cups chopped kale

Instructions

1. Cut block of tofu in half and then into ¼-inch thick slices.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add lemongrass, leek and chili. Sauté until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add ½ teaspoon tamari, salt, sugar and turmeric. Stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon canola oil to a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
5. Once oil is hot, add tofu and cook 8 minutes on one side. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes on other side, or until golden brown. Set aside on plate.
6. Add remaining teaspoon of oil to skillet.
7. Add kale and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
8. Stir remaining ½ teaspoon tamari into kale. Add kale to serving plate.
9. Place tofu on top of kale, and top with lemongrass mixture. Serve warm.

Nutrition per serving: 176 calories, 12g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 139mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 3g sugar, 11g protein, N/A potassium, N/A phosphorus

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

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. 

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.

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 …

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.

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.

What if Wheat Hasn’t Really Changed at All?

New research published in the peer-reviewed journal Cereal Chemistry, and additional results presented at the Canadian Nutrition Society annual meeting, show that the nutritional composition of modern wheat is similar to wheat grown in Canada 150 years ago.

While some claim the protein composition of the grain (including gluten), has been fundamentally altered by the agriculture industry, the truth, as discovered by the University of Saskatchewan researchers Ravi Chibbar, Pierre Hucl and their colleagues, is that the overall nutritional quality and composition of wheat grain over time has seen little change.

This new study debunks claims that modern varieties of wheat are causing gluten intolerance because of how their protein content has been manipulated. It’s simply not true, say the researchers.

The scientists took seeds from 37 varieties of wheat representing grain from each decade from the 1860s onwards, and grew the wheat in the same field under the same conditions. They harvested the wheat and compared the nutritional composition against modern Canada Western Red Spring wheat.

Upon analysis of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients in wheat, they discovered that wheat today is nutritionally similar to wheat grown in 1860, and that there is no evidence to suggest that the increased incidences of obesity, diabetes or other health conditions in today’s society are related to the wheat varieties developed during the recent decades.

The research, which was funded by independent (non-industry) sources including the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Canada Research Chairs Program, will hopefully help consumers overcome their fear of bread and pasta.

Unless someone has a wheat allergy, celiac disease or gluten intolerance (which, combined, is less than 10 percent of the population), there seems to be no scientific reason to avoid wheat, which has not significantly changed since your great grandparents ate it.

Some people are left wondering, “If wheat hasn’t changed, why is there a rise in celiac disease and gluten intolerance?” Many theories abound to answer that question, including the use of pesticides, overconsumption of wheat in general, the abundant use of gluten as a food additive, the hygiene hypothesis, the idea that indigestible FODMAPs may be more to blame than gluten, or that some individuals have damaged gut flora. Sometimes the way wheat products are prepared can make a difference — studies show that artisan bread loaves made with traditional long-fermentation times may be easier to digest than quick-rise commercial loaves.

For now, we know two things. First, the gluten protein in wheat has not significantly changed over the last 150 years. And second, that there will be more information to come as the science continues to evolve.

A previous version of this blog post, published July 6, 2015, has been edited and updated above.

Ingredients

Salsa
1½ cups diced tomato
½ cup diced red onion
¾ cup diced mango
¾ cup diced avocado
¼ cup seeded and diced jalapeño pepper (leave in ribs if you like it hot)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Fish Tacos
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound haddock fillets
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 corn tortillas (6-inch), warmed before serving
3 tablespoons reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt
½ cup cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine tomato, onion, mango, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro. Add lime zest, lime juice and salt. Stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl, combine cayenne, chili powder, oregano, paprika and salt. Arrange haddock filets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush each filet with olive oil. Sprinkle spice mixture over filets.
4. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. To serve, top each warm corn tortilla with fish, salsa, yogurt and cilantro.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 tacos
Serves 4

Calories: 296; Total fat: 8g; Saturated fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 59mg; Sodium: 706mg; Carbohydrates: 36g; Fiber: 7g; Sugars: 7g; Protein: 24g; Potassium: n/a; Phosphorus: n/a

Turns out that’s a mistake. Research from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab found that when it comes to plate style and design, what children like is drastically different than what’s pleasing to your grown-up eyes.

Most adults like simple, uncrowded plates with food in the center, and not more than three components or colors on the plate. So, let’s say a central mound of rice, topped with broccoli and a filet of salmon. Lovely.

But kids are drastically different! They embrace the chaos, preferring foods positioned on the lower half of the plate (probably so they can see it and reach it), and they prefer a rainbow of six different colors and seven different foods!

Rainbow Bright

It’s not always easy to figure out the picky palates of young kids, so any hints can be lifesavers. Today’s tip: Plate a variety of colors. And the easiest way to add a splash of different hues? It’s not with candy. Most grains are beige or brown; most dairy foods are white; and most meats are white, beige and brown. Boring!

But vegetables and fruits? They come in virtually every color of the rainbow, and are the simplest, tastiest and most nutritious way to make a child’s plate come to life. And, kids who are excited by the visual appeal of foods are more likely to taste whatever is served to them. Problem solved!

So take that salmon, rice and broccoli, and add carrots, blueberries, orange peppers and cherry tomatoes. Keep easy-to-prep vegetables and fruit on hand so it’s always simple to add a splash of green or a hint of purple. My go-to art palate of fresh produce includes:

• Yellow, orange and red mini-tomatoes
• Carrots (orange of course, but heirloom purple ones too!)
• Cucumber
• Purple cabbage
• Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
• Green, yellow, red, orange and purple peppers
• Salad mixes with dark leafy greens and red radicchio
• Oranges

Fun on a Plate

You may not always have a variety of six or seven veggies on hand, but any splash of color can make a plate more child-friendly.

Look at the difference that a hint of color makes. The first plate on the left is a simple meal of tofu, cauliflower and rice. Healthy, yes. But oh, so bland!

In the middle, a simple splash of color from peas, carrots, peppers and corn turns the meal into a work of art.

If you want to take it one step further and hear some giggles, make plate art, demonstrated on the right. It doesn’t take much time, and any design you come up with will render you Picasso in your 5-year-old’s eyes. My go-to design is anything with two eyes (sometimes three), a nose and a mouth, with some hilarious hair.

Guaranteed laughter every time. And an almost-guarantee that those vegetables will be eaten up.

“Kasey, can I ask you a question?” I said to my daughter one day when we were driving in the car. “Remember you used to like broccoli? And now you don’t? Why don’t you like broccoli anymore?”

She thought for a moment and answered, “It’s too crunchy.” She was right, of course. When I stir-fry, I like the vegetables to retain some crunch — not to be soft and soggy. But for a 2-year-old’s teeth, they were the wrong texture.

It was easily remedied the next evening when I made my minestrone soup, where the broccoli simmers in the broth to a perfectly tender consistency. She ate two bowls, including every piece of broccoli.

Ask the question

Sometimes a child will dislike a certain food, and it will have nothing to do with the flavor. I’ve heard complaints from kids that their foods are too cold, creamy, soggy, crunchy, mushy or gritty.

The best way to know if your child dislikes the texture of a vegetable is to simply ask them. If they are not sure which words to use to describe what they do/don’t like, set up a little taste test with foods of different textures and see which they like the best.

For example, try yogurt. If they like its “creamy” consistency, they will probably also enjoy mashed sweet potato, avocado and squash. Serve some crackers. If they like that “crunchy” texture, they may like cucumber, carrots and jicama. You get the idea.

Solving texture issues

Once you learn more about which texture your child likes best, there are so many opportunities to explore vegetables!

The great thing about veggies is their versatility. While you can eat any of these vegetables using any method (Except maybe raw potatoes. Ew.), here are some tried-and-true preparation techniques that will help you solve any texture issues.

Yeah — that’s a lot of options, right? There’s bound to be one vegetable that they like, given all of the optional prep methods. Don’t give up!