Veggie-Packed Pizza Rolls

This post deserves a preamble. Mainly because a year ago, I would have never posted such a recipe or even considered it. Why? Because at that time, I had a very different definition of clean eating. It would not have even occurred to me to make a recipe out of refrigerated crescent rolls. It was not even on my radar.

I need to be clear this preamble does not mean that our family no longer 'eats clean'. We still follow the same rule that we do not eat foods that contain chemicals. We are loyal label readers. And I don't foresee that ever changing. 

But our eating habits have changed and I think that is worth addressing.

Defining Clean Eating Then and Now

THEN: we were a lot stricter in our definition of clean eating. With the exception of hummus, salsa, condiments (ketchup, mayo, etc), and occasionally marinara sauce, we didn't buy anything pre-made. If we wanted crackers, I made crackers. If we wanted bread, I made bread.  Not surprising that I wrote a book called Homemade Snacks and Staples, is it? Until Baby G was a year old, processed foods or even foods-made-by-someone-other-than-me never touched her lips.

Then our baby grew into a toddler.
And I got pregnant.
And I was writing another cookbook.
And I wrote that book with a toddler always at my side. My pregnant side. My first trimester pregnant side.

And we got a little looser in our eating habits.

NOW: We still don't eat chemicals, but we do buy pre-made foods that have all real food ingredients. My dad used to complain that there was nothing in our pantry that he could just take out and eat. That has changed. You will find crackers and even fruit snacks in our pantry. I am falling in love with a brand called Immaculate Baking Company.  They make refrigerated crescent rolls and cinnamon rolls with no chemicals. They even have baking mix with (gasp) all real food ingredients.  It's about damn time if you ask me.

Now that things are settling down, I foresee us having a balance between homemade and pre-made. I enjoy baking and making crackers, so I want to keep doing that, but I also forgive myself for buying shortcuts.

These pizza rolls are a short cut and I hope you love them as much as we do.

Veggie-Packed Pizza Rolls

If you are a mom and a fan of Pinterest, you have probably seen some sort of recipe for pizza crescent rolls. Most involved pepperoni, pizza sauce, and a hunk of string cheese. When I developed this recipe, I had these recipes in mind, but wanted something a little healthier. I developed this because G won't eat pizza and I happen to like pizza. A lot. And when I would order bread sticks for her, that meant I was also eating bread sticks with my pizza. Bread sticks that were loaded with cheese and had no redeeming nutritional value. So I wanted something bread-stick-y but with some added veggies so I could feel a little good about giving them to her (and eating them with my pizza). 

 

Ingredients:

1 container Immaculate brand crescent rolls (or another brand that does NOT contain any chemicals)

approx. 1/2 cup pizza sauce

[1/4] cup shredded carrots, chopped

[1/4] cup spinach, chopped fine

[1/4] cup shredded mozzarella cheese OR 3 pieces string cheese cut in 1-inch chunks*

Sprinkling of garlic powder and Parmesan cheese

*Older kids may like the string cheese better, but for G, it was too much cheese. She just pulled it out or spit it out. She did better with the shredded cheese.


Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 dg(F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, combine pizza sauce, carrots, and spinach.

3. Roll out crescent rolls. Put a thin layer of sauce on each roll. If using shredded cheese, sprinkle some on top. You don't need much! If using string cheese, roll dough around string cheese.

4. Sprinkle garlic powder and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with leftover sauce.

This was a huge hit with Baby G. She devoured two rolls in one sitting. It wasn't as popular with her buddy, Hudson. You can't win them all, I guess. I liked them better than my pizza.

Notes:

I think the shredded cheese works a little better for the toddler crowd. Older kids would probably like the string cheese version.

I used shredded carrots that I just cut up more finely. You could also grate carrots and that would probably blend into the sauce a little better. Finely chopped cooked broccoli could also work well here. When I cut the spinach, I rolled the leaves together and then cut it into thin strips. That was enough for the spinach to blend into the sauce.

*****
What are some of your favorite chemical-free packaged foods?

Apple, Carrots, Beans N Greens Puree

I am very happy to finally share with you another recipe. It's not that I haven't been trying. As you may have guessed from my recent posts, there has been a lot of angst in our household over feeding. Angst that I am sure will continue for the next 18 years.

Recent Challenges

In the beginning of the month, my husband and I got away on vacation leaving Baby G with my folks. They did a great job and even though I gave them the okay, they persevered and kept Baby G on an unprocessed diet. The only big change was my mom cut up all of her food into tiny pieces (I was giving her strips of steamed veggies) and apparently, she prefers small pieces so we have been readjusting our finger foods accordingly. Sounds like a small change, but it really threw us off at first.

Purees have been a bit of challenge since we got back. I was so excited to make her a green puree out of veggies she loves: asparagus, green beans, and snap peas. I thought it tasted amazing, Baby G took one bite and then clamped her lips shut. I think I was more upset that I "wasted" all that asparagus and then had to throw it out. I feel like our meals in the last few weeks have been one step forward and two steps back as we try to get back into a routine and keep food in the house that Baby G will eat.

Giving in to the Pouch

After a very messy outing on Tuesday, I decided to finally break down and buy the gadgets needed to make my own pouches. I was really resisting this which was really stupid, to be totally honest. I had this thing with not wanting Baby G to eat from a pouch. As I write it, I am embarrassed by how I was taking myself way too seriously. As my husband pointed out, at this point it doesn't matter HOW she eats, just WHAT she eats.  He also asked if I planned to go to school with Baby G and feed her off a spoon. Touche.

For this puree, I wanted to come up with something that could serve as a whole meal, so I wanted a protein, a veggies (or two), and a fruit.

Apples and carrots are two of Baby G's favorite things and they are sweet, so I knew they would be a winner. I had some leftover baby kale, so I thought I could sneak that in with some mild, creamy garbanzo beans. Because nutmeg pairs well with dark greens and apples, I decided that it would be a great spice to add sweetness and warmth. That's how I came up with this puree. Baby G loves it and I hope your baby does too.

Apples, Carrots, Beans N Greens Puree

12 carrots, ends removed and cut into 2-3 inch chunks
4 apples, cored and sliced
[1/2] teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup water

3 handfuls of baby kale or baby spinach

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1. Steam carrots, apples, and nutmeg. I prefer throwing them in the slow-cooker with a cup of water and cooking on high for 3-4 hours until carrots and apples are tender. Add kale or spinach for last 10 minutes.

2. Combine carrots, apples, nutmeg, kale (or spinach), and chickpeas in blender. Start by adding [1/4]- [1/2] cup water. Puree until you reach desired consistency. Add more water if needed.

3. Store in fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

*This makes a lot of puree! I filled 8 pouches and had enough for a few meals leftover.
 

Recipe Review

So far, so good. Baby G loved this the first night we gave it to her. The ground nutmeg adds so much to this puree. I highly recommend buying some whole nutmegs, like the ones you can see in the picture below.

 

Freshly ground nutmeg is so much better than the already ground stuff you normally see. Store them in the fridge and just grate them as needed. They last for a long time and pack a ton of flavor. 

I used kale in this recipe because we had some on hand, but you could also substitute in spinach. Both are leafy greens that add a nutritious punch to your diet. In addition to being a great source for calcium, spinach is also packed with antioxidants and vitamin K.  Kale also provides antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. (Click the links to learn more about their health benefits).

A Note About Pouches

I am using the Infantino Squeeze Station to make our pouches. I have to be honest, I didn't do a ton of research on them, but I am really happy with it so far. We are doing the disposable bags because I am too worried about not cleaning the reusable ones enough and let's be honest, it's easier to do the disposables.

Anyone else making their own pouches? What do you use? Any recommendations on where I can get more bags? Any reasons I should reconsider the reusable pouches?