Quesadillas

Another great way to make sure your baby or toddler is getting his veggies without them really noticing, is quesadillas! This recipe is also very easy and you can add many, many things. Here is one version of it:


Ingredients:
Two flour tortillas
1/4 of an avocado
A tbsp of chopped tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Shredded chicken breast, cooked (great wait to use left overs) or ground chicken
Chopped cilantro (optional)


On one of the flour tortillas, spread the avocado (think butter). Layer the remaining ingredients on top of the avocado and top with another tortilla. Place on a hot pan at medium heat. Cook until golden brown on each side and the cheese is melted (about 3 minutes on each side). Cut into small bites for your little one! Buen Provecho! 

Croissant French Toast Bites

When I lived in San Diego, I used to love a town named "Encinitas." It is kind of a hippie, beach-bum town that just made me feel relaxed. My brain seemed to take in the scenery and immediately create a Bob Marley soundtrack to go along with it. I'm sure just now, your favorite Marley song popped in your head and you can feel it, right? The breeze, the salty smell, the birds chirping, and "let's get together and feel alright...." Okay back to reality...Oh wait, I live in an island, this is reality but, I digress. 
 Any way, in this town, there is a coffee house that serves french toast but instead of french bread, they use croissants. I had them once and I was hooked! I had not given my baby french toast because one of the main ingredients is milk, however, upon further investigation, I found that I could bake with milk, just not give him milk by itself. I encourage you to do your own research.  Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:
Croissant (a day old is preferable)
One ripe banana, mashed
A tsp of orange peel
A tsp of ground cinnamon
A tsp of vanilla extract
One egg yolk (if your baby is one or over, you can use the whole egg)
A 1/2 cup of whole milk 


In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together.  Meanwhile, set your pan on the stove top at medium heat. Add a bit of butter, cooking spray, or whatever you usually use when cooking (I prefer butter). Place the croissant (I place one half at a time) in the mixture and let stand for a minute or so, making sure it is absorbing the liquid. Cook until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes on each side). Cut into small bite size pieces for your little one. Enjoy! 

Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza

For those of us who sometimes have to force feed "greens" to our babies, I've found this recipe works great! It has the added benefit of being rich in iron and parent friendly. For the dough, I used an easy, no knead pizza dough recipe (not my own) but you can use your favorite dough recipe, dough from your local pizzeria or even from the freezer section of your grocery store. If your toddler is one who likes to pick the greens out, try putting the mozzarella on top of the veggies rather than the reverse. This recipes has endless possibilities. I've added chopped up broccoli, shavings of asparagus, etc.

Ingredients:

1 clove of garlic

1 tbs. of olive oil

Pizza dough

Mozzarella Cheese (as much or as little as you'd like)

Chopped tomatoes (optional)

Basil (optional)

A bag of spinach

Bake your pizza dough until almost done but not completely. You can even cook it just half way. In a large pan, rub a garlic clove, cut side down (a little hard to explain but there's a picture below). Add the olive oil and when it is hot, add the spinach. Cook until wilted. Add the spinach, tomatoes (if you choose) and mozzarella to your half-way baked dough. Place back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown. You can sprinkle with a bit of salt and fresh basil if desired.

Pineapple Cinnamon Puree

This one is an easy one. Remember, however, to wait the recommended time to introduce your baby to pineapple as it is pretty acidic and can upset his/her stomach.


Ingredients:
One fresh pineapple cut into cubes.
2 stars of anise or ground anise (optional)
About a tsp. of cinnamon
A stick of cinnamon
About a 1 cup of water


In a small pan, add all of the ingredients. Bring water, pineapple, etc. to a simmer and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until you can start smelling the spices. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard anise seeds and cinnamon stick. Using a blender or food processor, blend the ingredients together and voila! There you have it! 

My friends ask me often whether or not I've uploaded new recipes. My answer, is usually "no" followed by a handful of excuses. As I drove home from the grocery store today, I was thinking about what I would post and why hadn't I done it in such a while. The truth is, none of the hundreds of excuses that I came up with matter, so I won't bore you with those =). What matters is whether or not I stick to this idea of blogging new recipes and hopefully I will! 


Obviously, my baby has been eating and all kinds of new stuff! I hope you enjoy the new recipes!