#52New Foods... Asian Edamole...

"Make it a goal to use food and cooking to inspire creativity in your kids"... a super message from Jennifer Tyler Lee in her book The 52 New Foods Challenge. The approach of discovery instead of the final goal is where the journey with your family is the most fun! This is the fourth installment of my own recipes inspired by her book and I am still learning and having fun! 

Try building in time for your kids to explore foods before you cook with them. You can start with where and how food is grown or just let them play with the raw ingredients. Further spark their curiosity with the ingredient at hand by encouraging their use of their five senses of sight, smell, touch, sound and taste as part of the discovery... Some ideas from Lee... What does the shape of this food look like to you? How do you describe the smell of this food before and after its cooked? What does the skin feel like? Does this food make a sound before its cooked or when you eat it? How would you describe the taste of this food when it's raw and how does it change in taste when it's cooked? Getting them to talk about the characteristics of food also teaches them how to express themselves and to appreciate the beauty of the ingredient.

Last night I made a mock guacamole using edamame beans instead of avocados. Edamame are soy beans packed with protein and a fantastic source of folate. They can be simply enjoyed straight from the pod, steamed or roasted, and sprinkled with a little kosher salt or in a myriad of ways shelled in stir-fries, salads, soups as a snack, power lunch or a part of dinner! Two of my boys were not keen on eating these cooked beans from their pods, but when they were blended into this flavourful dip, it was a whole different story. First off, my kids love guacamole so giving it a new twist in familiar territory was not so scary, and secondly, getting them involved in the preparation process made it fun and gave them pride that they helped in making the final dish. Instead of buying frozen shelled edamames, I chose to buy pods so they could see where the individual beans come from before they get all blended up and to get their hands in the process. Success all around... it's a great recipe for growing healthy, curious kids in just about anything that will last their lifetime!

Asian Edamole
Makes about 1-1/2 cups of dip

1-1/4 cups frozen shelled edamame or 1 lb. frozen edamame in pods
5 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. fish sauce (optional)
1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2-1 tsp. sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce)

2 Tbsp. chopped coloured bell pepper

2 tsp. green onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

rice crackers as dippers

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, and blanch the edamame beans or pods for one minute. Remove to drain. Let cool for 15 minutes before using. Shell if using pods.

My kids loved helping me and told dad proudly, "I helped mommy make this yummy dip!"

Combine first eight ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth but slightly granular. Remove into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least one hour for the flavours to meld or until ready to serve.

Serve with rice crackers, I used sesame flavoured ones which were perfect accompaniments that further accentuated the dip's Asian flavours with its salty and savoury bite! 

The 52 New Foods Challenge

For a simpler version with another spin, try edamole served with tortillas chips.

If you want to try for a copy of Lee's The 52 New Foods Challenge cookbook, please enter my book giveaway. Contest closes midnight Saturday, November 8th and the winner will be announced on my blog and Facebook the next day on Sunday.  Click here and scroll down for details! Join in the fun and good luck!