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?

Kale, Sweet Potato, and Apple Puree

As a society, we are obsessed with making our children eat kale.

I overheard some mommies discussing desperate attempts to get their children to eat kale. Kale chips, covering it with cheese and calling it dinosaur food, blending it into smoothies.

All of these sound terrible to me.

I love healthy food and even I struggle with kale. I don't think it was even on my mom's radar when I was little. We saw it at the grocery as a garnish for all fresh produce and I don't even think it occurred to us to put it in our mouths.

So, why bother? Why not just leave it as salad bar garnish and move on our with lives?

According to webmd, it is one of the most healthiest vegetables on the planet.

1 cup of kale = 9% daily value of calcium, and over 100% of Vitamin A, C, and K.


Probably not the worst thing to feed our kids, right? And even better if we can find ways to actually make it taste good.

And let's be honest, I bought a huge bag for another recipe and didn't know what to do with it.

I took a tip from from Rachel Ray and included some fresh ground nutmeg as it is supposed to pair well with hearty greens like kale. My next tip was from Baby G who will eat anything with sweet potatoes and ditto for apples. So, essentially I was trying everything I could to make kale palpable. And I think it worked....


Kale, Sweet Potato and Apple Puree

[1/2] large sweet potato or 1 small sweet potato, sliced

1 apple, sliced

2 generous handfuls of kale, stems removed

[1/4] teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg or ground nutmeg

1-2 tablespoons water (from steaming)


1. Steam sweet potato and apple for 2-3 minutes. Add kale and steam for additional 2 minutes.

2. Combine, sweet potato, apple, kale, ground nutmeg, and a splash of water from steaming in a blender. Puree until you reach desired consistency.


3. Store in fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.


Beyond the Puree

This is a very sweet puree. It would be good paired with a strong cheese- goat or blue cheese and some steamed kale in a quesadilla or mixed in with some steel cut oats for a sweet twist on breakfast.

Recipe Review
 
Even I was surprised how much Baby G liked it. I became one of those annoying moms smirking over her precious daughter eating kale. Then I had to remind myself how sweet it was with the sweet potato, apple, and warm nutmeg. This puree tastes so good that it's really not an accomplishment that your little one is gobbling kale....or is it?

The ground nutmeg really does complement the kale nicely. So much that I don't think I will be able to think of kale without it ever again. 

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What do you think about kale? Yay or nay? How does your little one like kale?

Pumpkin Berry Patch Puree

I hesitate to refer to any of my baby foods as Baby G's favorite. At only 8 months old, I have a hard time getting my mind around the idea that she has a favorite. There's so much that she hasn't tried and this whole eating thing is brand new. How do I know if she likes or doesn't like anything? Sometimes she seems to prefer eating her toes, but I wouldn't guess that she likes how they taste.

So, I won't say this is her favorite. I will say she consistently eats it. And these days, that is saying something.

Why pumpkin?  Pumpkin is a great super food. It is high in fiber, low in fat, and 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree has 3 grams of protein. And it's packed with beta carotene which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is great for the eyes.

And because I had a whole bunch of canned puree leftover from some recent cookie baking. Sometimes reality is a little less sexy....

Pumpkin Berry Patch Puree

[1/2] cup mixed berries

[1/4] cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

[1/2] banana

dash of ground nutmeg

1. Combine all ingredients in the blender and puree until you reach your desired consistency. It makes approximately 1 - 1[1/2] cups.

2. Store in the fridge in a covered container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Beyond the Puree

This puree has a nice sweet taste to it. It would be great swirled in yogurt.

Combine this with some cream cheese and spread on a half tortilla. Fold it over and cook it in a dry frying pan to make a sweet, dessert quesadilla. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes after you flip it.

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Does your baby have any favorites or strong likes/dislikes? How can you tell?

Pear, Raisin, and Ginger Puree

Many know how much my husband loves spinach, but few people know he loves pears just as much, if not more.

Baby G is just like her daddy.

This is the one puree she will always eat, and I don't blame her, it is tasty!

Steaming Via Slow Cooker

I love my slow cooker, and I love it more when it does all the work for me. You could steam the pears and sweet potatoes on the stove or in the microwave. If you're home and you have a slow cooker, just throw them in there and go do something more important.
 

Pear, Raisin, and Ginger Puree

Did you know that the skins of pears contain at least 4 times the amount of phytonutrients (aka really healthy things like antioxidants and anticancer nutrients) than the flesh?  Keep the skin on if you can.

 4 small pears, cut up

[1/3] cup raisins

[1/4] teaspoon ground ginger

[1/4] - [1/2] cup water

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 hours or until pears are tender.

2. Transfer all ingredients to a blender. Puree until you reach the desired consistency.

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

Recipe Review

As I said, this is a clear favorite of Baby G. It is a little runnier than the other purees I made, so it's good to combine with yogurt or you may want to use just a [1/4] cup of water (I used a [1/2] cup). The raisins add a nice sweetness to the mix.

The ginger was a perfect match, spice-wise. It's a classic combination, so why not start baby off right in her foodie palate? 

Beyond the Puree

Let's say your baby moved beyond purees, and you still have some in the freezer or fridge, or maybe your baby didn't like it and you don't want to toss it. Here are some other ideas for using this puree:

This would be amazing if you heated up and poured it over ice cream. So amazing that I might make another batch just to do that.

You could also serve it with pork, similar to how you may serve applesauce with pork.

Swirl it into your morning yogurt.

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Have a wonderful weekend! I would love to hear from you. If you haven't already, introduce yourself and your baby. :)

 

Black Beans, Spinach, Sweet Potato, and Garam Masala Puree

You can't judge a puree by its looks.

Let's just put it out there now: this is not an attractive looking puree.

I did my best to make it look appetizing, but even I have to try and look past it.

What makes this puree so unique is the Garam Masala seasoning. Garam Masala is an Indian spice. It translates (loosely) to warm mixture of spices. It's not "warm" in that it's hot and spicy, but just warming flavors: cinnamon, cardamon, cumin, cloves, and pepper. It's a great sweet and savory spice and with its cinnamon undertones, I thought it would be great in a puree.

Black Beans, Spinach, Sweet Potato, and Garam Masala Puree

 

1 cup frozen organic spinach,

1 medium sweet potato, sliced and ends removed

1 cup black beans, cooked

[1/4] teaspoon Garam Masala seasoning*

[1/4] - [1/2] cup water

1. Steam spinach and sweet potato in the microwave: place them in a glass bowl with a few tablespoons of water and cover. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

2. Combine all ingredients (starting with [1/4] cup water) in a blender. Puree until you reach the desired consistency, adding more water if need.

3. Store in fridge for up to 5 days and in freezer for up to 3 months.

*Don't have Garam Masala? Try cumin or coriander.

Recipe Review:

I wasn't sure what Baby G would think of this. I knew I liked it, but was it too much? She loves it. I don't know if it's the cinnamon quality of the Garam Masala or the sweet potatoes, but she gobbles it up. Not only does it expose her to new flavors, but it's packed with protein from the beans and iron from the spinach. Even I snack on it when I am hungry and feeding her.

Beyond the Puree:

Let's say your baby moved beyond purees, and you still have some in the freezer or fridge, or maybe your baby didn't like it and you don't want to toss it. Here are some other ideas for using this puree:

This would be great in a quesadilla with a mild, white cheese and maybe some mango chutney as a dipping sauce.

Would also be good tossed with rice or scooped up with Naan bread with some Greek yogurt and diced cucumbers.

Could make a Naan flatbread: spread this on the Naan, sprinkle with feta cheese, bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes until heated through and crust is crispy, top with diced cucumbers and fresh tomatoes.

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Have you tried beans yet with your baby? What kind?