Recipe- Homemade Baby Food

I wanted to write a quick post on making baby food at home- it's easy, it's yummy, and it's cheap! We fed Casper homemade baby food and are doing the same for Owen.

The idea is pretty simple: steam/bake/cook your ingredients, then throw it into a food processor (a blender would work, too, I'm sure) with water, breastmilk, or formula. Only use a little liquid at first and add it as you need until you get to a consistency that your baby can eat. 

We use KidCo baby food ice cube trays, but you can use regular ice cube trays, too (that's what we did at first). We bought these at Babies R Us (we didn't have a lot of options for baby stores in Hawaii) and love them because they have lids. Each cube holds about a 1/4c of food (maybe a little less). After you put the food into the tray just freeze it and once frozen pop them out and place into freezer bags that are labeled with the food and date.     

You can make as much food as you want at one time. I make baby food once a week or so and we end up with a wide variety of foods pretty quickly.

Below are sweet potatoes, but I have made broccoli, peas, mango, papaya, prunes (good for constipation), butternut squash, carrots... I haven't yet made any meat (usually we wait until they can eat finger foods and give them meat like that) but the idea is the same.

When you want to serve it, you can throw it in the microwave until the right temperature or you can thaw it slowly in the fridge. When we are going somewhere we will throw the frozen cubes into a small Tupperware and they usually are ready to eat by the time Owen is hungry.

If the food thaws and is really thin you can thicken it up to the right consistency with baby cereal, just add a little at a time.

We also give Owen large pieces of food/veggies that he can hold and gnaw on. It gives him something to do while we eat dinner.  

Recipe- BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is one of our favorite meals. So yummy and easy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
cumin
2 pizza crusts (I use Bobali Thin Crust pizza because I am lazy and want this to be quick)
Extra virgin olive oil
Favorite BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's Original)
4 cups grated Italian cheese blend or mozzarella
cilantro

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin. Saute it with onion and garlic until browned. Add 1/4 cup of bbq sauce and mix together. Remove from heat.

Brush a couple of tablespoons of olive oil onto each crust. Brush on bbq sauce to taste. Sprinkle on cheese evenly. Sprinkle on chicken mixture evenly. Sprinkle on a little more cheese.

Bake following your pizza crust directions (Bobali is baked at 450 for 8-10 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle on some chopped cilantro.

NOTES:

• Our friends (hi, Josh and Ann!) who made this for us originally also added halved cherry tomatoes before cooking but I don't use them since Chris isn't a fan.
• The cilantro is my addition (and addiction).
• We were also talking last night and some nice crumbled bacon would really add something to this dish, I'm going to try that next time.
• Basically, this recipe is very customizable and everything is done to your taste. 

Please let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought!

Recipe: Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe, and it is so delicious. We have made several of her recipes in the past, and they are always delicious- comfort food at its finest. She has a macaroni and cheese recipe that has green chiles in it that is so yummy.

I am sitting here eating the leftovers, and it is just as good as last night. This recipe is Chris-approved, too- "Really good!"

I made the recipe as written except to add a bit of grated parmesan to the sauce. I think I will probably use fire-roasted tomatoes from a can instead of fresh tomatoes next time I make it.

You can find the original recipe here: Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients


3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1 pound Fettuccine
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 cup White Wine
1 cup Heavy Cream
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Recipe: Pan-Seared Chicken Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo

I repinned the most delicious-sounding sandwich on Pinterest the other day: Pan-Seared Chicken Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo. You can find the original recipe at Mrs. Happy Homemaker but the recipe below contains the tweaks I made.

Pan-Seared Chicken Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo

Ingredients:

•1/2 cup olive oil
•1 tbsp red wine vinegar
•1 tsp Dijon mustard
•salt & pepper to taste
•1 tsp dried thyme
•2 large boneless, skinless thin-cut chicken breasts
•1/2 cup mayonnaise
•3 to 4 tbsp prepared pesto sauce
•2 medium tomatoes, cored & sliced
•1 head green leaf lettuce
•8 slices cooked bacon
•8 slices Swiss cheese
•4 soft croissants or other sandwich rolls (I used homemade onion sandwich rolls)

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, & thyme. Whisk until smooth. Pour into a resealable bag.

Place the chicken in the bag along with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise & pesto. Set aside.

Heat a pan on the stove on medium heat until really hot. Place the chicken (discard the marinade) in the pan & cook for a couple of minutes on each side until done & nicely browned. Place aside.

Heat a clean skillet or grill pan. Slice the rolls in half and butter each side. Place buttered side down on the grill pan to toast the bread.

Spread the pesto mayonnaise on each side of the bread. Place lettuce leaves on the bottom halves of the rolls. Place the chicken on top of the lettuce. Top with a slice of Swiss cheese, 2 slices of bacon & sliced tomatoes.

Quick tip: Bacon is very easy to do in the over. over a baking sheet with tin foil, place bacon slices on sheet without overlapping. Place in the over and then turn it on to 350. Keep an eye on them until done to your liking. You may need to flip once. Easy and not messy!

It was delicious! I had 5 thin-sliced chicken breasts, so I cooked all of them and used the extra chicken breast for lunch today:

I made a quick dressing using Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and thyme. Whisk together and adjust to taste. Very similar flavors to the marinade used ont eh chicken. So good!

Yogurt Cake

I made the easiest cake last night and it is so yummy. It is only a tiny bit sweet, but is so moist and full of good things, like Greek yogurt and olive oil. It's ok to have cake for breakfast when it's so good for you, right?

I found the recipe on The Kitchn and adapted it a little- switched some of the flour for almond meal, added cardamom. The recipe calls for full-fat yogurt but all I had was low-fat and it worked fine. I also wanted to add some lemon zest, and once we tasted it both Chris and I thought that would be a good addition. It seems to be a cake that is adaptable to so many different flavor combinations, you could use different oils if you want to change the flavor up (like walnut oil or hazelnut oil, or even canola oil if you wanted a more neutral flavor). Plus, it has a good amount of protein due to the Greek yogurt, so that's always nice. See, I told you it's good for you! The recipe below has my changes, follow the link above to get the original recipe. 

If you make this cake, I would love to know what changes you make to change the flavors!

Please head on over to Delightful Order by clicking on the button below and what others are doing for the Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party!

 

Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 c Greek Yogurt

2/3 c olive oil

1 1/4 c sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1 c almond meal

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

pinch of ground cardamom

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round pan lightly with baking spray or oil, and line the bottom with parchment.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, covering with foil at the end if the top is browning. When a tester comes out clean, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. When well-wrapped, this keeps very well for several days.

Recipe - Italian Wedding Soup

Last week Casper and I decided we needed to make Italian Wedding Soup. I found a recipe that sounded good, tweaked it a bit, and we made the most delicious soup ever! 

 

Our meatballs

Veggies



Finished product!



 I used the recipe from Kitchen Confidante but tweaked it a little. Below is my version.

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
16 ounces ground beef (you can also use a combination of beef and pork, but I try to avoid pork when Ilhana will be eating with us)
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup diced celery (3 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups chicken stock
1 cup small pasta (I used ditalini, but orzo would work too)
8-12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
a few sprigs of fresh dill, chopped
juice from half of a lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine onion, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, and bread crumbs together. Add the parmesan cheese, ground meat, and pepper and combine. Use a heaping tablespoon size portion to make the meatballs. Set on an ungreased basking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until done.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until the onion is transparent, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and meatballs, return to a boil, and cook until the pasta is cooked al dente. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning to your liking with salt and pepper. Add the spinach and dill and simmer for a couple of minutes more, until the spinach is just wilted but still a vibrant green. Stir in lemon juice.

Ladle into bowls and serve with a little extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe - Mongolian Beef

We made Mongolian Beef and brown rice for dinner last night and it was so yummy! Chris even said that it was the best Mongolian Beef he had ever had. The recipe is supposed to be a knock-off of PF Chang's, I don't know about that since I have never had PF Chang's Mongolian Beef, but it sure was yummy.

I made a few changes to the recipe but included them in the recipe below:

mongolian beef

1 hour, makes 2 large servings

1 pound flank steak

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
snow peas
1 small onion, sliced
a few green onions, thinly sliced
vegetable oil

1. prep the beef. slice the beef into quarter inch thick slices. toss the with cornstarch and set aside while making the sauce.
2. make the sauce. heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium low heat. add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and water to the pan. be sure to add the ingredients quickly as you don't want the garlic to burn. add the brown sugar and mix until dissolved. raise the heat to medium and boil the sauce for two to three minutes, or until thick. remove from heat.
3. heat one cup vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat until shimmering. add about half of the beef to the oil and cook about two minutes, or until the edges are brown. remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining beef.
4. Cook onions until soft but still crisp, add snow peas for a few minutes.
5. return the beef to the pan and cook an additional minute or two until cooked through. add the sauce and cook for a minute until heated through.
6. toss the green onions with the meat. cook an additional minute. serve with rice.

You can find pictures (because I never remember to take any) and the recipe at Kitchen Trial and Error.

Weekly Menu Plan

I always try to make a weekly menu but don't really assign a specific day to each meal. Instead I just plan for 5-7 meals (depending on our plans for the week) and make whatever we feel like having. This week I haven't made a menu and we don't really have much in the house so I need to go grocery shopping for the weekend.

1. Chicken Pot Pies (will make extra for freezer)

2. Chicken Tamale Casserole (will make extra for freezer)

3. Pierogies with caramelized onions

4. Tuscan Garlic Chicken with Pasta

5. Pizza or other take-out

More for freezer:
breakfast burritos
pumpkin muffins
macaroni and cheese

The Best Chicken Strips (or Wings) Ever

I forgot to take a picture, but you can see one at Favorite Family Recipes, where I got the recipe.

Winger's Sticky Fingers

For the sauce:
1/3 c. Franks Red Hot Sauce Original
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. water

Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a sauce pot until all the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp before adding to strips or wings OR prepare ahead of time and refrigerate. The chicken turns out best if you don't pour hot sauce over them, when it cools slightly it gets thicker and stickier. I serve the extra sauce on the side for dipping, but you can obviously serve ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing on the side like with wings, too.

I actually use more Franks Red Hot because we like things spicier around here. It tastes great according to the recipe, but is more of a sweet sauce than a spicy sauce. So, it's easily adjustable.

Enjoy!

Freezer Cooking for Baby

I have been making a few dishes to freeze for after the baby arrives, and had completely filled up my regular freezer last weekend. So yesterday I bought a chest freezer for the garage to keep those things in and I am so excited to fill it up! It's a purchase we have been wanting to make for a long time, and with 3 adults in the house, plus a toddler (not that he eats much), the fridge and freezer are so packed all the time. Add in the fact that we'll have to start making baby food and freezing it in another 6 or 7 months, and our current freezer situation just wasn't cutting it.

So far in the freezer I have:

a lasagna
cornbread muffins
2 batches of chili
a batch of spaghetti sauce
a bag of taco meat
a pan of macaroni and cheese.
pumpkin muffins

I am planning on adding breakfast burritos, too.

Does anyone have any recipes for things they particularly like to freeze?

Menu 7/30/09

I haven't made it to the grocery store yet this week, but am planning to go tonight, so I finally planned out our menu for this week:

1. Sticky Coconut Chicken (Cooking Light Magazine) with rice and salad

2. Hawaiian Haystacks (http://idahofergusonfamily.blogspot.com/2009/07/hawaiian-haystacks.html) with mushrooms, bell pepper, scallions, almonds

3. Zucchini Carbonara (http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2007/07/zucchini-carbonara.html) with salad and ciabatta garlic bread

4. Crispy Santa Fe Chicken (http://jennymacslipsmack.blogspot.com/2009/06/fiesta-time.html) with Mexican rice and salad

5. Beef Stroganoff (http://www.eclecticcook.com/affordable-beef-stroganoff/) with egg noodles and salad

6. Skillet Lasagna (http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2009/07/simple-and-meaty-skillet-lasagna.html) with salad and ciabatta bread

And for quick breakfasts we are going to try the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Muffins (http://goodamericanwife.blogspot.com/2009/07/unstoppable-bacon-egg-cheese-muffins_28.html). I am lucky enough to get a cup of coffee every morning (i put it in my travel mug so it doesn't spill while I am taking care of Cas) but breakfast is usually impossible. Maybe these muffins will fit the bill!

Weekly Menu 7/20/2009

I thought I'd post our dinner menu for this week, maybe someone will find a new recipe! This week we are planning on eating:

Skillet Lasagna at http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2009/07/simple-and-meaty-skillet-lasagna.html. We had it last night for dinner and it is delicious! Tastes like lasagna the day after when the flavors have all combined into yummy goodness. Leftovers were good today for lunch, too.

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Italian bread at http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2008/12/broccoli-cheese-soup.html.

Chicken Skewers with rice pilaf and mashed sweet potatoes at http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/3497.

Sticky Coconut Chicken with rice and salad. Recipe is from an old Cooking Light Magazine.

Fettuccine with tomato cream sauce and Italian Sausage with cheesy ciabatta bread and salad.

Burgers and tater tots

For lunch yesterday I made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian bread, they were delish, recipe at http://makingfeastingfun.blogspot.com/2009/07/hawaiian-bread-sandwiches.html.

We haven't had to modify our dinner routine very much since Casper came home. Everyone told me that we wouldn't have time to eat, or would eat a lot of take out. I find that we are cooking dinner at home more often, almost every day of the week, in fact, and that we don't have any trouble eating. Chris takes care of the baby while I eat, and Casper is usually content to just hang out while we eat, so we're doing good!