Tomato Veggie Sauce…and other ways to get your kids to eat veggies

Remember when we tricked our kids into eating Red Bell Peppers?  Good times…right?  Well here’s my current situation…

Mr. Lew just turned two and has currently decided he does not like vegetables…at ALL!  Beautiful veggies like tender zucchini, sweet red bell pepper and crunchy carrots are as good as garbage to him.

WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!

He’s also made efforts to declare his independence in every way possible- tantrums, food throwing, and hunger strikes.

Ok little man…you want to play hard ball?  This Momma has got a few more tricks up her sleeve, including a marinara sauce spiked with some of my favorite veggies…

…say hello to my little friends!

First we’re going to call in our best undercover agents- Zucchini (Captain Z), Bell Pepper (Big Red), and Carrots (Nicky Flash).  Break them down into bite size pieces, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Toss and roast in the oven till nice and tender.

Meanwhile, prep the sauce base on the stove.  The base is very similar to my basic marinara sauce recipe we learned to make earlier with a couple adjustments.  Begin by sautéing onions and garlic in a large pot until soft.  Stir in a can of crushed tomatoes and a little chicken broth and allow to simmer so the flavors marry together and the sauce thickens slightly.

Now it’s time to play dirty.  Dump your roasted veggies (I mean secret agents) into your marinara base.  Insert maniacal laugh here….

Then using an immersion blender or regular blender or food processor (whatever your weapon of choice) and puree your vegetables until all that is left is a perfectly blended marinara sauce.

Your toddler (or token picky eater) will never see it coming….mine didn’t!  This sauce is reminiscent of the familiar marinara sauce spiked with the sweet goodness of roasted vegetables you and I, with the mature palettes, have come to know and love.

Seriously, Mr. Lew was eating this by the spoonful.  It goes perfectly over noodles.  Fits perfectly in a cheesy calzone or pizza.  I can even imagine it would be the perfect partner in crime for mozzarella sticks or even a grilled cheese.

The possibilities are endless and the best part is you got them to eat their vegetables without suspicion…because mom would never lie right?

No dear…never!

Love,

JJ

Tomato Veggie Sauce

 

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Makes about 3 ½ cups of sauce

Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

• 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• ½ small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a rimmed baking sheet or small roasting pan toss together the carrot, zucchini, and pepper. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and generously salt and pepper the mix. Toss the veggies with your hands to get an even coat of seasoning. Roast the vegetables for20-25 minutes, stirring once, until nice and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, create the base of your sauce by sautéing the onion and garlic in some olive oil over medium heat. Cook until the onions are softened which will take about 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes. When sauce is finished simmering, stir in the roasted vegetables.
3. Take the sauce off the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture into a smooth sauce. Alternatively, you can use a blender or food processor. Once pureed be sure to taste your sauce and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
4. Serve sauce over pasta, on pizza, in calzones or whatever your heart desires. The possibilities are endless. This sauce stores well in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days or you can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months.

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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

Cauliflower Brown RiceGratin

 

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Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter four ½ cup ramekins or custard cups.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before serving to baby.
5. **Refrigerate the baked gratins for up to 3 days or freeze, covered, for up to 3 months.

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Black, Beans, Bananas, and Quinoa (OH MY!)

How adventurous are your taste buds?  I’m not talking like Bugs on a stick or a scorpion tartar.  We’re talking flavor combos that make you go “what just happened?”  That my friend is what has defined my culinary journey and I want that for my family and friends.

So I know we are just getting acquainted, but today, right this minute I ask that we get a little vulnerable with our taste buds and try something totally out of the box.  In fact, let’s take it one step further and target this recipe for the little babes in our life.  Do you trust me?

Today’s trust exercise begins with quinoa!  Quinoa is a beautiful grain packed with protein.  Before we prepare the quinoa always, always, ALWAYS rinse and drain well.  This removes the bitterness lingering on the grain.  Combine the quinoa and a cup of water in a small saucepan.  We’re going to bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.

When the water has been absorbed in the grain it will become translucent and little grain strands will extend from the grain like a hair follicle.  Don’t worry, it is edible and tastes nothing like a hair follicle…not that I would know what that tastes like…we’re getting off track so let’s just fluff that quinoa so it looks like this.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat warm your black beans.  Once the black beans are warmed through, take a fork and mash most or ALL of the black beans to a refried beans texture.

Now it’s time to take the leap of faith and combine all these ingredients together.  Are you ready?  Be Brave!  First introduce the black beans to the quinoa.  Stir them together til they are well combined.

Time for banana to join the party-slice the banana into bit size pieces your baby can handle and sprinkle on top of one serving of the black bean, quinoa mixture.  This will take about half of one banana.  Save the second half for yourself.  You deserve it mama because you work hard!

Black Beans, Bananas, and Quinoa

 

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Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

• ½ cup Quinoa
• 1 cup of cooked, low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ banana, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Rinse the quinoa under cold running water and drain well. This helps remove any bitterness left in the quinoa. In a small sauce pan combine the quinoa with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer gently until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are soft and translucent, about 20 minutes. Let stand covered for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the black beans in a small sauce pan over medium heat and mash some or all with a fork to consistency your baby is able to handle. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and stir in the mashed beans. Spoon the quinoa mixture onto a plate and top with the chopped bananas. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.
3. **Refrigerate leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days OR freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months in your freezer.

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Phew!  How’d you do?  Did I totally scare you?  I hope not because I guarantee this dish will be a crowd pleaser with your child!  My little guy gobbled it up entirely and still wanted more.

I don’t know if you feel this way or not but I am jealous of my son at this stage in life.  He is experiencing flavors for the first time and each bite seems to be more exciting than the last.  I get a thrill as he accepts the food carefully prepared for him trusting that it is going to be delicious.  Now, I’m not going to say we haven’t had any missteps along the way, but it’s that bond of trust we have that keeps him coming back to the table.

So let’s throw off our inhibitions and open our minds to new flavors and combos.  There is a whole new world out there for your taste buds that I’m willing to explore with you!

Your Pal,

Janie-Jean

Pork for Baby with Red Beans and Rice

I don’t know about you but I really enjoyed last week!  Garlic  lemon pork with mushy minty peas…delicious!  I think it’s time for the kids to get in on the pork action!  Let’s start with a simple preparation of pork tenderloin and turn that base into a tasty treat for your baby’s eyes and mouth!

Get that oven nice and hot at a balmy 400 degrees.  Place your Pork Tenderloin in an aluminum foil lined roasting pan.

Drizzle the loin with the apple juice and olive oil.  Then dust the surface with the nutmeg shavings, salt and pepper.

All that is left is to roast in the oven till it is opaque and no longer pink in the middle.  The timing of this is roughly 20 minutes.  Oven’s can vary in cooking temperature like mine…oh what I would give to have a brand new kitchenaid oven with gas stove top.  Unfortunately, that has to live in dream land right now and I have to use a much cheaper option…the good ol’ meat thermometer: internal temp of the meat should be 160 degrees.

Once completely cooked let the meat rest on the cutting board then when you are able to handle with your fingers, slice the meat into bite size pieces your child can handle.  Little Lew is still working on his chompers so I had to give a nice run through the food processer.

And just like that you have a beautiful, iron packed protein your little one can snack on…but wait there is more…let’s take this dish a step further  to create more flavor and color in an otherwise dull looking dish.  Remember- we eat with our eyes first!

So I invited some friends over to play with our little piggy.  I bet you’ve met them before…say hello to my little friends- kidney bean, rice, parsley and cumin!  You guessed it…we are making red beans and rice WITH PORK!

Kidney Bean and his pals are the first to dive in…so like them!

Then Rice joins the party…he tends to just follow the crowd.  But it’s ok…we like it when he sticks around.

Next is Parsley…she’s that part of the crowd that adds pizzazz.  You might say she’s the life of the party.  The Popular one…someone’s been eating their “Vitavetavegamin.”

Finally, the friend that ties everyone together is little ol’ cumin.  He’s lovable, comfortable, and he loves to give warm soulful hugs.  At least that’s what I like to think of when he comes around.

Toss everyone together and you’ve got a finger food party every toddler will want an invite to.  Just look at that beautiful color!

Do you have any pork recipes up your sleeve?  I am always searching for inspiration for new ways to eat this meat!  Let me know in the comments below.  Stay tuned for a dish you can share as a whole family!

Enjoy!

Janie-Jean

Pork For Baby with Red Beans and Rice

 

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Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

• 1 small pork tenderloin, about ½ pound
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 2 tbs of apple juice
• ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ cup of cooked low sodium small red beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup Pork For Baby
• 1 cup cooked Brown Rice
• ½ tsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
• ¼ tsp ground cumin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
2. Line a small roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the pork in the lined roasting pan making sure the tenderloin is trimmed of the fat or any silvery membrane.
3. Drizzle the tenderloin with the olive oil and apple juice then top with the grated nutmeg.
4. Bake the pork until it is opaque and no longer has pink in the middle. This will take about 20 minutes. The internal temperature of the tenderloin should be 160 degrees when tested with a meat thermometer.
5. Once finished, take the tenderloin out of the oven and allow to rest on a cutting board.
6. Once cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to cut the pork across the grain into thin slices. Cut the slice into very small pieces. Adjust the size of the meat based on your child’s chewing ability. You could even zap it in a food processer till the meat resembles tiny crumbs. Add water if needed to moisten.
7. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days or spoon individual portions into ice-cube trays and freeze covered for up to 1 month.
8. In a bowl stir together the beans, pork, rice, parsley, and cumin and toss to mix well.
9. Adjust the texture to your baby’s chewing ability by either fork mashing or zapping in a food processer. Add water as needed.
10. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days or spoon individual portions into ice-cube trays or other baby-food freezer containers and freeze covered for up to 1 month.

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