The Baby Foodie

Sautéed Veggies with Rice

 

This recipe can vary depending on what veggies you have available and your child's taste. 

1.  Prep your vegetables by washing, trimming tough parts, and chopping into small pieces.  I left a bit of the skin on my zucchini because i was preparing this for an older infant.  For new eaters please remove all skins, seeds and tough parts. I chose carrots, zucchini and mushrooms.

2.  Saute lightly in a small amount of olive oil until tender.

3. Transfer to a blender

4.  There is no science to the measurements just use your best judgment and your knowledge of your child's taste and age.

5.  Add a scoop of brown rice.  If you do not have some already prepared brown rice you can use brown rice cereal just be sure to mix the cereal first then add to the blender.  I have found that when you add the dry flakes directly to the blender with the veggies you then have to figure out how much water to add and it just doesn't seem to blend as smooth.

6.  Add a tablespoon of cream cheese, it just makes it blend easily and gives it a smoother consistency.

7.  Cool and you are ready to serve or freeze.

Add Ons

-Herbs: maybe a dash of oregano or thyme

- Sour cream or another smooth cheese

-A few diced pieces of chicken

     

Cloth Napkins

Here is a picture of my baby boys first set of cloth napkins.  A 1st birthday present from his Granna, a devoted cloth napkins user.  I mean growing up she used to try to put them in my lunch box for school, not exactly the 'cool' thing to do in the 80's.  She had such a good time at the fabric store picking out the patterns that she couldn't stop and made him about 20 of them, I'm not complaining that just means more time between washes.

Reasons to Use and Love Cloth Napkins 

• If you have ever fed a baby or toddler you know how messy it can get, cloth napkins are super absorbent, can be used like a wash cloth and don't fall apart
• They are Eco-friendly
• They are cheaper then buying a garage full of paper towels
• They can be made in lots of pretty colors and patterns
• They wash easily
• Lets face it they just work better

You can of course buy cloth napkins but if you can sew a straight line or have a good pair of pinking shears you can make them yourself.  These are hemmed around the edges but you could just cut a square of fabric with the pinking shears and that would work just fine.  They may fall apart faster but you should still get several years out of them.  

Cloth Napkins

Here is a picture of my baby boys first set of cloth napkins.  A 1st birthday present from his Granna, a devoted cloth napkins user.  I mean growing up she used to try to put them in my lunch box for school, not exactly the 'cool' thing to do in the 80's.  She had such a good time at the fabric store picking out the patterns that she couldn't stop and made him about 20 of them, I'm not complaining that just means more time between washes.

Reasons to Use and Love Cloth Napkins 

• If you have ever fed a baby or toddler you know how messy it can get, cloth napkins are super absorbent, can be used like a wash cloth and don't fall apart
• They are Eco-friendly
• They are cheaper then buying a garage full of paper towels
• They can be made in lots of pretty colors and patterns
• They wash easily
• Lets face it they just work better

You can of course buy cloth napkins but if you can sew a straight line or have a good pair of pinking shears you can make them yourself.  These are hemmed around the edges but you could just cut a square of fabric with the pinking shears and that would work just fine.  They may fall apart faster but you should still get several years out of them.  

Veggie Fritters From Leftovers

I am a leftovers queen and I love the idea of creating something new from last nights dinner.

These Veggie Fritters are pretty basic, you will need some leftover mashed potatoes, an egg and whatever veggies you want to add or need to use up before they go bad.

The Method

•  
• Dump the leftover mashed potatoes in a bowl -about 1 to 2 cups will do
• Grate vegetables right into the mash potato mixture ( I used a carrot and chives but zucchini, squash or any veggie will do)
• added a handful of homemade bread crumbs and stir together

This is the part where you will just have to let your creativity fly.  Add herbs or cheese whatever you think your little one will enjoy.

Then fry them up in a little veg. oil.  Try to keep them small little pancakes size so that they are easy to handle.  Fry until they are a nice golden brown then lay on some paper towels to soak up the extra oil.

Let them cool and then they are ready to serve.  If you add some sliced fruit or a side of your choice you have a nice little meal or they make a nice snack.  

 

Family Recipe: Greek Spinach/Chard Pie

O.K this is a basic spinach pie recipe and you can find about 1000 of them online.  I sort of followed this recipe from cooks.com but i omitted 1 egg, used green onions instead of white and replaced the spinach with swiss chard and added fresh oregano.  It was a big hit and my 1 year old loved it!  This was my first time working with phylo dough and it was  kind of fun.  I can see how you can use it in a number of different ways.  We plan on making a onion tart, and  a pot pie with a phylo top crust in the future.  I served it with a fruit salad and it was a fresh summer dinner.   GREEK SPINACH PIE

7-8 cups blanched spinach 1 madium onion 1/2 lb. butter 6 large eggs 2 lbs. ricotta or cottage cheese 1/2 - 1 lb. crumbled Feta cheese salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 lb. filo dough (thawed if frozen) Chop spinach and dice onion. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan and sauté onions until soft. Add spinach, then cook over medium-high heat until all moisture is evaporated. Remove from heat. Melt remaining butter in a small pan. Beat eggs and stir in cheeses. Add spinach mixture; season with salt and pepper. Gently spread the filo dough out flat and cover with a moistened towel so that the separate sheets don't dry out. Butter a 15x10-inch baking pan 2-inch deep. Place a sheet of dough on the bottom of the pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Continue layering sheets of dough, buttering each until there are 10 sheets. Spread spinach mixture evenly on top and stack with another 10 sheets, buttering them as before. Bake in a preheated oven 375°F for 15 minutes; reduce to 350°F for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Breakfast Banana Bites

 O.K so the original plan was to post 2 new dinner recipes but you will just have to wait on those, my little one has come down with an ear infections, which of course means that all my well intended plans have been tossed out the window to better meet his needs or screams.  I will however say that you will completely enjoy these little breakfast bites and so will your little one.

Pancake Batter:

You can of course use store bought pancake batter for this recipe but be aware that some of the top brands have some questionable ingredients.  This is the recipe I use for basic pancakes.

1 Egg

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or the powdered kind)

2 Tbsp. Veg. oil or shortening

1 1/4 cups Flour (if you want a whole wheat pancake try the King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Optional:  You can add 1 Tbsp sugar if you are making for the whole family and older children.  I also like to add a splash of vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon

Blend egg, milk and oil.  Blend dry ingredients together.  Add liquids: stir until moistened- set aside.

Cut a banana or several if you want a lot of little bites,  on the diagonal so that you end up with nice sized slices.  Dip the banana in the batter and fry on a hot griddle.  Brown on both sides.  Serve with a side of fruit or with syrup- but I don't think they need any more sweetness.  

You will have left over pancake batter, this recipe is for 16 4" pancakes so you can either make lots of banana bites or just make up some pancakes.  I find that left over pancakes last alright in the fridge and my son likes them reheated and cut into little bite sized pieces for a snack or breakfast.  I have never tried it but you could probably batter sliced peaches and try frying those.  

 

Family Recipe: Summer Vegetable Hash and Baby Food Version

Family recipes will be recipes I have made for the whole family including my little guy.  I will post the original recipe and let you know what I did to make it baby food appropriate.  Now that Jasper is eating more variety it is easier to modify our dinner to fit his needs.  

We will thank Martha Stewart for the original recipe, I made it last night and it was very tasty. 

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half (8 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces small red potatoes, boiled, halved or quartered
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 jalapeno chile, stem, ribs, and seeds removed, minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1 cup yellow or red cherry tomatoes (4 ounces), halved
• 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram (roughly chopped if large)

Directions

1. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
2. Add 2 teaspoons oil and the potatoes to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes; transfer to a small bowl.
3. Add remaining teaspoon oil, the corn, 2 tablespoons scallion, and the jalapeno to skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn turns dark brown in spots, about 2 minutes (some kernels may pop). Add tomatoes, and cook until skins just begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add stock, salt, pepper, and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Fold in reserved potatoes, and sprinkle with marjoram and remaining 2 tablespoons scallion.

I followed the recipe for the most part, I did add a purple potato for color and I used more scallions in ours.  I served it with a cheese quesadilla and some hot sauce.

Baby Food Version

1.  Set aside 1 scoop of the cooked potatoes and chicken

2.  Saute a handful of the fresh corn in a bit of olive oil with a pinch of scallions until the corn gets a bit golden.

3. Add 4 cherry tomatoes, halved and saute until soft 1-2 minutes

4.  Add in potatoes, chicken, and a 1/4 cup of water to simmer

5.  Add a pinch of Marjoram or other herb, such as basil or thyme.

6.  Blend in a food processor to desired consistency.  If you want a creamer texture add  a teaspoon of sour cream.  

This recipe is appropriate for a baby with some teeth 9 months and up

Winter Squash with Spices

Step 1:  Rinse the outside of your squash, I use acorn and butternut but just about any hard squash will work for this recipe, including pumpkin.

 

Step 2: Slice the squash down the middle lengthwise, this may take some work and a big knife.     

 

Step 3:  Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers, I use a spoon for this.

 

Step 4 (optional):  You can at this point use a vegetable peeler to remove the outside skin, this will make it easier to blend in some ways but it may also get tough spots during baking.  I like to leave the skin on during baking in hope that some of the vitamins from the skin will go into the meat of the squash.

 

Step 5:  Place them face down (meat side down) in a baking dish with about 1 inch of water      

 

Step 6: Bake on 400 degrees for around 40 minutes, or until the skin starts to look puckered and it is soft when you squeeze it.

 

Step 7: Let them cool so that you can easily handle them ( I of course don’t do this and have to use a paper towel to hold them as you can see in the picture)

 

Step 8:  Scoop out the meat into your blender of your choice.    

 

Step 9: (optional)  Add a dash of cinnamon and ground ginger.  If you have fresh nutmeg add a little grate as well.  The amount of spices you use depends upon the amount of squash you are pureeing and your babies taste.  In the beginning just as a little dash will do and as you learn their preferences add a bit more.   

 

Storing:  I scoop the puree into clean icecube trays, freeze them, then transfer to a baggie.  

Spices should be added to your babies diet in the same way fruits and vegetables are, one at a time, so that you can watch for a reaction.