Celeriac Mash

Celeriac, you know that weird looking root that you may have eyed at the store...

it makes an awesome mash.

This dish is for the whole family to enjoy and it's a nice change from regular mashed potatoes,

although it's not like anyone could ever have too much mashed potatoes.

Celeriac or celery root is not really starchy like other roots, is a member of the parsley family

and it has a celery-ish flavor.

Don't be too judgmental, it may be ugly but it is delicious.

To peel them just cut off the knobs and skin with a knife.

Celeriac Mash

1 celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes

1 large potato or several small (equal to the amount of celeriac), peeled and cubed

milk or cooking liquid to thin puree

Place your celeriac in a pot and cover with water.  Boil for about 10 minutes.

Add in your potato and boil until both are fork tender.

Drain, reserving liquid if you are going to use it.

Mash or whip the same way you like your potatoes, 

adding cooking liquid or milk to get to the desired consistency.

If you are serving the entire family I suggest taking some of the puree out

and then adding a pat of butter and a salt and pepper to taste, to the rest of the mash.

*Variations

-Add a few whole cloves of garlic, boil and mash with the celeriac

-Add a bit of sour cream, cream cheese or any kind of cheese really

-Fold in some broccoli or your other favorite veggie, chopped into small bits

-Use it to top other dishes like shepherds pie

*Storage 

Refrigerate for up to 3 days

*Benefits

Celeriac is a good source of fiber, potassium, iron, vitamins C, K & B6, as well as folate, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese.

Potatoes are rich in potassium, vitamins C & B6, fiber, iron, folate, phosphorus and thiamin.

Have you had celeriac before?

'Snips 'n Sprouts

I was at a birthday a while back when a friend told me her husband makes baby food for their little one.

Already impressed he told me to try this combination (parsnips and brussels sprouts)
 and completely won me over.

Actually, I believe he said that it might not smell that great but that their little girl loves it.

Brussels sprouts, like broccoli, can smell a little odd while cooking.

The flavor is fantastic and I love the way you can vary the texture so much.

I'm a huge fan of parsnips, so if you haven't tried them go for it!

'Snips 'n' Sprouts
1 large parsnip (or several small), peeled and sliced into coins (about 2 cups)
2 cups brussels sprouts, stem removed (along with any outer leaves that might fall off) and cut in half for small ones or quartered for large one

Steam them all together, over an inch of water, until they are fork tender.
Place the parsnips and brussels sprouts in a food processor, reserving liquid.

Pulse for a chunky texture or add some of the cooking liquid and puree until completely smooth
or just mix the two together.

Enjoy!



*Variations
-Add a bit of coriander, cardamom, white or black pepper or nutmeg
-Include carrots, potato, artichoke hearts, winter or summer squash or turnips
-Try this with apple, pear or persimmon

*Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits
Parsnips are rich in vitamins A, C & E, fiber, folate, manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium.

Brussels Sprouts are packed with antioxidants, vitamins K, C and A, folate, manganese,
fiber and potassium.

How do you eat your brussels sprouts?

Roasted Beet & Carrot

Besides being gorgeous, 

this combination is yummy and nutritious.

The best part of this recipe is the easy tip on roasting and peeling the skin from the beets.

Forget the days of peeling beforehand and ending up with stained fingers.

Our CSA box had these gorgeous specimens in it.

Have I mentioned how much I love fall produce?!

Don't ignore the greens either.  

We wilted the beet greens with spinach for a warm spinach salad.

They are sweeter than spinach and I look forward to getting them again so 

I can make some baby food from them.

We also use the carrot greens along with parsley and a bit of basil

along with walnuts, garlic, evoo, parmesan and a splash of lemon for a pesto.

Don't waste those greens, they are packed with nutritious deliciousness!

One last tip on greens, remove them as soon as possible as they suck

up the sugars and water from the veggie.

The longer you keep the greens on the less moist and sweet your veggies will be.

So take those greens off and use them asap.

Beet juice does stain so strip that baby down before feeding them beets.

I also rubbed a little vaseline on my hands and ran them around Peanut's mouth because

I wanted to take pictures later and he is the messiest eater ever.

Maybe I'm just paranoid :)

Also, and this is very important....

take a good look at the color of that puree 

and remember it when you are changing your little's diaper later.

I mean, it all depends on how much they eat but

I don't want you to go rushing that child into the ER for internal hemorrhaging 

when really they just had a lot of beets for lunch :)

Hey- it had to be said!

Roasted Beets & Carrots

2 medium beets, washed with the tops and tails cut off

(I just roast off all of my beets so they are ready when I want to use them)

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Place your beets in the middle of a sheet of foil and then fold the foil

over the top, folding and folding until it is secured down.

Fold the ends up until they meet the middle as well.

The goal here is to make sure it's airtight so the veggies steam in their packets.

Roast them for 45 minutes.

Allow your packets to cool a bit and open them carefully.

The carrots are ready to be mashed or pureed.

Now is the fun part with the beets:

Cover your hand in a plastic sandwich bag, gloves or saran wrap (pictured)

and simply peel the skin right off those beets.

It will come right off!  Cool, huh?

Add them to the carrots and mash or puree, 

adding water (or apple juice) to get it to the desired consistency.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Add a fruit like apple or pear

-I think this would be great with a little fennel

-Add a dollop of yogurt or cottage cheese

-Cut the pieces and eat it yourself, add a little salt and pepper 

and a bit of goat cheese and it's heaven.

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Beets are a great source of iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium and a bit of vitamin C.

The leaves are packed with all the above and even more calcium and vitamins A & C.

Carrots have lots of carotenoids that work as antioxidants, convert to vitamin A, boost the immune system and protect and enhance your eyes and sight.

Are you a fan of beets?

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving 

from The Official Dandy Baby Taste Testers:

Daniel the Pilgrim

and 

Peanut the Indian!

We hope your day is full of wonderful things to be thankful for...

and lots of good food!

Baby's First Pie- Sweet Potato & Pumpkin

Thanksgiving just wouldn't be complete without pie

and although your little one might not be ready for the pumpkin pie you're eating,

they can definitely have this one.

There is no added sugar as the sweetness comes from the sweet potato and roasted bananas.

The crust itself is made from ground teething cookies.

The filling is a simple puree.

Roasting the banana gives them this fantastic caramel flavor.

Put them all together and you have a fantastic puree that is then smoothed into your shell.

I used mini tart pans for this but I suspect this would also be great in silicone cupcake molds

or any other individual mold like small soufflé dish or large ramekin.

There are a million different teething cookies out there and any of them would work.

I used a combination of several kinds.

Other options for the crust are arrowroot cookies, 

baby graham crackers (or regular grahams)

or basically any biscuit/cookie you can find in the baby section.

This is held together by butter but don't feel guilty about it.

The fat in the butter actually helps your baby's body absorb the 

beta-carotene in the pumpkin and sweet potato.

Baby's First Pie- Sweet Potato & Pumpkin

1 small sweet potato (yam)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree*

2 bananas, peeled and cut lengthwise

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup ground teething cookies

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place your sweet potato on a baking sheet and 

poke a few holes in it with a knife or fork.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin just starts to pucker.

Pull out your baking sheet and add the bananas.

Roast for another 15 minutes or so.

The bananas should be bubbly with golden spots

and the sweet potato should have nice soft flesh (check by poking it with your fork or knife).

When they are done pull them out and drop your oven temp to 350°.

Meanwhile, put your cookies or crackers into the food processor and 

grinduntil you have 3/4 of a cup.

How many you use will depend on the type of teething cookies.

Place in a bowl and mix the melted butter in with a fork.

Add a few tablespoons of crust mix into your mini tart pan and 

press up the sides and down the center.

I used a small measuring cup to do this.

Mine yielded 5 tarts.

Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until your crust is a nice golden brown.

Peel the skin off the sweet potato and put the flesh in the food processor.

Add your roasted banana, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.

Puree until smooth, adding water or apple juice if needed.

Add the puree to your crusts, smoothing them very gently.

Allow them to cool to room temperature and serve to baby.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Instead of the crust you could sprinkle crumbled cookies over the top of the puree.

-Try this with different fillings like Baked Apple & Carrot or 

Cranberry, Apple & Pumpkin

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days

*Benefits

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, antioxidants, potassium,

lots of fiber and a bit of calcium.

Bananas have loads of potassium and fiber, are great for the digestive system 

and helps your body absorb calcium.

Pumpkin is packed with potassium (3 times a banana),

beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, phosphorus and calcium.

Turkey with Yams & Cranberries- Stovetop Version

Although I posted a Roasted Turkey with Yams & Cranberries yesterday

I realize that you don't always have turkey breast available

and may not feel like going thru the process of roasting a breast just for baby food.

In this case we are going to do a stovetop version using ground turkey 

that you can find at any supermarket.

I used too much water  so if yours doesn't look soupy on mine 

you are on the right track.

If yours does end up with too much water, don't worry about it much.

When pureeing, only use the amount of liquid that you need for the desired consistency.

Turkey with Yams & Cranberries

1 large yam, peeled and cut into chunks

3/4 cup cranberries

1/2 cup lean ground turkey

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)

Place your yam chunks into a saucepan with just barely enough water to cover.

Add your cranberries and boil until the cranberries have popped and the yams are fork tender.

Add in your ground turkey and continue cooking until the meat is cooked.

Place yams, cranberries and meat into the food processor,

reserving liquid.

Pulse in the food processor for a chunkier consistency or puree to a smooth consistency

using as much liquid as necessary.

*Variations

-Add a clove of garlic to the liquid before cooking

-Substitute chicken 

-Use apple or pear instead of cranberry

-Try adding a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Benefits

Turkey is a great source of protein as well as niacin, vitamin B6 and tryptothan which is an amino acid.

Yams are high in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, calcium and beta-carotene.

A little bit of fat helps the body absorb the beta-carotene so that olive oil might come in handy.

Cranberries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and manganese.

Roasted Turkey with Yams & Cranberries

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few days away?!

I can't either.

Well don't leave your little one out of the festivities!



Today I'll be showing you a roasted version of this dish,
if you so happen to have a breast (or in my case a 1/2 breast)
but tomorrow I'll show you a stovetop version with ground turkey.

As you can see in the first photo,
this is perfect served sliced, in chunks or as a completely smooth puree.
My only advice is that if you make sure the cranberries are mashed or blended
thoroughly into the sweet potato.

Otherwise they'll knock your little's socks right off.
This is in the 8-10 month old section because of the cranberries,
substitute apples or pears and serve this to your 6-8 month old.


Note:  I got sidetracked and forgot to add the cranberries and apple juice to the turkey which is why my pictures are different- oops!

Roasted Turkey with Yam & Cranberries

1/2 turkey breast, mine was a small 1 1/2 lbs
4 large fresh sage leaves, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp olive oil (optional)
3/4 cup cranberries
1/3 cup apple juice
1 large yam or 2 small yams, about 1 1/2 lbs

Preheat your oven to 325°.

Wash your yam and prick it several times with a fork.

Place it on a cookie sheet and stick it in the oven until it's easily pierced with a fork

or the skin begins to look loose.

If your yam isn't done when your turkey is, just remove the turkey 

and turn your oven up to 425° then continue baking until done.

Place your turkey breast in a small baking dish or pan.
I used a 8 x 8 inch pyrex.
Gently loosen the skin from the meat but do not remove.
Mix the garlic, sage and olive oil and smear it on the breast under the skin.
Place in the oven with a piece of foil sitting on top (but not sealed around the edges).
About 30 minutes into your roasting, add your cranberries and apple juice.
Roast until a thermometer, inserted into the thickest part reads 165°.
The time will differ depending on the size.
I'd do a check at about 1 hour 15 minutes and then keep an eye on it.
If for some reason your cranberries start to look dry then add more apple juice.

When the turkey, cranberries and yams are done let them cool a bit.

Slice your turkey and mash your cranberries and yams together for an older child.
or
Dice your turkey and mix it in with the mashed cran-yam.
or
Puree your turkey and crane and mix with fork-mashed yams.
or
Puree all of them together, adding apple juice if needed to reach the desired consistency.




*Variations
-If you have fresh rosemary and/or thyme, that would be perfect
-Onion powder or minced onion would also be good
-You could also do this with chicken breast
-For a sweeter variation (or for younger kids) use apple or pear instead of cranberry

*Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits
Turkey is a great source of protein as well as niacin, vitamin B6 and tryptothan which is an amino acid.

Yams are high in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, calcium and beta-carotene.
A little bit of fat helps the body absorb the beta-carotene so that olive oil might come in handy.

Cranberries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and manganese.

Fuyu Persimmon

We have persimmons coming out our ears these days and they make the perfect baby food.

Naturally sweet these are unique and yet so easy to try.

Today we're using the Fuyu because they can be eaten when they are still firm, just like an apple.

You can eat the skin but for the little we're going to remove it.

Hachiya can only be eaten when completely ripe, to the point of actually being mushy.

I learned this the hard way.

Mine was just soft with a bit of pressure (like a ripe avocado) when I ate a piece.

And then it felt like all the saliva was sucked out of my mouth, it was so incredibly bitter.

So for now we'll stick with the very friendly and sweet Fuyu.

The result is a puree the texture of applesauce without any tartness.

Fuyu Persimmon

Fuyu Persimmon, peeled and cut into smallish chunks

Steam until fork tender.

I have plans for some persimmon pancakes :)

Puree or mash, add water if needed until you reach the desired consistency.

Alternatively you can add them to a pot with a bit of water (I used 1/2 cup for 9 persimmons),

cover with a lid and simmer until fork tender.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Add cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger

-Puree with a bit of coconut milk

-Mix in some minced mint

-Add to grains like oatmeal or quinoa

-Combine with whole milk yogurt or cottage cheese

-Combine with winter quash

-Add chicken, turkey or pork

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Persimmons are high in fiber, vitamins A & C, as well as potassium, manganese, copper and phosphorus.

Have you ever eaten a persimmon?

Cranberry, Prune & Pear

I've been trying to balance out the tartness of cranberries without using sugar

and prunes immediately came to mind.

Originally this puree was just prunes and cranberry and Peanut really liked it.

I mean, he wanted to eat a lot of it.

I started to think that maybe instead of him eating mass quantities of prunes, 

I should add a bit of pear to the mix.

The result is very tasty and super easy.

Don't rule prunes out, they are naturally sweet and good for baby.

I guarantee they are delicious, just give them a try.

You know, I never realized how much sugar goes into cranberry sauce.

I like mine out of the can.

Specifically the jellied kind that still looks like the can when you put it on the plate.

I could eat a can by myself over the course of the evening.

I love it.  Is that weird?

I wonder if I have any in my cupboard?

Anyway, it wasn't until I tried straight simmered cranberries until I started looking to see how much

sugar gets added when you make cranberry sauce.

Crazy!

Cranberry, Prune & Pear

1 cup, packed prunes

1 cup cranberries

3 pears, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

Place your prunes in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover.

Add your cranberries and then add your pears.

Cover your pot and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and

simmer until all the cranberries are popped, and the prunes and pears are fork tender.

Allow to cool for a moment and puree.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, allspice or ginger

-Replace the prunes with unsulfured apricots

-Use apples instead of pears

-Add a little rosemary to thyme

*Storage

-Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Cranberries have tons of antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and manganese.

They are great for the urinary tract as they prevent bacteria from sticking to the lining.

Pears are full of vitamins like C, E, K and B2 as well as potassium and fiber.

Prunes are high in fiber, vitamins A & C, potassium, iron and tons of antioxidants.


Tell me.... how do you like to eat cranberries?
Relish?  Sauce?  In a tart?

Cheese and Veggie Mini "Quiche"

I use the word quiche very loosely here because I feel deep down in my soul that 

quiche requires a crust.

I need a food dictionary.

I'm even willing to say that using bread on the bottom would suffice but without crust

isn't it just baked eggs in a tin.

I thought that Cheese and Veggie Mini Baked Eggs In a Tin was pushing it for a title.

Anyway, I'm really lazy in the mornings.

I'm a night owl.  

I'd say it's residual nighttime wakefulness from years of working until past most peoples bedtimes

but my mom will confirm that I have always been a nighttime person.

Growing up my mom and I could get up in the morning and get ready for school and work

without speaking a word to each other.

So mornings are not the time for me to cook.  Ever.

And we don't even get up until around 8 am.

B's earliest shift starts at 9 and Peanut and I have no reason to do an earlier bedtime/earlier wake time.

I still lag in the morning.

I want to make things ahead that I can heat for Peanut.

He's not big on carbs so anything like pancakes or heavy starches isn't a hit at this point.

Whose child is he anyway?

I called it a very generic Cheese and Veggie Mini Baked Eggs in a Muffin Tin,

instead of cheddar and failed ratatouille (which is what I used- the sauté was a flop 

and I detest wasting food) because you can use absolutely any veggie and cheese combination.

Well that and the fact that failed ratatouille doesn't make a great title either.

It wasn't that the ratatouille was bad, it just wasn't that great.

Uneventful and Peanut wasn't really buying it.

My ratatouille consisted of onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, a little bell pepper,

stewed tomato, thyme and basil.

I marked this recipe for toddlers+ because of the eggs.

It really depends on when you want to introduce eggs.  

Peanut started eating them (as scrambles) around 10 months.

I know people who started their little ones on it far earlier with no problems.

If your little one is not on whole milk yet, fear not, according to the APA

cooking with it is not a problem.

Oh and by the way, add a little salt and pepper and these are perfect for grown-ups,

as you can see by the missing spaces in the picture.

B really liked them.

Cheese and Veggie Mini Quiche

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta (you could also substitute with cottage cheese)

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup shredded cheese (i.e. cheddar, swiss, gruyere, gouda, jack, mozzarella, etc.)

1 cup diced cooked veggies* 

(i.e. spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, onions, asparagus, etc.)

1 tablespoon minced herbs (i.e. basil, thyme, parsley, dill, chives, etc.)

Preheat your oven to 325° F.

*Sauté or steam your veggies.

I like them sautéed in a smudge of extra virgin olive oil until they are tender.

Some veggies like broccoli or asparagus are better steamed.

Put it all in a blender and pulse until everything is in small pieces.

Normally I wouldn't do this but I want all the tiny quiche to have a bit of everything in them.

Spray your mini muffin tin lightly with olive oil and fill each cup.

I used a measuring cup to better control the pouring and make sure I had an even amount of filling.

Bake for about 25 minutes until they are golden.

Allow to cool and dig in!

Judging by the way Peanut was trying to shove them in his mouth-

I'd say these are winners.

The size was perfect for a finger food.

*Variations

Didn't I give you enough already?!

Alright.

-Add meats like chicken, pork or turkey but balance it by adding more flavor in the form of 

onions, garlic or herbs.

-Try adding curry, cumin or white pepper

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Simply defrost and reheat.

You can put a few in the fridge before bed the night before and

 zap in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until warm.

Or you can throw them in the oven to warm through (you could do this frozen as well).

*Benefits

Eggs are a fantastic source of protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids as well as choline, 

lutein, riboflavin, vitamin B12, selenium and lots of other vitamins and minerals.

Milk is packed with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and protein.

Cheese is a great source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, folate, selenium and vitamins A, E, K and D.

Cranberry, Apple & Pumpkin

As a special request from my friend Adrija, I'm spending some time this week working with cranberries!

I love requests, so if you have them, send them on over!

Cranberries are not in the same family as strawberries and are not common as an allergy.
They are full of healthy goodness and lots of pectin which makes a great puree.

The catch is the tartness, I mean, wowza.

This puree still has a hint of tartness but the apple and pumpkin balance it out.
I felt like the apple alone just wasn't enough.

Besides, doesn't this cran-applekin puree just scream fall?

This recipe is easily halved as I do cook in large batches.

I forgot to take pictures of me baking the pumpkin so you'll have to visualize.

Homemade pumpkin puree:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the stem from your pumpkin and cut it in half.
I recently read something that said you don't need to scrape the seeds before hand,
so I left them in.
Place the pumpkins face down and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool, scrape the seeds and stringy part out with a spoon.
This is so easy once it's cooked.
You can keep your seeds for roasting or toss them out.
Puree the soft flesh.

 

Cranberry, Apple & Pumpkin

2 cup pumpkin puree or about 1 roasted pie pumpkin

6 oz or 1 1/2 cup cranberries

4 sweet apples*, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

*Sweet apples as opposed to tart apples include Red or Golden Delicious,

Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp & Ambrosia

Place your cranberries and 1/2 cup apple juice in a medium saucepan over high heat.

Once it comes to a boil reduce to a simmer.

Continue to cook until all the cranberries burst.

As this happens the mixture will begin to thicken,

make sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning the bottom.

Place your cranberries in the food processor to cool.

Rinse your saucepan and add your apples and the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice.

Simmer with the lid on, stirring occasionally until the apples are fork tender.

Add the apples, pumpkin puree and cinnamon and blend to desired consistency.

If you need to, add apple juice to thin your puree.

If you want a chunkier consistency I suggest blending the cranberries and 

mashing the apple and or pumpkin.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Substitue pears or add them to the puree

-Try this with butternut squash, acorn squash or other winter squash

-Add chicken, pork or turkey

-Use pumpkin pie spice, ginger or curry

-Mince fresh herbs like mint or rosemary

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Cranberries are an incredible source of antioxidants as well as fiber, vitamin C, manganese and are great for the urinary tract as it prevent bacteria from sticking to lining.

Apples have lots of fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin,

thiamin, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

Pumpkin is packed with potassium (3 times a banana), beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin,

potassium, phosphorus & calcium.

Lentil Stew

This is a meal for the whole family as all 3 of us had it for dinner.

It's thick enough to stay on a spoon for easy feeding

and perfect for a cold day.

I made a double batch and it was divided with some put in the freezer for later.

I love this dish because it's such a healthy filling food, I feel great about each bite that Peanut takes.

On days that your little one is just too busy to bother with eating,
this is the kind of dish you want them to eat.

A small amount packs a lot of punch.

This is one of those soups (or stew...because it's so thick?) 

that is perfect for cleaning out your refrigerator because you can pretty much throw any veggie in.

I used onions and carrots and it I had celery I would have started with a proper mirepoix.

We had zucchini that needed to be used up so that went in as well.

Add diced tomato (or a can of), winter squash, chopped cauliflower or whatever you have.

Adjust the ingredients to suit your child.

Add any meat of your choice when you are sautéing you veggies.

Lentil Stew

1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked*

4 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock to make this vegetarian or water)

1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 large zucchini, peeled and chopped finely
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt (optional)
cilantro garnish

*Picking over lentils as with any bean just means looking them over for any small pebbles that have found their way in.  I haven't come across any but we might as well look!

Add your olive oil to a large out over medium heat.
When the oil is hot add your onion and carrot and cook until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, give it a stir and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are very tender.

Adding salt is optional, I added about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the pot.
You could also just add a dash of soy sauce to your bowl when eating individually.

I like this served with just a bit cilantro.

Keep as if or puree to desired consistency.

Enjoy!

*Variations
-Add a dollop of plain whole yogurt or sour cream
-Add curry, ground coriander or ginger
-Use other vegetables like eggplant, winter squash, sweet potato or parsnips
-Add chicken, turkey, beef, lamb or extra firm tofu

*Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Benefits
Lentils are loaded with protein, tons of fiber and iron, folate,
tryptophan, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin B.
Oh and unlike beans lentils lack sulfur which means no gas.

Carrots have lots of carotenoids that work as antioxidants, convert to vitamin A, boost the immune system and protect and enhance your eyes.

Onions have antioxidants and good sulfur compounds that help fight cancer and build strong bones and connective tissue.

Zucchini is high in potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, lutein and manganese.

Garlic can practically be called medicinal.  It's an antioxidant, lowers cholesterol, reduces plaque, an anticoagulant, has been known to help the common cold, lowers blood pressure and so much more.

Cumin helps lower allergies and is a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

 Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not something to be afraid of including in baby's diet.  Yes it's a fat but it's also extremely healthy.  EVOO contains phenols that are antioxidants and is mostly a monounsaturated fat which lowers bad cholesterol and raises the good stuff.
It has been proven to lower risk of certain cancers and lower blood pressure.
The first pressing of the olives is the extra virgin, so it retains the most health benefits.

Sweet Carrots

This is one of those super easy recipes that seems almost silly to blog

but it makes a great snack, finger food and puree.

It's basically apple-glazed carrots but I felt that the word glaze makes them sound

sticky, as if there was a, well glaze, which there really isn't.

The liquid in this is thinner, without any extra sugar.

I make a batch, stick it in my refrigerator and use it during the week.

It's good cold or warm and Peanut likes to pick them up himself to munch on.

We both end up snacking on these during the day.

Sweet Carrots

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch coins

1 1/2 cups apple juice

1 1/2 cups water

Put them all in a medium pot or saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until tender.

In hindsight I would have liked to add a pat of butter as it helps baby's body absorb the beta-carotene...

and it tastes so darn good.

In that case, you could just melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in the saucepan 

before adding your liquids.

*Variations

-Spiced sweet carrots: add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 

or any mix of spices like nutmeg or clove

-Gingered sweet carrot:  add a peeled and crushed piece of fresh ginger into the liquid

then discard afar cooking

-Puree:  puree to desired consistency add juice if needed

-Real apple glazed carrots: Saute your carrots in 1 tbs butter, Omit the water, use 1 cup apple juice, add 1 teaspoon honey (or 1 tbs brown sugar) to liquid and cook as directed.

-Add apples to the mix at the end of the cooking process

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to a 5 days

*Benefits

Carrots are packed with different kinds of carotenoids which work as antioxidants, convert to vitamin A,

boost the immune system and protect and enhance your eyes.

Apple Quinoa

We've been getting the most incredible apples in our CSA box,

big, gorgeous, crisp and juicy.

I'm going to have to find out what kind they are.

A while back when I posted Zucchini Quinoa, my friend Elizabeth commented that they like theirs sweet.

She prepares quinoa for her family much like lots of people do oatmeal.

That's when I thought about adding it to apples.

This mixture is more applesauce then quinoa but you could certainly change the ratio 

to make it more of a grain-based meal.

If you have a child that just doesn't want to eat grains,

then use a tad less quinoa and call it chunky applesauce.

For added texture reserve some apples for hand-mashing and then mix them back into the sauce.

Apple Quinoa

4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (I use a melon baller to core my apples)

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup + 1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a small saucepan rinse and drain your 1/2 cup quinoa and then add 1 cup water.

Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid.

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, place your apples and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat and cover.

I'll be honest and say I tend to use medium-high heat as I'm always in a hurry.

Stir occasionally and cook until all the apples are soft, about 7 minutes.

Allow to cool a minute.

Place apples with their liquid into a food processor or blender and puree.

Add your pumpkin pie spice and pulse until blended.

Return puree to saucepan and mix in the quinoa.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Instead of pumpkin pie spice use cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla

-Add minced mint or basil or simmer the apples with a sprig of thyme (remove before blending)

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

The quinoa may continue to soak up the liquid from the apples. 

If this is the case, you may need to add water or unsweetened apple juice 

to bring to the desired consistency.

*Benefits

Quinoa is not actually a grain but a seed and is packed with protein and essential amino acids.

It's far more nutritious then rice and has more calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, 

copper, manganese, fiber and zinc than many other grains.

Apples are loaded with fiber, vitamins C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium,

phosphorus and calcium.