Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• red peppers
• brown rice
• ground turkey
• onion (chopped)
• mushrooms
• eggplant
• garlic

Directions:

Saute onions, garlic & ground turkey.  Cook brown rice.  Chop mushrooms and eggplant.  Slice tops off of peppers.  Remove core and all seeds.  Mix turkey, brown rice, mushrooms, eggplant - add salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff mixture into pepper.  Bake peppers at 350* for about 30 minutes.

"Chicken & Rice"

My mother made this quite often when I was growing up and it is still one of my favorite meals.

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts (1 per person)
• rice (about 1/2 cup per person - I like to use brown rice)
• white onion
• green chili
• chicken bullion
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

Start cooking rice (I usually add a little salt and 1 Tbsp of butter to my rice).  Dice onion. Chop chicken into 1 inch cubes.  Saute onion and chicken until cooked on the outside.  Transfer chicken and onion to pot of rice.  Continue to cook the chicken with the rice.  Add 2 cubes of chicken bullion and salt & pepper to taste.  Wash green chili pods removing seeds and skin, then chop.  Once chicken and rice are cooked, add green chili.  Add as much green chili as you can tolerate.  :)  Serve with warm tortilla.

Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:

• chicken breast
• peppers
• onion
• mushroom
• olive oil
• white vinegar
• lemon pepper

Directions:

Cut thawed chicken breast into 1 inch chunks.  Cut peppers and onions into 1 inch chunks.  Wash mushrooms and cut off bottom part of the stem.  Put all ingredients on skewers and place in a deep pan.  Pour vinegar and olive oil over kabobs until covered.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper.  Grill until chicken is cooked.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• pot roast
• carrots
• celery
• green onions
• red potatoes
• beef bullion
• salt
• pepper
• garlic
• Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

The evening before cover pot roast in garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  Let marinade overnight. In the morning, sear all sides of the pot roast, then place in slow cooker.  Add chopped carrots, celery, onion & potatoes to crock pot.  Add 2 beef bullion cubes and salt & pepper to taste.  Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or until pot roast is cooked through.

Fruity Smoothy

Mommy Rating: ****
Baby Rating: ****

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana (cut into 2-inch chunks)
• 1 cup frozen or fresh peaches (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Notes:  As baby gets older, try making the smoothie with berries or tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple or papaya.

Since Christopher is older we used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in his smoothie.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Orange-Cranberry Scones

Mommy Rating: ****
Baby Rating: ****

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (cut into chunks)
• 1/2 cup whole milk (plus 1 Tbsp)
• 1 large lightly beaten egg
• 3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat over to 400*F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.  Pulse to mix.  Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles oatmeal.  Add milk, egg, and orange juice and process until mixture comes together, about 20 seconds.  Transfer dough to a bowl and stir in cranberries with a wooden spoon.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead into a ball.  Dough will be sticky and may need to be sprinkled with more flour.  With a rolling pin, roll out dough 1/2 inch thick.  Flour a 1 1/2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter and cut out as many scones as possible.  Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.  Gather scraps of dough, knead together, roll out, and cut out more scones.  Repeat until dough is gone.

Bake scones until golden, 6-7 minutes.  With a spatula, transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Notes:  Get creative by cutting these with shaped cookie cutters instead of rounds.  To store, hold scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Mac & Cheese

Mommy Rating: TBD

Baby Rating: TBD

Ingredients:

• elbow macaroni (1/2 lb)
• broccoli and/or cauliflower (1 1/2 cups small, equal-sized florets)
• whole milk (1 cup)
• sharp white Cheddar cheese (3/4 lb shredded - about 3 cups) - I used yellow Cheddar
• salt
• pepper (1/4 tsp)
• Parmesan cheese (3 Tbsp grated) - optional

Directions:

Preheat over to 350*.  Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and add macaroni and vegetables.  Simmer until macaroni is al dente and vegetables are tender but not mushy, 7-10 minutes.  Drain pasta and vegetables ad return them to pot.

Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add hot milk and Cheddar cheese to macaroni and vegetables, and toss to combine.  Season with salt to taste and pepper, and stir again.

Pour pasta mixture into an 8-inch-square glass or ceramic baking dish.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.  Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Hidden Veggie Sauce

Mommy Rating: ***
Baby Rating: TBD

It doesn't look very appetizing, but it is delcious!

Ingredients:

• olive oil (2 Tbsp)
• onion (1/2 finely diced)
• garlic (1 clove, minced)
• pureed spinach (1/4 cup)
• sweet potato puree (1/4 cup)
• tomato paste (1 Tbsp)
• dried oregano (1/4 tsp)
• pepper (1/4 tsp)
• trained tomatoes (one 26-ounce carton)
• molasses (1 Tbsp)
• ricotta cheese (1/3 cup) - optional

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low, add spinach and sweet potato purees, tomato paste, oregano, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.  Increase heat to high, add tomatoes and molasses, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Serve sauce over pasta or on the side, for little dippers.  Top each serving with a small dollop of ricotta cheese.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Orzo with Rainbow Vegetables

Mommy Rating: ****

Baby Rating: TBD

Delicious!

Ingredients:

• salt
• orzo (1/2 cup
• extra-virgin olive oil (1 Tbsp)
• fresh rosemary (1 tsp minced)
• red and yellow bell pepper (1/2 cup diced)
• fresh or frozen peas (1/2 cup)
• fresh lemon juice (1 tsp)
• pepper (1/8 tsp)

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add a large pinch of salt and the orzo.  Cook stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes or according to package directions.  Drain.

In a frying pan over medium heat, heat oil.  Add rosemary and saute until aromatic, about 30 seconds.  Add bell peppers and peas and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add orzo to pan and toss with vegetables.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Succotash

Mommy Rating: ***
Baby Rating: ****

Who said kids don't like lima beans?!

Ingredients:

• unsalted butter (1Tbsp)
• lima or butter beans, fresh shelled or thawed frozen (1 cup)
• corn kernals, fresh or thawed frozen (1 cup)
• paprika (1/4 tsp)
• salt (1/4 tsp)
• baby's stock or low-sodium broth (1/2 cup)

Directions:

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add beans, corn, paprika, and salt and saute until aromatic, about 3 minutes.  Stir in stock, cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Depending on your baby's age and chewing ability, pass succotash through a food mill or process briefly in a food processor to make a course mince.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Blackberry & Ricotta Parfait

Mommy Rating: ****
Baby Rating: ***
 

Ingredients:

• blackberries (1 cup, plus extra for garnish)
• ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)
• ground nutmeg (1/8 tsp)
• ground cinnamon (1/8 tsp)

Directions:

Puree blackberries in a food processort until smooth.  There will be seeds in the puree.  To remove them, put puree in a fine-mesh sieve over a small mixing bowl and push puree through sieve with a rubber spatula.  (This was very tedious!)

In a small mising bowl, stir together ricotta, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  In a dessert cup, alternate layers of blackberry puree and ricotta mixture.  Finish with halved berry on top.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Rice Noodles Primavera

Mommy Rating: ***
Baby Rating: ***

Ingredients:

• asparagus (1/4 cup chopped)
• fresh or frozen peas (1/4 cup)
• fresh or frozen artichoke hearts (1/3 cup chopped)
• rice pasta (1/4 lb)
• unsalted butter (1 Tbsp)
• zucchini puree (2 Tbsp)
• fresh dill (1 tsp, minced)

Directions:

Select a pot with a steamer basket insert and fill two-thirds full with water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Have ready asparagus, peas, and artichoke hearts in steamer basket.  Add pasta to pot and, after 4 minutes of cooking, insert steamer basket of vegetables in pot.  Cover and cook until both pasta and vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove steamer basket from pot.  Drain pasta, reserving 1 Tbsp cooking liquid, and put in a large bowl.  Cut pasta noodles into baby bite-sized pieces with kichen shears.  (I found brown rice elbow noodles.)  Add asparagus, peas, and artichoke hearts to pasta.  Add reserved cooking liquid, butter, zucchini puree, and dill to bowl and stir to combine.

Depending on your baby's age and chewing ability, serve whole or mash the peas, asparagus , and artichoke hears with a fork.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Asparagus Spears with Feta

Mommy rating: ****
Baby rating: ****

These are DELICIOUS!!!

Ingredients:

• asparagus (1 bunch)
• olive oil (2 Tbsp)
• kosher or rock salt (2 tsp)
• feta cheese (1/3 cup crumbled)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400*F.  Line a 9-by-12 baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Snap off woody ends of asparagus spears and place speans in pan.  Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and roll to coat.  Roast until spears are tender, 8-10 minutes.  Remove from over and sprinkle with cheese.
• Depending on your baby's age and chewing ability, mash the spears coarsely with a fork, cut them into pieces, or let her nibble on the spears.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Root Veggie Medley

Mommy rating: ****

Baby rating: ****

Ingredients:

• sweet potato or yam (1)
• parsnips (2)
• carrots (2)
• extra-virgin olive oil (2 Tbsp)
• fresh rosemary (2 tsp minced) - I used dried
• salt (1/4 tsp)
• pepper (1/4 tsp)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Peel sweet potato, parsnips, and carrots.  Using a mandoline or chef's knife, carefully slice vegetables into rounds 1/2 inch thick.  Cut sweet potato rounds into quarters or as needed to roughly match the size of the parsnips and carrots.

  

Put vegetables in a ceramic or glass baking dish.  Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat.  Roast until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.

Depending on your baby's age and chewing ability, mash part of the cooked vegetable medley and puree part in a food processor and then combine for a variety of textures.  Or, simply cut vegetable pieces smaller to accomodate little mouths.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Confetti Slaw

Mommy rating: ****
Baby rating: ***

Ingredients:

• red bell pepper (1/2 large, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped)
• balsalmic vinegar (1/2 tsp)
• extra-virgin olive oil (1/2 tsp)
• zucchini (1 medium)
• Fuji apple (1 small, peeled, halved, and cored)

Directions:

Put pepper in a food processor with vinegar and oil.  Pulse until pepper is pureed.

Using the large halves on a box grater, shred zucchini and apple. 

Put shredded zucchini and apple in a clean, dry dish towel, hold over a bowl, and gently squeeze out excess liquid.

(Reserve the juice for baby's cup or add it to plain yogurt.)

Put zucchini and apple in a medium mixing bowl and toss with a fork to seperate.

Add bell pepper mixture to shredded mixture and toss to mix.

Yum!

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Potato & Butternut Squash Stew

Mommy rating: ***

Baby rating: ***

Ingredients:

• butternut squash (1/2 small, peeled and seeded)
• yellow potatoes (6 small, peeled)
• Fuji apple (1 medium, peeled, halved, and cored)
• extra virgin olive oil (1 Tbsp)
• Baby's stock or water (1 1/2 cups)

Directions:

Cut squash, potatoes, and apple into 1-inch chunks. You should have about 1 cup of each.

Potatoes                                             Fuji Apple

Heat all in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, potatoes, and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.  Apples will begin to turn golden brown. 

Add stock or water and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer until vegetables are soft, 30-35 minutes.

Mash and combine with wooden spoon, potato masher, or food processor to a consistency your baby can handle.

I kept this pretty chunky since Christopher is 11 months.

**Taken from Cooking for Baby**

Apple Spice Cake (no sugar, no eggs)

Mommy Rating: ***
Baby Rating: ***

As with any "non traditional" cake, the batter for this cake will not seem "right".
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1-3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp ginger

Directions:

Mix the molasses and applesauce in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake in a nonstick 8 x 8-inch baking pan or one sprayed with a non-stick spray, in a 350° F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it tests done.

Before

After

The batter may be a bit dry and you may need to add more applesauce or a bit of water. Try adding 1/4 cup of applesauce first then gradually add a bit of water by tablespoon.

Voila!

**Taken from wholesomebabyfood.com**

Pasta with Red Pepper Sauce

Mommy rating: ****
Baby rating: ***

This is super easy to make and its delicious!  This could easily become a family meal.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pasta (I ended up using about 1 cup because I didn't think this was enough)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small leek, washed and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 small zucchini, chopped
• 4 Tbsp chopped tomatoes, canned without added salt
• 1/4 clove garlic (I used 1 clove)
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano or basil (I used both)
• 1 Tbsp grated mild, hard cheese, such as Cheddar

Directions:

Cook the pasta in water, until soft, according to the instructions on the packet.  Drain well.  Heat the oil in a small skillet.  Add the leek and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes to soften.   

Add the zucchini, canned tomatoes, garlic, and dried herbs, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. 

Blend to a smooth sauce with hand blender or in a food processor. 

Stir in the cooked pasta and mash witha fork to break the pasta into smaller pieces (not necessary for an older baby).  Stir in grated cheese until it melts (I will do this before serving).

*Taken from The Big Book of Recipes for Babies, Toddlers & Children*

Roasted red pepper & goat cheese puree

Mommy Rating: ****
Baby Rating: ** (He couldn't decide if he liked it, but he didn't put up a fuss.)

This recipe would be great served on crackers for adults!

Ingredients:

• red bell pepper (1 large)
• pasteurized fresh goat cheese (1 1/2 oz)

Directions:

Preheat broiler. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place whole pepper on pan and roat, turning every 3 minutes, until evenly charred and blackened on all sides, 12-15 minutes.

Remove pan from over, put pepper in a covered container, and let sit until cool enough to handle. (The steam inside the container will loosen the skin.)

Using your fingers or a paring knife (this was easier), peel off skin.

Cut pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stem. Cut halves in half again lengthwise and puree in a food processor until smooth. Additional liquid will not be needed. Spoon goat cheese into processor and process with pepper puree until well blended and creamy.

*Take from Cooking for Baby*

Pasta with lentils

Mommy rating: ***
Baby rating: ****

This recipe could be a dish for the whole family!
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 small zucchini, diced
• 1/2 orange or green bell pepper, cored, deseeded, and diced
• 4 small button mushrooms, well washed and chopped
• 7oz canned, chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp diced mixed herbs
• black pepper to taste
• 1 cup pasta spirals
• grated cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:

Place the lentiles in a saucepan and add water to cover them.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion, garlic, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms.  Stir-fry for 5-10 minutes. 

Add the chopped tomatoes, herbs and pepper.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Drain the lentiles and puree or mash them. 

Stir into the sauce.   

Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet.  Mash into the lentil sauce. 

Serve sprinkled with grated cheese (optional).

*Taken from The Big Book of Recipes for Babies, Toddlers & Children*