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BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER

WhyAre Worth Seasonin Their “” gs As you develop your lunch and breakfast menus for the coming school year, you’re probably thinking about ways to cut down on sugar, fat and salt without sacrifi cing the fl avor and appeal of the food you serve. Maybe you’re looking to offer more scratch- prepared dishes in place of certain processed items, in an effort to meet stricter nutrition standards or make more use of locally sourced offerings. One thing’s for sure: These new menu items had better taste good! But if you take out the fat, sugar and salt, what’s left to make kids’ taste buds pop? The answer already may be growing outside in your family, community or school garden. Many of the plants that produce culinary and may look inconsequential, but their leaves, seeds, bark, root and fruit can pack an enormous fl avor punch!

56 SchoolNutrıtıon • AUGUST 2011 FocusFOOD CHICKEN AND PEARS BOMBAY

Judicious use of herbs, spices and other can add fl avor, while helping you to cut down on sodium and fat in various recipes. YIELD: 24 servings* PER SERVING: 429 cal., 29 g pro., 50 g carb., 2 g fi ber, 12 g fat, 3 g sat. fat, 81 mg chol., 723 mg sod.

INGREDIENTS , chopped—2 lbs. or 1 qt. Butter—2 ozs. or 1 cup 1 Vegetable oil— ⁄4 cup 1 —1 ⁄2 Tbsps. 3 Flour—3 ozs. or ⁄4 cup Chicken —2 qts. juice—2 Tbsps. Salt—1 Tbsp. 1 Chicken, pre-cooked—4 lbs., 8 ozs. or 3 ⁄2 qts. Pear slices, canned, drained—3 lbs., 8 ozs. or 2 qts. 3 , chopped*— ⁄4 cup 1 Rice, cooked, long-grain—4 ⁄2 qts. Almonds, toasted, slivered—optional

DIRECTIONS 3 3 1. Cut or pull the chicken into ⁄8 x ⁄8 x 1-in. strips. 2. Sauté the onions in the butter and oil until soft, for about 10 minutes. 3. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook, stirring for 1 minute. 4. Stir in the fl our and continue to cook, stirring for 5 minutes. 5. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the chicken stock. Return to the heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. 6. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, salt, chicken strips and pears. 7. Stir in the parsley and set the mixture aside. 8. For each serving, portion 1 cup chicken-and-pear 3 mixture and serve over ⁄4 cup hot rice. with almonds.

Photo, recipe and recipe analysis: Pacifi c Northwest Canned Pear Service, www.eatcannedpears.com *Note: If this recipe passes the test with a small group of students, adjust the quantities for batch preparation. The parsley can be substituted with cilantro for a slightly different fl avor profi le. WWW.SCHOOLNUTRITION.ORG • SchoolNutrıtıon 57 WUSHU CHICKEN TACOS FOOD YIELD: 2 tacos* Focus SAUCE INGREDIENTS 1 1 , fresh— ⁄8-in. thick slice Sugar—2 ⁄2 tsps. 1 , peeled—2 Worcestershire sauce—2 ⁄2 tsps. 1 Peanut butter, creamy—2 Tbsps. oil—2 ⁄4 tsps. 1 Put Down the Shaker and Soy sauce—1 Tbsp. Water—3 ⁄2 tsps. 3 Back Away… Chili paste with garlic— ⁄8 tsp. Few would argue that Americans’ favorite fl avoring is salt. We shake it on vegetables TACO INGREDIENTS 1 and meat, stir it into , and even bake Rotisserie-style chicken, diced— ⁄2 cup Flour tortilla, 6-in.—2 1 it into cookies. Some salt is a critical Asparagus, cut in 1-in. long pieces— ⁄4 cup Lime wedges—2 (optional) 1 element in the science of cooking and Squash, yellow, cut— ⁄4 cup should not be eliminated altogether. But even if you reduce the amount of salt you DIRECTIONS use in cooking and at the table, it’s likely 1. To prepare the sauce: After peeling and that you are consuming a great deal of salt cutting in half the ginger, place the ginger through processed and packaged foods and peeled garlic in a small food processor (bread, prepared dinners, cold cuts, cheese, and chop as fi nely as possible. ), not to mention restaurant offerings. 2. Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, chili In fact, 77% of our sodium intake comes paste, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, sesame from these sources. And some foods oil and water and process until the sauce is naturally contain sodium; these include completely smooth. If the sauce is too thick, vegetables, dairy products and shellfi sh. add more water. If the sauce is too thin, add more peanut butter. So, just how extensive is that total 3. Using about half of the sauce mixture, add to the chicken pieces, tossing to coat. Put sodium intake? Researchers estimate that aside in a covered bowl. the average American consumes 3,400 mg 4. To prepare the tacos: Boil approximately 1 in. of water in a large skillet and add the of sodium every day. The 2010 Dietary asparagus. Cover the skillet and turn off the heat. In 1-3 minutes, lift off the skillet cover and Guidelines for Americans recommend an remove the asparagus. Set aside. upper limit of 2,300 mg a day—even lower 5. Cut off the ends of the squash and then cut the remaining squash into half-moon pieces 1 if you are over age 51, black or have certain fi l l i n g ⁄4 cup. Place the squash in a microwave-safe bowl and add a little water. Cover with medical conditions. Indeed, the American plastic wrap and microwave 2-3 minutes. Let cool slightly and carefully drain off the water. Heart Association recommends consum- Set aside. ing no more than 1,500 mg a day. 6. Place the tortillas in the microwave and cook about 15 seconds, or until they are warm Too much salt can contribute to serious and bend easily. Place the chicken in the tortillas, top with the asparagus and squash and health problems by raising blood pressure drizzle with the remaining peanut butter sauce. and harming the heart and circulatory 7. Serve with optional lime wedges. system. And such problems are being seen Photo: Jif, www.jif.com at younger and younger ages. The Ameri- Recipe: Margalit Mermelstein, age 8, Raleigh, N.C., winner of Jif’s 2011 Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich can Academy of Pediatrics says that 5% of Contest

kids have blood pressure that’s higher than *Note: If this recipe passes the test with a small group of students, adjust the quantities for batch normal, due in large part to the high preparation and conduct a nutrient analysis. sodium levels found in fastfood and processed items. More children are getting kidney stones, once a rare condition in appeal in foods with less sodium. School offer fl avorful alternatives to heavy doses childhood; these can stem from excessive nutrition operations can be a part of the of salt. salt intake. What’s more, kids who solution by relying less on processed foods, consume a lot of salt get thirstier and partnering with vendors to develop Are You Going to consequently drink more soda and juice, acceptable lower-sodium alternatives, Scarborough Fair? adding extra calories. And fi nally, a diet making adjustments to recipes and so on. In the Simon and Garfunkel song, based on marked by too much salt can create lifelong Worried that your students will never a traditional English ballad, a young man taste preferences that carry into adulthood. accept low-sodium foods and recipes? asks his love to perform a series of impos- Fortunately, there are ways to address That’s where spices and herbs come in! sible tasks to prove her devotion. The this problem. While adults and children There are many different seasonings that chorus repeats the names of four common alike get accustomed to a certain level of can help enliven the taste of individual herbs: parsley, sage, and . sodium in food, they also can learn to foods and recipes that kids might be wary Many folksongs evoke herbs, probably break this habit over time, learning to fi nd of, add variety to tradional favorites and because of their reputations as cures and

58 SchoolNutrıtıon • AUGUST 2011 FocusFOOD

JERK CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE MANGO SALSA

YIELD: 24 servings* PER SERVING: 193 cal., 28 g pro., 15 g carb., 2 g fi ber, 2 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 68 mg chol., 201 mg sod.

SALSA INGREDIENTS Pineapple, crushed, drained—6 cups Serrano chiles, seeded, fi nely Mango, cubed—6 cups Lime peel, grated—2 Tbsps. 1 Cilantro, fresh, fi nely chopped— ⁄2 cup chopped—1 Tbsp.

CHICKEN INGREDIENTS Pineapple, crushed, drained—3 cups —1 Tbsp. Blackpepper, ground—2 tsps Onion, yellow, fi nely chopped—1 cup , ground—2 tsps. —1 tsp. Thyme, dried—1 Tbsp. , ground—2 tsps. Chicken, boneless, skinless—24 5-oz. breasts

DIRECTIONS 1. To prepare the salsa: Combine the 6 cups of pineapple, mango, cilantro, lime peel and chiles. The yield should be 12 cups. Set aside. 2. Combine the 3 cups of pineapple, onion, thyme, garlic salt, allspice, cinnamon, and cayenne. Pour this mixture into a sealable plastic bag and add chicken breasts. Turn to coat, then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade. 3. Grill each chicken breast for 15 minutes or until it is no longer pink in the center, turning halfway through cooking. 1 4. Serve one breast with /2 cup of the pineapple mango salsa.

Photo, recipe and recipe analysis: Dole Food Company, Inc., www.dole.com *Note: If this recipe passes the test with a small group of students, adjust the serving sizes and the quantities for batch preparation.

APPLE SAUSAGE CORN BAKED “PANCAKES”

YIELD: 72 servings PER SERVING: 180 cal., 3 g pro., 26 g carb., 0 g fi ber, 7 g fat, 2 g sat. fat, 40 mg chol., 340 mg sod.

INGREDIENTS Breakfast sausage, pre-cooked—1 lb., 2 ozs. or 4 cups Water, cool (72°F)—2 lbs., 8 ozs. or 5 cups Apples, canned in water—2 lbs., 10 ozs. or 6 cups Corn muffi n mix—5 lbs. —9 ozs. or 2 cups Sage, ground—2 Tbsps. Eggs, large, whole—7 ozs. or 4 large

DIRECTIONS 1. Dice the pre-cooked breakfast sausage and put aside. Drain the apples, slice and put aside. Dice the onions and put aside. 2. Combine the eggs and water into a mixing bowl and beat with a wire whip. 3. Add the muffi n mix to the eggs. Mix using a wire whip until the batter is blended and smooth. 4. Lightly combine the sausage, apples, onion and sage together and then fold the mixture into the batter using a rubber spatula. Do not overmix. 1 5. Deposit 1 lb., 4 ozs. (approximately 2 ⁄2 cups) of batter into 9 greased 8-in. round cake pans. 6. Bake in a convection oven for 14-18 minutes at 350ºF or in a standard oven for 16-20 minutes at 400ºF. Rotate pans baked in a convection oven one-half turn after 5 minutes of baking. 7. Divide each pan into 8 individual servings.

Photo, recipe and recipe analysis: General Mills Foodservice, www.generalmillsfoodservice.com

love charms. But we can learn a lesson reduce our dependence on salt without in Italian dishes, it’s time you from long-ago balladeers: those four sacrifi cing taste and appeal. If your expe- expand your culinary experimentation! herbs have modern curative properties, rience with various seasonings is limited Try some of the ideas that follow to… too, as ingredients that can allow us to to adding pepper when directed or using er… “” up your menus.

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Popular Parsley parsley for a different mix. breakfast foods, from omelets to frittatas. Parsley is a common garnish on restaurant ■ Add parsley to omelet or scrambled Because sage has a bitter quality to it plates; you’re likely to fi nd a sprig sitting egg mixtures before cooking. when it’s dried, you might want to start by jauntily next to omelets and steaks alike. ■ Chop it up with boiled potatoes, using it in its fresh, milder-tasting form. It’s also considered a “companion plant” in cooked or steamed peas. Fresh sage mellows further in dishes that many gardens, not just as an ingredient in ■ Add parsley to anything with an have long cooking times, so it can be a deli- its own right, but also because it attracts Italian-style tomato sauce. cious ingredient in stews or with braised predatory fl ies and wasps, which then meats. Either way, even when cooking with protect nearby plants from troublesome The Wisdom of Sage fresh sage, don’t use a lot; dried sage pests. It’s also used by some as a natural With its furry leaves, greenish-silver color should be limited to about one teaspoon breath freshener. and earthy, musty fragrance, sage has been per six servings. But parsley is a culinary that’s a popular herb for centuries. This member Sage provides an added savory richness widely used in Middle Eastern, European of the mint family been used as a medici- to dishes that incorporate mild cheeses. and American dishes, both for its fresh nal herb for longer than it’s been used in And introduce your students to the delight fl avor and to add a vivid dash of green cooking; from the age of the Greeks to 19th of biscuits made with cheese and sage! Sage color. As an added bonus, it’s rich in century America, sage has appeared in also can be found on the cutting-edge vitamin C—more so than many citrus remedies and poultices. It even boasts a menus of trendy restaurants, where fried fruits! You may use it already, dried or reputation as a memory enhancer! sage leaves are sometimes used as a fresh, in meatloaf and stews. Its delicate You may be more familiar with sage than crunchy, fl avorful garnish, and even in taste doesn’t overpower other fl avors, so it you might realize. It’s a predominant fl avor desserts, combined with cornmeal to make can be used in quantity to complement a in Thanksgiving stuffi ng, as well as in a tart crust. But your initial experiments wide variety of recipes. In fact, many certain breakfast items, like pork sausage. with using sage are more likely to be along experts place it at the top of the list of the Indeed, sage is a complement to all sorts of the following lines: most popular culinary herbs. Parsley plays a signifi cant role in ROASTED ROSEMARY VEGETABLES traditional dishes from disparate . YIELD: 100 servings For example, it’s a key ingredient in PER SERVING: 42 cal., 1 g pro., 7 g carb., 3 g fi ber, 1 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 0 mg chol., tabbouleh, the of Lebanon, 108 mg sod., 15 mg ca. which also features bulgur, tomato, green onion and mint. In France, it’s the main INGREDIENTS ingredient in the traditional topping for Bell peppers, green and red—3 lbs., Rosemary, fresh, coarsely chopped* meat and fi sh called , as well as in 1 2 ozs. or 10 peppers —2 Tsps., 1 tsp. the Italian (made with parsley, Carrots, thickly sliced—7 lbs. Potatoes, new, red—12 lbs. 1 1 lemon , and garlic), which is Olive oil or olive oil mix— ⁄2 cup Salt—1 Tbsp., ⁄2 tsp considered a traditional accompaniment to Garlic, fresh, minced —2 Tbsps., Black pepper—1 tsp. veal osso buco and other dishes. 1 tsp. or ~7 cloves Whether you choose the familiar curly parsley or its more fl avorful fl at-leaf Italian DIRECTIONS cousin, you can go a little nuts in seeing how 1. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise, discarding the stem and seeds. Cut each half into parsley can give a fresh taste to everything four pieces. 1 from beef dishes to fi sh to salads and 2. Cut the unpeeled potatoes into approximately 1 /2-in. wedges. vegetable dishes. Try a few of the following 3. Toss the potatoes in a large bowl or steamtable pans with the carrots, peppers, oil, garlic, suggestions and see for yourself! rosemary, salt and pepper. ■ Sprinkle raw, chopped parsley on a 4. Spread the vegetables on parchment-covered sheet pans in a single layer. salad. 5. Roast until the potatoes are cooked through and slightly browned. In a convection oven, ■ Add parsley to a mayonnaise for an roast for about 30-40 minutes at 400ºF, or in a conventional oven, roast for about 35-45 alternate spread. minutes at 425ºF. ■ Add it to rice dishes. Recipe & recipe analysis: Fresh from the Farm: The Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook, www.farmtoschool. ■ Add it to meatballs or burgers. org/fi les/publications_134.pdf

1 ■ Stuff it inside chicken or fi sh before *Note: Dried rosemary may be substituted for fresh rosemary. If using dried rosemary, use 2 ⁄4 tsps. roasting or grilling. ■ Substitute all or part of the basil with

62 SchoolNutrıtıon • AUGUST 2011 FocusFOOD ■ For secondary menus, a little sage ingredients for a new twist on an old Remember Rosemary might perk up a grilled cheese sandwich favorite. Rosemary’s spiky, miniature evergreen made with lowfat, low-sodium cheese. Or ■ Use sage to fl avor vegetable . leaves make it attractive as a decoration or try mixing it into macaroni and cheese. ■ Spinkle fresh-cut leaves onto a an indoor plant. In the Middle Ages, this ■ Do you always make a white-bread- gourmet pizza. fragrant plant was thought to ward off evil based stuffi ng for Thanksgiving? Try ■ Rub sage and garlic into pork chops spirits, and people slept with it under their adding sage to cornbread and other before grilling. pillows to chase away bad dreams. It’s also one of the most popular herbs in many cuisines, including Mediterranean foods from Greece, Italy, France and Lebanon. You can give a Mediterranean twist to almost any type of meat or vegetable that you grill or broil with a quick marinade of The preferred cooking equipment of Child Nutrition’s specialist. olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic and rosemary. Rosemary is incredibly versatile in cooking, and its impact comes as much from its aroma—which has the quality of WILL WORK FOR CHILD NUTRITION I‘ll be your private chef! I‘m reliable & consistent! The Name Game I show up to work on time! pices and herbs are two I‘m very easy to work with! different things, even though Easy controls! Sthey sometimes can come I am low maintenance! from the same plant! Typically, a Due to our boilerless spice comes from the seeds, fruit, I am alwaystechnology clean! Because we roots or bark of a plant, while an have autoclean herb comes from the leaves or I don‘t ask silly questions and I stems. For example, a single plant ® ! produces the spice (from I have yourdon‘t menu talk memorized back! & its seeds) and the herb cilantro perfected! (from its leaves). Likewise, the seeds of the plant are consid- ered a spice, while its stems and leaves are the herb known as dillweed.

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64 SchoolNutrıtıon • AUGUST 2011 FocusFOOD

fresh pine needles—as from its fl avor. In fact, some barbecue cooks toss rosemary sprigs directly onto hot coals so that their aroma will infuse the food and tempt waiting diners! The truly adventurous turn rosemary sprigs into actual skewers for grilling shrimp or vegetables, or use them to skewer small cubes of cheese, hunks of Italian salami, marinated artichokes and olives. Drizzle the items with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for an impressive no-cook appetizer. Rosemary can help add new fl avors to foods that people are more accustomed to eating fried. Potatoes are a great example; instead of French fries, try serving steamed potatoes with a small amount of butter and fresh rosemary. Rosemary also adds great depth of fl avor to a simple roast chicken or to savory breads like foccacia. It also can be combined with pine nuts or walnuts in savory/sweet cookies, or even added to choco- late cake for an unusual fl avor combination. Rosemary is a strong spice, and you should limit dried rosemary to a teaspoon per six servings. The fresh leaves can be chewy, so chop them fi ne when introducing youngsters to dishes that feature fresh rosemary. Need additional rosemary recommendations? Consider these: ■ Add rosemary to melted butter and pour over boiled potatoes and vegetables. Peanut Free ■ Combine it with garlic and use as a Sunflower for lamb or chicken. ■ Add rosemary to lentils, beans or Seed Spread stews. For more information or samples, ■ Use rosemary to give a new fl avor to contact [email protected] or homemade breads, rolls and biscuits. call 1-877-873-4501. ■ Add one-quarter teaspoon each of SunButter® is a USDA Commodity crushed rosemary and garlic salt to hot 1.1 oz. equals 1 meat/meat alternate cooked peas or green beans. ■ Dress up ready-to-bake rolls by brushing the tops with olive oil and then sprinkling a little dried rosemary and sea salt before baking.

www.sunbutter.com Time to Try Thyme Thyme, with its tiny, delicate leaves, adds a pungent, spicy fl avor to dishes. Thyme is www.facebook.com/sunbutter another versatile herb. It’s ideal to perk up www.twitter.com/sunbutter4life dishes made with lamb, pork and fi sh and can provide a savory complement to the robust

66 SchoolNutrıtıon • AUGUST 2011 FOOD To Your Health! Focus erbs and spices are more than fl avorful alternatives Hto salt. Some of them offer important health benefi ts. For fl avors of meatloaf and shepherd’s pie. It’s example, a teaspoon of thyme ■ Try mixing thyme into any sauce a common ingredient in French, Creole contains the same amount of that goes on pasta. and Cajun cooking. And, in McCormick antioxidant as a or a half-cup ■ Add thyme to soups and stocks. for Chefs’ Flavor Forecast 2011, indepen- of chopped tomatoes! A single ■ Use it in marinades. dent consultants laud thyme and stone teaspoon of dried leaves ■ Add thyme to breadcrumb mixtures fruits (cherries, plums, nectarines, apricots has as many antioxidants as 3 ozs. used to coat fi llets of chicken or turkey. and peaches) as one of the top 10 fl avor of almonds and a half-cup of ■ Mix thyme with tomato, olive oil pairings of the year. chopped asparagus. (And even salt and vinegar for a simple salad. Dried thyme has a medium intensity, has some health benefi ts—after all, ■ Try it in dough mixtures for breads and no more than one or two teaspoons our bodies rely on salt for most and scones. will be suffi cient for six servings of a dish. basic functions!) Thyme blends well when used with other Flavor Full! herbs, such as rosemary. If you want to These four common herbs represent only experiment with different herb combina- Thyme also is delicious in egg dishes a handful of literally hundreds of fl avor tions, consider doing so with roasted like quiche or omelets, and can even be combinations that can spice up your vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, parsnips baked into fresh bread for a savory twist. dishes. Worried that students will turn and onions are the best to try; coat them It also pairs well with lemon in baked noses up at a dish with bits of herb with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and desserts. You can use thyme in other visible? You might try the traditional rosemary (or another herb) and roast in dishes, as well. French method for imparting herbal the oven. Another side dish that stands ■ Add thyme to dishes that use beans, fl avor to stews, broths, stocks and such as the test of thyme? Sautéed mushrooms! such as stews and casseroles. they simmer: Create a .

68 SchoolNutrıtıon • AUGUST 2011 FOOD BONUS Focus WEB CONTENT hen cooking with herbs and spices, can you use Tie together sprigs of herbs—tradition- ment with herbs, spices and other fl avor W fresh and dried varieties in ally parsley, thyme, bay and sometimes enhancers in your own home so you learn equal measure? Are there reasons to rosemary—and, if you like, wrap them in what’s likely to have the best chance of use one format over the other? Learn cheesecloth for easy removal after cooking. earning the approval of your customers. more about the differences at Toss the bundle into a pot with your other Savory. Rich. Pungent. Intriguing. You SchoolNutrition.org. Visit www. ingredients. It will lend the cooking liquid and your students can take the fi rst steps schoolnutrition.org/snmagazine, then click on “Current Issue” to access this the fl avors of the herbs. Remove it before to putting a halt on the salt. SN serving, and you get all of the fl avors web-exclusive feature. without the actual herbs remaining in the Susan Davis Gryder is a freelance writer in Silver food. In addition, the result is a milder and Spring, Md. A number of the usage suggestions more mellow fl avor than you’ll achieve courtesy of helpwithcooking.com. Herb images by TO YOUR CREDIT: For CEUs toward SNA when adding chopped herbs to the dish. McCormick for Chefs. Photography on page 56-57 certifi cation, complete the “To Your Credit” test Now is the time to be bold and spice up by Stockbyte. on page 54. your school menus. Make time to experi-

Recipes obtained from outside sources and published in School Nutrition have not been tested by the magazine or SNA in a school foodservice setting. When available, nutrient analyses are provided by the recipe source. Required ingredients, preparation steps and nutrient content make some recipes more appropriate for catering applications or adult meals. Readers are encouraged to test recipes and calculate their own nutrition analyses and meal patterns before adding a recipe to school menus. In addition, SN recognizes that individual schools use varying documentation methods and preparation steps to comply with HACCP principles; we encourage you to add your own HACCP steps to these recipes.

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