Kody is not particularly fond of cooked spinach or kale (who is, right?!). So, I use the following recipe to get him to eat it more often (a modified version of a similar recipe from the Start Fresh cookbook by Tyler Florence).
Ingredients
1 frozen box of spinach, thawed
1 bunch of kale
2 pears (any kind)
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
2 tbl parmesan cheese
Directions
Wash the kale and pears. Cut the pears in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake them cut-side down on a baking sheet in about 1/4 inch of water at 350 degrees until soft (about 30 minutes). Add the extra virgin olive oil to a skillet and cook the entire bunch a kale until wilted down. Add the spinach and heat through. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes. Combine the kale, spinach, chicken stock, pears, and parmesan cheese in a blender. Serve! Freeze remaining portions in ice cube trays for easy serving later.
Note: If you overdo the greens in proportion to the pears (meaning the combination isn't sweet enough for your little one), add a tablespoon or two of organic applesauce to the greens. Often for an afternoon snack, I'll serve Kody the kale, spinach, pear combination with one to two tablespoons of cottage cheese and one to two tablespoons of applesauce. He loves it!
Happy eating!
Lori
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Jazzed Up Split Pea Soup
Today, I made Kody a jazzed up version of split pea soup. The base recipe is from the Start Fresh cookbook by Tyler Florence, but I changed it a little to be more suitable to Kody's preferences. It is delicious!
Ingredients
1 lb bag of split peas
1 sweet potato
4 slices of bacon
1 cup of whole milk
Parmesan cheese (the real stuff)
Directions
Rinse the split peas, and then add them to five cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the peas are tender (about 1.5 hours). Keep adding water to the pot as the peas simmer to ensure they stay fully covered. While the peas are cooking, dice the sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces and roast in a 400-degree oven until tender, turning once while cooking (about 30 minutes). While the potato is roasting, cook four slices of bacon until crisp. Crumble.
Once the peas are done, put them along with all the cooking liquid in a food processor and pulse until you achieve the consistency your child prefers (you may have to do this step in two batches depending on the size of your food processor). Add the potato and bacon to the food processor and pulse (with the peas). If the soup is too thick to pulse or puree, add enough milk to get things moving.
Return the soup to the pot and add 1 cup of milk (more or less depending on the consistency you are trying to achieve).
Serve with grated parmesan cheese over the top of the soup.
(Another variation is to make the split pea soup as described above, but instead of pureeing the sweet potato and bacon into the soup, you can serve it on top of the soup along with the parmesan cheese).
Happy eating!
Lori
Ingredients
1 lb bag of split peas
1 sweet potato
4 slices of bacon
1 cup of whole milk
Parmesan cheese (the real stuff)
Directions
Rinse the split peas, and then add them to five cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the peas are tender (about 1.5 hours). Keep adding water to the pot as the peas simmer to ensure they stay fully covered. While the peas are cooking, dice the sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces and roast in a 400-degree oven until tender, turning once while cooking (about 30 minutes). While the potato is roasting, cook four slices of bacon until crisp. Crumble.
Once the peas are done, put them along with all the cooking liquid in a food processor and pulse until you achieve the consistency your child prefers (you may have to do this step in two batches depending on the size of your food processor). Add the potato and bacon to the food processor and pulse (with the peas). If the soup is too thick to pulse or puree, add enough milk to get things moving.
Return the soup to the pot and add 1 cup of milk (more or less depending on the consistency you are trying to achieve).
Serve with grated parmesan cheese over the top of the soup.
(Another variation is to make the split pea soup as described above, but instead of pureeing the sweet potato and bacon into the soup, you can serve it on top of the soup along with the parmesan cheese).
Happy eating!
Lori
Monday, October 17, 2011
Start Fresh Cookbook
Many of the recipes I make for Kody come from the Start Fresh cookbook by Tyler Florence. I usually first make the recipes as written in Tyler's book and then tweak them depending on the ingredients I have on hand or based on Kody's reaction to the recipe. Of course, because of copy right issues, I cannot publish the recipes from the cookbook, but I highly recommend it for those of you who are interested. It is full of great, easy, and affordable recipes that are super healthy for your little one (and you!).
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Soup's for Supper
I make this potato soup on a regular basis for me and my husband, Stew, but I recently made it with a couple of tweaks so that Kody could enjoy it as well (minus some of the salt). I received this recipe from my Mom though I have made a couple of modifications to the original recipe. It is so easy and wonderfully delicious. It is the perfect soup to have in the frig or freezer during the fall and winter seasons. As with the majority of my recipes, any time I cook for Kody, I try to use only organic products when they are available, which is the majority of the time at grocery stores such as Whole Foods.
Easy Potato and Leek Soup
Ingredients
8 medium potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (optional since this recipe also has leeks in it)
3 leeks, chopped and rinsed (see note below for cleaning leeks)
10.75 oz can of cream of mushroom (low sodium if you can find it)
10.75 oz can of cream of celery (low sodium if you can find it)
32 oz box of chicken stock (unsalted or low sodium if you can find it)
1 c whole milk
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
celery flakes (optional)
Recipe
Add potatoes to a pot and cover with 1/2 the box of chicken stock (enough to cover the potatoes - use water if you need more liquid). Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender.
While potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add carrots. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the celery. Cook for a couple more minutes, then add the onion and leeks. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1/2 box of chicken stock. Cook until vegetables are tender. Once the potatoes are tender, add them and the cooking liquid to the vegetables. Stir in both cans of soup. Add the milk. If desired, add a pinch of celery flakes (these flakes are strongly-flavored so add them a little at a time to taste). Add a little more salt and pepper to taste, but remember that this is for a baby or toddler so the salt content should be very low. Simmer for about 20 minutes to let all the flavors incorporate.
When the soup is cooked, use a food processor to blend it up to make it more suitable for little ones. I do this for Stew and me as well - makes the soup very creamy! Freeze in appropriately-sized containers for future meals! If the soup is too thick for your little one after it has been chilled or frozen, just add a little milk to it before you heat it up. If your toddler would like it, add a couple crushed up oyster crackers to the soup just before serving.
Note: Leeks get sand and dirt trapped in their layers so it is imperative to clean them well. This is very easy to do and ensures you will not bite into sand or dirt when eating your soup, which is very unappetizing! I have personally found that the best method to clean leeks is to chop them into small pieces first and then clean them. I know others clean them first and then chop them, but I have never been able to clean them well enough this way (I suspect I wasn't doing it correctly though...). To follow my method, cut the green tops off the leek and discard them, slice the leek down the middle so that you have two long pieces, then chop the two long pieces into small bite-sized pieces. To clean them, fill a large bowl with water and add the chopped leeks to the water. Note that you may need to clean the leeks in two batches depending on the size of your bowl. Separate the leek layers with your fingers, swish them around the water a little to release the sand and dirt, and let them rest in the water for a few minutes. To remove them, use a sieve to gently lift them out of the water and transfer them to a plate with a couple of paper towels. The trick here is to not stir up the sand and dirt that has settled at the bottom of the bowl.
Happy eating!
Easy Potato and Leek Soup
Ingredients
8 medium potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (optional since this recipe also has leeks in it)
3 leeks, chopped and rinsed (see note below for cleaning leeks)
10.75 oz can of cream of mushroom (low sodium if you can find it)
10.75 oz can of cream of celery (low sodium if you can find it)
32 oz box of chicken stock (unsalted or low sodium if you can find it)
1 c whole milk
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
celery flakes (optional)
Recipe
Add potatoes to a pot and cover with 1/2 the box of chicken stock (enough to cover the potatoes - use water if you need more liquid). Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until tender.
While potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add carrots. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the celery. Cook for a couple more minutes, then add the onion and leeks. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1/2 box of chicken stock. Cook until vegetables are tender. Once the potatoes are tender, add them and the cooking liquid to the vegetables. Stir in both cans of soup. Add the milk. If desired, add a pinch of celery flakes (these flakes are strongly-flavored so add them a little at a time to taste). Add a little more salt and pepper to taste, but remember that this is for a baby or toddler so the salt content should be very low. Simmer for about 20 minutes to let all the flavors incorporate.
When the soup is cooked, use a food processor to blend it up to make it more suitable for little ones. I do this for Stew and me as well - makes the soup very creamy! Freeze in appropriately-sized containers for future meals! If the soup is too thick for your little one after it has been chilled or frozen, just add a little milk to it before you heat it up. If your toddler would like it, add a couple crushed up oyster crackers to the soup just before serving.
Note: Leeks get sand and dirt trapped in their layers so it is imperative to clean them well. This is very easy to do and ensures you will not bite into sand or dirt when eating your soup, which is very unappetizing! I have personally found that the best method to clean leeks is to chop them into small pieces first and then clean them. I know others clean them first and then chop them, but I have never been able to clean them well enough this way (I suspect I wasn't doing it correctly though...). To follow my method, cut the green tops off the leek and discard them, slice the leek down the middle so that you have two long pieces, then chop the two long pieces into small bite-sized pieces. To clean them, fill a large bowl with water and add the chopped leeks to the water. Note that you may need to clean the leeks in two batches depending on the size of your bowl. Separate the leek layers with your fingers, swish them around the water a little to release the sand and dirt, and let them rest in the water for a few minutes. To remove them, use a sieve to gently lift them out of the water and transfer them to a plate with a couple of paper towels. The trick here is to not stir up the sand and dirt that has settled at the bottom of the bowl.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Weekend's Eating Adventures
This weekend, Kody ate like a king! He had whole wheat pasta shells with meat sauce, potato soup, and chicken with coconut lime rice. I also made him a chicken and kale risotto dish that he has really liked in the past. Here's the recipe for the meat sauce.
Meat Sauce
I like to use the recipe for Italian-American Meat Sauce from the Lidia's Italy website and then modify it depending on what I have on hand or how much I want to make. I have made this recipe exactly as written, and it is delicious! However, other variations of it, like the one below, have been very good as well.
Ingredients
3 14.5-oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced (can add more if you'd like)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 Italian sausage, casing removed
salt
pepper
1/2 good-quality dry white wine (the original recipe calls for dry, but I have made this with a sweeter white wine, and it tasted great)
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or to taste)
2 cups hot water
Recipe
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil around the bottom of a large heavy cooking pot. Set heat to medium. After a minute or so, add the onions and saute until slightly golden. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add ground beef and sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Add a little salt and pepper to season the meat and veggies. Once the meat is fully cooked and there is no residual water in the pot from the meat, turn up the heat, add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pot. Once the wine has mostly evaporated, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Stir until the tomato paste has been dissolved. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste (remember, you are making this for a toddler so you don't need to add too much salt!). Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1.5 - 2 hours (the sauce will darken). Add hot water 1/2 cup at a time to keep the fliud level the same over the simmer period.
I cooked medium whole wheat pasta shells and added a little sauce to them for Kody's dinner. I also grated a good quality parmesan cheese over his meal. I like to use a microplane for grating fresh cheese for babies or toddlers because the pieces come out smaller than when I use a regular box grater. I freeze my sauce in appropriately-proportioned containers so that it is easy to use any day of the week. The recommendation from the website mentioned above is to freeze for up to three months.
Happy eating!
Meat Sauce
I like to use the recipe for Italian-American Meat Sauce from the Lidia's Italy website and then modify it depending on what I have on hand or how much I want to make. I have made this recipe exactly as written, and it is delicious! However, other variations of it, like the one below, have been very good as well.
Ingredients
3 14.5-oz cans fire-roasted tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced (can add more if you'd like)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 Italian sausage, casing removed
salt
pepper
1/2 good-quality dry white wine (the original recipe calls for dry, but I have made this with a sweeter white wine, and it tasted great)
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or to taste)
2 cups hot water
Recipe
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil around the bottom of a large heavy cooking pot. Set heat to medium. After a minute or so, add the onions and saute until slightly golden. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add ground beef and sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Add a little salt and pepper to season the meat and veggies. Once the meat is fully cooked and there is no residual water in the pot from the meat, turn up the heat, add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pot. Once the wine has mostly evaporated, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Stir until the tomato paste has been dissolved. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste (remember, you are making this for a toddler so you don't need to add too much salt!). Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1.5 - 2 hours (the sauce will darken). Add hot water 1/2 cup at a time to keep the fliud level the same over the simmer period.
I cooked medium whole wheat pasta shells and added a little sauce to them for Kody's dinner. I also grated a good quality parmesan cheese over his meal. I like to use a microplane for grating fresh cheese for babies or toddlers because the pieces come out smaller than when I use a regular box grater. I freeze my sauce in appropriately-proportioned containers so that it is easy to use any day of the week. The recommendation from the website mentioned above is to freeze for up to three months.
Happy eating!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Beginning
After much contemplating, I have decided to start a blog about making baby food thanks to my newly found passion for making my son's food. I have never been much of a blog follower, with the exception of one or two; however, I guess writing a blog is different than following one. For those who are interested, I will be posting recipes and other tidbits about my adventures in making baby food. Please feel free to try any of the recipes I post.
Lori
Lori
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