201 Organic Baby Purees (18 page)
Read 201 Organic Baby Purees Online
Authors: Tamika L. Gardner
1 medium carrot, diced
Dash of salt and pepper
1
â
8
teaspoon dill
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1.   Wash the chicken well, and remove the skin if desired. Bring to a boil in 6 cups water. Simmer for 1â1½ hours, or until the meat begins falling off the bone.
2.   Remove the meat from the pot. Take off all the fat, skin, and bones. Shred the chicken into small pieces; then add back to the pot.
3.   Add potatoes and carrots to the chicken pot, along with the salt, pepper, and dill. Simmer for 30â40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4.   Lightly beat the egg; add in the flour. Stir well; then add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a stiff dough is formed. Roll out the dough; then cut into small strips.
5.   Bring the chicken pot back to a boil. Add in the dumplings and broth; then simmer for an additional 40â45 minutes.
Making It Creamy
If your family prefers their stews on the creamy side (and no one has an intolerance or allergy to dairy products), you can add a cup of heavy cream or half-and-half instead of the broth to the stew during the last hour of simmering. In terms of just thickening the stew, adding dumplings should do the job.
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Broccoli a la Pasta
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
Don't hold back on the garlic in this recipe! Use as much as you want. It adds a wonderful flavor when it combines with the olive oil. Serve this dish for the whole family.
2 SERVINGS
½ cup broccoli
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup farfalle pasta
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
1.   Wash the broccoli and dice into small florets.
2.   Bring the stock to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes. Add in the broccoli and cook for another 10 minutes, or until both pasta and broccoli are tender. When cooked, drain.
3.   Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic and parsley, sautéing for 2â3 minutes.
4.   Add the pasta and broccoli to the saucepan. Sauté for 2â3 minutes, tossing the pasta and broccoli together with the garlic.
5.   Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.
Other Types of Pastas
At many well-stocked grocery stores, a variety of pastas are made from organic grains. These options run the gamut from the traditional semolina to whole wheat, quinoa, corn, and rice. Try them with tomato-based sauces, in soups, or tossed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
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Banana Bread
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
When you have ripe bananas with brown spots on the skin, their soft and sweet flavor is perfect for banana bread. This is a perfect recipe to make in the fall to wind down from the summer and bring warmth into your home.
1 LOAF; 24 SERVINGS
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon baking powder, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup applesauce
½ cup unsalted butter or trans-fat-free margarine, softened
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1
â
3
cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ripe bananas
1.   Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2.   In a medium bowl combine flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3.   In a large bowl, combine applesauce with ½ teaspoon baking powder.
4.   Thoroughly mix in butter or margarine, apple juice concentrate, agave nectar, and vanilla.
5.   Mash bananas.
6.   Mix bananas into wet ingredients.
7.   Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet.
8.   Pour batter into a lightly oiled standard loaf pan.
9.   Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
10.   Cool 10 minutes in pan; then cool completely on cooling rack.
Limit Salt and Sugar
Since babies don't have preconceived notions about how specific foods are supposed to taste, let them taste the purity of the high-quality organic ingredients you are using. Babies don't expect foods to be salty or sweet, so if they aren't introduced to excessive salt and sugar, they can develop the good habit of liking food the way nature intended it to taste.
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Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
Sweet-and-sour sauce offers a balance between the two flavors. Some toddlers really like it and some could do without it. Use ketchup or grape preserves for dipping, and make the meatballs plain if your child isn't a fan.
2 SERVINGS
¼ pound ground beef
¼ cup bread crumbs
½ teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons oil
¼ cup bell pepper, diced
½ cup canned pineapple chunks, diced; reserve juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1.   Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, and soy sauce together. Form into round 1-inch balls.
2.   Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the meatballs, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the meatballs are no longer pink.
3.   Wash the bell pepper and dice into small pieces. Dice the pineapple chunks into small pieces.
4.   Put the pineapple chunks and juice into a small bowl. Add cornstarch and water, and stir well to mix. Add in the bell pepper.
5.   Pour the pineapple mixture into the skillet. Stir the meatballs around to coat in the sauce, and cook the sauce for several minutes or until it thickens.
6.   Allow to cool before serving.
Let's Stay Together
If your meatballs fall apart when you cook on the stovetop, try adding a little oil to the pan to keep them from sticking and falling apart when you roll them over. Also, adding more egg and bread crumbs (and pressing the meat very firmly into balls) will keep them from disintegrating into meat sauce.
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Happy Birthday Vanilla Cake
FREEZER/PARENTS
Try this healthier birthday cake for your child's first birthday. It uses apple juice and maple syrup for sweetness instead of refined sugar. Top with whipped cream and fresh berries instead of frosting if you're going the healthier route.
15â22 SERVINGS
1 cup white, all-purpose flour
½ cup oat flour
2¼ teaspoons baking powder, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup applesauce
½ cup apple juice concentrate
½ cup organic milk (dairy or soy)
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1.   Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2.   Lightly oil an 8" or 9" square or round cake pan.
3.   In a medium mixing bowl, combine flours, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and salt.
4.   In a large mixing bowl, combine applesauce with ¼ teaspoon baking powder.
5.   Add apple juice concentrate, organic milk, oil, syrup, and vanilla to the applesauce.
6.   Mix dry ingredients into wet, one half at a time.
7.   Scrape batter into pan.
8.   Bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Homemade Oat Flour
Make your own oat flour by taking old-fashioned rolled oats and blending them in the blender or food processor. Keep blending until you have a fine, powdery flour. Replacing a portion of white flour with oat flour will provide some whole-grain goodness to your dessert recipes.
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Broccoli with Meat and Rigatoni
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
For a vegetarian dish, try this with protein crumbles as a meat substitute.
16 SERVINGS
1 pound whole-wheat rigatoni pasta
½ pound ground beef
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch broccoli separated into florets
1 cup free-range chicken or beef broth
1 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped, divided
Fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese
1.   Cook rigatoni pasta according to directions, drain, and set aside.
2.   In medium pan, brown ground beef. Drain and set aside.
3.   In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and butter. Sauté garlic until browned over medium heat. Add broccoli and stir gently until coated.
4.   Add chicken broth and simmer until broccoli is al dente. (Al dente means that it is still slightly firm. This amount of broccoli should take about 8 minutes to become al dente.)
5.   Add half the basil, drained rigatoni, and ground beef to skillet and mix thoroughly.
6.   Transfer to serving bowl, top with remaining basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
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Whole-Wheat Mac 'n' Cheese
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
For an interesting twist, try different kinds of pasta or pasta shapes such as shells, rigatoni, farfalle, penne, or ziti.
20 SERVINGS
10 cups water
½ pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups 2% organic milk
1 cup grated organic mild Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated sharp organic Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Colby cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup diced tomatoes
1.   In a large pot, boil the 10 cups water. Add whole-wheat elbow macaroni and cook until tender. Drain and rinse well under cold running water.
2.   In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter. Add flour and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.
3.   Add organic milk and continue to stir until this thickens up.
4.   Remove from heat and add cheeses, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. If needed, return to low heat and stir to melt cheese.
5.   Add cooked elbow macaroni and mix well. Serve.
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Zucchini Corn Muffins
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
Most toddlers won't eat a whole corn muffin. Cut the muffin in half and enjoy the other half for yourself. Tastes great with Puréed Collard Greens (
Chapter 5
).
12 MUFFINS; 24 SERVINGS
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
2¼ teaspoons baking powder, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup applesauce
½ cup apple juice concentrate
¾ cup organic milk (dairy or soy)
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or trans-fat-free margarine
1 cup grated zucchini
1.   Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2.   In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3.   In a large bowl, combine applesauce with ¼ teaspoon baking powder.
4.   Add apple juice concentrate, organic milk, and butter or trans-fat-free margarine to the applesauce.
5.   Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet.
6.   Mix in zucchini.
7.   Spoon into oiled muffin pan.
8.   Bake 18â22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
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Blueberry Pancakes
FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS
There's nothing like the aroma of homemade blueberry pancakes with warm maple syrup and the smell of bacon or sausage floating throughout the rooms on a beautiful fall morning.
15 SERVINGS
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup canola oil
1 pint fresh blueberries
1.   Lightly oil a griddle and preheat to low-medium heat.
2.   In large bowl, mix pastry flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed meal.
3.   In separate bowl, mix old-fashioned oats and buttermilk. Then add beaten eggs and canola oil with a whisk until smooth and well blended.
4.   Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Fold in blueberries.
5.   Pour ¼ cup batter at a time onto the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles are seen and then flip.
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Pumpkin Risotto
FREEZER/PARENTS
This colorful dish makes a lovely presentation when served with a Cornish hen and a side of asparagus, or for baby, serve it alongside the Rosemary Cornish Hen Dinner (
Chapter 5
). A great way to welcome winter.
10 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or trans-fat-free margarine
1 tablespoon fresh sage
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 cups vegetable broth
1.   Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2.   In a small skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter or trans-fat-free margarine over medium-high heat.
3.   When oil mixture is sizzling, add sage and minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.
4.   Transfer herb mixture to a 3-quart casserole.
5.   Add remaining ingredients and cover.
6.   Bake 1 hour. Stir before serving.
Pumpkin Varieties
There are many different varieties of pumpkinsâand the ones you carve on Halloween won't taste particularly good! Look for the ones called “cooking pumpkins,” “pie pumpkins,” or some other designation that indicates they are meant to be eaten, not carved.
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Under the Sea Fish Sticks
SUPERFOOD
