Spinach, Tomato and Brown Rice Bake

Some of you out there know that in my other life, I work as a postpartum doula (as well as other in childbirth & baby related roles), which means I help take care of women and their babies during the “Babymoon” period, a.k.a. the fourth trimester, a.k.a. the first three months of a newborn’s life. Along with breastfeeding support, giving tips on infant care, and light housecleaning, one of the most popular functions of a postpartum doula is, happily for me, meal preparation! I love this part of my job almost as much as holding sweet little bundles in order to give mama a break.

Many relatives and friends like to bring over casserole-style dishes, which are highly practical as they can be frozen, stored efficiently, and are easily reheated – they can, however, be a bit on the heavy side. I have a few favorite recipes for new families, with an emphasis on nutrition and digestibility, but I recently tinkered around and figured out what might be the ultimate meal for a new mama. A midwife in Jennifer Block’s book  “Pushed” described the postpartum meal that she always prepares for her clients as being nourishing, quickly absorbed, high in iron and in fiber; it’s typically based in greens and brown rice, then sweet potatoes, or any other favored vegetable. My version includes spinach (though you could use fresh kale or chard), brown rice and tomatoes. You could omit the tofu and use more cheese; I would just caution you to keep it minimal, as constipating foods can be especially difficult in the early postpartum days. (Did I just go there on a food blog? Yes I did. Co-blogger, please forgive me.)

For the sweet potato component, I simply toss some sweet potato slices in olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika and a touch of salt, then bake them on a cookie sheet at the same time the spinach-tomato casserole goes in. Finally, I’m sharing a recipe that was NOT mine originally (though I tweaked it), some lactation cookies. These treats include several galactagogues; ingredients known to help enhance milk production.

Bring these three items over to any new mama – satisfaction guaranteed.

SPINACH, TOMATO, TOFU & BROWN RICE BAKE

2 cups brown rice (I prefer short grain)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces firm tofu, frozen, then defrosted and squeezed thoroughly dry
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil, or about 1/4 cup fresh, if you have it on hand
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or, for a vegan option, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

SWEET POTATO ROUNDS

2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt

Step one is easily done while you prepare the rest. Combine rice with 4 cups water and a dash of salt in a large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 45-50 minutes. Remove from heat when done (try not to peek until at least 45 minutes have elapsed), fluff with a fork and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 and add the prepared sweet potato slices, if making, as soon as it comes to temperature. Set the timer for 20 minutes and start checking them then; you’ll want them to get to golden brown on the bottom before you flip them (just once). We’re going for overlap with the casserole, or they may be finished at the same time. Either way works.

As the rice cooks, do the rest of your prep, including defrosting the spinach if it hasn’t been done yet, then removing the excess moisture by wringing it in a dishtowel or pressing it through a fine-mesh sieve.  Ready? Okay, now we heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large saute pan, then add the onion. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften, then add red pepper and cook another 4-5 minutes, then in goes the garlic for another minute or so. Add the defrosted, squeezed tofu – you’ll want to crumble it right into the pan; the consistency will be a bit like ground meat. Saute it with the vegetables and oil for a few minutes. Add the crushed tomato, bring to a simmer and then let it cook for 5-10 minutes over low, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced a bit. Add spices, spinach, and about half the cheese, stir well.

Now spread the rice out in the bottom of a 9×12 glass or ceramic baking pan (sprayed with a touch of nonstick, just to be safe), then layer the spinach, tomato, tofu mixture over it. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top and bake for about 2o minutes (using which ever rack isn’t occupied by the sweet potatoes, which at this point might need to be flipped to brown on the other side, then rotated to the other rack anyway).

When both are finished,  get going on the cookies, if you haven’t started already/eaten your way through the dough.

Lactation Cookies

LACTATION COOKIES

1 cup butter (or palm shortening)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
2 eggs or Ener-G egg replacer
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour OR flour of your choice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground fenugreek
3 cups thick cut oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast

These are easy to healthify if you want to make them vegan and/or avoid white flour or refined sugar: just substitute a gluten-free or a whole grain flour, and use brown rice, pure maple syrup, or a substitute of your choice in place of the sugars. As denoted, palm shortening can replace the butter and Ener-G egg replacer for the eggs.

[This will be my first "cross-posting" - I'm sharing this post on Dou-la-la as well! It's also part of Pennywise Platter Thursdays over at Nourishing Gourmet.]

– posted by Anne

I’ve been on the horns of a breakfast dilemma for a while now. I both enjoy and believe in the South Beach approach that I’m using right now, and I both enjoy and believe in the benefits of Greek-style nonfat yogurt – high protein, nice and thick, active cultures, yay. But you know what? Eating it every day for months on end? Gets pretty dull. Even mixed with flax and, once off phase one, berries, it still wear thin.

Turning to the various South Beach cookbooks and the ultimate South Beach recipe source, well, the breakfast offerings tend to be very egg-centric – and due to my nursing daughter’s sensitivity to eggs, I cannot eat them at the moment. I used to enjoy them once upon a time, but it’s just not possible for the time being. She used to be sensitive to soy as well, but she’s better with it now, so the world of tofu has opened back up to us! Hurrah. I threw together a simple tofu scramble and had to share it with you, as tofu is a very nutrient-rich, inexpensive source of protein.

TOFU SCRAMBLE

2 tablespoons  olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 teaspoon each turmeric and cumin
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ tablespoon tamari
salt and fresh pepper to taste

In a large skillet, sauté onions in olive oil for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add carrot and celery, sauté 3 more minutes. Mix in tofu, spices, vinegar and tamari; continue stirring for 3 to 4 more minutes. Season to taste, serve with ketchup if desired.

A few other breakfast ideas using tofu:

Breakfast Burritos from Green Gourmet Giraffe
Fruity Tofu Smoothie from The Budding Cook
Tofu Cream with Fresh Berries from Enlightened Cooking

*Yes, there’s a piece of (gluten-free) bread in the photo, and that’s not technically low-carb, but hey, it’s just as good a la carte!

– posted by Anne

This recipe proves my theory that any recipe can be made delicious by adding sun dried tomatoes. Even a tofu recipe!

Ok, ok, we know you’ve always walked by that block of white stuff stashed in the corner of the produce department and thought “I should eat tofu,” but you never knew what to do with the stuff. Well, we here at FFF have a solution: Sun Dried Tomato Spread made with THREE ingredients: 16 ounces extra firm tofu; 1 jar (8 ounce) sun dried tomatoes in oil; and garlic powder. That’s it! (You can, of course add S & P and a little diced parsley to make it look pretty, but those are entirely optional.)

Serve with Crispy Pita Triangles

Throw everything in with the tofu

The Secret Weapon: Sun Dried Tomatoes

Just one trick: Place the block of tofu between a plate and put a heavy can of something on top and then let the tofu sit  for about an hour so that the water can be “pressed” out. Then, all you do is take the ingredients for a spin in your food processor and you’re done!

And. . .  (SHAMELESS PLUG COMING) . . .  if you like this easy healthy deliciousness, check out “101 Things To Do With Tofu” by . . .  us! You’ll find 100 other tofu recipes to put on your “Must Try” list!

– posted by Donna