Green Parent Chicago

Kids Eating Green - 6 Veggie Tomato Sauce

We all know it can be difficult getting kids to eat their vegetables, especially the leafy green kind that are so good for us. But with a little creative preparation, I believe any vegetable can be turned into something kids will find delicious and be excited to eat. Take pasta with tomato sauce for example, a quick, go to meal that many families eat on a regular basis. A meal, I might add, that most kids absolutely love. The tomato sauce can be a vehicle for serving a whole bunch of vegetables to picky to eaters without them even knowing it.

For this recipe, I use kale or collard greens from my garden, but spinach or chard would work as well. Kale can usually be found at winter farmer’s markets in the Chicago area, being that it can withstand pretty cold temperatures. Feel free to get creative with the recipe, a lot of different vegetables can be added to the sauce, so long as you keep the proportions in check. Too much of one thing will take over the sweet and tart flavors of the tomatoes that kids love. 

 6 Veggie Tomato Sauce

 4-5 leaves of kale or 2-3 large collard green leaves (or the equivalent amount of spinach or chard)

1 large carrot

1 medium onion

1 green pepper

2-3 cloves of garlic

a few basil leaves

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste

olive oil

salt

pepper

honey

Cut stems out of kale by running a knife right along the stem. Discard the stems. Dice up remaining vegetables into ½ inch pieces. The size is not too important as long as it is consistent, so that the vegetables cook evenly.

Heat up a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the carrot, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onions and peppers start becoming limp. Then add the kale, sauté until wilted. To this, add the can of chopped tomatoes and a few basil leaves.  Let it all cook together for about 5 minutes. 

Remove the mixture from the heat. After it has cooled down a bit, put the contents of the pan into a food processor or blender. How much you process it depends on what kind of texture you want your final sauce to have.  I like my sauce to be a little chunkier, so I process until everything is cut up into tiny pieces, but you could also process the mixture until it is a puree for a smoother sauce. After you are finished processing the vegetables, return the contents back to the pan and put it over medium heat. 

Next you want to add the can of tomato paste. If the sauce is too thick at this point, add a little water. Once you reach your desired consistency, add salt, pepper, and honey. I usually add about a teaspoon of honey, which add just a bit of sweetness and tones down the acidity of the tomatoes. Serve over pasta and with a protein. We usually serve it with tempeh meatballs or canned tuna.  

-Jeremy Arendt is head cook and co-owner of Sprouts Home DayCare, an organic, eco-healthy day care located in the Northwest Chicago Suburbs. He graduated from the University of Illinois Springfield where he studied sustainable food systems. When he is not cooking for the kids, you can usually find him tending to the gardens or hanging out in the greenhouse.

-photo credit: andersbknudsen, flickr

EarthTalk: Should You Take Echinacea For Your Cold?

Dear EarthTalk: What’s the story with Echinacea? Many herb teas contain it, and many people swear by it as a cold remedy. But I’ve also seen headlines saying that the herb has no medicinal value whatsoever. Can you set the record straight? -- Arlene Hixson, Portland, ME

Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, has gained popularity in recent years as a nutritional supplement that proponents believe is helpful in staving off the common cold and shortening its duration. But given the variation between dosages and formulations—such herbs are not regulated as medical drugs by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and so makers have little incentive to standardize—it’s hard to get definitive answers as to Echinacea's effectiveness.

Historically, Native Americans relied on the root of Echinacea to numb toothache pain and treat dyspepsia as well as snake, insect and spider bites. While some modern day folks rely on Echinacea just based on this anecdotal evidence, scientific studies have verified that the herb can be effective. To wit, a 2008 University of Connecticut review of 14 different clinical trials of Echinacea use found that taking the supplement reduced the chances of getting a cold by 31 percent, and helped people get over cold and flu symptoms a day and a half earlier than those who didn’t take it.

Researchers initially thought Echinacea’s effectiveness was due to its immune-boosting traits, but they now believe instead that the herb works more as an anti-inflammatory agent. A 2009 University of British Columbia study found that typical commercially available Echinacea preparations are effective in reducing the body’s production of inflammatory proteins in human bronchial cells. In layman’s terms, this means that Echinacea can help lessen the annoying symptoms of common colds, the flu and other respiratory ailments. Furthermore, the study found that Echinacea is just as effective in reducing bronchial inflammation whether it is consumed before or after a viral infection sets in, indicating that taking moderate doses on a regular basis during cold season can help prevent some bronchial irritation if and when cold symptoms begin.

Interestingly, though, a 2010 study of 719 participants in Wisconsin focusing on illness duration and severity found that the duration of the common cold could be shortened by taking a pill of some sort, whether Echinacea or a placebo with no active ingredients. But this study merely underscored the importance of psychological factors in fighting illness and did not say that Echinacea isn’t effective.

Given the lack of FDA oversight of herbs, different formulations may contain vastly different amounts of Echinacea. A 2004 evaluation of 19 different Echinacea brands by the non-profit Consumers Union and published in Consumer Reports found that the amount of Echinacea actually present in supplements varied considerably from brand to brand—and even in some cases from bottle to bottle of the same brand. The magazine recommended a few brands as “best picks,” including Spring Valley, Origin and Sundown, all which featured high concentrations of Echinacea and reliable dosage amounts from pill to pill.

Before taking the Echinacea plunge, beware that the herb can cause allergic reactions in some people and may interact negatively with some common medications. Researchers warn that anyone with autoimmune disease or a handful of other illnesses should not take Echinacea without first consulting with their doctor.

CONTACTS: FDA, www.fda.gov; Consumers Union, www.consumersunion.org.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

-photo credit: iStock