Fall Fest Couscous

A little while back, we were hit by a Typhoon here in Okinawa. Our little family was in lock down, AC at full blast (in case the power went off), pajamas all day and rain. It all got me thinking about the holidays and ever since then, I can't wait for fall to come. Even if fall here means 70 degree weather for 2 weeks. Well, a friend went to the states and brought me back whole wheat organic couscous (thanks so much!) so I thought I'd give it a try with my little one. Couscous is great because it's kind of a jack of all trades. It can do the job of pasta, but it can also do the job of oatmeal and can take the place of rice. On top of that, it is ready in 15 minutes with hardly any attention from the cook. Easy, versatile, quick and delicious, enough said! This recipe is baby friendly, of course, but with a few adjustments can be made into a great adult meal. 


Here is what I did:
1/2 cup of home made veggie stock (will post the recipe soon!)
1/8 cup of whole wheat organic couscous (you could use regular couscous as well)
A pinch of rubbed sage
A pinch of freshly grated ginger
Acorn Squash Puree (butternut squash would work great too!). Add enough to make a consistency your baby can tolerate or prefers. 


For the Acorn Squash Puree:
Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
"Clean" the squash, removing seeds and stringy parts. 
Cut the Acorn Squash in half. Fill an oven safe, shallow dish with about 1/4 of an inch of water. Place the halves cut side down on the dish and roast in the oven for about 45-60 minutes or until very tender.
Remove from the oven and let cool. With a spoon, scoop up pulp and place in the food processor or blender. Add the water that's in the pan for a smooth consistency and process.
Can stay in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.


For the Couscous:
Bring veggie stock (or water) to a boil. 
Pour the couscous in the boiling water and take the pot out of the heat. cover with plastic wrap or a lid and wait 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff with a fork.
THAT'S IT! How easy is that!! 


For Adults:
Have fun! 
You can add onions, pieces instead of puree of squash, cranberries, walnuts, a little olive oil, salt and pepper and you'll have a fall dish for yourself too!
You could also make the couscous with just water. Add almonds (or any other nuts), a little honey and dried fruit (My favorite? almond, coconut flakes, dried cherries),  and you have a great snack! 


Note:
This recipe makes about 5 oz of couscous. Feel free to make a bigger batch if you want to make it a dinner side or just freeze a larger amount for later. 

 

Apple pie "a la mode"

Pie and ice cream for babies? Well, not really but that is what inspired me. I have to say, so far, this one is both of our favorites! My first trimester I ate apples by the bushel and my little one seems to enjoy them very much now that he is eating solids. 
Here is what I did:
Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees.
Core, peel and cut the apples in wedges (I used two apples).
In a bowl, combine the apples with cinnamon (about a tsp) and nutmeg (about 1/2 tsp), toss to coat.
Cut 1/2 tbsp of butter (cold) in small squares (optional). You could also melt it and pour it over the apples.
Add a little bit of water (hmmm....about 1/8 of a cup or so) just so that the apples won't dry up while they are being baked. 
Put all of these ingredients in an oven safe dish and bake for 20-25 min, or until apples are tender. Mix half way through.
Put in a food processor or blender and process to desired consistency.
To serve, I put vanilla yogurt in a small bowl, topped it with the apple mixture, and topped with wheat germ. I used wheat germ to add a little crunch, because I already had it and it's good for you but you could also use ground up cheerios (or other cereal puffs) or skip it altogether. Enjoy! 

Roasted Garlicky Cauliflower

After a week of reseting and relaunching my iphoto application for hours, I finally realized that it is not just miraculously going to work. So, I had to find a long way around it. Now it's time to post recipes again! As I mentioned before, I had never had cauliflower but I wanted my little one to try it because, well, why not? And also is one of those super foods, low in fat (good news for mommy and daddy) and high in nutrition. Because cauliflower is so bland, it lends itself to strong flavors and spices, so feel free to experiment! 

Here is what I did:

Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees

"Clean" the cauliflower, discarding the end and the leaves and cut it up in small pieces. This was mostly because I wanted my little one to attempt self-feeding (that was a sight to see!) but you could also leave it in florets for yourself and little pieces for your baby.

Drizzled the cauliflower with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat all the pieces.

Cut about 4 garlic cloves in halves or 3rds (that way I could get the flavor but could take it out before pureeing).

Place in a shallow or flat oven safe dish (I used a cookie sheet).

Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender but with a bite. 

I've tried this dish in different ways. Just like described above but with salt and pepper for mommy and daddy. I've also tried it with Asiago cheese (my favorite) and with curry powder. You can have it slightly pureed, or completely mashed as well. This makes a great and healthy substitute for mashed potatoes or you could even combine the two and they'd never know! 

Cauliflower with curry powder

Cauliflower with Asiago cheese

While I await...

I have a handful of recipes to share but unfortunately, my computer is not letting me load any pictures. While I wait for it to follow directions, I wanted to take the opportunity to write a little note. 
Don't be intimidated by making your own baby food. It may seem like it takes a lot of time, or that the recipes are complex, but really, most are very simple! One night a month or even less, you can make a few purees in larger portions and you will have enough food to last a while (most keep frozen for 3 months).  You can also serve the same ingredients to your family and your baby, as many of these recipes are adult friendly with just a few minor adjustments.
As you can see, most of the recipes here are made using purees I already had in my freezer. I'm only sharing some ways of serving these purees, but there are many possibilities! For this reason, I tend to freeze the purees in their most simple form (plain), this way, I can mix and match and add different flavors to enhance them and also to test for allergies. All of them started as a single food (i.e: avocado) and with time have grown into more complex "dishes" (i.e: mango guacamole).
I've also found myself trying flavors that I've never explored before (believe it or not, cauliflower is one). I taste everything before giving it to him. If I want to expand his food tolerance, I have to be willing to expand my own. Baby food doesn't have to be boring or taste awful! Have fun exploring the world of flavors and create some memories for you and your baby as you do so! 

Mango Guacamole

 Avocado is one of those rich in fat, but awesome for you foods! I wish I could say the same about ice cream! My baby's first food was actually avocado, but now that he's experienced other flavors, he doesn't seem to love it by itself. If I could speak for him, I may say, it is probably a little bland. I've put cilantro and even a little bit of chili pepper in it before and then I thought, well, why not make guacamole! For the sake of keeping things a little different and flavorful, because I already had it and he loves it so much, I decided to add mango. Of course, he is already had all the ingredients separately so I know he is not allergic, but I decided to add a new one, red onions. I chopped them up finely in the food processor, and sauteed them in a pan (until translucent) so that their sweetness would come through and so that they were tender.

This is a great snack for mom as well! Add lime, jalapeno or chili pepper, salt and pepper and bring on the tortillas chips. Don't you wish the fat in those was good for you too? Oh well, I guess we can't have it all! There's corn in them, that's good for you, right?

I haven't been posting exact recipes because it's all about how much your baby eats. For his serving today I used about:

1 1/2 oz of avocado puree that was already frozen (you can also just cut up a ripe avocado and smash it with a fork, its so easy!)

1 oz of Mango Puree

1 tbsp of red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp of cilantro, finely chopped

*You could also give your baby this combination without the mango puree

WARNING: Beware of onion breath ;)

Banana-Blueberry Puree with a Crunch and a hint of Maple Syrup

There are many, many things I miss while living in Okinawa. One of them is the restaurant, Crackel Barrel. On my last trip home, the very nice waitresses gave me a few bottles of maple syrup to take with me. I know, there is probably no difference between their maple syrup and the one I find at the grocery store but when I see that label, waffles and pancakes just taste better! Any way, I've told you all of this to explain why I made blueberry waffles with bananas this morning (ha,ha). 
I wanted to "share" my breakfast with my little one and I already had banana, as well, as blueberry puree in my freezer and that's where it began.
Now, my baby doesn't seem to love the texture of banana by itself so I always mix it with another puree. To add some crunch, and to keep the textures similar to my waffle (crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside), I added grounded banana and blueberry puff cereal. I love the plum organics puff cereal! They are so colorful and tasty! I also added a drop of maple syrup. This is totally optional. I did some research online and most agree that maple syrup is okay. Although it is not a process sugar, it is still sugar, therefore, something they can really do without so I leave it to your discretion. Here is a link with more information about maple syrup: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=115
He loved this combination! I couldn't feed him fast enough and ended up having to make him a second serving! 


Ingredients:
Banana Puree
Blueberry Puree
3-4  ground puff cereal (banana and blueberry flavor) or cheerios
1 drop to 1/8 of a tsp of 100% pure maple syrup (optional)

*It's been brought to my attention that crackel barrel no longer serves pure maple syrup, rather a combination of maple and sugar cane syrup....oooops. Make sure, if you use syrup, it is pure maple syrup, instead of misreading, as I did (100% Pure Natural Syrup) =/

To make Banana Puree:

This is super easy!

Just peel a banana (or a few if you want to store for a bit), cut up discarding the end tip and peel, and place in the food processor or blender. Store in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Be aware of changes in color, just like avocado, and apples, bananas will turn brown but it is perfectly okay.

To make Blueberry Puree:

Just as easy as the banana puree or even easier! I used organic frozen blueberries (one of the few organic things we have at our grocery store), making sure that there was no sugar added on the ingredients list. Place in the food processor or blender and process. Store in the fridge for 3 days or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Watermelon and Cantaloupe Puree with Basil

To Make the Watermelon Puree:
Cut the rind out of a seedless watermelon (discard the rind, unless you want to use it as "plant food" for your garden) and cut it into cubes. Place the cubes in a food processor or blender and process. Strain the contents. I then Froze the pulp and used the liquid to make a watermelon lemonade (Just add lemon to the watermelon juice or drink as is).


To make the Cantaloupe Puree:
Repeat the same process as above but there is no need to strain the contents as the water content is not as high. Remember to seed the melon prior to placing in the food processor.


I already had these two purees in my freezer and was trying to think of a way to make them a little more exciting. Then, I saw basil sitting on my counter and thought, what a great combination! Just remember to finely chop the basil.
This puree is also a great candidate for cereal since the water content is so high. I use Organic Brown Cereal from Plum Organics.

What great colors! 

 Only one decent size basil leaf.

This is also adult friendly! Ball up some melon, and cut the basil into strips (chiffonade) and you have a great fruit salad for the hot, summer days! Try adding mint too!

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan and Yogurt

Another one that can be enjoyed by both mommy and baby!


A head of broccoli
1 tsp of finely shredded parmesano regiano or pecorino romano
1 tsp of  extra virgin olive oil plus another one
Baby Yogurt (I used Organic Banana Yogurt)


Cut the broccoli in small pieces (I cut the big florets in four). Discard the woody stem part of the broccoli (usually the very end) but the rest of the stems are still good so don't throw it away! In a shallow baking pan, I divided the broccoli in half (half for the grown ups and half for the baby). Add salt to taste to the half for the adults and about a drizzle of olive oil. I'm bad with measurements so please add to your discretion. For the baby portion, just add olive oil (a tsp or so). 
Cook for about 15 min or until tender but still with a bite. 
Sprinkle the adult portion with cheese and enjoy.
For the baby portion, place broccoli in a food processor or blender, add another tsp of olive oil, as well, as the cheese and process. 
My little one seems to enjoy his food when there is something creamy in it, so I added organic banana yogurt. I thought it would taste "funny" but it was actually quite good! It tasted almost like  greek tzatziki  sauce. Hmmm...there's an idea! 

Some things I like to freeze in smaller portions to make it easier to combine with different purees or ingredients (i.e. pasta, quinoa, etc). 
This freezes for up to 3 months. 

Cinnamon-Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango Puree

I got a new cookbook in the mail and when I saw this recipe,  I couldn't wait to try it! Originally, the recipe was coconut rice pudding with Apricot Puree. It reminded me of a favorite Thai dish, coconut sticky rice with mango. It also reminded me of a Puerto Rican dessert, arroz con dulce which has cinnamon. So I decided to make a few changes, use mango instead of apricot and add some cinnamon. Here's the recipe...I hope you and your little one enjoy it as much as we did!


1 cup of water
1/2 cup of jasmine rice
3/4 cup of coconut milk
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
Mango Puree


In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rice and water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft and creamy (15-20 min). Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk and add the cinnamon stick. Let it cool.
Once cooled, discard the cinnamon stick. Transfer to a food processor or blender (I use a hand blender) and process until smooth and creamy.
Top with mango or any other fruit puree (I recommend peach or apricot).


This recipe will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.


For Adults:
Add sugar to taste.
Leave the mango in cubes or chunks.
You can skip the food processor.
Add some toasted coconut flakes!

A picture taken with my phone of the mold I used to freeze the pudding. 

The beginning...

About two years ago, I had an idea to start a food blog since it is something that I enjoy doing. I got excited about my new project, got a camera, and thought of ideas that I would like to share. Somewhere along the line, I got intimidated, and my "great idea" stalled out. I thought about all the wonderful, creative cooks out there and told myself "well, what can I offer that they can't?" Now, a baby later, I do more chasing around and silly play than anything else. Long gone are the days when I spent hours making elaborate and experimental recipes (although I indulge sometimes), but there is one thing I have time for, baby food! I told myself, there's no reason why I shouldn't share these recipes or at least keep them in a place where I can remember them! I hope this blog, if nothing else, inspires you to make great baby food! Have fun with it, experiment away...there's a whole new world of wonderful flavors for your little one to learn, isn't it exciting?