Major Baby Food Batch

I had planned for a major baby food recipe session the other day and thought I had made enough food for 2 weeks.....well my Bambino decided otherwise and is likely bouncing through a growth spurt. He is eating and accepting so many new foods (which is exciting) but I NEED to step up my game with his meal planning. That being said, this batch would likely make enough purees for a baby not in the throws of a growth spurt for a week to 2 weeks depending on the appetite. This whole batch took 1 hour! I'll write up a separate post for tips and tricks with making large amounts of foods in short periods of time.

Side note: Apologies for my varying storage container sizes! I ran out of my little snack zip top bags so I was a little all over the place tonight!

Ingredients for success :-)

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen mango slices
5-6 large frozen strawberries
1 small, fresh zucchini, ends cut off
1 avocado,


pitted
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 small banana, peeled
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
21 raisins
baby oatmeal - I love Beechnut brand, see here for more info.
baby rice cereal
1 cup quick cook barley - uncooked
12oz breast milk or prepared formula

Also used: cauliflower, spinach, white bean and butternut squash purees I had made already a few weeks back. Make sure they are refrigerator thawed before using.

Tools

Baby Bullet - milling blade, blending blade, small blending container (3), small steaming baskets (2)
Baby Bullet Turbo Steamer
spatula

1. Fill the Turbo steamer with 1 cup of water.
2. Add broccoli to one steaming basket and corn to the second basket.
3. Set steamer to 4 and begin steam cycle, allow to run the full cycle
4. Pour the quick cook barley into the blending container with the milling blade. Mill for 90 seconds or until smooth. Add to an airtight container for future baby food. Wash out the blending container and set aside to dry.
5. Once the broccoli and corn are completed steaming, add each vegetable to its own blending container with the 4 prong blending blade. Add 2oz breast milk or formula to each container. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Wash out steam baskets.
6. Add blueberries and banana to their own steam basket, set to 2 and allow to run through the whole cycle.
7. Add white beans, 1/2 corn, 1/2 banana to one of the used containers with 1-2 oz of breast milk or formula. Blend until smooth. Add to storage container of your choice, I go with zip top bags, label with mix and date. Set aside.
8. Add 1/2 broccoli, cauliflower and 1/2 banana to a different container with 1-2 oz breast milk or formula. Blend until smooth. Add to a zip top bag, label with mix and date. Set aside. Wash out steam baskets.

Avocado Broccoli Strawberry 

9. Add avocado and strawberries to their own steam basket. Set to 2 and run through whole cycle. Check the water level to see if it needs to be refilled.
10. Add remaining broccoli, 1/2 avocado and 3 strawberries to a blending container, blend 30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer to  a zip top bag, label with mix and date. Set aside. Wash out steam baskets.
11. Add mango and pineapple to their own steam baskets. Set to 4. Allow to run through the entire cycle.
12. Mango and pineapple are new foods so I want Bambino to try them on their own first. Add each fruit to its own blending container with the 4 prong blending blade. Add 2oz breast milk or formula to each container. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Wash out steam baskets. Add each puree to its own individual zip top bag and label with fruit name and date. Set aside.
13. Add raisins and chopped zucchini to their own steam baskets. Set to 4. Allow to run through the entire cycle.
14. Add raisins to blending container with the milling blade and 2oz breast milk or prepared formula and blend for 60 seconds or until smooth. Add 3 tbsp baby oatmeal, 2 tbsp applesauce and 1 tsp cinnamon with an additional 2oz breast milk. Blend until smooth. Add to a zip top bag, label with mix and date. Set aside.
15. Add zucchini to a blending container with remaining avocado and strawberries + 2oz breast milk or prepared formula. Blend until smooth. Add to a zip top bag, label with mix and date. Set aside.
16. Add spinach, remaining strawberries, blueberries and 1 tbsp rice cereal to a container with 1 oz breast milk or prepared formula. Blend until smooth. Add to a zip top bag, label with mix and date. Set aside.
17. Blend remaining white beans, butternut squash and 2 tbsp applesauce.

After all of these steps you should have to following baby food purees:
Mango
Pineapple
White Bean, Butternut Squash, Applesauce,
Spinach Blueberry Strawberry Rice
Zucchini Avocado Strawberry
Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal
Broccoli Avocado Strawberry
Broccoli Cauliflower Banana
White Bean Corn Banana
milled barley for hot cereal

Whew! That was a lot to whip up but it's all wholesome, balanced, homemade, pureed goodness!
If you try one of these, please let me know if your baby likes them!

Have a delicious day!

Whole Wheat Waffles

I am a kitchen gadget kind of person. I love all of the weird things that have been developed to make cooking easier (or harder, depending on the gadget). There are some that I swear by only because they do improve the quality of your products by being tried and true; one of those products is a waffle iron. I bought my waffle iron pretty recently, about 5 or 6 months ago and I use it every week! I love mixing up a batch of batter with this or that and tasting the end result. This is a basic and delicious whole wheat waffle recipe that can be used as a pancake recipe if you don't have a waffle iron.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 cup oats (I used Bob's Red Mill 8 Grain Hot Cereal)
2 eggs
2 tbsp cinnamon applesauce
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp melted butter- optional (Will make the waffles a little more savory)
2 tbsp oil- optional (the applesauce replaces the oil, so only add it if you are not using applesauce)

1) Preheat your waffle iron.
2) Mix whole wheat flour, oats and baking powder together. Set aside.
3) In a separate bowl, mix milk, eggs, applesauce and butter/oil (if you are using it).
4) Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing the batter well. It is okay if there are some small lumps.
5) Spray the waffle iron with non-stick spray, then pour about 1/3 cup batter onto waffle iron.
6) The waffles will be on the softer side, if you prefer more crispy waffles cook for longer.

Tips:
a) Add banana, chocolate chips, cocoa powder or fruit to change the variation of the waffle.

Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I personally cannot take credit for this awesome recipe! I was watching The Chew a while back and Daphne Oz featured it on an episode dedicated to pizza. Anyway, its so easy and pretty fast to whip up and I use it pretty frequently now. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (I think Chobani works best, I tried the Trader Joe's version and it was too thin)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1. Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for about 5 minutes.
2. Allow to sit for 4-5 minutes.
3. Roll out and knead for 30 seconds.
4. Roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin.
5. On a stove-top skillet cook both sides for 3-4 minutes.
6. Top with your favorite pizza topping and cook in a 400 degree oven for 8-12 minutes depending on your toppings. Tough veggies will need longer in the oven.

Tips:
a. If cooking a plain pizza, less time is needed. Make sure cheese is melted.
b. If your dough is very sticky, add more flour and knead until it no longer sticks to your fingers. With the Trader Joe's Greek yogurt I had to add about 1/4 cup of flour.

1 Pan Vegetable Stew

Hi Everyone!
I just began the final leg of my nutrition internships yesterday! I am still going to try to post as much as a I can but make sure you keep an eye on my Facebook and Twitter accounts for  items as I make them. This stew was inspired by my friend Marielle. We share a lot of similar food interests; she is a more strict vegetarian than I am and has made her own version of this twice recently. She always sends me pictures and I decided that I was going to tackle it today! In total, this really only took about 30 minutes from start to finish. I happened to have all of these items on hand but this would make for a beautiful post-farmer's market meal! Not pictured, I enjoyed this with a nice triangle of ciabatta! Mmmm!

Ingredients
1 can crushed tomatoes (28oz)
1 can chick peas, drained (15oz)
4 stems kale, chopped & including stems
3 large portobello mushroon caps
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4-5 stems scallions, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

1) On medium heat add olive oil, onion and garlic. Allow to brown slightly.
2) Add kale and tomatoes. Cook about 5 minutes until becomes wilted.
3) Add chick peas, mushrooms, scallions and garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Sauce will reduce slightly.
4) Zest the 1/2 lemon and squeeze juice into mixture. Add parsley.
5) Cook on medium low for 4-5 minutes more.
6) Rest for 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy!

It is really the easiest meal to make! The most time is spent chopping everything up!

Options:
1) If you are not a vegetarian simple add meat. Chicken or ground turkey would be fabulous.
2) If you don't have parsley, basil would be a great substitute. I would imagine dried herbs would also work well but not provide the fresh flavor.
3) If you don't have scallions they can be omitted entirely. They are a member of the onion family and mine were going to go bad if I didn't use them.

Shrimp & Grits

Hi everyone!
It's been a bit since I posted a recipe because we moved and I really haven't been cooking! :( Anyway, lst month we went to Florida to visit my brother and Joe went crazy for this Shrimp & Grits dish at this cute little seafood joint near St. Augustine. Fast forward to today, I decided to make his favorite dish for our 7 year anniversary! I looked up some recipes because Shrimp & Grits is foreign to me as far as making it. I found a Paula Deen recipe and lightened it up a lot because she is butter fiend!

This recipe clocks in at 1,170 calories, 42gm fat and 1,699mg sodium but serves 4-5. At 4 servings, its 292.5 calories, 10.5gm fat, 425mg sodium each!

Going without the ham? You save 1180mg sodium! Woohoo!

 ***I had all of the following ingredients in my kitchen. Will post even lighter options in the tips at the bottom of this post! ****

So here goes!

Ingredients:
2 small green peppers, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
24 small shrimp,thawed, peeled & deveined
1/2 cup cubed ham (try using a leftover pork chop)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
2 tsp sriracha
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup grits
1 tbsp & 2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tbsp butter

1) Add 1 tsp olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat and saute ham. When slightly browned, transfer ham to a bowl and set aside.
2) Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet and add onions & peppers. Saute through until peppers are wilted and onions are caramelized. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
3) Add 1 tsp olive oil to same skillet and cook shrimp until shrimp is pink and slightly browned. Flip frequently so all of shrimp is cooked through. Should be 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4) Add diced tomato, sriracha, white wine, 1 tsp salt to skillet. Scrape browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and allow to reduce slightly. After 4-5 minutes the mixture will thicken slightly.
5) Add onions and peppers and stir for 1-2 minutes.
6) Add shrimp and ham and mix.
7) Add milk and stir well. Reduce heat to medium and allow sauce to thicken slightly. Make take a few minutes.
8) Add 3 cups of water to a pot and bring to boil. Slowly add grits, stirring continuously.  Remove from heat and allow to thicken. Add 1 tbsp butter and mix.

Scoop 3/4 cup cooked grits into a bowl and top with shrimp and ham mixture! Enjoy!!! Mmmmm!

Tips:
a) I am a vegetarian, so the ham is a no for me. You can easily use your favorite meatless ham in this recipe.
b) You can use 99/1 turkey as a great alternative, too!
c) The original recipe called for canned, crushed tomatoes, so feel free to use that instead of a fresh tomato.

Healthy Hash Browns

Hi Everyone!
My schedule has been CRAZY lately but after getting a lot of requests, I had to post this super easy recipe for Healthy Hash Browns! It takes about an hour when everything is said and done but the result is a crispy, delicious version of a typically unhealthy breakfast option. I ended up eating almost the whole plate for dinner, so I guess it was brinner?? :)
The beauty is this recipe is how low in carbohydrates yet you get a nice serving of veggies and fiber! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 medium sweet potato
1 whole egg
2 tbsp almond meal
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 400F.
2) Slice spaghetti squash in half and place cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until edges are browned.
3) Allow spaghetti squash to cool.
4) While squash is cooking, peel the sweet potato. Grate potato or slice potato into 6-8 sections and chop in a food processor.
5) Crack the egg into a large bowl and whip until fluffy. Set aside.
6) When squash is cooled, pull spaghetti strands with a fork. In a downward motion from the stem of the squash, scrape to pull strands.
7) When squash is "pulled", mix 1/2 into the egg bowl with sweet potato crumbles. Mix thoroughly.
8) Add almond meal and spices.
9) In a skillet, add olive oil and set to medium heat.
10) Using a spoon, drop the mixture onto the pan and smooth down. Cook until browned and flip.
11) Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Tips:
a) Feel free to double the recipe to use the entire spaghetti squash. If not, you can saute the remaining squash with vegetables, meat, or whatever you like.
b) If you have it, you can substitute olive oil with coconut oil.
c) Try cooking the spaghetti squash the night before if you have time.
d) If you mixture seems wet, add almond meal little by little to thicken it up.

Enjoy!

No-Bake Energy Bites

I have been seeing lots of energy bites on Pinterest and decided to give them a try. I felt guilty about making cookies, so I made these as a way to gets sweet fix without interfering with my lifestyle.

These can be made many different ways, so find what you like and run with it!

Ingredients
1 cup dry oats (I used a mutli-oat mix that can be purchased at Trader Joes.
3/4 creamy peanut butter or nut butter
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup sliced almonds, crushed
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1)In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a spatula, continuously fold ingredients until completely mixed. The mixture will not be completely stick together.
2) Scoop out tablespoon sized mounds and roll into a ball. You may need to use your hands and pack the balls tightly so they won't fall apart.
3) Store in an airtight container, makes about 20-25 bites.

Heavenly Chocolate Bites

Last night I prepared a little dinner for my closest friends! A dinner party at my house is a big deal to me no matter what the occasion. I decided to make a lovely chicken cacciatore, Italian bread, salad and dessert. I decided to turn to Pinterest to get inspired and it worked!

This little bites of chocolate heaven are delicious and part of a clean eating diet. The only ingredient that wasn't clean in the actual bites I made was the chocolate because I didn't have any raw cocoa nibs. So here goes! Enjoy!

Ingredients
2/3 cup cooked steel oats, hot
1.5 cup sliced almonds
2tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) Combine hot oats, almonds, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, honey and flour in a stand mixer bowl.
3) When all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, slowly add chocolate chips on medium speed.
4) The heat from the oats will cause some of the chocolate to melt. Mix for about 15-20 seconds until mixture is dark brown and mixed well.
5) Form small mounds about 1tbsp each onto a cookie sheet lined with a baking mat, parchment paper or greased.
6) Bake for 20 minutes. The cookies will not look much different than prior to baking.
7) Allow cookies to cool completely before serving.

Tips:
1) If you don't have a stand mixer, prepare all ingredients in advance and combine quickly to ensure chocolate melts. Stir by hand for about a minute to ensure the batter is mixed properly.
2) Chocolate chips and regular honey will also work for this recipe.

Have a delicious day!