Foodie Baby: Blueberry Spinach Apple Puree

This was the first recipe I taught to the women who are taking my Foodie Baby class on Wednesday evenings. It doesn't matter how young or old your baby or toddler may be, this is a tasty and uber-healthy puree that is easy to whip up.  Call me lazy, but I am going to just copy and paste the pages that I typed up for the class and paste them here. Hey, I've already done the leg work!

As easy as it can be to grab a few jars of basic fruits from the baby food aisle, it is also a lot less expensive and a lot more fun to experiment with fruit combinations at home! To make things even easier, fruits generally boil down on their own and very little, if any, water will even need to be added.

Slap Me Some Skin – I am a huge advocate in leaving the skins on fruit and vegetables. After doing research on the topic, I have found that many fruits and veggies contain more valuable nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in their skin than in their flesh!  As far as I could tell, my daughter never experienced any adverse reactions to leaving the skins on and I feel she is healthier for it.  Just make sure to wash all of your fruits and veggies first!

Recipe #1 – Blueberry Spinach Apple Delight

You can make this recipe with or without the spinach if you’d rather have pure fruits, but I find that incorporating spinach delivers an even heftier punch of antioxidants, not to mention calcium and iron.

Ingredients

1 and ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 and ½ cups of baby spinach leaves

2 medium apples of your choice, cored and chopped

¼ cup of water

Medium pan

Colander

Stirring utensil

Large bowl

Directions

1.        

Place the blueberries, apples, and water in a medium pan, cover with a lid and simmer on medium-high heat until apples are tender. About 10 minutes.

2.       

Reduce heat to low and add the spinach.  Cook until the spinach has wilted, no more than 3 minutes.

3.      

Pour the contents of the saucepan into the colander, placing the large bowl underneath to reserve the cooking liquid.

4.       

Transfer the fruits and spinach into a food processor or blender and add the cooking liquid until desired consistency is reached.

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Foodie Baby: Cajun Red Beans & Rice with Chicken

This is one of Pip's all-time faves!  She polished off an entire jar each and every time without fail. I also scoured my entire computer and somehow deleted all of the how-to pictures! But I have something better.  I have a VIDEO. Apparently Cajun food makes babies SPICYYYYY!!! I hope your little one enjoys this healthy, zesty, and a-tad-spicy baby food as much as mine does!

~Ingredients~

1 bag of Boil-In-A-Bag brown rice
1 can red beans, drained
1 Tbsp. butter
drizzle of olive oil
2 small chicken breasts, cooked ,seasoned with salt and pepper, and chopped into chunks
1 tsp. Zatarain's Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, chopped
8 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 and 1/4 cup water

~Directions~

1.  Cover bottom of large skillet with olive oil and butter and cook on medium heat until butter melts.
2.  Add the white onion, cherry tomatoes, cayenne pepper, celery, and Creole Seasoning
3.  While  vegetables are cooking, prepare brown rice as directed on box.
4.  When rice is done cooking, add it to the vegetables in skillet.
5.  Add the can of drained red beans.
6.  Add cooked chicken breast.
7.  Cook together on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
8.  Transfer mixture to blender.
9.  Add the 1 and 1/4 cups of water and stir.
10.  Blend until you reach the desired texture.

LEISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS!!!!

~~~ CORRECTION~~~

I did find the pictures! They were just all jumbled around. Not that they are absolutely crucial, but here they are anyway. 

1.  This is the brown rice I use. Super fast and easy, and still super healthy!

 2.  Here are the ingredients you need.

 3.  Yields approximately 9 jars of baby food.

 4.  Tasting.....

 5.  AND VERDICT!

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Foodie Baby: Nu-Ways

I grew up on a Sloppy Joe-type of sandwich that my family calls a "Nu-Way."  I remember my mom and dad tweaking the recipe much like they did with chili, in order to find that perfect blend of ingredients, desperately searching for what they believed was "The Perfect Nu-Way."  To me, just the combination of the main ingredients was perfection enough, in any capacity.

When Piper was 10 months old or so, I figured she was probably ready to handle some foods that were a bit more coarse, and little more bold.  She still preferred creamier textures, as your infant might, so be sure to continue to add water and puree until it's thin enough for their liking.

~Ingredients~

1/2 pound of 90% lean ground beef
3/4 cup cooked Basmati rice
3 slices American Cheese
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1 cup of water

~Directions~

1.  Brown the beef in skillet.

2.  Add cooked Basmati rice.

3.  Add American cheese, mustard, onion, pepper, and celery seed.

4.  Add a little bit of water and cook on low until onions are tender.
5.  Transfer to a food processor or blender.
6.  Add the 1 cup of water and blend until desired consistency.
7.  Yields approximately 5 jars of baby food.

LET YOUR LITTLE ONE ENJOY THE BOLD AND EXCITING FLAVORS!

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Foodie Baby - Hummus With a Twist

I made this bold Mediterranean side dish last fall when Piper was about 4 months old and found that it is not only mouthwatering, quick, perfect for taking to holiday parties, and adding an exotic flare to the Thanksgiving table, but it is nutritious and smooth...a great first food for baby!  The first few bites of the hummus may produce scrunchy (or what I call "frinkle") faces, but don't let that deter you. Rosemary, garlic, and balsamic vinegar are incredibly bold tastes and are probably somewhat shocking to a baby's little virgin taste-buds. After a few bites, hopefully the frinkles become fewer and further between.  Let your baby gnaw, teethe, and gum on some whole wheat pita bread. *This can be a snack both parents and baby can enjoy!

~Ingredients~

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 clove of peeled garlic

2-15 oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of cold water

salt and pepper

*Baby is not to consume the white wine. That is for parents only.  

~Instructions~

1.  Strip the rosemary leaves from their stems, discard the stems, and place the leaves in a food processor. 

2.  Add garlic and pulse until very fine.

3.  Add garbanzo beans and process until smooth.

4.  While processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

5.  Taste, and add more vinegar as desired.

6.  Pour in the water, adding more until desired consistency.

ENJOY!!!

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