Category: Recipes

Tofu Bites

Leave a comment

Tofu Bites (1).JPG

These crispy tofu bites are a fantastic homemade alternative to store-bought chick’n nuggets. A big hit both for those who are Baby Led Weaning and with older kids!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (1-pound) package firm tofu
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  1. Cut the tofu into 36 triangles.
  2. Combine the flour, pepper and garlic salt in a shallow bowl. Dredge the tofu pieces in the flour mixture and transfer to a baking sheet brushed with the olive oil.
  3. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Tofu Bites (2)

Blueberry Mini Muffins

1 Comment

Mini Blueberry (1)

These adorable mini muffins are just the right size for a baby’s hands, making them a fantastic Baby Led Weaning breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a second bowl, stir together the applesauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Add the flaxseed, canola oil, vanilla, apple juice, yogurt, and milk.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Stir in the blueberries.
  4. Divide the mixture between 42 mini muffin cups, about 1 tablespoon per muffin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Mini Blueberry (2)

 

Root Veggies for Baby

Leave a comment

Chicken Parsnip (2).JPG

Root vegetables are fantastic nutritionally for little ones, and if prepared correctly, there’s no need to worry about these sometimes-tough veggies as a choking hazard. The secret is to make them soft and warm and homey; they’re perfect for impending fall weather, in sum!

Chickpeas and Carrots

Chickpea Carrot

Pulse 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas in a food processor until crumbly or smooth, depending on desired consistency. Stir together with 4 ounces carrot puree.

Chick’n and Parsnip Dinner

Chicken Parsnip (1)

Cook 4 Gardein chick’n strips according to package direcitions; finely mince.

Meanwhile, peel and chop 2 small parsnips. Cover with water and bring to a boil; continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Mash with a potato masher. Serve alongside the chicken, or stir the chicken pieces into the mashed parsnip. I also added a tiny bit of Earth Balance butter to this to make the parsnips creamier.

Roasted Rutabaga and Pear

Rutabaga Pear

Peel and chop 2 small pears and 1 rutabaga. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until very tender. You can serve in strips, but Veronika preferred them mashed up together, which helps sweetened the rutabaga.

Rutabaga Pear

Mashed Turnip and Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato Turnip

Peel and cube 1 small sweet potato and 2 small turnips. Cover with water and bring to a boil; cook for 20 minutes, until very tender. Mash and serve!

Veronika likes this one alongside refried beans or lentils!

Baby’s Beef and Barley

Leave a comment

Beef and Barley

This quick recipe is a well-balanced combo of protein, grain, and veggie for your little eater.

Ingredients:

  • 6 Gardein beefless tips
  • 1/2 cup cooked barley
  • 4 ounces carrot puree
  1. Saute the beefless tips for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned.
  2. Mince the beef, and combine in a bowl with the barley and carrot. If you prefer, you can run the whole mixture through a food processor for younger babies.

Baby’s Beef Stew

1 Comment

Baby Beef Stew (2).JPG

This three-ingredient recipe was a great way to introduce Veronika to the warm flavors of a grown-up beef stew! It was also her first taste of Gardein beefless tips. The results? A big hit!

Ingredients:

  • 1 russet potato
  • 2 carrots
  • 9 Gardein beefless tips
  1. Peel and chop the potato and carrots; cover with water and bring to a boil. Continue to cook for 15 minutes, until very tender.
  2. Meanwhile, saute the beefless tips for about 8 minutes, until browned. Add to the pot with the potatoes and carrots for the last 10 minutes or so. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  3. Finely mince the beef. Mash the potatoes and carrots with a potato masher.

I served these in two little piles on Veronika’s tray, an adorable deconstructed “stew”.

Baby Beef Stew (1)

Share a Special Snack

Leave a comment

Special Snack (3)

Veronika is old enough that she doesn’t need “baby food” anymore, and the best way to develop a love of healthy foods in your little one is to savor them together. I love making recipes that my two kids (and the grown-ups!) can share together now. To wit, this kid-friendly version of guacamole is a hit with everyone at the table.

Scoop the flesh from two avocados and transfer to a bowl; mash.

Special Snack (1)

Stir in 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice and 1 chopped tomato.

I served the guac with cucumber sticks and bell pepper sticks, as well as toasted pita bread. You could also add toasted bread slices or roasted carrot sticks.

Special Snack (2)

Travis and Veronika had a blast sharing this afternoon pause together!

Special Snack (4)

Sunshine Granola

Leave a comment

Sunshine Granola (4).JPG

Add sunflower seeds to the kids morning granola to make the perfect sunshine-y batch – just right for the final days of summer! Whip up a batch now and the first few breakfasts during hectic back-to-school will be a cinch.

Sunshine Granola (2)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Arrange the oats and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and maple syrup. Drizzle over the oat mixture and sprinkle with the salt.
  3. Bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes. Stir and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

We love this stirred into non-dairy yogurt!

Sunshine Granola (3)

Baby Led Weaning: 9 Months

Leave a comment

Veronika is on the brink of eating “real” recipes, which I’ll likely post as separate blog entries. So here is a final round-up of the Baby Led Weaning foods she’s enjoyed in the past month.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrots

Sweet Potato Carrot

Peel 1 sweet potato and 2 carrots and cut into 2-inch strips. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Tofu and Mango Dinner

Crumble 1/8 package firm tofu into a bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup mango puree.

Tofu Mango Dinner.JPGThis makes the slightly dry tofu easier for Veronika to swallow, and she loves scooping up the mixture by the handful!

Apple and Plum Compote

Apple Plum Compote.JPG

Veronika loves this so much more than regular applesauce! Peel and chop 1 apple and 2 plums. Cover with water and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and mash with a potato masher until chunky, then stir in 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.

Chick’n, Banana & Coconut

This was her first Gardein meal! Cook 3 Gardein chick’n strips, and mince until about the texture of crumbled tofu or lentils. Combine the chick’n in a bowl with 1 small mashed banana and 1 teaspoon coconut milk.

Chicken Banana (1)

A fast favorite!

Chick’n, Carrot & Sweet Onion

For a more ambitious chick’n dinner, toss 4 Gardein chick’n strips, 1 peeled and julienne-cut carrot, and 1/8 cup thinly sliced sweet onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Serve as finger foods, or finely chop into little pieces on the tray.

Chicken Carrot Onion

Butternut Squash Sticks

Cut butternut squash into 2-inch sticks. Cover with water and bring to a boil; continue to cook for 10 minutes, until very soft.

Butternut Apple

Dip these into a homemade or store-bought purees. Veronika likes them dipped in apple, pear, or carrot! Sometimes she prefers me to mash up the squash and stir the puree into it instead, which she can pick up by the handful.

Butternut Pear

Poached Tempeh

Slice 1 (8-ounce) package tempeh and cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until finally chopped. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the tempeh for about 10 minutes, until golden.

Stir in applesauce to taste so the mixture isn’t too dry. I use about 1/2 cup applesauce per 4 ounces tempeh.

Tempeh with Applesauce.JPG

This also works with canned pumpkin puree in place of the applesauce!

Tempeh Pumpkin

Solar Oven S’mores

1 Comment

Solar Smores (9).JPG

Happy National S’mores Day! Travis and I celebrated with a STEM take on this classic summer treat: s’mores cooked in a solar-powered oven made from one of his recycled Kiwi Crates!

To start, cut the flaps off the top of the Kiwi box (or an old shoebox). Line the entire inside with aluminum foil, and secure with clear tape.

Solar Smores (1)

Place 4 graham crackers on the bottom; we love the vegan and gluten-free grahams from Kinnikinnick.

Solar Smores (2)

Top two of the graham cracker pieces with dark chocolate squares and the other two pieces with Dandies marshmallows.

Solar Smores (3)

Cover the top of the “oven” with plastic wrap and tape down; you don’t want any bugs in there! We placed our oven on the patio in hot sunshine.

Solar Smores (4)

82 degrees ought to do it!

Solar Smores (5)

After 20 minutes, we took a peek. Our chocolate was so hot and melty and perfect.

Solar Smores (8)

The Dandies had softened up, although they didn’t melt all the way down. But these made fantastic s’mores!

Solar Smores (7)

Vegetable Custard

1 Comment

Vegetable Custard (2).JPG

This elegant little custard dish is a yummy way to introduce a milk other than breastmilk to your baby, if you’re closing in on weaning. I prepared it with almond milk for Veronika; other non-dairy options include soy, hemp, rice, coconut, or oat. There are pluses and minuses to all of them, so find the one that’s best for your family and baby!

Ingredients:

  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 1/4 cup pureed orange vegetables (such as pumpkin, carrot, or sweet potato)
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
  1. Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl. Divide evenly among 2 custard cups.
  2. Place the custard cups in a baking dish and fill with 1 inch water. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Vegetable Custard (1)

These puff up in the oven almost like a souffle, although they will deflate as they cool. The custard is thick and won’t slide off a spoon, which makes it great for babies who want to use their fingers or their own utensil.

Vegetable Custard alt