WIC Inspired Recipes – Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

2 tbsp garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

½ cup carrot, finely diced

1 green onion stalk, sliced

1 cup brown rice

1 head of cabbage

2 cups Tomato sauce

Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Basil, Thyme, & Paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare ingredients by chopping vegetables and cooking brown rice according to the package instructions.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions until golden, about 10 min. Add garlic, mushrooms, carrot, green onion, and seasonings. Cook until the veggies are tender, about 8 – 10 minutes. Stir in the brown rice and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, then remove from heat. Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. 

Core a head of cabbage and bring to a boil in a large pot, until the cabbage leaves start to come apart. Fill each cabbage leaf with 2 – 4 tablespoons of the rice and vegetable mixture (depending on the size of the cabbage leaves), then roll the leaf up like a burrito, tucking in each end. Continue filling the leaves until there is no more mixture left, line the filled and rolled cabbage leaves in the baking tray.

 Cover with the remaining tomato sauce and cook for 45 minutes. Makes about 5 servings.

WIC Inspired Recipes – Broccoli Tater Tots

Broccoli Tater Tots

3 large russet potatoes

2 (12 – 14 ounce) bags frozen broccoli florets that have been thawed, or 8 cups steamed broccoli florets

2 cups shredded parmesan cheese (or mozzarella)

2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling on top

Olive oil

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 25 minutes, until fork tender but still have some give in the middle. Drain water and let potatoes cool until they are comfortable to handle. Once potatoes are warm enough to handle, remove the skins.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grate potatoes on the large side of a grater and place into a large bowl.

Place the broccoli into a food processor and blend until it’s in very small pieces, 30 seconds – one minute. You may need to do it in two batches. Place broccoli onto paper towels and squeeze all excess water out.

Add the broccoli to the grated potatoes along with the salt and mix everything together well.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to form small cylinders with the mixture. Use about 1 tablespoon per tater tot. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes to allow them to firm up.

Brush the top of each tater tot with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle each one with salt. Bake tater tots until browned crispy, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway though.

This recipe works great in an air fryer too!

Enjoy!

 

WIC Breakfast Foods

Breakfast Recipes With WIC Foods Good Enough To Eat All Day

Some might say breakfast is the best meal of the day. 

Texas WIC offers many healthy breakfast foods for pregnant women and children to help get the day off to a great start. But it is also a great way to end a day.

Here are some examples of healthy WIC foods that make the best breakfast ingredients, no matter when you eat them.

Eggs , Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Tortillas, Fruit, Vegetables, Cereal, Oatmeal, Milk, Fruit Juice, Cheese, Yogurt are all part of the Texas WIC program.

These foods are healthy and great served individually. Combine to make some of the best breakfast foods: omelets, tacos, breakfast sandwiches, smoothies and more. But changing it up is always fun. Here are a few WIC breakfast foods with a twist your family will love

BREAKFAST QUESADILLA

2 Whole Wheat Tortilla

2 large eggs

¼ cup shredded cheese

1 teaspoon butter

Cooking spray

Salsa

Sliced Avocado

Crack eggs in a bowl and whisk. Spray skillet with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Put eggs in a pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Put eggs on a plate. Wipe pan clean. Lightly butter one side of the tortilla. Place butter side down in the pan. Put ½ of the scrambled eggs on top of the tortilla and add half of the cheese and fold the tortilla in half.  Cook on each side until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Repeat to make a second tortilla. Serve with salsa and sliced avocado.

 

PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA OVERNIGHT OATS

½ cup old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt 

1 teaspoons maple syrup or honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon peanut butter

Sliced bananas

Add oats, milk, yogurt, maple syrup and salt and ½ tablespoon of the peanut butter into a container with an air-tight lid. Stir. Place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove the lid. Stir oats and add a splash of milk. Top with remaining peanut butter and slice bananas. Overnight oats can remain in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. 

For all your WIC groceries, visit any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio. JC Food Mart caters to WIC clients by providing an easy shopping experience and format to get all your WIC foods in one easy stop. SNAP also accepted. Find a location near a WIC clinic near you, jcfoodmart.com/locations.

 

Looking For Fun Summertime Activity For The Kids? 

Check Off  Mealtime, Playtime At Same Time! 

Who said you couldn’t play with your food? Getting kids into the kitchen is a great activity to get their creative juices flowing. It’s also a great way to keep them interested in eating healthy, WIC foods. 

Healthy WIC foods don’t have to be boring. In fact, you and the kids can turn their little plates into works of art all with some of your favorite WIC ingredients. Gather up some of your favorite WIC foods (oatmeal, fruits, vegetables and tuna fish) for these fun ideas that will get your kiddos excited to help out in the kitchen.

WIC FOOD: OATMEAL

Oatmeal is a super healthy WIC food. It’s also a super healthy snack. For the first snack of the day. Let your kids help “decorate” a bowl of oatmeal like their pets or animals. These fruits make great faces: sliced bananas, berries of all kinds, apple pieces cut into fun shapes and maybe even a little peanut butter to hold pieces together.  What little one wouldn’t love eating this yummy, healthy creation once they are done. 

Oatmeal is a great WIC food because it’s full of fiber, iron and other vitamins and minerals like zinc.

WIC FOOD: FRUIT CRITTERS

Getting your kids to eat more fruit is easy when you make fruit critters. Slice up some of your favorite fruits and let your toddlers “color” their plate by turning the fruit into fun animals. You can get them started by making a few of your own. It’s also fun to cut fruit into fun shapes using kid-friendly cookie cutters.  

WIC FOOD: VEGGIE PALS

Having a hard time getting enough vegetables into your tot’s stomach? Serve them a plate of green peas that look like a friendly frog.  

WIC FOOD: TUNA FISHY

First, make a bowl of tuna fish, using this great Texas WIC recipe. Then let the little ones help by spreading it on a piece of toasted whole wheat bread. Place another piece of whole wheat bread on top. Let the kids decorate the sandwich into fruit to make it look like a fish. See photo above. Orange quarters, banana slices and berries can all be used to make fun fish faces and fins. Looking for a little more creative inspiration? Check out this recipe idea from Texas WIC.

 Texas WIC is an advocate of getting kids in the kitchen to help in “age-appropriate ways,” and these recipes are a great way to get them involved. For more tips from including kids in the kitchen, check out these tips online.

RENEW YOUR WIC BENEFITS AND REDEEM THEM IN THE SAME TRIP

Next time you visit a WIC clinic to renew your WIC benefits, visit a nearby JC Food Mart store to get all your WIC foods in one easy stop. JC Food Mart locations are located near WIC offices to make it super convenient for clients to get everything they need. 

There are 10 locations throughout San Antonio. Visit online to find a store near you.

Visit our blog for more recipes using WIC foods. 

WIC Food

Two New Products Hit Shelves

JC Food Mart is offering two new WIC-approved products: mild jarred salsa and canned tomato sauce. 

These delicious and healthy additions are perfect for busy families on the go. The salsa is perfect for dipping or adding a little spice to your favorite dishes, while the tomato sauce is a kitchen staple.

More WIC Food Add salsa to your favorite WIC food: everything from your scrambled eggs, to guacamole or as a healthy dip for your fresh veggies. Plus, they are perfect with beans or rice!

Canned tomato sauce is healthy, low in calories, and can be used in a variety of different dishes made with WIC food from pasta, and rice to tacos.

Both items are made by Always Save®. Also, both items are redeemable as a WIC food as a vegetable. Learn more about WIC’s expanded fruit and vegetable benefits here.  WIC Food

“We are committed to providing WIC participants with healthy, affordable food choices,” said JC Food Mart store manager. “These new products are perfect for busy families who want convenience and delicious flavor. Stop by your local store today to redeem them with your WIC benefits.”

So if you’re looking to spice up your WIC recipe options, be sure to check out jarred salsa and canned tomato sauce. They’ll make your mealtime that much easier and more delicious. 

JC Food Mart is a chain of stores that cater to WIC clients. The stores help WIC clients redeem all their WIC benefits in one easy stop. Bilingual clerks assist shoppers throughout their visit, and you can even check your WIC balance before shopping. Visit today to find out how easy WIC grocery shopping can be.

SNAP is also accepted.