Gluten Free

Entrée, Feeding Babies, Gluten Free, Salad, Side

FOOD FOR NEW PARENTS : CRUNCHY LUNCHY LENTILS

Sara Forte ·

For my sister (and maybe my 6-years-ago self, too…)

I know you guys are so ready for this. You’ve been ready, the road to get here has been a little twisty and I CANNOT wait to be moms together. Just giddy about it. Let’s start there.

We were a few days home from the hospital with Curran, and it had set in that maybe this was going to be harder than I thought. A big transition. My body torn up and my nipples chapped and the gut-wrenching worry that this teensy thing may just stop breathing or any number of tragic things that now feel like cold possibilities.

A thoughtful friend mailed a note and I’ll never forget the perfect timing from an experienced mother. I still keep it in Curran’s keepsake journal. The note reminded me that I was capable - that I was made to be this child’s mother amidst the overwhelming exhaustion and newness of it all.

Motherhood is such a wild cocktail of elation and… grief maybe? I don’t intend to be dramatic, but your life is never the same. You think about and prepare for this transition for months, sometimes years, and there is no accurate description that will touch on how you feel the second you look at that baby. You rebirth yourself in that moment as well. You’ve known great love, but nothing like this. It fills a corner of your heart you didn’t even know was there. That smell! His skin! Those itsy bitsy toes! Seeing your husband hold his tiny body to his chest. It’s out of body, really. So out of body, that sometimes you feel untethered. The emotions, the physical healing, being responsible for that small life, getting through the day… it’s a lot! You feel so many things in the course of a day. In the course of a moment. It is both the best, most tender job AND so effing hard. All day. Every day. You will second guess your own intuition and also find how to truly trust yourself outside of google and other opinions.

There is a lot of chatter about diapers and organic sheets and the best baby wash but there is a quieter murmur about the metamorphosis that occurs as a woman becomes a mother. That metamorphosis seems to be life- long, far as I can tell, as the caring for these little people grows and changes. My experience may be nothing like yours. What worked for me or what I struggled with or when my babies slept or what bottle they liked may not matter at all come your turn. I find that all that unknowing and problem solving and figuring and filtering through noise, is what builds your own confidence as a parent. Pilfering through the shoulds and suggestions, to make choices that work for you and your family. You are his mom and the best person for the job. Believe that this very moment! You have support all around you.

I want to pass on to you, just like that well timed note did for me, the affirmation that this role is yours, and you are absolutely capable. You are everything he needs. This mom business is immeasurably valuable work.

Let people help. Drink lots of water. Find your pockets of relief. Your body will heal. It will pass. Tomorrow is a new day. Sleep does return. And it’s just like every old lady tells you at the market on your most frustrating of days… it goes so fast. xo

Love you so dearly, my sister. Happy to be on this wild ride with you. xo

—

I heard from many of you looking for a list of recipes to stock up on, or gift, to those in the new baby season. Here are the condensed, top suggestions, in order of most repeated via my instagram question. I will start a series here “Food for New Parents,” per request, so these sorts of recipes are easy to find on the site. I’ll post more recipes in the next few weeks, but visit the bundle page on SKCC for recipes that are easy to reheat or freeze! This is the deliver-friendly bundle.

  • burritos (include frozen ones for easy reheat)

  • fresh cut fruit

  • fresh cut vegetables and dips

  • healthy muffins (see the ones i just posted on ig reels! or these )

  • fritatta/ frittata muffins (fresh or frozen - notes here or my fave is from our first SK cookbook)

  • lactation cookies (these from How Sweet Eats were mentioned)

  • granola bars (Robyn’s!)

  • date/ energy balls

  • casseroles (Ashley’s Baked Risotto! so good)

  • salad kits and fixings for quick salads and bowls (greens, dressings, grilled/chopped chicken, quinoa, toasted nuts)

  • healthy, light things - “pizza and take out are easy”

  • soups and stews (this lentil soup, this tomato soup or Anna’s Dhal)

  • vegetable enchiladas (duh these goat cheese guys)

  • chili - veg or turkey (this veggie chili, or this beef one)

  • pasta sauces (this bolognese is perfection and I’m intrigued by this cauli version)

  • legume/grain/lunch type salads (the Marakkesh carrots from Bowl + Spoon! Online here)

  • cookies/cookie dough (always Tara’s! add oats and down to 9 minute bake time for a little goo)

  • wine/coconut water

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CRUNCHY LUNCHY LENTILS

Serves 4

This is a salad that can hold its integrity for a few days. I keep it stored in the fridge, and spoon it on top of lettuce with a little more vinaigrette when ready to eat. I’ve also packed it in a tortilla or stirred in some cooked brown rice to make it more filling. It will dry as it sits, so add a drizzle of oil and vinegar if it needs a refresh.

Ingredients

¾ cup French/De Puy Lentils
2 Persian cucumbers, seeded
1 apple
1 medium fennel bulb, fronds reserved
1 large shallot
1 small bundle of mint
1 small bundle fresh basil
½ cup walnut pieces

For the vinaigrette
1 large clove garlic, grated
Juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. dried dill
½ tsp. coriander
Flaky salt
Fresh ground pepper

Goat, parmesan or feta cheese, for garnish, optional

Directions

Rinse your lentils. Put them in a pot with 1 ½ cups of salted water or broth. Bring the liquid up to a simmer, put the cover on ajar and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Fluff the lentils, and set them aside to cool completely. 

While the lentils cook, get chopping! We want a fine dice on the cucumbers. Core and finely dice both the apple and fennel and mince the shallot. Super small bits! Chop the herbs. 

In the bottom of your mixing bowl, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients and stir to mix. Add the cooled lentils, all your chopped vegetables, walnuts and herbs. Toss to coat. Chill in the fridge for an hour if possible for flavors to marry. Not imperative if you don’t have the time. 

Serve the lentils over some tender greens with a sprinkle of goat, parm or feta cheese. 

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Entrée, Gluten Free, Salad, Side

GREEK QUINOA SALAD

Sara Forte ·

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Phew. I used to use this space as a public journal, like old school blogger days plus a recipe, but I still don’t have words yet. That is ok. Most mornings I wake up in the morning, Hugh brings me coffee so I can check my emails and read the news, which as of late, isn’t a great way to start the day. I do it anyway, and sometimes I just cry. I cry for people who are loosing loved ones and not even getting to say goodbye, for medical professionals who do not have the gear they need - who are also getting sick and have to go to work scared of such risk. I cry about SO many who have lost jobs, who cannot work at home with their kids there full time better yet homeschool them, or those who are uncomfortable at home even on good days, who have had retirements wiped out or are in the midst of chemo or pregnant and scared to death of catching the virus. This is all BIG, and I feel so much in the span of a day, I can’t pin it down to paper. Day at a time. Hour by hour. Check in on your people. Send cards or a text or a funny meme. Drink in the good moments and get outside when things feel like too much a try to wait until 3pm for happy hour. That is how we take the days so far.

Most of my work is focused on dinner plans. I always make more than we need, and since my husband and I work from home, we usually eat leftovers for lunches. Due to current circumstances, I’m getting lots of questions from you all about lunch ideas. Everyone is home and everyone is eating allllllll day long! I made this quinoa dish last week and thought I’d put notes here. I’ve written similar things before and it’s super easy, but it doesn’t sound like many of us have the bandwidth or grocery trips to get fussy right now.


A week of lunches

Eggs Gribiche
On asparagus as written, on toast, plain with crackers, smashed between a tender bun etc.

Fried Egg Sandwiches
Toasted English muffin, fried egg, crispy bacon or not, arugula, avocado sauce

Chicken Tender Tacos
Hoping you have crispy chicken tenders or fish sticks in your freezer? We have some simple homemade ones in SK Little Sprouts! A swipe of refried beans, hot sauce, and another reason to make the aforementioned avocado sauce!

Tortellini with Creamy Spinach Sauce
Reheats easily. Add some cooked chicken sausage if you want more protein, or baby tomatoes if your people are into that.

Roasted Vegetable Orzo
This includes more summery vegetables but I think you could riff with springy things - peas, leeks, asparagus.

Heidi’s Quinoa Patties
This recipe makes SO many. Halve it or freeze some. You can sub in half cauli rice for the quinoa yield and they still work, or add in some thawed, frozen spinach into the mixture to get in some extra greens. You can eat them plain with a sauce or put them on hawaiian rolls for the kiddos.

Beach Day Tuna Salad
Packed with herbs and golden raisins and lots of mustard from our first cookbook. Obv I think you should buy our cookbook (which feels vintage at this point) but riffed and revised because I love you:

  • 2 (5-ounce) cans water-packed tuna, drained + ¼ cup golden raisins + 2 celery stalks, tiny dice + 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley + 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard + 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice + 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or good-quality mayonnaise + generous season of salt and freshly ground pepper

  • Sturdy whole grain crackers, for dipping

Goodness Wraps
This does sound like a few steps, but make batches of the insides then you can repeat them many times! Also great in bowl form.

Snack Plates!
Yes, that is an exclamation. Breathe life into what is chopped things on a plate. My kids love things arranged in color coordinated groups and I like to take a meal off. We love the Simple Mills Almond Crackers, (also at costco), hummus or guacamole, thin coins of cucumber and carrots, berries, nuts, raisins, cheese and salami for those who want it. It’s a meal!

GREEK QUINOA SALAD WITH OLIVE DRESSING

Serves 4-6

*For perfect quinoa, rinse it in a mesh strainer. 1 cup quinoa to 1.5 cups broth or seasoned water. Bring it to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Fluff it with a fork. Turn off the heat, leave the cover ajar and let it sit in there for another 10 minutes to finish fluffing, or uncover and cool down completely for the salad below.

The dressing is thick from all the olives, but once it’s distributed in the quinoa, it works out. Add a splash more oil and vinegar if you prefer. The whole situation will absorb the dressing as it sits in the fridge.

Directions

Cook and cool your quinoa. Chop all your vegetables and herbs. Put everything, besides the cheese, in a large mixing bowl.
Stir the dressing ingredients together. Pour them over the salad and toss everything to mix. Season to taste. Add the cheese, give it all one more stir.
Store the salad in the fridge for up to five days. Serve it over greens, alone, with chicken or fish etc.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa*
2 Persian/1 english cucumbers, seeded, tiny dice
3 Tbsp. minced shallot
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, cored, tiny dice
1 bundle of mint, chopped
1/2 bundle of parsley, chopped
3 ounces. crumbled feta cheese

for the Olive Dressing

2/3 cup olive tapenade or well chopped olives
1 garlic clove, grated
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
dried oregano
salt and pepper

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Chocolate, Dessert, Gluten Free, Snack

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD BARS

Sara Forte ·

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One of our dinner questions has been to call out three specific things that made you happy that day. We’ve had that going prior to the quarantine, but it’s been even more important this past week. Sometimes we draw pictures of the things, which is actually even more entertaining if you have small children. They kids’ answers have ranged from “lunch” to “rough housing” to “riding bikes with neighbor friends” (not touching of course, don’t worry). Curran was building a zip line for his toy in the backyard today and in his excitement, just yelled “this is making me happy right now!” That is the fruit of asking the question - how aware it is making each of us. In this slower, moment by moment pace with my family, I feel like I am getting a chance to see much more than I ever do when I am full charge ahead at all times.

As many of you, finding our way through all of this is challenging, scary, devastating for so many industries and individuals and doing so with kids is an added layer. I find that naming the happy things is a different practice than gratitude, though I’m sure you agree both have great effects on mental health. It helps me to think back on the day - to pay attention to my actual happiness when the default is fear and scarcity. It resets to positive… maybe you even find ways to chase the things you hear yourself name.

Yesterday: It made me happy to hear my kids wrestling and giggling upstairs with each other. I am so happy that our neighborhood has areas to bike, and that there have been breaks in the rain so the kids can move. All the funny memes online have made me laugh. I am happy that the kids like writing notes and dropping them to neighbors or pop them in the mail, hopefully passing the happy along. You get the idea. Look for it, it is there, and I am so sorry for those of you who are having a really hard time with that for a plethora of reasons right now.

Despite the current circumstances of being shut away from all our social connections, which are a huge priority for us as a family, I have been impressed by how well my people did this past week. My kids are getting along and pulling out toys that they used to ignore. I have a hard time even writing that here, as I know peoples’ lives are being destroyed by the pandemic going on around the world. I have chosen to take it day at a time over here and so my own experience is what I have to share. One week in I have learned that I can only take in enough news to be smart but there is a tipping point to being overwhelmed. What a blessing that our business is online - good grief. It is my responsibility to be a steward of that circumstance. That said, I will be trying to share more content here, that may be helpful for you. Our family is supported by our work over on SK Cooking Club, but I hope to share some of the favorited recipes here too, while so many of us are cooking at home.

I wish you all wellness, and hope to stay in touch.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD BARS

16 small squares

I have not tested these with all-purpose flour, though I’d guess they work. I would replace the almond and coconut flours with 1 1/4 cup all-purpose at a guess, but again, I haven’t tested that. All of these ingredients are also in my Thrive box if you are not a member yet (That link gets you a 30-day free trial and 25% off. I know they are having shipping delays at the moment, but a wonderful resource regardless).
If you have a peanut allergy, any nut or seed butter will work! Just pay attention to the consistency - we want it thick but spreadable - it needs to hold structure when you cut them. We need spreadable, but not a runny mess, but you can fix this no matter what kind of nut butter you buy. Once you add the maple, the nut butter should seize it a bit, especially if you start with a runny nut butter. Note it will firm up a bit in the fridge, but you need it to hold shape, so if your nut butter layer is extra runny, stir in a bit of coconut flour to help firm it up. Too firm to spread? Whisk in a splash of hot water.

Ingredients

for the CRUST

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, barely warmed (think body temp)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

NUT BUTTER LAYER

1 cup favorite natural nut butter
3 Tbsp. maple syrup

CHOCOLATE LAYER

7 oz. chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp. coconut oil or coconut butter (or even heavy cream!)
Flaky salt, to finish

Instructions

Line an 8” square dish with parchment paper for easy removal. Preheat the oven to 325’.

In a food processor, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, oats, coconut oil, maple, vanilla and salt and pulse a few times to combine. Don’t overdo it, just a few pulses. It should stick together when you press your fingers together. Press the shortbread layer into the bottom of the pan, getting an even layer all the way to the edges. Bake on the middle rack for 15-17 minutes until just toasty on top. Remove to cool. 

In another bowl, stir together the nut butter and maple. The sweetener may make it seize a bit and that’s ok, we need it to be spreadable but firm. You can stir in a splash of hot water and stir it in if you can’t get the mixture to move. If it’s too runny, a sprinkle of coconut flour will also firm it up.

Over the cooled shortbread, spread the nut butter layer. Pop that in the fridge while you make the chocolate.

In a glass bowl over simmering water (double boiler method), add the roughly chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Stir until melted. Spread the chocolate over the nut butter layer. Let it cool down in the fridge for 15, then sprinkle the flaky salt over the top, and pop the whole situation in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Remove the parchment sling and chop the bars into small squares. They’ll crumble a bit. They will keep stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. 

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