Finger Food : Egg and Cheese Bites

It has been a while since I added any posts to the blog. We made a HUGE move and landed up all the way on the west coast. No complaints so far, except that we miss all our lovely friends. The weather has been great and we are slowly settling in.

Veer has been quite a trooper and has settled in just fine ( ofcourse he was jet lagged and has still not slept through the night), but he is absolutely LOVING the weather :)

I thought I will share this easy and nutritious recipe with you guys. Its got all the basic breakfast basics, so use it as a quick breakfast or a late afternoon snack - your call.

Egg and Cheese Bites

Ingredients :

1 Boiled Egg
Shredded cheese
Half a boiled potato
Diced Onions
Cilantro
Almond meal mixed with water to make a consistent paste (used for binding)
Salt, Oregano
Olive Oil

Method -

Mix all the ingredients, make tiny balls and saute it on medium flame. Serve warm.

Green Pasta :)

We always try so hard to pack in those greens and I have discovered one way to make it very appealing. Pairing spinach and kale with bow-tie pasta (or any pasta of your choice)

As a general rule for feeding pasta, I always overcook it to make it super soft, easy to chew and saute the cooked pasta in a splash of butter,Parmesan and black pepper.

As for the pasta sauce, I decided to break away from the traditional marinara and try my luck with some "greens". It worked for now, I'm sure he will catch on and call me out someday! If he doesn't, his dad will. Lets enjoy this while it lasts, but hey - it was yummy so lets just go with the flow.

Green Pasta

Ingredients :

Cooked pasta
Half onion (finely chopped)
1 Tomato (finely chopped/tomato paste)
Spinach-Kale puree
1 clove garlic
Oregano, Basil, Salt to taste
Half a cube of cream cheese triangles ( the secret ingredient that makes everything so YUM )

Method :

Saute onions and garlic till fragrant. Add in the tomatoes and spinach puree. Bring to boil and season with herbs and salt. Turn of the gas and add the cream cheese cube and blend well.

Add cooked pasta and serve :)

Easy - peasy - super yummy!

Finger Food : Savory Semolina Pancakes

When you are tired of the snack or breakfast combos such as - yogurt+banana, berry smoothies or peanut butter and crackers, you can try this variation. Veer is not really a fan of the usual flour pancakes as they are dry without the syrup and the syrup is way TOO sweet for his liking (thank god for no sweet tooth, right?)

I tried these savory pancakes with a Greek yogurt dip that I picked up from TJ - Kale and Spinach Greek Yogurt Dip (Click Here )

Semolina Pancakes

Ingredients :
1/4th Cup Roasted Semolina(Rava)
2 tbs greek yogurt (plain)
1/4th Cup water ( adjust based on how thick you want the pancake)
Salt
Garlic Powder
Turmeric
Cumin
Shredded Cheese ( can also use grated veggies )
Butter

Method :

Combine all the above ingredients(except cheese/veggies) in a bowl and mix thoroughly. On a griddle add some butter (to grease) Use a small ladle to transfer the pancake batteron the griddle and spread evenly. Sprinkle cheese on one side and flip eventually.

The pancakes are usually crisp and a fun afternoon snack with a dip or with tea/coffee ( for you! )

Fall classic : Spiced Pumpkin and carrot soup

Oh dear god its Fall! No more care free summer, its that time of the year where we cant dress the babies up too warm but have to convince them to throw on a light jacket with socks and shoes! Yikes... SO HARD!

Its also that time of the year where there are pumpkins everywhere.. so in the spirit of using in season produce, here is a yummy spiced pumpkin soup that worked well with Veer. (and not to forget his constant sniffles) Can't wait to stop the (Nosefrida) nightmare on the poor soul. Liquid slightly spiced soups, definitely help calm those sniffles.

Pumpkin and carrot soup (served with quinoa and warm semolina bread)

Ingredients

1 small sweet pumpkin
Half a small carrot
Quarter boiled potato (optional)
1/4th cup unsweetened almond milk (or any other milk of your choice)
1 small shallot
1 clove garlic
1 pinch nutmeg
Oregano to taste
1 tsp organic maple syrup/honey (over 1 year)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method :

Steam/Oven roast the small pumpkin and steam the carrot and potato.
In a deep pan shallow fry the garlic and shallot, add in the oregano. Once fragrant, add in the boiled/roasted veggies, nutmeg, salt, pepper, maple syrup/honey and mix thoroughly. Finally add the almond milk and bring to boil. Blend the soup in a blender and garnish with Parmesan cheese (optional)

I served this soup with a side of quinoa and some fresh semolina bread that I picked up this morning from a local bakery.

Happy Fall!

Lunch : Beet soup with Buckwheat crackers

Maybe it is the color or the self lingering sweetish taste of Beet itself, Veer almost jumps out of his seat when he can see Beets for lunch. As the weather is changing on us, he has caught a mild cold and a runny nose. So I thought maybe some warm beet soup may help soothe him. He was quite a happy baby after his meal and even tried to grab the spoon and eat himself ( obviously splashing the bright red all over himself)

If you care about what your baby is wearing or if you are planning to feed your baby outdoors, please carry a bib or better still an extra pair of clothes :)

Roasted tomato and Beet soup

Ingredients :

2 small roma tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 small beet ( peeled and grated fine) ***
1 small onion
salt and pepper to taste
Oregano to taste
Vegetable broth/warm water
Olive oil

Method :
 Place the coarsely chopped tomatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil, garlic and oregano on it. Roast the tomatoes till they are soft at 350F (about 15 minutes).
Personally I am a fan of toasted or sauteing vegetables instead of steaming them. Roasted helps retain the nutrients and enhances the taste of the veggies.

****You also have the option to steam the beets  instead of grated and sauteing them. If your baby likes texture, the grated beets add a nice feel to the soup. If your baby is a fan of velvety soups, then I would steam the beets.***

In a deep pan, saute the onions and grated beets. Add the vegetable broth and roasted tomatoes. Bring to boil. Finally add salt and pepper and blend the soup to get a thick/chunky consistency. You can add more broth/water based on the consistency your baby likes.

We had this soup with Buckwheat crackers and a little quinoa on the side for a complete meal.
For the buckwheat crackers we use, please click here : Buckwheat Crackers

Tomato ricotta pasta sauce

Veer loves pasta! It's the only form of food he knows enough to ask me for it. I think it is extremely endearing when your baby says pasta without the "s". :)
Oh well, so I found a system that works. Tangy tomato pasta sauce with a veggie and protien boost. Say hello to our baby friendly pasta sauce that can be made husband friendly by adding hot sauce or chili flakes and yay - you can whip a meal for the household!

Our secret pasta recipe from our home to yours 😄 enjoy!

Ingredients :

Whole wheat cooked pasta sautéed in butter
2 plum tomatoes
Half a green pepper
Half a small carrot
Half a zucchini
One small onion
One clove garlic
Herbs : oregano and basil
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbs ricotta cheese
Parmasean cheese to garnish

Method :

Dice the onion, carrots, zucchini and garlic and sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Add the herbs to this mixture.
In an oven roast the green pepper and tomatoes for 30 minutes (drizzle olive oil on the veggies and place them on a cookie sheet to roast)
Once roasted, blend tomatoes and green peppers and add to the sauted vegetable mix. Add in a little water to get adjust the consistency to your liking. Add the ricotta to this mixture and mix well.

Season with pepper, herbs and a pinch of sugar. ( I usually avoid salt as parmasean has a salty taste to it)

Add the cooked pasta to this sauce and season with parmasean cheese.

This is a hearty and heavy meal that we enjoy once a month 😄

Dinner : Roasted asparagus soup

Yes you read it right .. asparagus! Roasting vegetables helps retain the nutrients and also enhances the taste. So I tried my luck with roasted asparagus. I paired it with brown rice but next time around i think quinoa or barley would go better with the soup.

Ingredients :

Asparagus (chopped the spears )
Quarter boiled white potato
Leeks (white only)
Small onion
Maple syrup (half teaspoon)
Salt and lime to taste
Olive oil

Method :

Drizzle olive oil on the asparagus in a baking sheet and bake it at 400F for 15 minutes or till it is extremely tender.
In a pan, sauté the onions, leeks and potatoes. Add the asparagus once roasted and some vegetable stock or water. Bring to boil.
Blend the veggies and use a strainer to seperate the asparagus chunks from the soup. If you baby can appreciate the silky asparagus feel free to leave the strands in.

Transfer this strained soup to the deep pan or crock pot and season with maple syrup, salt and lime.

Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

A good addition to this soup is sweet corn kernels.

Enjoy and stay healthy! 

Finger Food : Almond Roti

Teething is NEVER fun! But what it makes you do is give foods that the little one's can chew one. One random invention was this "Almond Roti"
I am all for teething biscuits/crackers once in a while, especially when they are doing well on meals. How much can they possibly munch on if they have eaten a good breakfast/lunch.
I somehow noticed that my cracker monster started spitting out the teething biscuits for a few days in a row. Maybe his taste buds are developing and he could taste what I taste - an after taste! Most of the baby crackers/biscuits etc have this funky after taste which is so not fun.

Anyways, that promoted me to experiment in the kitchen for something chewy and packed with nutrients!  I tried a go at this Almond roti.

Ingredients :
Whole wheat flour
Almond Meal ( Blended whole almonds)
Almond Butter
Almond milk

Method :
Mix the whole wheat flour and almond meal together and knead with almond milk to form a play-dough like texture.

Use a rolling pin to make small flat round rotis and roast them on the griddle. Once done, spread almond butter on the rotis, and serve small easy pieces.

It was fun to watch him say " Mooo" (MORE) and he chewed on a few pieces for quite some time.

Finger Food : Veggie Quesadilla with Guacamole

It is so difficult to think of quick, healthy snack options that will keep that little tummy for rumbling for some time. One option that has worked well for us is a Veggie Quesadilla. Ours is a Mexican food loving household and we want Veer to be able to learn about and enjoy the food as well. On our few vacations, we have taken him to Mexican restaurants and he has thoroughly feasted on guac ( avacado being his first food, it managed to stick! )
Here is a healthy and quick version of mini veggie Qs. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Veggie Qs

Ingredients :

Whole wheat tortillas
Mexican cheese blend
Diced veggies of your choice, we have used : onions, green peppers, winter squash, zucchini
Taco seasoning ( teensy tiny bit )
Olive oil
Lime

Method :

Saute the veggies in olive oil and season as per your taste ( we use salt, taco seasoning and lime)
Take two whole wheat tortillas and coat with butter. Place one tortilla on the griddle. Sprinkle the veggies, layer with the cheese, cover with the other tortilla. Roast/Pan fry the tortillas on both sides, they will stick together as the cheese melts.
Use a pizza cutter to make small triangles and serve with some avocado or guac on the side.

Yum:)

Lunch : Roasted Tomato Soup and Grilled cheese sandwich

You can very rarely go wrong with the classic soup and grilled cheese combination. We have our own "lunch special" at home every once a week where we ditch the usual quinoa, brown rice and go straight for the yum grilled cheese sandwich as an accompaniment to the soup.

Today veer tried a yumilicious roasted tomato soup with sandwich where we played with the concept of dunking and eating :)  ofcourse it was messy but was so much fun! We took strips of grilled cheese sandwich and dipped it in the soup and made fun expressions while we ate together.

Now that the dunking and licking is on its way, I am sure oreos and milk will happen soon.. I hope soon is further away for now!! Would not want to lose my healthy veggie eater to processed foods JUST YET.

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients :
2 coarsely chopped big tomatoes
Half coarsely chopped green pepper
Half an onion
Handful of Zucchini chunks
2 cloves garlic
Herbs: Oregano(dried), Thyme(dried), Basil(fresh)
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 pinch of brown coconut palm sugar and sea salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350F. On a cookie sheet, place the tomatoes and green pepper. In a small bowl combine the oil and the dried herbs and drizzle the oil+herb mixture on the vegetables. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or till the veggies are soft and brown.

In a sauce pain saute the onion, garlic and zucchini together till the veggies are soft and the garlic is brown.

Blend the veggies from the cookie sheet and the sauce pan together with water/homemade broth. Add the basil and pulse till the basil is mixed in.

Pour the soup in a sauce pan, set to boil and add the sugar and salt to taste.

Enjoy with a plain ol' grilled cheese sandwich or a grain of your choice!

Dinner Soups : Veggie + Grain

I usually make a healthy veggie soup for dinner and pair it up with a grain of my/veer's choice. Its usually quinoa, barley or brown rice and sometimes white rice  If the soup has Italian seasonings, I toss some cooked whole grain pasta with butter and cheese (usually Parmesan)  and have Veer pick up the pasta from his table while he enjoys the soup.

The newest addition to our grain list is Orzo, it is a good size, easy to pick up and very yum!.

Two of our favorite soups :

1. Carrot and Butternut Squash

Ingredients :

Half a carrot (peeled)
Handful of butternut squash chunks
Half a zucchini
Pinch of brown sugar
Pinch of oregano
Parmesan cheese to drizzle on top

Method :
Steam and blend the veggies, add some vegetable stock ( I usually drain of the water used to steam the vegetables and use as stock) Bring to boil
Season with oregano, brown sugar and cheese.
Lately I have been using a dash of pepper too, to get Veer to join the spice/flavor club at some point :)

Drizzle with cheese and serve with your favorite grain.

2. Spinach and Zucchini Soup

Ingredients :
Two handfuls of spinach leaves
Half a carrot (peeled)
Half a zucchini
Quarter white potato
Lime
Cumin Powder
**Salt to taste ( it is recommended that babies under 2 should avoid/minimize their salt intake, I use a very minimum quantity, even less than a pinch )
FYI - A pinch of salt is approximated to 1/6th teaspoon which has about 150mg of sodium.

Method:

Blanch the spinach separately and drain all the water. Wash the blanched spinach with fresh water. It is best to not use that water as liquid to make your soup. Green leafy vegetables contain high level of nitrates which seep into cooking water during steaming/boiling/blanching

Read more here 

Separately, also steam the carrots,zucchini and potato. 

Blend all the veggies together, add vegetable stock to acheive the consistency you desire. Season with salt, cumin powder and lime. 

Enjoy with your choice of grain :)

Dinner : Very veggie curried quinoa

Veer has really developed a taste and liking for quinoa which is amazing for us veggies as it packs up a good amount of protien. This is our staple dinner routine which i gobble up as well. Thought it will be a tasty and healthy option for you to try out.

Ingredients :
Half a small carrot
Half a small green zucchini
Quarter white potato
Half a winter squash or bottle guord
Quarter of a small sweet onion
One small tomato
White quinoa
Spices : turneric, cumin powder, salt

Method :
Sauté the onions, tomatoes and steamed veggies, add in cooked quinoa and season with the spices. Super easy and extremely tasty 😄 and loaded with nutrients!

If your baby doesn't appreciate too much texture you can absolutely blend everything together with a little water or homemade vegetable stock. I usually add a little oregano for the yum smell..

Veer is very fond of looking for veggies and picking them out of the quinoa... That makes meal time a lot of fun.

Enjoy! 

Nap Situations

Veer is at 13 months now and he has successfully transitioned from 2 naps to 1. Doctors/Books usually say that most babies make that transition any time between 12 to 24 months. In my opinion, 13 months is a tad bit early and we were so NOT ready. I really enjoyed my 2, 1.5 hour chunks of quiet but now I have a good 2 hour long afternoon stretch.

A few cues I watched for to know its time -

1. Morning naps shorter than an hour (even 45 minutes is not really a full, restorative nap)

• this happened to us around the 9 month mark as well and we were advised to put him down 15 minutes later every day till he reaches his 1.5 hour sleep mark. At 9 months he transitioned to a later 1st nap ( awake time 3 hrs since he woke up in the morning which was 2 hrs of wake time initially)
• So following suit, I tried to put him down later everyday, just didn't seem tired enough! First cue for nap consolidation

2. Extremely playful before the afternoon nap, not ready to wind down. There were days he skipped his afternoon nap too, resulting into an extremely unhappy, overtired baby around the 5 PM mark. Obviously letting him nap then would mean a SUPER late bedtime and the only logical thing to do was to write off the day as a "bad nap" day and move on to a newer, brighter morning:)

3. Pushing ahead bed time ( OH PLEASE NO!)

We have been very schedule cautious for Veer, so it gives him consistency and gives us a method to the madness. Ambiguity kills me, structure makes me smile. So we worked very hard to put Veer down consistently at the same time every day for naps and at night, so when he started tweaking the schedule and staying up longer(happily) we started thinking about nap consolidation.

Now he is happily and actively awake for two  5/5.5 hour stretches and follows the following schedule -

6:30/7am wake up
12 noon - nap
2/2:30pm - wake up
7:30/8.00pm - down for the day

Although Veer is not the best night time sleeper, I feel that having this schedule makes the days easy to tackle and will eventually give him the push for a 11/12 hour uninterrupted sleep :)

Comments and thoughts always welcome!

Breakfast : Cheese and Millet squares

So for my first post, I thought I would make it about food to gloat about what a crazy foodie Veer is. Yes, I know there will be a day when he will purse his lips at the sight of food, but oh well , till he eats with love, lets just enjoy the moment please ?

So I made him very simple and healthy millet and cheese squares today. Easy to pick and chew ( for those adventurous self feeders)

Ingredients :
1 Cup Arrowhead Mills Millet Puffs ( Sugar and Salt free)
1 Cup Grated Mild Cheddar Cheese
1 Egg
0.5 Cup Olive Oil or Melted Butter ( Salt free)
1 tsp dried Dill Weed
0.5 Whole Wheat flour

Method :

Mix all the ingredients in a big cup. Spread it equally in a square baking pan. Bake for 30 min at 350F. Cut squares and serve at room temperature. YUM! Had a slice for my breakfast this morning too. You can season with some black pepper or other herbs that your baby prefers.

Enjoy! :)