All Roads Lead to the Kitchen: Share Our Strength

Soba Noodles w/ Tofu, Mushrooms & Spinach | www.girlichef.com

Say you had a family of five. Now say I handed you $11 and told you that was all the money you had for all five of you to eat for the day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks. Eleven. Dollars. Please assume that three members of that family of five were children and/or teenagers. Imagine that they need fuel to get their bodies and brains working in the morning. They need a balanced, nutritious lunch to replenish all the energy they spent learning that morning. Of course there's an after-school snack...preferably one that is not pure junk. Not only is there dinner to think of, but possibly even dinner for your teenage athlete who after waking up extra early and getting in a practice before school even began, also needs a bit of an extra-large dinner when they collapse inside the front door late in the evening.

Could you feed your family on $11 a day, every day? Don't forget that some days you just need dessert. Or a birthday cake. Or those special occasions when a steak-more-expensive-than-a-two-day-allotment is called for. More than likely you wind up eating a slow-cooked roast, instead (not that there's anything wrong with a slow-cooked roast...but a rare, juicy steak it is not).

The average benefit for the recipients of food stamps or the supplemental nutrition assistance program is $3-$4 per day, per person. But it doesn't have to be that large. The family of five that I mentioned? Their benefit works out to $11 per day, which is $2.80 per person a day. I know of people who spend more than that on just their morning coffee. This household has one parent who works full-time and one who works part-time. One parent is a college graduate. They both work hard, but after paying all of their bills and living expenses - without flourishes - they barely scrape by. Hunger and proper childhood nutrition is an "issue" all over America.

Fortunately, food insecurity can be curbed with a bit of education and assistance. Planting and tending to a vegetable garden is one way that many can gain a source of nutritional food at a low cost - at least for a good amount of the year in cooler climates. Cutting coupons and menu planning is another way to budget meals and money well. Buying in bulk (because that $11 a day is not given one day at a time) and freezing/storing items properly can definitely stretch a dollar. Adding whole grains and fiber-rich foods is a good way to satisfy any belly. Eating a rainbow of veggies and lean proteins...keeping an eye out for sales, discounts, and specials at the grocery story...and most importantly (in my opinion) is educating those who don't know about the importance of eating as many whole foods as possible and leaving those pre-packaged options on the shelves.

I know that there is so much more to it than this. I know more than one family who receives food assistance in some form or another - it's not an isolated problem. And though it may seem like much in the big picture, it's little things like a collection of wholesome, inexpensive recipes like this that can start to make a difference. If only to one family. This soup cost ~$2.50 per serving, but it is packed with protein, whole grain noodles, and vegetables.

Soba Noodle Soup w/ Tofu, Mushrooms, & Spinach

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: simmer soup/stew soba noodles tofu spinach mushrooms Asian

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 Tbs. oil (olive, vegetable, corn, coconut)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced ginger
big pinch crushed red chile flakes
big handful sliced mushrooms
3 c. chicken or vegetable stock (or low-sodium broth)
3 oz. soba noodles
1 Tbs. soy sauce
big pinch sugar
2 handfuls baby spinach
6 oz. tofu, pressed & cut into cubes
1 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add garlic, ginger, and chile flakes; saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until they are tender and starting to turn golden in spots. Set aside.

Bring chicken stock to a boil, and then add the soba noodles, soy sauce, sugar, and reserved mushroom mixture; simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put one handful of the baby spinach in the bottom of each of the bowls and divide the tofu evenly over the spinach.

Carefully lift half of the noodles out of the pot and place in one of the bowls, and then do the same with the other half. Divide the hot broth and mushrooms evenly amongst the bowls and let sit for 1 minute before stirring everything around.

Sprinkle with the scallion and eat right away!

What can you do?

Join the call to action by sending letters to your representatives in Congress. Let's flood those inboxes with letters today!
Tweet Congress to end hunger.
Carve out some time to watch A Place At The Table. Find a screening in your hometown, on Amazon, or iTunes.
Visit the coordinator of this Food Bloggers Against Hunger event, The Giving Table for more resources and links to other posts.

Two sets of sleepy eyes wearily scan the kitchen for something to dull the pain they feel in their bellies. Frankie spies a couple of now crisp tortillas on an old, chipped plate next to the stove. He sprinkles one with salt then folds it in half and hands it to his younger sister, then does the same with the second one before taking a crunchy bite. Some coffee remains in the bottom of a pot on the stove, left by their parents who were up and gone on the search for work at the crack of dawn that morning. Once Frankie and his little sister have finished the coffee and tortillas, they start their long walk to school...in the same rumpled clothes that they woke up in. Before they even make it to the schoolyard, Frankie's little sister tugs on his sleeve. "I'm hungry, Frankie." Frankie picks a fight...winner gets one of the losers tacos. He knew he'd win. He didn't have any other choice. The look on his sisters face is worth the punishment Mr. Stern will hand out. The lessons pass while Frankie fidgets uncomfortably in his hard chair. He realizes that Mr. Stern has called on him and is waiting on an answer to the math problem he's written on the board. Frankie doesn't know the answer...he can't concentrate...he doesn't even remember how to work the problem. He takes the punishment that is doled out, willing the bell that symbolizes fresh air to ring. On the walk home, he plucks a couple of oblong fruit from one of his neighbors trees and hopes that his mom found a house to clean...or that his dad is home from playing music next to the big market. He silently pleads with the brightest hope that they will eat dinner tonight.

In American alone, 17 million children do not have the means to get proper nutrition.
Lack of proper nutrition means that children are more likely to get sick...and that it takes them longer to get better. Lack of proper nutrition means that they are more susceptible to catching a cold or getting an ear infection. They're more likely to experience fatigue and headaches. Proper nutrition is essential for children...it helps them concentrate in school...without a good meal, how can they learn!? Lack of proper nutrition predisposes kids to both emotional and behavioral difficulties and problems...it causes anxiousness and aggressiveness. Teens who don't get enough to eat are less likely to get along well with others and get suspended from school. ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN IN AMERICA TODAY IS FACING HUNGER*. I can make a difference. You can make a difference. WE can make a difference.

This week, more than 50 bloggers are setting our virtual tables and Sharing Our Strength to raise awareness about childhood hunger in the United States during this holiday season. Our table will be set over the course of a week. It started Monday with appetizers, Tuesday with drinks, and today we are bringing out the salads. I feel blessed beyond belief to be able to set food on my table and share it with you today. Please, join us in our fight to help end childhood hunger in America. No Kid Hungry.

Squash, Bacon, Cranberry, and Gorgonzola Salad

w/ Warm Cider Maple Vinaigrette & Candied Pecans

from the kitchen of girlichef

Once the butternut squash, pecans, and bacon are cooked and the vinaigrette is made, the salad goes together quickly. Be sure to have everything out and ready right before service. Since this is tossed in a warm vinaigrette, you want to dress it at the last moment. Also, this is a very free-form salad, so I've listed approximate amounts you'll need per person so that you can easily adapt it to fit your needs. No need to peel the butternut squash, once roasted it gets all chewy and delicious!

~1 oz. Mixed lettuce greens

(choose a variety of colors, shapes, & textures...like mesclun, frisee, radicchio, baby spinach, mixed baby greens or spring greens, arugula, dandelion greens...you choose what is available to you)

~¼ lb. Butternut Squash- unpeeled, seeds removed, cubed

olive oil, salt, pepper for roasting squash

~1 Tbs. dried cranberries

~¼ c. bacon- cooked & crumbled

~2 Tbs. Gorgonzola, crumbled

handful candied Pecans (recipe follows)

Warm Maple Cider Vinaigrette, as needed (recipe follows)

Preheat oven 450° F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Toss cubed squash w/ a drizzle of olive oil, a couple pinches of salt and gratings of black pepper. Place in hot oven and roast, tossing it around about halfway through, ~30 minutes or until tender and caramelized a bit. Remove from oven.

When you're ready to serve, toss a portion of your lettuce greens with enough warm vinaigrette to coat lightly and toss...you don't want your lettuce to drown, have a light hand...you can always add more. Tumble the rest of your ingredients over the salad and enjoy! You will probably have a bit of vinaigrette left over, but it refrigerates well. Simply re-heat it and shake it up when you want to use it again.

Warm Cider Maple Vinaigrette

adapted from Ina Garten
yield: ~3 ½ c.

3 c. apple cider
½ c. apple cider vinegar
~½ c. shallots, minced
1 ½ c. olive oil
½ c. maple syrup
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and shallots in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer until reduced by a bit more than half…almost two thirds. Whisk in olive oil, maple syrup, and Dijon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dress salad while warm or let cool, transfer to jar and store in refrigerator.

Spiced, Candied Pecans
makes ~3 c.

3 c. Pecan halves
1 c. sugar
½ c. water
1½ tsp. orange zest
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
good grating nutmeg
pinch ground allspice

Bring everything except nuts to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let it bubble away until it is very reduced and sticky, watching closely. When the liquid is near evaporation, toss in the pecans and stir around quickly. Spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool. Break apart any halved that stuck together. Try to resist!