Eliana Approved Vegetable Casserole

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I got years ago from my friend Amy’s mom, Debbie. Debbie uses spinach and her version is super yummy. Over the years I’ve played around with it by changing up the vegetables, adding a topping and using egg whites instead of whole eggs.

Here it is:

Vegetable Casserole

- 2 10-ounce boxes of frozen vegetables ie: spinach, broccoli, lima beans

- ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs, plus a small handful more for topping

- ½ cup chopped yellow onion

- 3 egg whites (or two whole eggs)- blended with a fork or whisked

- 3 tablespoons melted butter- unsalted

- ¾-1 cup grated Parmesan or Locatelli cheese or a combination of the two, plus a small handful more for topping

- ½ teaspoon garlic powder

- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

- ¾-1 teaspoon salt

- ½ teaspoon black pepper

Saute onions until yellow. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Cook frozen vegetables according to packaging and drain them well. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into a 9 inch by 9 inch baking dish. Mix leftover breadcrumbs and cheese and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake at 365 for around 25 minutes. 

And here is a video of Eliana enjoying the casserole. Think she liked it?

Happy Cooking!

Wearing Mommy's Lipstick?

Clap, clap for beets and yogurt.

No, Silly! It's just the roasted beet sticks  my Mommy pureed and mixed with Greek yogurt for my breakfast. Yummy!

Tofu Two Ways

Since we had been traveling last week, the fridge was pretty empty yesterday. I defrosted some peaches and roasted beets for Eliana to have some fruit and veggies and we shared some oatmeal for breakfast. But, she needed some protein for her lunch. The fridge was so bare we didn’t even have eggs. But, we did have a container of tofu. Hmm. My friend Katy, mom to 11-month-old Joe, gives him tofu right out of the container. I can do that. But, I also saw a recipe Giadia de Laurentiis did recently on the Cooking Channel where she grilled tofu. I’d never tried that before. For being mostly vegetarian for around 20 years (I eat fish, too) I’m pretty boring when it comes to cooking tofu. It kind of scares me. So, I usually just bake it to go with stir frys. But, my Little Love needed protein and I had no time for that lengthy process. So, I got over it and got cooking! I felt very chef-like when the idea to prepare it two ways hit me. Hey, they do it in restaurants with meats and fish so why couldn’t I do it too?

Here’s the recipe below:

Tofu Two Ways

-¼ block of tofu- cut into two halves

-½ lemon

-Olive oil, garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste
**Taste the tofu first. Some tofu blocks are totally plain and in desperate need of salt. Some are already a bit salted and don't need any extra.**

First Preparation: Cut one tofu piece into small cubes. Sprinkle with a touch of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss and set aside.

Second Preparation: Place tofu piece inside paper towels and press down to drain excess water. Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Wisk. Pour into a small re-sealable sandwich bag and add tofu piece. Seal bag and swish around so it is covered with marinade. Let sit around 10 minutes. Flip and let marinate on the other side for 10 more minutes. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Spray with a touch of cooking spray. Cook tofu for 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool slightly. Cut into small chunks and serve.

Fancy presentation for my double preparation.

"Clap clap" for tofu! (Clapping is her newest "trick.")

Happy Cooking!

Sweet and Spicy Apple Sticks

Apples are one of Eliana's favorite foods. They have been since she first tasted them at 4 months old. Because of that, I tend to use applesauce as a base from which to play around with different combinations and flavors. I end up with things like Sweet and Spicy Apple-Carrot Puree or Apple-Spinach Puree or even my "mistake" Applesauce with Kale-Potato Puree. (Here's the recipe for the Kale-Potato Puree.) These creations are fun to make but, as you know from reading my posts recently, Eliana is much more excited to feed herself than to be fed. She is very independent. Also, I want to encourage her fine motor skills, so I'm giving her more finger foods to help her strengthen those muscles. Since she loves apples, what would be better than making apples into a finger food?  So, the other day I tried cutting them into sticks and steaming them. I figured that if they didn't work as a finger food, I could always turn them into a batch of applesauce.

I hadn't planned on spicing them up at all because apples are yummy by themselves. But, once they cooked, I couldn't help myself. Since apples aren't technically in season, they needed a little sprucing up. And, okay I will confess, I love to see Eliana's reactions as I give her kooky-seeming flavor combinations. So, I sprinkled on the cinnamon and chili powder and put some in a little container to take with us on our lunch date with our friends Meghan and Miles.

And you know what? Steamed apple sticks made a perfect finger food. Eliana even shared some with Miles.

On our lunch date!
(Meghan and I were quite proud of ourselves for making it happen.)

Here's the recipe:

Sweet and Spicy Apple Sticks

- 1 Organic apple (Gala or Fuji), peeled and cut into ½ inch sticks

- Cinnamon and chili powder to taste

Steam* apple sticks until tender- around 7-10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and add cinnamon and chili powder to taste. Toss and let cool slightly before serving to baby.

*If you don't have a steamer (I cheat and use my Beaba Babycook), you can put the apple sticks into a small pot with around ¼ cup of water. Simmer for around 5 minutes until apples are tender.

Happy Cooking!

Potato Leek Soup with Quinoa

I made this soup for Eliana when she was around 7 months old and froze some of it for later. Now at 10 months old, Eliana prefers to feed herself rather than allow me to spoon-feed her. And you know I’ve barely let her hold the spoon to practice using one! (I’m absolutely getting better at reforming my crazy Helicopter Mommy tendencies. But, there is only so much progress I can make at this point.) So, since she prefers finger foods, I’ve been working on ways to make soups and purees into something she can handle. Today I was inspired to try using quinoa for texture. I mixed it with the warmed soup and Eliana loved it! Here’s the soup recipe. It was still easier for her to eat the mixture off the spoon, but she got to play with it on her tray and did get some of it into her mouth.

Quinoa is yummy!

Potato Leek Soup with Fennel
-2 organic Russet potatoes, skin on, chopped
- 4 large leeks, white parts only, chopped
-1 small bulb of fennel, white parts only, chopped
-1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Sauté leeks, fennel and a pinch of salt for around 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring heat up to a boil for 5 more minutes. Simmer mixture for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Blend and season with salt and pepper.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

I do let her practice with the spoon. For about 1.5 seconds at a time before I snatch it back.

Don't mess with me, Woman! That was MY spoon.

Happy Cooking!

Baby Food Recipes 4/16/12

Here are some current recipes:

 White Bean Hummus with Spinach

-1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

-1 handful organic baby spinach

-Chopped garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper to taste

-Juice of one lemon

Put beans, spinach, garlic, olive oil and half of lemon juice in blender and blend until smooth. If needed, add more olive oil or lemon juice to make it creamier. Add salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Blend again. Adjust seasonings and olive oil/ lemon juice as needed. Serve alone or on wheat toast.

I tried dipping a baby carrot in the hummus and handing it to Eliana because I assumed she would just lick it off. Nope. It just got all over her hands, face and hair instead.

Pureed Peaches

-1 cup organic peaches, thawed if frozen

Puree until only a few small chunks are left.

The chunks of peaches would have been great if Eliana had been able to pick them up. But, they were way too slippery. She loved it so much she actually allowed me to feed it to her on the spoon. I think she realized that was the only way it would get into her mouth!

These peaches are so good. If only I knew how to lick them off my chin.

But I do know how to stick my whole hand in my mouth for more peachy goodness!

Sweet and Spicy Apple-Carrot Puree

-2 organic apples, peeled and chopped

-3-4 baby carrots, chopped

-Cinnamon and chili powder to taste

Steam apples and carrots, reserving some of the liquid. Puree and add liquid as needed. Add cinnamon and chili powder to taste. Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Variations: Mix with oatmeal or cottage cheese, or serve on toast.

I know this sounds like a wacky combination, but she loved it! Even the kick of the chili powder!

Mmm- sweet and spicy.

Happy Cooking!

Baby Food Recipes 3/31/12

Here are the recipes for some of the new foods Eliana has been eating lately. I’m still mashing food (as opposed to pureeing it) by putting it in the food processor, so there are still small chunks for her to pick up.

Roasted Beet Sticks

- Medium beets with skin on

Cover beets individually with tin foil. Place in roasting pan and roast at 400 for around 30 minutes depending on their size. Let beets cool before touching them. Unwrap them and peel. The peel will come off easily in your hands. Then cut into 1/2 inch thick sticks. Can serve either warm or cold to baby. 

What is this tasty thing?

Vampire Baby

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Spinach

- 1 sweet potato, scrubbed with skin on

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 1/8 teaspoon chopped garlic  

- 1 handful organic baby spinach, washed and patted dry

- ¼ cup part-skim ricotta (room temperature)

- 1/8 cup shredded parmesan (room temperature)

- ¼ tablespoon unsalted butter (room temperature)

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon and olive oil to taste

Bake sweet potato at 375 for an hour or until tender. Let rest until it can be held. Heat olive oil on medium heat and sauté onions with a dash of salt for around 3-4 minutes until they begin to turn yellow. Add garlic, stir and cook another minute. Add spinach, and some of the salt, pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Stir and cook around a minute until spinach is bright green. Set aside. Put ricotta, parmesan, butter and rest of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and cinnamon into a blender. Add onion mixture and puree on high until smooth. Cut open sweet potato and scoop out flesh and put into a small bowl. Add pureed mixture and mix with a large rubber spoon.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

She LOVED the sweet potato mixture.  

Broccolette-Ricotta-Cumin Puree 

- 1 cup chopped broccolette

- Around ¼ cup ricotta

- Cumin, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic to taste

- Reserved cooking liquid

Steam garlic and broccolette. Add a bit of cooking liquid, the ricotta, salt, pepper and cumin and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings, liquid and ricotta as desired.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.
Since Eliana hasn't really been letting me feed her, it is hard to give her something pureed. I've gotten around it by spreading purees on toast or mashing them with brown rice.

Very tasty despite how it looks.

Food as a tasty and nutritious finger paint.

Baked Tofu with Asian Marinade

- 1 container extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

The following ingredients to taste:

- Grated fresh ginger

- Low sodium soy sauce or Tamari

- Toasted sesame oil

- Safflower oil

- Chinese 5 spice

- Dijon mustard

- Orange juice

- Shaoxing Hua Diao cooking wine or Rice wine (the alcohol will cook off in the oven but it can be omitted or replaced with white grape juice)

Press the tofu to drain out the excess water. Begin by cutting it down the middle lengthwise. Then place the two halves side by side on top of a plate lined with paper towels. Cover the tofu with more paper towels and another plate. Then put heavy books on top of the plate to press out the excess water in the tofu. I like to leave it for up to 3 hours but no less than 40 minutes. In a medium bowl, add the rest of the ingredients whisking and tasting often to adjust flavors to your liking. After the tofu is pressed, cut into ½ inch strips. Place in a large zip top bag with the marinade and shake the bag so the marinade covers the tofu. Marinate the tofu in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Shake off marinade and place tofu strips on the baking sheet. Keep the marinade to spoon over the tofu after it is cooked. Bake tofu for 20 minutes, turning once. Heat the marinade in a small saucepan on medium heat for around 5 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving to baby. 

Happy Cooking!

Baby Food Recipes 3/5/12

Lately, I’ve begun leaving even more small chunks in Eliana's food- but I’m still calling them purees for lack of a better description. (If you have any ideas for what to call this, please leave a comment after this post.)  At this point, Eliana just assumes she should eat whatever Matt and I are eating. Organic, seasonal and pureed, or not! She will look at our food and make a sort of demanding and questioning, “Eh!?” sound as if to say, “And where’s mine?” For that reason, we’ve been letting her lick more of different types of foods even if it's just for a taste. 

My daddy thought he would eat this Cara Cara orange by himself. Silly Daddy!

Forget Butterfinger. Nobody better lay a finger on my asparagus! 

Here are some more of the recipes I’ve made for Eliana over the last few weeks.

Lentil Puree

-½ cup dried lentils (rinsed and drained)

-Olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

-Reserved cooking liquid

Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lentils and boil for two minutes. Then let simmer until tender- around an hour. Drain and reserve some liquid in case you need it for pureeing. Add lentils, olive oil, salt and pepper to blender and puree. Add cooking liquid as needed to loosen mixture.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Lentil puree with a little bit of fried egg whites. 

Applesauce with Kale-Potato Puree

I came upon this one by mistake. I had intended to give her the applesauce in some bites and the kale and potato puree in other bites. Since it was mixing together in her spoon, I tasted them together and the combination was really tasty. (I had to make sure it was good because I wouldn't give her anything to eat that I wouldn't eat myself. Well, except for meat- but that is a whole other conversation.) So, I mixed the two and she ate it up. And, it gave me ideas of how to make tastier and healthier potato pancakes in the future!

-Mix 2 parts applesauce to 1 part warmed kale and potato puree.

Apple-Spinach Puree

Much tastier than it looks!

-1 apple, peeled and chopped (not a Granny Smith)

-1 handful of spinach leaves

-Juice of ½ lemon

Steam apple and spinach together. Blend and add lemon juice. Mix.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Variation: Add cinnamon with or without lemon juice.

And even tastier with a teething ring.

Apple-Banana Puree

-1 Fuji apple peeled and chopped

-½ banana, chopped

-Few shakes of cinnamon

-Around ¼ cup of water

Put apple, cinnamon and about half the water in a small pot on medium heat and bring up to a simmer. Stir. Let simmer around 4 or 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level so the mixture does not burn. Add banana and stir.  Continue to cook another 1-2 minutes. Add more water as needed so there is always some liquid on the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat and stir. Mash with a fork or puree in a blender.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Variations: Substitute fresh nutmeg for cinnamon. Add Greek yogurt and/or oatmeal. 

Using her travel seat at Grandma Lauren's and Grandpa Pat's in Florida.

I'm in charge of the spoon!

I've also been making her a lot of egg whites that I fry in olive oil and cook a bit longer than I would typically so there are no undercooked parts. I crack them into a bowl, whisk them, add a bit of salt and pepper and sometimes Parmesan cheese. Then I fry them in olive oil or olive oil cooking spray. I also peel off the skin that forms because I worry about it being a choking hazard like the skin on a blueberry or apple. I use egg whites and Parmesan cheese just because it is what I make for myself and Eliana began trying to get them off my plate about a two months ago. I break or cut it into small pieces, around the size of her fingernail, before giving it to her. 

I make her French toast too which, again, I cook a bit longer than probably necessary so all the egg is cooked through. 

French Toast

-2 egg whites and 1 whole egg

-1 slice of whole wheat bread

-Vanilla extract to taste

-1 tablespoon of milk (I use skim because that’s what we keep in the house but use whatever you prefer)

-Cooking spray or butter

Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla in a bowl and pour into a square baking dish. Let bread soak in mixture for 5 minutes per side. On a griddle or in a large non-stick pan, heat cooking spray or butter on medium heat. Shake excess egg mixture off bread and cook for 4-5 minutes per side.

Cut into pieces around the size of baby’s fingernail before serving to baby.

My plate before I broke up small pieces for Eliana.

Hey! You got any more of that?

Happy Cooking!

Baby Food Recipes 2/20/12

Here are some more of the recipes I’ve made for Eliana in the last few weeks:

Zucchini Puree

- 1 organic zucchini sliced or chopped

-  Olive oil, chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add zucchini and a pinch of salt and stir. Add garlic and pinch of pepper. Stir and let cook around 4 or 5 minutes till tender but not mushy. Blend.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Kale-Potato Puree

- ½ small organic potato- chopped (any kind except sweet potato- leave skin on)

- ¼ small yellow onion- chopped

- Several leaves of organic purple or green kale- stalk removed- roughly chopped or torn

- Olive oil, chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Steam potato and set aside. Steam kale and set aside. Heat olive oil in pan on low-medium heat and add onion, garlic and salt. Cook until golden- around 4 minutes. Combine all ingredients and blend.

  Let cool slightly before serving to baby. 

My daddy likes to call this photo: Kale and Potato Goatee

Blueberry Puree

- 1 cup frozen, organic blueberries, thawed

-  ¼ cup orange juice (or other juice with no sugar added) for sweetness (if needed)

Puree blueberries. If tart, add juice as needed for a bit of sweetness. 

Variation: Mix with oatmeal or yogurt.

My hands got stained while making it.

So why was I surprised that her lips were purple for a day?

I had dressed her in all black. Didn't anticipate eating (and staining) the strap though. Oops!

Happy Cooking!

Baby Food Recipes 2/8/12

Here are some recipes I've made for Eliana lately. 

Sweet Pea Puree

Sweet Pea Puree

- 1 cup frozen organic peas-thawed

- Pinch of salt and pepper

Steam peas. Puree and add salt and pepper.
Let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Hmm, I might like these. (1st day she tried them.)

No! I don't like peas! (2nd day.)

This next recipe is a variation of a soup recipe my friend Lara's mom makes. Lara's mom, Dalal, is an amazing cook. In high school and college my friends and I could always count on Lara's fridge to be full of yummy Lebanese food at any time of day. (Thanks, Dalal!)

Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup (inspired by Dalal’s recipe)

-  2 bunches organic Swiss chard (rainbow or regular), chopped

-1 onion, chopped

- ½ cup dried lentils (rinsed and drained)

- 1 cup large whole wheat couscous

- Olive oil, chopped garlic, salt and pepper

Clean Swiss chard by putting it, chopped, into a large bowl of cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes. Drain and repeat until there is no soot at the bottom of the bowl. Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté onions and garlic with a little bit of salt. Add water and Swiss chard, cover and bring to a boil on high heat. (Add the same amount of water you’d use to cook pasta.) Add lentils and boil for two minutes. Then, let simmer for about an hour, covered, on low-medium to low heat. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add couscous and cook 8 minutes. Puree and let cool slightly before serving to baby.

Swiss Chard Soup

Mmmm!

Trout is tasty!

Pan-Fried Trout -recipe by Anne Burrell

I made this recipe as directed for dinner for me and Matt. Then broke up tiny pieces of it the next morning for Eliana. She's now an official "pescatarian." 

The trout. I broke it into small pieces as I fed it to her. 

Still her favorite part of any meal: her sippy cup of water.

Happy Cooking!