WIC Inspired Recipes – Ratatouille
Cuddle up with the family and watch the Disney movie Ratatouille while having some ratatouille for dinner! This recipe is an easy comfort food that includes lots of veggies and goes perfect with garlic bread.
Ratatouille
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 small onion (chopped)
1/3 cup shredded carrots
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 small eggplant (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
1 zucchini (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
1 yellow squash (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
3 Roma tomatoes (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Try to use the freshest produce possible, not those tomatoes that look like you should use them up before they go bad. You want the ratatouille to have a nice, even texture and the vegetables are easier to slice when they are fresh. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash & tomatoes as evenly as possible to ensure they cook evenly in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large nonstick pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the onion, garlic, and carrot and cook about 5 – 7 minutes until tender.
Next, add in the crushed tomatoes and seasonings, simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Once the sauce has thickened, pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
Arrange the sliced vegetables in a circular pattern standing upright in the dish over the sauce. Brush with the remaining olive oil.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese evenly on top and serve immediately.
Tasty Tip: Garlic bread is a perfect addition to this recipe!
WIC INSPIRED RECIPE FROM LONE STAR FAMILY MARKET
Get all your WIC groceries in one easy stop at any Lone Star Family Market location in Austin, Round Rock & San Marcos. Bilingual clerks personally help you get all your WIC foods without all the hassle.
Did you make this WIC-inspired recipe? Let’s be friends. Tag us on Instagram using @lone_star_family_market or Facebook using @lonestarfamilymarket
Expanded WIC Fruit, Vegetable Benefits Extended Thru September
Texas WIC has extended it’s expanded fruit and vegetable benefits thru the end of September.
According to Texas WIC the new benefits offer the following:
- Children get $24 each month
- Pregnant, postpartum and some breastfeeding clients get $43 each month
- Fully and partially breastfeeding clients get $47 each month.
For example, if you are pregnant and have two children (ages 1-5) receiving WIC, you will get $91 ($43 mom + $24 child + $24 child = $91) each month in April, May and June to buy fruit and vegetables, according to WIC.
WIC clients should contact a local WIC office if they have questions about these benefits.
The expanded WIC produce benefits are expected to return to $11 for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and $9 for children Oct. 1.
WIC clients can get all their WIC groceries in one easy stop at any Lone Star Family Market location in Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos. Lone Star Family market caters to WIC clients and locations are located conveniently to WIC offices to help customers get WIC in one trip. Find a location near you.
Fire Up The Grill For Corn On the Cob
There’s just something about corn on the cob that screams summer.
Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a quintessential BBQ side dish, or maybe it’s because it’s the perfect portable food for a picnic. Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that corn on the cob is one of the best things about summertime.
And while there are plenty of ways to cook it, nothing quite compares to the simplicity of boiling it in water and slathering on some butter. Whether you eat it plain or add a little salt and pepper, corn on the cob is the perfect way to enjoy the summer sun. So go ahead, fire up the grill and toss on some corn. It’s not summer without it!
Here are a few recipes to help you enjoy this summer.
CORN ON THE COB RECIPES
SUMMER CORN SALAD
3 cups corn kernels ( or kernels removed from about 4 cobs of corn)
Diced tomatoes about 1 cup
Diced cucumbers, about 1 cup
¼ cup diced red onion
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped herbs for garnishing
Either boil or grill corn. If grilling, preheat the grill to medium high heat. Remove silk and husk. Brush corn with olive oil and season. Grill about 3 minutes per side. Cool before adding to the recipe.
Once the corn has cooked, let cool once they have cooked. Remove kernels from cobs. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and toss. Chill before serving or serve hot.
CORN, BLACK BEAN SALSA
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
Cooked corn from 4 cobs of corn, either boiled or grilled corn
1 red bell pepper diced
1 cup pico de gallo
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and let chill before serving. Serve with tacos, eggs or as a side.
Pick up your corn on the cob and other WIC foods at Lone Star Family Market, and find out how easy WIC grocery shopping can be. Lone Star Family Market locations cater to WIC clients and are conveniently located near WIC offices. Everything in the stores are WIC approved so you will be in and out fast. Find a location near a WIC clinic near you.
WIC Income Requirements
Pregnant & Need Help?
Are you pregnant and need help with your pregnancy, but not sure where to start? Start with Texas WIC.
The program is open to pregnant women that are Texas residents. The free program can begin as soon as you learn that you are expecting a baby. To qualify, expecting Texas mothers must meet the following WIC income requirements, which are provided by Texas WIC.
WIC INCOME REQUIREMENTS
Households with the following gross yearly income per member:
- 1 household member can qualify making up to $25,142 gross yearly income per household;
- 2 household members up to $33,874 gross yearly income;
- 3 household members up to $42,606 gross yearly income;
- 4 household members up to $51,338 gross yearly income;
- 5 household members up to $60,070 gross yearly income and
- 6 household members up to $68,802 gross yearly income
Texas WIC can help you give your baby a healthy start with education, counseling and nutritional foods. The program provides FREE resources to help you along your pregnancy, including nutrition counseling and FREE healthy food packages to help ensure you and your baby have a healthy pregnancy. To see if you qualify for the program, apply online at texaswic.com/apply.
Visit our blog, to get more information about Texas WIC.
Lone Star Family Market is a chain of grocery stores near WIC clinics that caters to WIC clients. There are locations in Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos to help make WIC grocery shopping easy. Customers can check their WIC balance before shopping and can get personal shopping assistance from bilingual clerks that are familiar with the WIC program.
Vegetables Are WIC Foods
Summer Salads You Will Want To Eat!
Salads don’t have to be boring. In fact, they can be so refreshing and tasty that your toddler might even be asking for more.
Sometimes salads get a bad reputation. After all, they are made mostly with vegetables. If you aren’t a salad lover, we have a few ideas that might change your mind. If you already love a nice crisp salad a few tips to change things up might be just what you need. They are also a healthy side or quick meal and are a great way to eat healthy WIC foods.
Here are a few tips that will make your salad a little extra special.
ADD FRESH FRUIT
Adding sliced fresh apples or mandarins, really add something unexpected to a lettuce and tomato salad. Mangos, fresh berries, and watermelon can also be a wonderful addition. Add some of your favorites for extra color and taste.
ADD CHEESE
Grated or crumbled cheese of your choice is a great salad topper. Try anything from shredded cheddar to cubed mozzarella. It also adds great nutrition to your meal in a bowl.
ADD HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING
The healthiest, and the most cost-effective salad dressings are the ones you make yourself. Plus, they are super simple and fast and taste a lot more delicious.
To make your own, here are a few ingredients you will want to have on hand. Of course, they won’t all go into the same recipe, but they are fun to mix and match to find the perfect combination. Some great dressing ingredients include: lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, oil such as olive oil, honey mustard, and seasonings (such as garlic powder, black pepper, and Italian seasonings.)
ADD PROTEIN
Drained canned beans, boiled eggs, and canned tuna are great protein toppers for summer salads. They aren’t heavy but provide a healthy protein punch to your meal.
ADD EXTRA CRUNCH
Depending on the flavor of your salad, it’s fun to add a little extra crunch like baked tortilla strips made homemade with tortillas. Simply take a corn tortilla and brush it with the oil of your choice. Slice it up and bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees (turning halfway) until they are nice and crispy.
VEGETABLES ARE WIC FOODS – TRY THIS SALAD RECIPE
SUMMER APPLE SALAD
1 bag of fresh salad mix
2 apples, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ onion, chopped
Chopped carrots
Homemade Apple Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
APPLE CIDAR VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk or add all ingredients to a mason jar, close the lid, and shake. Pour as much as you would like over your salad.
PICK UP YOUR VEGETABLES & OTHER WIC FOODS AT LONE STAR FAMILY MARKET
Get all your summer salad ingredients at Lone Star Family Market. All 7 locations in Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos are conveniently located near WIC clinics for easy WIC grocery shopping. Everything in the store is WIC approved. Find a location near you today.
Vegetables are WIC foods. Plus, WIC is also currently offering expanded fruit and vegetable benefits. Learn more here.