Cauliflower Brown Rice Gratin
I watch The Chew on ABC all the time! It’s a part of my daily “me time” routine usually paired with laundry to fold and lunch. I love the chemistry, the food, the craft corner (Hey Clinton!), but what I love the most is how these chefs talk about their Moms’.
Michael Symon talks about how his Mom cooked three meals a day for his family and that’s how it shaped his food journey to this day. It seems that they rarely ate out because she was always making something to satisfy their cravings!
That is what motivates me as a mom of my “Little Lew” to be the best chef I can be in my small kitchen. Trying to shape how he looks at food. Food is a pleasant experience. Food is family time. Food is love. Food is downright tasty!
So let’s make a Tasty Tot dish that is seemingly decadent for baby food. Trust me, every little effort you make at this young age will make a difference as they continue their journey with food!
First things first, let’s get the cauliflower steaming in our steamer basket. We want the cauliflower to get nice and soft because we are going to puree the hell out of it in a few minutes. Meanwhile, lightly butter four little ramekins. These guys are ready for work!
Begin building the gratins by laying a foundation of brown rice in the bottom of each ramekin. Then drizzle each foundation with some Vegetable stock. This is going to give a wonderfully savory flavor to the rice which makes it that much more comforting. Baby will be pleased!
When the Cauliflower has finished steaming, pour into the bowl of a food processer and puree till smooth. Now it’s time to boost the flavor with some shredded parmesan cheese and a little hint of nutmeg. This is pure baby decadence right here!
Spoon the Cauliflower Mash into the prepared ramekins, and top with a sprinkle of cheese. These babes are ready for the oven. Bake until the tops of each ramekin are golden brown.
I can’t get over how cute these ramekins are…almost too cute to eat…almost!
This ain’t yo mama’s baby food! This is the equivalent of “Baby Soul Food” and Little Lew gobbled this down! I even snuck a few bites for quality control of course! (WINK!!)
Make each meal count with your little one. They may be small, but I can guarantee that they want BIG FLAVOR! That is what will keep them coming back to the table for more with healthful choices to satisfy their cravings. And isn’t that what we want for our kids? I know I do!
Happy Eating!
JJ
- Unsalted butter for greasing
- 1 cup of Cauliflower florets
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1 cup of cooked Brown Rice
- 4 tbs Veggie stock or water
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter four ½ cup ramekins or custard cups.
- Pour water into a sauce pan up to an inch or so then insert a steamer basket filled with cauliflower. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and steam the cauliflower until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the steamer basket from the sauce pan. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processer and process to a smooth puree, adding a little water for a smooth consistency, if necessary. Stir ¼ cup of the cheese and the nutmeg into the cauliflower puree. Set aside.
- Divide the rice evenly among the prepared ramekins, patting it into the bottoms. Drizzle each with 1 tbs of the veggie stock. Spoon the cauliflower puree into each ramekin. Make sure to divide the mix evenly among the four ramekins. Smooth the top so that the rice is completely covered. Top each ramekin with 1 tbs of the remaining cheese.
- Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before serving to baby.
- **Refrigerate the baked gratins for up to 3 days or freeze, covered, for up to 3 months.
Leave a Reply