Family

HealtHy eating
Globally-inspired
breakfast spreads
Tips for
feeding kids
Chef Joanna DeVita
Congee
(rice porridge)
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup white rice, rinsed
5 cups strong broth (chicken,
mushroom, vegetable, etc.)
3 tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. chopped ginger
2 tsp. chopped garlic
½ cup cooked, cubed protein (tofu,
chicken, pork, fish)
2 scallions, sliced
As the weather warms and we
spend more time outdoors,
the importance of filling
up with a substantial breakfast or
brunch is important.
Getting a nutritious meal before
leaving for the day makes it easier
to stay out longer, getting by with
snacks until dinner time.
At Léman, we are lucky to welcome
students and faculty from
all over the world to our breakfast
table. Internationally influenced
breakfasts can be a nice change
from the more traditional eggs,
bacon, cereal, and waffles that
many of us are used to.
try noodles or rice with broth
for breakfast. Savory rice porridges
like congee are delicious
and filled with vitamins and minerals.
Cook rice in flavorful broth
until it is a porridge (see the recipe
below), or add cooked ramen
noodles to broth. Don’t forget your
favorite add-ins like caramelized
shallots, sliced scallions, and pickled
vegetables.
Make beans part of breakfast.
Spicy breakfast burritos are quite
popular all over the country. Use
whole-wheat wraps and add fiberrich
beans and vegetable-heavy
salsas to complete a nutrient-dense
and satisfying breakfast.
Make a Caribbean-style break-
2 shallots, thinly sliced and cooked
until soft and brown in a frying
pan with vegetable oil and salt
and pepper to taste
sriracha chili sauce to taste
DIRECTIONS: Cook the rinsed rice
with broth, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper,
and soy sauce until rice is fully
cooked and turning into a porridge
consistency. Add more broth, salt,
and pepper as necessary.
stir in the scallions, protein, shallots,
and chili sauce as desired. each
person can customize his or her own
bowl!
fast at home. Plantains, both ripe
and green, make a great base.
Make a one-pot breakfast with
salt fish (cod), ackee, callaloo (a
spinach-like green), and plantains.
Serve with johnnycakes (cornmeal
cakes) on the side. Not only do
these flavors go great together, but
the combination of vegetables and
protein-rich ingredients also sets
us up for a day in the springtime
sun!
try a healthy version of an
irish breakfast. Skip the fatty sausages,
or at least limit them. Sauté
mushrooms and tomato halves in
butter in a frying pan. Use the
same pan to fry your eggs sunny
side up. Serve whole-grain brown
bread and tea and you are rocking
breakfast Emerald Isle style.
have a sweet tooth at breakfast
time? Don’t skip the sweet stuff
altogether, just balance it out with
other healthy options. After a visit
to the farmer’s market, I like to
put out a spread of locally made
pastries, cheeses, fruit, and yogurt.
I cut the pastries into small
pieces, so everyone can try a little
of each one. I sweeten plain yogurt
with local honey to avoid the
extra sugar. Having a bright, colorful
spread encourages everyone to
experience different flavors and
textures together.
Joanna DeVita is executive chef at
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
and is the mother of two (ages 5 and
2).
26 Manhattan Family • April 2016