Larb (aka Laab) is a Thai dish that can be modified nicely for young eaters: It’s not too spicy (unless you up the heat), it can be fast and easy to make, and it has a good profile for protein and minerals, thanks to turkey or pork and a line up of fresh herbs. The generous garlic is a good gut health helper, with antimicrobial action and ability to bust up biofilm. Traditionally, larb is a spicy ground pork dish crafted into an aromatic salad and served with toasted rice and sticky rice. If you get a chance, enjoy it at an authentic Thai restaurant soon.
For your home table, make this fast version inspired by the real thing. Even babies learning pincer grasp feeding can enjoy it, provided they are sitting well, and have skills settling in for chewing, swallowing, along with some baby teeth. Older kids can enjoy this with brown rice, sticky rice, congee, or in lettuce wraps. It’s shown here with congee and a side of roasted zucchini.
Ground Turkey Larb - Fast and Easy Kid Friendly
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A simple fast savory dish that can be enjoyed across ages. Use organic ingredients for best flavor and health.
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook on medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes; do not burn. Add turkey, smoked paprika, chili flakes( if hotter spice is desired, omit if not), salt, and pepper. Stir and cook until turkey is browned, about 2 minutes.
Stir in tamari and chicken broth, simmer for a minute. Then add scallions, mint, and cilantro. Cook until turkey is done, about 5 minutes.
Add lime juice and stir evenly throughout the skillet.
Serve with hearty lettuce leaves like butter lettuce or romaine for lettuce wraps, fresh cucumber on top, or over sticky rice, congee, or any side your kids like.
Kale may seem like a trendy food your kids might never eat, but Portuguese Kale Soup is… not. It’s a traditional staple along New England’s south coast. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have the highest concentrations of people with ancestry from Portugal than any other states in the US. These are regions where Portuguese first landed ashore possibly as early as 1511. From the late 1800s into the 1960s, waves of Portuguese immigrants were literally the backbone of coastal New England’s economic booms in whaling, fishing, textiles, and farming. Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay, and Rhode Island are home turf for me, and this means Portuguese Kale Soup has always been on the menu rotation at my house.
Land-locked as a Colorado resident since 2005, this also means if I want Portuguese Kale Soup, I have to make it – nobody here serves it. And it means nobody here makes a good linguica, the spicy smoky Portuguese sausage essential to this recipe (not too many Portuguese bakeries or Portuguese family sausage operations around Boulder!). I improvise with a serviceable hot Italian sausage from Natural Grocers, a market chain with strict policies for no GMO products, organic wherever possible for everything in the store, and organic-only produce. Other than getting a good rustic and spicy sausage in the mix, recipes vary with whether or not to include red kidney beans (a pared down version called Caldo Verde excludes them) or tomatoes – both of which I call keepers.
We serve this with a hearty gluten free bread from Kim and Jakes Bakery, which, luckily for me, is a small family business right in my neighborhood. The peasant bread from this gluten free facility is perfect with this soup.
Portuguese Kale Soup
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A full meal soup perfect for cold blustery days. Makes about 3 quarts of soup. The longer this soup simmers the better it will taste, but you can enjoy it as soon as the vegetables are cooked soft. In any case, don't simmer longer than two hours.
A full meal soup perfect for cold blustery days. Makes about 3 quarts of soup. The longer this soup simmers the better it will taste, but you can enjoy it as soon as the vegetables are cooked soft. In any case, don't simmer longer than two hours.
In a large pot, heat olive oil to medium with 1-2 Tablespoons of chicken fat or chicken broth. Add minced garlic and chopped onion. Sauté about 2 minutes, til they become soft but not browned.
Next add carrots and potatoes. Cover with remaining chicken broth. If you have homemade chicken broth with some of the fat in it, this is ideal. If not use boxed organic chicken broth such as Kirkland brand (Costco) or Imagine brand. Bring to simmer on medium heat, and cover.
While the vegetables are simmering, prepare your sausage. Place links in a skillet with a little olive oil, water, or extra broth to prevent sticking. Cover and cook on medium high heat til cooked through, and browned on all sides (turn as needed after 2-3 minutes per side). Set aside to cool enough to handle them.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato soup, parsley, and kale. Stir well to mix everything. Cut the sausage into small chunks once they are cool enough to handle, and stir those in also. Cover and simmer gently for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to mix.
If you are including kidney beans, stir these in long enough to heat through, ahead of serving.
Once all veggies are soft and beans are heated through, enjoy with crusty GF bread.
Recipe Notes
You can use tomato paste in lieu of Imagine Organic Tomato Basil soup: Mix 2 Tablespoons paste with 1.5 cups water and add to the soup.
Lovingly known as “train wreck” in my house, this one skillet curry can have heat or be more mild, depending on your kids’ palates. I’ve written it here as moderately hot. The ground beef makes it more savory and nutritious, but it is also delicious if the meat is omitted, making for a nice vegetarian option.
Spicy Chick Pea Curry
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A warming and delicious red curry that is delicious over rice, gluten free rotini or penne, or hearty enough on its own. Adjust the heat by adding more spice, hotter curry powder, or hot pepper if that's your thing.
A warming and delicious red curry that is delicious over rice, gluten free rotini or penne, or hearty enough on its own. Adjust the heat by adding more spice, hotter curry powder, or hot pepper if that's your thing.
Heat olive oil to medium in a large skillet. Iron works well for this recipe and will boost iron in the food.
Add minced garlic and chopped onion, heating gently until clear. Do not brown or burn. Then add chopped pepper and continue to saute over medium heat.
Blend the dry spices in a small dish or bowl, except for salt and pepper. Add to skillet. Stir to coat onions, garlic, and peppers thoroughly. Simmer covered for 2 minutes, stir occasionally.
Next add the ground beef. Stir to blend well with the vegetables and herbs. Cook on medium heat til beef is browned.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, curry paste, salt, and pepper. Stir to blend well. Cover and let simmer x 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Add drained chick peas and stir to warm and blend. Adjust spices as you like. Cover and simmer another five minutes.
Ladle over (gluten free) penne pasta, rotini, spirals, zucchini zoodles, or with GF focaccia bread (such as Chebe brand focaccia mix). Sprinkle on chopped cilantro for garnish if desired.
There are loads of recipes for Golden Milk out there – I like mine super charged. Besides going heavier on the turmeric for more anti-inflammatory support, it’s super-boosted two ways: With Brain Octane oil, which is pure caprylic acid – a quickly absorbed, fast energy medium chain triglyceride (MCT) from coconut milk with anti-viral and anti-fungal activity; and with optional whey or collagen protein. Whey will bring extra immune defense with its immunoglobulins; collagen is a good choice too, as it rarely triggers reactions (like egg, soy, milk, pea, or nut proteins can), and it’s a good source of arginine, an amino acid key for growth hormone and tissue repair – two things that many kids in my practice need.
Spices can go beyond turmeric in your Golden Milk too. I like mine with three more spices: Ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. All have various medicinal qualities from calming inflammation to stimulating digestion while easing spasm in the colon. Plus they taste good together.
Oh, and a dash of black pepper, which super charges the absorption of the turmeric.
Why drink it? It’s a soothing treat that balances immune boosters with calming for inflammation. Try it instead of cocoa or tea, and experiment with the spice balance!
Super Turmeric Golden Milk
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Super charged with spices, awesome fats and top protein picks. Try it on a raw cold day, when you're feeling a cold coming on, or when you need a soothing warm-up option instead of sugary cocoa.
Super charged with spices, awesome fats and top protein picks. Try it on a raw cold day, when you're feeling a cold coming on, or when you need a soothing warm-up option instead of sugary cocoa.
Combine dry spices in a small dish or cup, and set aside.
Peel and mince or grate the fresh ginger root. You should have about 1-2 teaspoons worth of finely grated or minced ginger.
If you're using fresh turmeric root, peel it and set aside with ginger - it will easily blend so there is no need to chop or grate it.
Place the milks, Brain Octane oil, and honey into a blender and blend til evenly mixed. Add the spices and root(s), and blend again. You can also use a quart sized container with an immersion blender for this task.
Pour the milk mixture into a pot and heat gently on the stove, til steam is rising. Do not boil.
Remove from heat once hot but not boiling, and strain the mixture back into your blender. Let it cool for a minute or two, then add the protein powder and blend briefly til smooth. Serve warm.
If you like, you can skip the strainer and drink the milk with ginger in it, if minced or grated finely enough.
Recipe Notes
If you use fresh turmeric root, this is a softer root than ginger. It will blend easily with your immersion blender.
You can substitute any MCT oil for Brain Octane oil; this will reduce the antiviral and anti fungal activity, but will still deliver easy to absorb fats.
Don't add the protein powder into the pot on the stove - if over heated, it may coagulate and make the mixture lumpy, especially if you use whey powder! Best results are had if you blend this in after the mixture is cooled a bit.
