Enchiladas, Ole!

Sometimes even the most passionate cooking mama needs a break. Today was one of those days. So instead of busting out something that I made from scratch for my hungry munchkin I reached for the freezer. Now, I rarely have frozen meals on hand but my sister let me in on two little secrets:

Secret 1: Amy's Organics and Kashi have GREAT frozen entrees that are healthy and kiddo friendly.

Secret 2: You can get frequently get these great name brand products for cheap prices at the Grocery Outlet.

So this week I totally stocked up at the local grocery outlet (Redwood City) and my hungry munchkin got to experience something totally new... vegan enchiladas!

I served up the Black Bean Vegetable Enchilada because it is made entirely of ingredients that my hungry munchkin has already tried without allergic reaction: Two tortillas made from freshly ground organic corn, filled with a blend of organic black beans, tofu and vegetables and covered with a traditional Mexican sauce.

It had a little chili kick to it and guess what?

"MMMMMMMMMMMM" - Danny, Hungry Munchkin

Baby's First: Watermelon!

Can't... Get... Enough!

My hungry munchkin had his first bite of watermelon this week at a picnic. He could have eaten a whole slice by himself. We're definitely keeping this stuff around this summer!

Turkey Sticks

Our hungry munchkin has quickly been moving from mush to real food, which means I've been able to experiment with creating food that is very similar to items that I might cook for my husband and myself. My goal has been to "get my baby to the family table" by the time he is one year. We're swiftly moving in that direction! Here is a great recipe that is a fun snack, if a little mild, for adults and, when served with some veggies, a great meal for your hungry munchkin.

Apple Turkey Loaf/Sticks - from Wholesomebabyfoods.com

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 whole egg or 2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup pureed carrots or squash (I used canned squash puree from Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup unprocessed natural wheat or oat bran
1/4 cup bread crumbs
pinch of basil
pinch of garlic powder

Directions:

• Place ground turkey in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the egg/yolk, carrots, applesauce, spices, bread crumbs and bran.
• Mix well - If this mixture appears too dry, add more carrots or applesauce. If this mixture appears too wet, add more bran and/or bread crumbs
• Place mix into a lightly oiled (olive oil) loaf pan and bake at 350F for approx. 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. **You may wish to cover with foil to prevent the top from burning
• When finished baking and cooled, remove loaf from pan and slice as you would for bread.
• Break into small bits for finger feeding or Mash or chop gently
• This recipe may also be made into "Turkey Sticks" for Toddlers and older babies who are able to handle more textured/chunky finger foods. Mold into sticks and place on lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.
  
  Variations:
  Cook the ground turkey separately, add the other ingredients and puree

Dining Out: Indian Food

Last night we took our hungry munchkin to an indian restaurant, with fairly good results. He loved the naan, rice and raita. We gave him Dal, a lentil soup, but it was too spicy for his sensitive little taste buds. That meant we didn't offer him any of the saag paneer, creamed spinach with cheese chunks.

Saag Paneer

In the past we have given our hungry munchkin bites of a non spicy saag paneer wrap from the indian wraps cart at the California Avenue Farmers Market in Palo Alto, which he loved! But this time the food was a little too spicy. Fortunately there were enough options (and people!) to keep our little one busy.

Chicken, Veggies and Couscous

Couscous Pilaf with Pureed Chicken and Leeks

Daniel and I tried out a new recipe today, with great success. If doubled, this recipe is family worthy! Danny enjoyed the chicken, veggie and couscous pilaf, making a ginormous mess. Perhaps I shouldn't have let him feed himself?

Chicken, Veggies and Couscous

1 T butter

1/4 cup chopped leeks

1/4 cup chopped chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup couscous

• Heat butter over medium heat. Saute leeks until tender, about 8 minutes.
• Add chopped chicken. Saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
• For younger babies, puree leeks and chicken, thinning to desired consistency with water.
• Meanwhile, cook carrots and peas according to package.
• At the same time, boil water. Once boiling, stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for five minutes to cook.
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and allow to cool. Serve to hungry munchkin!
  

I really like this couscous, Ma!

What mess?