Yum For BABY

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Spaghetti Alfredo (For Toddler)

I know, alfredo sauce in pasta is always rich, is that a healthier choice? Yes, for our kids it is a healthier choice, they need all these fat and protein from Alfredo Sauce which consists of 3 very basic ingredients like parmesan cheese, heavy cream and butter. You can use store bought alfredo sauce, but have you ever tried to make it at home? It is really very easy to make it at home and can be used as an ingredient for kid friendly pasta dinner or toss cooked vegetables or chicken with alfredo sauce. Try this easy Spaghetti Alfredo recipe and enjoy it with your family.

For making Spaghetti Alfredo you need these ingredients,

Spaghetti- 100 Gram

Butter- 1 Tbsp

Garlic- 3 small cloves, minced

Orange zest or lemon zest- ½ Tsp

Heavy cream- 200 mL

Parmesan cheese- 1 Tbsp

Dried parsley flakes, for garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Step 1: Cook pasta in boiling water by adding salt according to the packet instruction (I usually give 10 minutes to cook my pasta). Once it is fully cooked, drain pasta and keep is aside.

Step 2: Heat a medium pan and melt butter.

Step 3: Saute garlic in butter until it becomes transparent.

Step 4: To this, add heavy cream and allow it to reduce by boiling for about 2 minutes. Now add orange zest and pepper. Give a stir and reduce heat.

Step 5: Add parmesan cheese to this and mix well. Check for salt and pepper.

Step 6: Add cooked pasta to this creamy alfredo sauce and mix them very well until your pasta is well coated with sauce.

Spaghetti Alfredo is ready to serve. Serve warm with parsley to garnish.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend!

Ingredients: Pasta, cheese, heavy cream, garlic, butter, orange zest, pepper and parsley flakes

Cook pasta in boiling water by adding salt

Spaghetti Alfredo

Happy Cooking

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.