DYI Baby Food

With recent reports about arsenic in formula and baby food snacks, I decided to do a post on making baby food instead of grown up food.

Not only does it save money, but it allows parents to control what their baby eats, and it really is not time consuming like many people think, especially if you have a food processor or even a blender (you don't need a special baby food maker, though I'm sure those are nice).

All this baby food, which will take awhile for him
to get through, was just recipe #3 below -
1 squash and 1 very small apple.

The great reference site I use for making baby food (or getting ideas) and for checking when to introduce certain foods is http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/.

Here's 4 recipes and 4 tips:

1. Mashed banana -- so easy and quick. I usually break it up with my hands first, into a bowl, and then mash it up with a fork. If you have pumped breast milk, it's nice to add that in a bit, but you don't have to. (Often grocery stores have really ripe bananas on sale for 29 cents/pound - great for baby food and muffins for mom and dad). You can also add in baby cereal, which takes me to #2.

2. Baby oat cereal -- with my first son, I bought a box of rice cereal, but it didn't really work for him, so I bought a box of oat cereal, which he ate a bit more of. Basically, though, I spent about $8 on organic baby cereal and ended up with two almost full boxes. Even if your baby likes the stuff, a little goes a long way. For baby #2, I make it myself by taking 1 cup of rolled oats (I get 3 pounds for $3, organic) and grinding them up in a food processor.

To turn the ground oats into baby oat "cereal" or oatmeal, put 1/4 cup ground oats in 1-1 1/4 cup boiling water and simmer until it reaches the correct consistency (or cook it in a rice cooker with the same water/oat ratio). Super simple, super cost-effective.

Oatmeal on the left, apple-squash puree on the right.

3. Squash/Apple Puree -- Cut your squash in half (I used acorn squash) and scoop out the seeds, fill the inside with diced (peeled) apple (organic is best). Place in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water and roast in the oven for about 40-60 minutes (at 400 degrees), basically until the squash is soft and the skin will come off easily. (You can also just roast the squash, no apple). Peel the squash and puree the squash and apple together. You can add a dash of cinnamon if you like (and can also add a little breast milk or water to make it thinner, if you need to).

4. Applesauce -- This is more work, but I like making homemade applesauce, and this is a food item that everyone in the family can enjoy. I recommend getting (or borrowing an apple peeler). I also recommend pink lady apples. (A smart way to get organic apples for applesauce at a great price is to talk to the apple vendor at your local farmer's market and ask for apples that are typically considered "ugly" and thus don't do as well in the marketplace. I recently got 10 pounds of organic apples for $3 from my farmshare because the apples looked ugly. They tasted great and just needed to be peeled and produced wonderful applesauce).

Peel, core, and slice the apples (you'll need 5-8 if they are big apples, 12-15 if they are small -- this will make you about 4-6 adult servings of applesauce). Put the apples in a big pot filled with about 1 cup of water (almost covering the apples, but not quite) and simmer for 30-45 minutes (until apples are really soft). I recommend adding lemon juice and cinnamon to the pot. (Some people like to add nutmeg.) Mash with a potato masher or puree if for baby. I like to mix some oatmeal and applesauce together in the food processor for my little guy.

Tips:

1. Since even one squash can make a large batch of baby food, I like to sometimes double the recipe - using two squash and then use about 1/4-1/3 of the pureed vegetable for the baby and then spice up the rest for an adult vegetable side dish or soup (sometimes adding vegetable stock, herbs, etc.)

2. If you are worried about the big portions of baby food you make and the small amount the baby eats, simply freeze the baby food (in muffin tins makes it easy for later).

3. I know there are differing opinions about eggs and babies, but my first son was very underweight even though he breastfed often. I did not want to supplement with formula, and he was developmentally doing well, so our pediatrician recommended giving my son a hard boiled egg yolk. I had to mix it in with his mashed bananas to get him to eat it, but I appreciated this protein alternative. My son never had any reactions or problems with the egg and has grown and developed quite well. (He's now 2). I would ut se the hard-boiled egg white to make myself a healthier egg salad.

4. The ground oats you use for the baby's oat cereal also provide you with oat flour, which I like to use in a lot of recipes (pancakes, cookies, etc.) because it is gluten-free and has more nutrients than traditional flour. So much more affordable to make it yourself then to spend more $$ on fancy glutem-free flour.

Baked Onion Rings - All the Goodness, None of the Guilt

I made Baked Onion Rings last night, and they were really yummy!! Much better than I expected. I got the recipe from Everyday Food Light and made a few adjustments.

With a new year, many of us are trying to eat better. These are a great item to feel like you are indulging without frying and grease.

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a food processor (or blender) combine 1 1/2 cups cornflakes and 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (plain or Italian). Transfer to a bowl.

3. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl: 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used milk with a dash of vinegar in it, since I didn't have buttermilk. I never buy buttermilk. I just add the vinegar to regular milk), 1/4 flour and seasonings (salt, pepper and then whatever you like: cayenne, grill spice, creole seasoning. I used grill spice to compliment the grilled chicken sausages I was making).

4. Slice 1 medium onion (preferably Vidalia or brown) - discard inner small rings (I put them in my freezer bag that I put veggie scraps in to make veggie broth).

5. Dredge onion slices in egg mixture first (letting excess drip off), then dredge in cornflake mixture.

6. Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Once all of the rings are on the cookie sheet - spray them with cooking spray, both sides. This helps them stay crispy.

7. Cook for about 15 minutes (eyeball it), flipping them in the middle.

Enjoy!!

The book said they have 241 cals per serving, 9 g of fat, 7 g of protein, 33 carbs, and 2.4 fiber --

The recipe I posted should have less fat and calories because I used cooking spray rather than the 2 tablespoons of olive oil that was suggested.

By using the cooking spray, I estimate it drops to about: 180 cals per serving and 3-4 g of fat, a big improvement.

Also, if you used an egg substitute and fat-free milk, you could make them even lower in calories and fat without missing much.

Wish I had a picture, but we ate them way too fast to get a photo.

Most onion rings are around 300 g per serving (at least) with 16 g of fat. Same with a small order of fries typically - and how many of us ever eats a small order of fries? So, skip the fries and make onion rings at home.

Five Ingredients or Less (Not Counting S&P)

1. Oats and Eggs (rolled oats, runny egg, avocado, shredded parmesan, pepper)

This recipe is for a single serving, so you can always make more. I am a person who loves oats, but does not like oatmeal. I keep rolled oats on hand for granola, granola bars, pancakes, breads, muffins and cookies. But, the exception is a savory egg-y oatmeal that I really, really love.

It's simple - cook 1/4 cup of oats in about 1 cup of water (I don't feel my cup all the way because I like mine really thick). Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes (or less) until oatmeal is done.

When you're oatmeal is almost done, heat a pan with cooking spray and drop one egg in it. When the white starts to get cooked, flip over and cook for a little longer (only a 1-2 minutes more because this is best with a runny egg).

Put the oatmeal in a bowl, top with the egg and some shredded parmesan, fresh cracked pepper and diced avocado (1/2 of an avocado is all I use). It is so good!!

2. Banana Nut Muffins (bananas, sesame seeds, sugar, flour, butter - NO EGGS!! So, this could be vegan if you used margarine instead of butter and is a great muffin recipe for people with egg allergies).

I had 2 very ripe bananas and no eggs, so I cruised the web, read some recipes and then made these muffins. This recipe makes 4-6 muffins, depending on size.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mash two ripe bananas and combine in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1-2 tbs melted butter. Mix well and add sunflower seeds, per your discretion.

Put in muffin tins and bake for 12-15 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

3. Brown Rice Mushroom Pilaf (brown rice, baby bella mushrooms, parmesan, chicken or veggie stock, grill spice)

This rice turned out really well on Christmas and complimented the steaks we made. I always cook my rice (1 cup) in a rice cooker - so much easier. To have the rice really stand up to the steak, I cooked it in chicken stock instead of water. (You could always use veggie stock, if you prefer or are vegetarian).

When your rice is almost done, begin to sautee the already sliced mushrooms (1 package) in your oil of choice. I added the same grill spice that we're using on the steaks. It's really nice to add the spices you are using for your main dish to the mushrooms to tie it together.

I think baby bella are the best mushroom for this recipe. When they are almost done, break them up into smaller pieces (I just do this right in the pan with the wooden spatula I'm cooking with), then add the rice. Toss together really well and add the shredded parmesan.

4. Herbed Mashed Potatoes

Chop 4 idaho potatoes (peel or no peel is up to you. I like skins in mine, so I rarely peel them). Cover with water and bring to boil (you can use vegetable or chicken broth in place of water).

While you're potatoes are boiling, prep your herbs. I wanted to do a Southwest style mashed potatoes, so I was using cilantro and used about half of the bundle from the store. I pulled the leaves off of the stems and then threw the cilantro in the food processor to save me the chopping hassle.

Once the potatoes are soft (typically 20-25 minutes), reserve about 1/2-3/4 cup of the starchy water (especially if used broth) and drain the rest. Mash the potatoes (in the pot you cooked in, now that the water is drained off) and add the chopped up herbs and the reserved water. I also recommended adding the cheese of your choice. I added about 1/2 a bag of a shredded colby/pepper jack cheese blend because I thought it would go nicely with the cilantro. I also added about 1/2 cup of plain yogurt (since I didn't have any sour cream) to make the potatoes more creamy and couple of pats of margarine. Mix it all up and enjoy. (I prefer to mash my potatoes by hand with a potato masher, but I know a lot of people use a mixer, which is great too. (Heavy cream or milk could be used to make the potatoes creamy as well, just add in small amounts because you don't want soupy potatoes - yikes).

You can mix up your herb and cheese combinations based on what you have. I had cilantro left from a different recipe, so I went in the direction of Mexican/Southwestern for these potatoes, but basil with parmesan cheese would be great too -- that is actually the herbs and cheese the Ina Garten recipe that inspired these potatoes called for.

5. Pita Pizza (Pita, Cheese, Radicchio-or whatever other veggie you choose, Mushroom, Oil)

When I have pita leftover, I often use it to make easy pizzas. A really, great and simple option is to use the pita for pizzas when you have veggies to use up. I always love mushrooms on pizza, so that tends to be always in the mix. This time, I added radicchio - the two veggies balanced well, but I also recommend spinach or wilted arugula (a good idea when you have either of those greens that are about to go bad).

How I assembled my radicchio-mushroom pita pizza. I tossed the radicchio in olive oil and salt and pepper and broiled it for about 7 minutes.

While that was broiling, I sauteed the mushroom (in olive oil - you can add balsamic vinegar as well, if you want). I don't like to have the mushrooms cook only on the pizza, but like to sautee them ahead. If you are doing spinach or arugula, you just add them in with the mushrooms (after the mushrooms have been going for a few minutes).

Once the radicchio was done, I put my pitas in the oven. I spray my pitas with whatever oil spray I have, then put the shredded mozzarella on it. Put it in the oven (I just used the end of the broil cycle on my oven) and watch them -- only put them in long enough to melt the cheese.

Remove from oven, top with warm veggies and enjoy. Simple, but good. (You can always load on more veggies if you want).

Potatoes

I am not a foodie. I don't know that much about food, but I am learning and love reading recipes and experimenting in the kitchen.

Recently, I signed up for Abundant Harvest Organics, a weekly locally farmed, organic produce program. Every week , I get a small box of in-season, organic produce. This has encouraged me, as I had hoped, to cook more and eat better and to experiment (finding new recipes etc.).

So, I've decided to write a blog where I share my love of food and cooking. The last two batches of produce I've gotten included potatoes, so that is the subject of today's posting and compilation of recipes. Hopefully, I'll be able to include photos of dishes next time, though they certainly aren't always very pretty, but usually they taste pretty good. I typically start with a recipe and then adjust it and go from there.

My top potato recipes of the week are: potato leek soup (sans cream), Nicoise salad (a major favorite of mine) and a home fries with gooey egg breakfast concoction I came up with this morning (feel free to give this item a better name). Most of the time I'm cooking for one since I'm really into veggies and the hubbie is really into meat.

1. Potato Leek Soup - I've never cooked with leeks before, but since they came in my box and since I had potatoes, potato leek soup was an obvious choice, but I didn't want to make a version that was saturated with cream and a lot of fat, so I found a recipe online and made adjustments. Here was the result:

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 3/4 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Russett potatoes (about 2 lbs. total), peeled and chopped
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, leeks, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is a bit creamy looking, about 10 minutes (adjust heat so mixture cooks but doesn't start to brown).
2. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until potatoes are very tender to the bite, about 20 minutes.
3. Purée soup in a blender.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste

That's it! Simple and delicious. (The original recipe suggested adding milk, rather than cream, but I didn't even do that and I didn't miss it). I discovered 2 things -- I love leeks!! (I was munching on it raw as I cooked) and I love soups (something I've discovered through making soups at home -- what I don't like is canned soup, but I love making soups myself from fresh ingredients).

2. Nicoise salad - a typical Nicoise salad consists of tuna, green beans, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, onion, capers, and potatoes with a vinaigrette. I love this salad, but rarely have all of the exact ingredients around and really try to focus on cooking with what I have, so based on what I had, I made a wonderful (and beautiful) Nicoise salad for dinner last night. Since it wasn't recipe based and I'm going off memory, I will estimate with amounts.

Ingredients:

• a handful of torn romaine lettuce (kudos to abundant harvest, the romaine was beautiful and delicious)
• a handful of organic herb salad from Trader Joe's
• 5-7 small fingerling potatoes
• 2 soft-boiled eggs
• a handful of green beans
• white wine vinegar
• brown or dijon or spicy mustard (depending on your preference)
• olive oil
• 1 can solid white albacore tuna
  

Preparation

1. Boil eggs and potatoes (I did it together in one pot to save on dirty dishes and just took the eggs out a bit earlier than the potatoes. I put my eggs in ice cold water because I prefer my eggs to be soft or medium-boiled, not hard boiled)
2. Sautee green beans in sesame oil with salt and pepper
3. Toss salad in vinaigrette (whichever you choose), I made a small amount quickly just for this salad with a dash of white wine vinegar, olive oil and one squirt of mustard
4. Put it all together - I like to put the lettuce on the bottom, of course, with the tuna (drained) on top and the green beans, egg and potatoes around the edges. I think it looks beautiful and tastes great.

3. Potato and Gooey Egg Breakfast Concoction - Like many of you, I love breakfast and this morning I was feeling rather adventurous. So, I put together a not-so-pretty, but extremely delicious (to me, anyway) breakfast mess using the organic potatoes, onion and shallots from my box.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs (over easy -- well that was my intent)
  
• 1 potato (if it is large, 2 if they are not) - any type you like for breakfast potatoes
• 2 shallots
• onion (in this case the onion that was leftover from when I made my soup, probably 1/4 of a large yellow onion)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• tri-colored peppers (frozen) from Trader Joe's
• salt, pepper, creole seasoning (creole seasoning is optional - I love making breakfast potatoes with creole seasoning)
  
• olive oil
• butter (a pat)
• A handful of torn spinach
  

Preparation

1. Chop potatoes (you can do strips or chunks, whichever you prefer -- I felt like strips this morning). Season with creole, salt and pepper (to taste)
2. Chop onion, shallots and garlic
3. Pan fry potatoes in a drizzle of olive oil and pat of butter
4. Once potatoes start to get about half-way done (see, I'm definitely an amateur), add onion, shallots and garlic and continue to sautee
5. After a few more minutes (as onions start to become translucent), add peppers (fresh would be great, but I had frozen)
6. At the end (when potatoes and onion mix is about done), add spinach (I did this to add some iron, calcium and additional protein to the mix and because I love spinach and had just picked up the fresh, organic spinach this morning in my produce box)
7. Once spinach is cooked - add additional seasonings to taste and remove from pan (to plate)
8. Add a bit more oil and butter to the pan (just a small pat) and cook the eggs (over-easy) -- mine didn't quite work this morning and using a separate pan might have worked better, but I have a 3 month old and no dishwasher, so for me less dishes is better). My goal was to just have some nice runny eggs to put over top of the potatoes and that I did accomplish.
9. Put eggs on top and enjoy!

I know this last recipe sounds like a bit of a mess, but it was an experiment that I enjoyed making and eating. Delish.

I'm looking forward to dinner tonight, which will not include potatoes, but will be a delicious grilled shrimp fettuccine alfredo, which my husband will eat (and will help cook). I'll make a caesar salad to go with it.

Tomorrow is all about Quinoa - check back in for Quinoa Tabbouleh, Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Quinoa on top and maybe some Quinoa muffins, we'll see.