Yum For BABY: 2015

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Pumpkin Soup (For Toddler)

We parents are often confused what to feed when our baby gets sick. Because they will be miserable with stomachache or stuffy nose or sore throat when they are sick. Whatever they have When your baby is sick he won’t eat or drink anything. So they can get dehydrated. But we have to get them hydrated again. What I usually do is offer light and watery food, so we can make sure that they get enough nutrient and water too. My usual choice is soup like vegetable soup or chicken soup. I made this special pumpkin soup for my whole family and everybody loved it so much. I am sharing the recipe with you all.

I Would like to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year 2016

Ingredients

Pumpkin, small size- ½

Vegetable broth- 1 Cup
Butter- 1/2 Tbsp

Ginger Garlic paste- 1 Tsp

Cinnamon powder- ½ Tsp

Pepper powder- 1/3 Tsp

Almond Cashew powder- 2 Tbsp

Crushed pista- 1 Tsp

Salt, to taste

Method

Step 1: For making Almond Cashew paste, take 1 Tbsp each almonds and cashews and powder them in a blender. Soak this mixture in water to make a paste.

Step 2: Peel off the pumpkin skin and cut them into cube pieces. Cook them in a pressure cooker (1 whistle) by adding pepper and salt.

Step 3: Blend the cooked pumpkin and keep it aside.

Step 4: Heat a pan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute ginger garlic paste. When it turns brown add cinnamon powder and saute for another 20 seconds.

Step 5: Now it is time to add almond cashew paste and when it starts to boil add vegetable broth and allow it to boil.

Step 6: When this mixture boils well, add pureed pumpkin and mix them very well. Allow it to boil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pumpkin Soup is ready to serve. Serve warm and top with crushed pista.

Ingredients: Pumpkin, Vegetable broth, ginger garlic paste, almond cashew paste, cinnamon and pepper

Almond Cashew paste

Cook pumpkin by adding salt and pepper and puree cooked pumpkin

Saute ginger garlic paste and cinnamon

Add almond cashew paste to sauted mixture

Add vegetable broth and allow it to boil

Add pureed pumpkin to the boiling vegetable broth mixture

Check for salt and pepper. Pumpkin soup is ready to serve.

Happy Cooking

Homemade GoldFish Crackers and Christmas Cheese Crackers (For Toddler)

I cannot believe where this year has gone? It feels like it has gone by so fast. We had an extremely busy 2015 with few ups and downs. But overall we had a great 2015. We moved to new place, started my blog and I feel like it is different and I really enjoy this. I am writing this blog on December 12 and only 13 days away from Christmas. Yes, Christmas is right around the corner. Our Christmas tree is already up and it is just so beautiful. We had so much fun with our little-one while we were doing the Christmas decorations.

How many of you are looking for a homemade holiday treat for your little-one?. How about having a cooking fun time with your kids?. Try these GoldFish crackers and Christmas shaped cheese crackers recipe. You will have lots of fun during this cooking project. And of course it will be messy and slow, but fun!! My son was so excited to make those shapes especially while he was doing with teddy bear shaped cutter. My son is a big fan of GoldFish crackers. I usually buy it from stores. I never thought I would make them at home. I got this recipe from Pinterest (food4tots) and I made few modifications and yes this would be perfect for your cracker tray on Christmas or New Year party.

Merry Christmas to all my readers!!

Ingredients

All-purpose flour- 1 Cup

Extra sharp Cheddar Cheese- 5 OZ

Unsalted butter- 50 Gram

Pepper- 1/3 Tsp

Salt- ½ Tsp

Dry oregano, a pinch

Cookie cutters including a Fish shape cutter

Method

Step 1: Shred or cut butter into small pieces and mix into flour until you get a coarse crumbs.

Step 2: Shred the cheese and mix them with flour mixture by adding salt.

Step 3: By using your hand, knead the mixture until you get medium soft dough.

Step 4: Separate the dough into two sections. To one section, add pepper and oregano and knead again to mix the dough very well with pepper and oregano.

Step 5: Wrap two sections with plastic and keep them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6: Once the dough chilled, take them out from refrigerator and roll out the two portions. Before you start cutting the rolled dough with shapes, you need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now the cutting fun part begins. Do it with your little-ones. It will take more time but will worth once you are done.

Step 7: Using a chopstick you can easily make fish eyeball and use a small spoon to make its curvy lip.

Step 8: Now transfer them on to cookie sheet and bake them for about 12 minutes until the crackers are golden brown in color.

Remove the crackers from the baking sheets and set aside to cool. Serve immediately, or store in an air tight container.

Ingredients: All-purpose flour, Cheddar cheese, butter and shape cutters

Mix flour with butter

Mix grated cheese with flour mixture and make medium soft dough

Roll out dough

Make shapes with cutters

Using a chopstick and spoon make a perfect eyeball and curvy lip of fish

Bake them until they turn golden brown color

HAPPY COOKING!

Pumpkin Puree (For age 6 months+)

I know winter is almost here, but I thought, I would share a fall season special pumpkin recipe this time. Pumpkins are actually a symbol of fall. I am always excited to see pumpkin patches in fall, it will make me feel like the holidays season is around the corner.

Pumpkins are very healthy for everyone including kids. These are low in fat and carbohydrates but filled with fiber, vitamins A and E, riboflavin, and minerals like iron and potassium.

You can make fabulous baby food using pumpkin. Pumpkin puree is the best one for solid starters and infant. My son was a big fan of pumpkin puree when he was an infant, but now his favorite is “pumpkin soup”. I will be sharing pumpkin soup recipe later in this blog. This time I am sharing pumpkin puree recipe. Hope your little-one will love this. You can store them in refrigerator for up to a week and keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Ingredients

Pumpkin, small size

Salt and pepper, a pinch (Avoid pepper if your little-one is a solid starter)

Method

Step 1: Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scrape out all of the inside guts and cut off the stem.

Step 2: Peel off the skin and cut them into cubes. I know it is not easy to peel off pumpkin skin since it is harder, but you can.

Step 3: Cook them by adding salt and pepper (I cook them in my pressure cooker by giving 1 whistle by adding 2 OZ of water or you can use the way you usually steam or cook your vegetables).

Step 4: Blend them in a blender until you get smooth creamy consistency. You can add breast milk or formula to get desired consistency. Pumpkin puree is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Cut the pumpkin in half

Cook them by adding salt and pepper

Pumpkin pieces are very well cooked. Blend them until you get smooth consistency.

HAPPY COOKING!

Beetroot and Potato Puree (For age 6 months+)

Beets are very nutritious for your little one. They contain calcium, potassium, vitamin A, magnesium, folate and very good amount of fiber too. But I think beets are not as popular as the other fruits and vegetables, eventhough they are ideal for your little one. But there is a Mommy trick, mix beet with your baby’s favorite food. What I do is, mix them with potato or sweet potato. Usually babies will love this taste. This recipe is one of them. Simple and delicious "Beetroot and Potato Puree".

Ingredients (For 4 servings)

Beet- 1, medium size

Potato- 1, medium size
Salt, to taste

Process

Step 1: Peel the potato and beet. Cut them into small cubes.

Step 2: Cook them together by adding salt and water (I use my pressure cooker by giving one whistle).

Step 3: Mash them together with fork or spoon (I use my NUK mash&serve bowl). Or, blend them together in a blender by adding baby water or breastmilk or formula until smooth and creamy). Refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze them if you make it in large quantity. You can store them in freezer for up to 2 months.

Cook beet and potato together until they tender.

Mash them until you get desired consistency

Beetroot and Potato puree is ready to serve

HAPPY COOKING!

Spinach Lentil Soup (For Toddler)

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. Here in Texas, Halloween was somewhat chilly and rainy. But that doesn’t mean all our Halloween festivities have to end. I am glad that we could join few indoor Halloween activities in our community. My son really enjoyed them even though he refused to wear his Halloween costume. Hahaa

It was Monday after Halloween weekend, I thought of making a warm Spinach Lentil soup for my son. I know rainy season is all about warm soups. Especially if you are too lazy to cook.

This recipe is very simple and super healthy too. Spinach is packed with iron and lentils are a great source of fiber, folate, vitamin B1 and a good source of protein too. So it is a power pack combination. Really great for your kids and whole family too.

Ingredients (For 2 servings)

Spinach- One handful, chopped

Lentil- 3 Tbsp

Carrot- 1 medium size, cut into small pieces

Onion- ½ medium size, chopped

Butter- 1 Tsp

Ginger-Garlic paste- ½ Tsp

Pepper- 1/3 Tsp

Salt to taste

Cilantro leaves

Process

Step 1: Wash dry lentils.

Step 2: Heat pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Melt butter in this cooker and saute onion and ginger-garlic paste along with salt and pepper until the onion becomes translucent.

Step 3: Now add carrot, lentils and chopped spinach. Saute them for about 2 minutes. Then add water until all the vegetables and lentils are well soaked.

Step 4: Close the pressure cooker lid and cook it for 2 whistles or until all the ingredients cooked very well.

Step 5: Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender. Blend until the soup is medium chunkier consistency.

Spinach Lentil soup is ready to serve. Top with fresh cilantro and serve warm.

Ingredients: Spinach, Lentils, Carrot, Ginger-Garlic paste, Big onion, Salt and Pepper

Saute onion and ginger-garlic paste in butter

Add spinach, carrot and lentils to the sauted onion and stir for about 2 minutes

Add water to the sauted ingredients and cook until all the ingredients are soft

Soup is ready. Blend them to get a medium chunkier consistency.

ENJOY!

HAPPY COOKING

Strawberry Juice (For Toddler)

Kids usually love juice. Juice is a great way to add more nutrients to your baby’s diet. But as per experts, babies younger than six months should not be given juice. I started to give flavored water to my son when he was about 1 year old. But that was not the store bought one. I throw some blueberries to baby water, just like the way we make infused water, so that I could avoid all the sugar and added ingredients. He loved it.

He started to drink fresh juice when he was around 16 months. Since then, “Strawberry Juice” is his favorite. I think, a kid’s favorite fruit will make a kid’s favorite juice because strawberry is my son’s favorite fruit. You can simply blend strawberry to make thick juice but I usually add water and few drops of honey for a milder sweet juice. He loves it.

Ingredients (For 1 serving)

Fresh Strawberry- 5

Water- 4 OZ

Honey- 1 Tbsp

Method

Wash strawberries and blend them with water and honey. Serve it immediately. You can use blueberries or any any fresh fruits like apple, pear instead of strawberries. Your toddler will love this "Fresh Strawberry Juice".

Ingredients: Fresh Strawberry, Water and Honey

Blend all the ingredients together

Fresh Strawberry Juice is ready to serve

Serve immediately

HAPPY COOKING

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN"

Chicken puree (For age 8 months+)

As per experts, meat may be introduced to babies anytime between 8-9 months of age. Introducing meats earlier will help baby gain more iron and protein as well. I started chicken as my son’s first meat. Chicken is an excellent source of protein.

When I introduced chicken to my baby I chose organic chicken lean breast since it is less fat and of course it is healthier portion of chicken. When you offer chicken to your baby for the first time, it is always better to offer chicken puree, sometimes their tiny tummy cannot handle the solid chicken pieces. You can make any combination of chicken and vegetables. I tried chicken and carrot puree, chicken with brown rice, chicken and broccoli puree. But my son’s favorite was chicken and carrot puree.

This time I am sharing an easy chicken puree recipe with you Mommies. I am sure your little-one will enjoy this.

Ingredients

Chicken lean breast- medium size
Salt, to taste
Pepper, a pinch
Parsley flakes

Process
Step 1: Wash chicken thoroughly and cut it into small pieces.

Step 2: Put them in a pressure cooker and add salt, pepper and parsley flakes along with a small amount of water (You can cook chicken anyway you usually do).

Step 3: Cook until the chicken pieces are fully cooked (I waited for one whistle).

Step 4: Wait until the cooked chicken cooled down. Now blend them in a blender until you get a smooth consistency.

Chicken puree is ready to serve. You can freeze it if you make it in a large quantity.

Chicken lean meat

Add salt, pepper and parsley flakes into chicken and cook them with water

Cook the chicken pieces until they soft

Puree them in a blender and Chicken puree is ready to serve

HAPPY COOKING!

Homemade frozen Sweet potato and Carrot puree (For solid starters or age 5 months+)

Introducing new foods to babies is a long process and of course, parents need a lot of patience. New foods are always a new experience for babies due to different texture, taste and color. Every baby is different, so we cannot say how your baby will take this new experience. Sometimes babies will not accept it. But don’t give up, because baby won’t eat it at the first time, but continue offering the food or wait another day or week. Try again and again, they will slowly accept it.

For a solid starter it is always better to begin them with smoothly pureed fruits and vegetables. You can serve them alone or mix two or three variety of fruits and vegetables together to add additional flavor and nutrition. Whatever you make, the texture should be super smooth. You can slowly thicken and chunk up the texture of food when they become more experienced eater.

Babies like sweet potatoes and carrots due to their flavor and color. Both are very nutritious. Sweet potatoes contain very good amount of beta-carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, vitamin E and folate. Steamed or cooked carrots are easy for babies to digest. Carrots are the excellent source of beta-carotene which the human body converts to vitamin A. Also carrots are packed with nutrients such as vitamin C and calcium.

This sweet potato and carrot puree recipe is so simple and you can make it in large quantity. Freeze and use when you need.

Ingredients

Sweet potato- 1 medium size

Carrot- 1 small size
Ice cube trays and freezer bags for storage.

Process

Step 1: Peel off sweet potato and carrot. Cut them into small cube shape pieces.

Step 2: Steam them the way you usually do or cook them in a pot by adding small amount of water. I use my “Fit & Fresh Starts” Baby Food Steamer.

Step 3: Blend them together. Add breast milk/ formula to get the desired smooth consistency.

Ingredients: Sweet potato and Carrot

Cut them into small pieces and steam them.

Blend the steamed sweet potato and carrot

Storing baby food

There are so many convenient ways to store the homemade baby food. It is recommended that baby food can be stored no longer than 48 hours in the refrigerator but in the freezer you can store them until 3 months.

Freezing baby foods in ice cube trays

Step 1: Puree baby food. Then transfer them into ice cube trays.

Step 2: Fill each trays with puree and cover the trays with plastic wrap and keep them in the freezer.

Step 3: Once the puree have frozen, pop out the cubes and transfer them into freezer bags. If you make different type of baby food, don’t forget to label item name with date.

Fill sweet potato and carrot puree into ice cube trays

Cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze them

Pop out the frozen puree cubes and store them

HAPPY COOKING!

Spinach Macaroni and Cheese (For age 15 months+)

What you think about this picture? Cute, isn’t it? Yes, it is an adorable hungry little squirrel. I caught this picture while we were on the way to our son’s music class. He is obsessed with squirrels. He is a squirrel chaser; he runs them up the trees and calls them back when they disappeared. I like to see him bounces up and down as he watches the squirrel run across the grass. He calls them “Scuuu”, so cute.

Yesterday I decided to make a different version of Mac and Cheese. I know, mac and cheese is always a kid’s favorite food. What I found is add a bit of veggie to basic mac and cheese will taste even better than the classic mac and cheese. Also it is a great way to hide the veggies for those picky eaters. This spinach added mac and cheese is a great way to get the kids to eat healthy spinach. This Spinach Mac and Cheese is made on the stovetop, not baked in the oven.

Spinach Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients (For 3 servings)

Elbow macaroni- 4 oz

Spinach-2 oz

Big onion- 1 medium size, chopped

Cheese-1/2 cup

Butter- 1 Tbsp

Milk-1/2 cup

All-purpose flour-1 Tbsp

Olive oil- 1 Tsp

Pepper and salt, to taste

Method

Step 1: Heat a large pan over medium heat and sauté spinach by adding chopped big onion and olive oil. See my "Stir Fried Baby Spinach" recipe here.

Stir fried baby spinach Recipe

Step 2: Cook pasta as directed on the packet. My usual method is, boil water and add pasta with salt. Cook for 10 minutes and drain off water.

Step 3: Heat a pot over medium heat and melt butter. To the melted butter, add all-purpose flour and milk. Whisk well until you get a smooth creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Add grated cheese to this creamy sauce and stir until completely melted.

Step 5: Add cooked macaroni and stir well until coated with cheese sauce. To this Mac and Cheese, add sauted spinach and stir.

Spinach Macaroni and Cheese is ready to serve. Serve warm.