Category: Recipes

Banana Bread

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This nut-free banana bread is sweetened with agave and applesauce and has no added oil. Perfect for babies and toddlers, in other words, but big kids love it, too!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance butter
  • 2 tablespoons thawed apple juice concentrate
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ripe bananas
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Pour the applesauce into a large bowl and stir in the remaining baking powder. Whisk in the butter, apple juice, agave, and vanilla.
  3. Mash the bananas in a bowl and add to the applesauce mixture.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour; a wooden pick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Banana Bread (1)

Barbecue Tofu and Quinoa

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Barbecue TofuVeronika’s taste buds are expanding rapidly and now I can cook her dishes with a little spice! A homemade barbecue sauce makes this one nice and mild.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (1-pound) package extra firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced cremini mushrooms
  • 1 small diced red bell pepper
  • 1 small diced onion
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  1. Cut the tofu into cubes; set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion; cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, ketchup, and agave in a small bowl. Add to the skillet and cook for a final 5 minutes.
  5. Serve over quinoa, or alongside it if your children prefer. This is also nice over a quinoa-brown rice mix!

Carob Yogurt

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Carob Yogurt

It’s too early for babies to have chocolate before one year old, because of the caffeine. Try carob powder instead, for a sweet treat!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (5-ounce) carton plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon carob powder
  1. Sprinkle the carob over the yogurt and stir to combine.

 

Hummus for Babies

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This mild hummus is just right for toddlers and babies. Because you can control the amount of salt, it’s preferable to store-bought hummus.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can garbanzo beans
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  1. Combine the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Black Bean & Carrot Mash

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Black Bean & Carrot

This mash of beans and carrot puree will thicken as it cools. Once thickened, it’s perfect to pick up by the handful for little ones who are baby led weaning!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  • 4 ounces carrot puree
  1. Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until warm.
  2. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Yogurt Ice

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These easy “popsicles” will be fun for your baby to eat in the high chair, or perhaps just amusing to play with! You can puree any fresh fruit to equal 1/2 cup for the recipe; in a pinch, use a fruit pouch from the baby food aisle. Veronika’s favorite is a peach/apricot blend.

Since I didn’t want Veronika to hurt herself on long popsicle sticks, I found a great alternative; milkshake-sized straws cut to about the length of her fist. Just supervise closely at feeding time and remove the sticks if they come free from the yogurt.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (5-ounce) plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/2 cup fruit puree
  1. Stir together the ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Divide evenly among the compartments of an ice cube tray, and insert the straw “sticks”. Freeze until solid.

Yogurt Ice (4)

Build-Ahead Breakfast

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Build Ahead Breakfast (4)

Mornings are crazy enough without having to worry about making a hearty breakfast and packing a bagged lunch. Take one piece out of the equation with this fantastic wrap you can put together the night before. Bonus points: Kids will love helping, and can alter the ingredients until they find their favorite combo.

Build Ahead Breakfast (2)

We like these with the California burger from Amy’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 2 small flour tortillas
  • 1 veggie burger patty, cooked and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup shredded Daiya cheddar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  1. Place the tortillas on a flat work surface. Arrange the ingredients in rows working from left to right, dividing evenly among the two tortillas.
  2. Fold up the bottom of the tortilla over the toppings, then begin rolling from the left and roll up tightly.
  3. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate overnight. To serve, microwave for 30 seconds.

Build Ahead Breakfast (3)

Apple or Banana Yogurt

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Apple Yogurt (2)

If you want to introduce yogurt to your baby, adding fruit is a great way to incorporate a little sweetness without buying a sugary variety. For both of these recipes, I use almond milk yogurt.

Apple Yogurt:

  • 3 tablespoons plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons applesauce
  1. Stir together until combined.

Apple Yogurt (1)

Banana Yogurt:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 (5-ounce) container plain non-dairy yogurt
  1. Mash the banana with a fork until very smooth. Stir in the yogurt.

Banana Yogurt (2)

The latter recipe is best served immediately, or you can freeze it in the cubes of an ice cube tray for high chair shenanigans.

Banana Yogurt (1)

Old-Fashioned Apple Slump

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Apple Slump (2)

It’s apple picking season and we recently returned home with a bounty of ginger golds from a local orchard! It was the perfect opportunity to test out a recipe near and dear to my heart.

The recipe comes from Louisa May Alcott, known to many as the author of Little Women. Alcott lived in my hometown, and her story and life have always been an inspiration. So when we recently attended a local apple festival and brought home the recipe, Travis and I couldn’t wait to find out what an 1800’s apple dessert tasted like! We updated it slightly for a modern kitchen and vegan lifestyle.

Ingredients:

  • 6 tart apples
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  •  1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 6 tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  1. To prepare the apple base, peel, core, and slice the apples. Place in a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, stirring until the apples are coated.
  2. Spoon into a 9×13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, Ener-G eggs, milk, and butter, stirring gently until combined.
  4. Pour the flour mixture over the apples, spreading slightly, and sprinkle evenly with the walnuts. Bake an additional 25 minutes.

Apple Slump (1)