Tag: baby led weaning

Whole Wheat Shells with Marinara Sauce

Leave a comment

Shells with Marinara (2)

This super-simple marinara recipe has just a touch of sweetness. In other words, perfect for babies eating pasta with tomato-based sauce for the first time!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 6 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Cooked whole wheat pasta shells
  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, agave, basil, and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, as the sauce thickens.
  3. Serve over cooked pasta shells of choice! We like the very small cavatelli that are just the right size for little fingers.

Shells with Marinara (1)

Blueberry Syrup

Leave a comment

Blueberry Syrup (1)

Veronika’s favorite finger-food for breakfast these days is mini waffles. Add a little bit of this homemade blueberry syrup on the side and your toddler will love it!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen blueberries
  • 1/3 cup apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  1. Combine the blueberries and apple juice in a saucepan; cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the blueberry mixture and cook for a final 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened.

Blueberry Syrup (2)

Easy Chili

Leave a comment

Turkey Chili

This hearty chili has just enough spice to appeal to toddlers and grown-ups both, making it a true family meal!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 chopped red onion
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1 (12-ounce) package Lightlife meatless crumbles
  • 2 cups chopped butternut squash
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, undrained
  • 1 (15-ounce can corn, drained
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Plain non-dairy yogurt (optional)
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes
  2. Add the Lightlife crumbles to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, until heated.
  3. Add the squash, water, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Serve with the yogurt, if desired!

Mashed Potatoes & Parsnips with Easy Gravy

Leave a comment

Mashed Po Gravy (2)

This will be Veronika’s first Thanksgiving eating solid food (last year she was only 1 month old!). This easy mashed potato recipe will be perfect for her holiday table; it’s mild enough for toddlers, but yummy enough to please older kids or grown-ups, too.

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

  • 4 yellow potatoes
  • 2 parsnips
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the gravy:

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water, divided
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  1. To prepare the potatoes, peel and chop the potatoes and parsnips and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil; continue to cook for 15 minutes, until tender.
  2. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and return to the pan. Add the olive oil and salt and mash with a potato masher to desired consistency, adding enough reserved cooking liquid as desired for the consistency your toddler likes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the gravy: dissolve the bouillon cube in 1 cup hot water. Whisk in the soy sauce and poultry seasoning.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the broth mixture, whisking until combined and thickened.
  5. Serve the gravy over the mashed potatoes, and wherever else it would be yummy at your holiday table!

Mashed Po Gravy (1)

Lentils with Spinach and Quinoa

Leave a comment

Lentil Spinach a

Lentils are one of Veronika’s favorite foods, and this is an easy way to jazz them up. Cooking the quinoa in the microwave means you only need one saucepan, a bonus come clean-up time!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
  1. To prepare the quinoa, combine the quinoa and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 4 minutes. Stir, recover, and return to the microwave for a final 2 minutes. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly all absorbed.
  4. Stir in the spinach and cook for a final 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach wilts.
  5. Add the lentil mixture to the quinoa mixture, then let cool before serving.

Lentil Spinach b

 

Rotini with Bolognese Sauce

Leave a comment

Rotini Bolognese (2)

Serve this easy vegan bolognese with whole wheat pasta or any of the new chickpea or lentil pasta on the market. It’ll pack a big protein punch for little eaters.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 12 ounces meatless crumbles (such as Lightlife)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Rotini pasta
  • Vegan Parmesan sprinkles
  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Dice the onion and celery and add to the pot; cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the meatless crumbles; cook for 4 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tomato sauce and tomato paste; cook for a final 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through.
  5. Meanwhile, cook your favorite rotini pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta, and sprinkle with the Parmesan to taste.

For little ones who are Baby Led Weaning, you can serve piles of the sauce next to pieces of cooked pasta for a more deconstructed version.

Rotini Bolognese (1)

 

 

Vegetable Barley Casserole

Leave a comment

Veg Barley Casserole (3).JPG

Cooking barley in the oven, almost like an oven-baked risotto, makes a no-brainer out of this warm fall casserole.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch kale
  • 3 and 1/4 cups water, divided
  • 3 carrots
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  1. Wash the kale and remove the stems from the leaves. Place the leaves in a blender, along with 1/4 cup water, and pulse until you have a paste. Set aside.
  2. Peel and dice the carrots. Dice the onion.
  3. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the bouillon cube and stir until it dissolves.
  4. Combine all of the ingredients in a 3-quart casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 75 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

Veg Barley Casserole (2)

The kale will have formed a green layer on top; give it a big stir and reveal the perfectly cooked barley underneath. Yum! If you want to add a little extra protein, stir in cooked and chopped Gardein chick’n strips.

Decorating Pancakes

Leave a comment

Decorating Pancakes (11)

Anyone who follows this blog knows I love to cook with my kids, and I firmly believe in getting kids into the kitchen from the earliest age. It’s truly never too early; today Veronika helped me decorate pancakes, and she’s not quite 13 months old!

Okay, technically this was more of a sensory play activity than a real recipe, but we sure had fun. First, I whipped up a batch of pancakes. You can make some from scratch with your favorite recipe, but I took a shortcake with Cherrybrook Kitchen’s vegan and gluten-free mix. Veronika loved playing with extra measuring cups while I mixed the batter.

Decorating Pancakes (1)

For extra learning, I cooked the pancakes in heart- and star-shaped molds so I could talk about shapes with Veronika. Regular circles are just fine too, though!

Decorating Pancakes (2)

I set the pancakes down on the floor on paper plates along with a few pouches of baby food. Look for bright colors like pinks and reds for this activity.

Decorating Pancakes (4)

Veronika only needed me to demonstrate once before she was eagerly “decorating” her pancakes. She proudly pressed the spout of the pouch down on the pancakes, and I think even tried to say “squeeeeze” back to me.

Decorating Pancakes (6)

Of course there was the necessary tasting, too. Veronika: meet pancake.

Decorating Pancakes (5)

And the pouch itself got a sip or two.

Decorating Pancakes (10)

I had fun decorating right alongside her, creating a make-believe bakery game.

Decorating Pancakes (7)

When you’re done, you have breakfast or snack built right in to your day. Or if the pancakes get very mushy from all that baby food on top, just consider this a sensory play activity and it’s still a win-win.

Decorating Pancakes (8)

Even the wax paper we had on the floor for easy clean-up was fun!

Decorating Pancakes (12)

You’ll notice that I had Veronika do the activity without a shirt, which seemed the safest way to avoid stains. Plus, I love that little buddha belly these days!

Decorating Pancakes (9)

Tofu Avocado Spread

Leave a comment

Tofu Avocado Spread

Tofu can be too dry for babies if just cubed or sauteed in oil. This avocado spread is the perfect way to make it creamier. You’ll sneak in protein, potassium, calcium, and more!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup firm tofu
  • 1/2 ripe avocado, mashed
  • 1/4 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mash with a fork until desired consistency is reached.

Toddlers might enjoy this best spread on whole wheat toast. My baby prefers to pick up big handfuls of it plain!

Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes

Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes

This two-ingredient recipe will introduce your baby to a taste of the tropics!

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  1. Peel the sweet potato and cut into wedges. Arrange in a small baking dish.
  2. Cover the sweet potato with the pineapple chunks and drizzle with any juice from chopping.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 50 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender. Best served warm!