I have this thing with recipes. I hoard them. I definitely got it from my mom who has an entire room dedicated to recipe clippings. Luckily, most of mine are housed online but I do have a large number of sticky-paged cookbooks.
So I thought I might share with you guys the recipes that work for us!
What you'll find in this post:
1. A roundup of the dinners we have had over the last few weeks.
2. A review of the recipes, including how likely I will be to make again and how well Ruthie (3 years) and Bobby (15 months) liked them.
3. Tips to make the recipe more baby-led feeding friendly.
4. A link to the recipe or instructions on how to whip it up.
SUNDAY
Slow cooker white chicken enchiladas. The linked recipe is made with shredded beef, I subbed 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and also added some sauteed veggies (2 green bell peppers, 4 tomatillos, and 3 cups frozen corn). Super rich and delicious, will definitely make again.
I've been giving Ruthie mixed dishes since she began eating and she is usually OK with everything touching (casserole style). Sometimes she will declare something yucky before trying. In those cases, I acknowledge that I heard her, but don't offer much input. I pretty much always keep it neutral with food around her, offering only the occasional encouragement. It's completely fine in my book to offer something disassembled if that's what the tot likes (as long as you don't have to make an entirely different meal for them). Just set aside some of each ingredient before layering into the enchilada.
BLW tip: Avoid adding salt during the cooking process - add it at the end if ya need it.
MONDAY
Whole wheat pita bread with warm golden hummus. These homemade pitas are THE BEST pitas on the planet. You could definitely use store bought pita or naan but I highly recommend trying out homemade a time or two. If you don't have time, come to my house and I will make them for you because they are THAT GOOD. They become stale pretty quickly cause no preservatives but we usually eat them up in one night anyway.
BLW tip: Again, avoid adding salt to the hummus during prep. I also roasted the garlic first to make it less "spicy" per Ruthie request.
TUESDAY
Puff pastry pizza. Thaw frozen puff pastry and unroll onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Top with 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes, 2 balls of fresh mozzarella cheese (sliced), and tomato slices. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until crust is puffed and golden and cheese bubbles. Remove from oven and top with fresh chopped basil.
BLW tip: NONE pizza is super BLW friendly. Fresh mozz can be a little chewy, there was a little bit of gagging goin' on with Bobby.
WEDNESDAY
Salmon quinoa cakes. Canned salmon - not on many peoples grocery lists I assume. I highly recommend - it's super affordable and seriously delicious, packed with omega-3's, wild caught, and not wrapped in individual plastic (trying to cut down on our plastic use this year). It does contain small bones and some skin which are edible - the bones are soft and add a ton of calcium but I removed them before giving making to be on the safe side. I subbed 1/2 cup cooked quinoa for the breadcrumbs. (I totally get it if you want to skip this one, but I love this recipe and it is surprisingly beloved by babes).
BLW tip: This recipe is an awesome source of omega-3 and iron, both of which are super important for babes. Remove large bones before offering to babe. The cake shape makes for easy pickup.
THURSDAY
Veggie fried rice: Saute whatever veggies you have! In my strange mind, there are two types of veggies: "fried rice veggies" and "taco veggies". Fried rice veggies include zucchini, onion, carrots, celery, peas, edamame, cabbage, etc...Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan and add 3 cloves diced garlic, 1 diced onion, 1 cup diced carrot, 1 cup diced celery, and whatever other veggies you're using. When veggies are soft (I like them to have a little char), crack 4 eggs in the pan and stir to coat veggies. When eggs are almost set, add in 2 cups of cooked rice, 1 cup chopped cashews, soy sauce, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
BLW tip: Add soy sauce at the the end after portioning out rice for the little guys. Chop the cashews finely if offering to babies or toddlers, they do soften a but in the pan as well. This recipe makes little chunks of fried rice that are easy to grasp.
FRIDAY
Out for dinner. FISH FRY FRIDAY!
SATURDAY
Orange chicken. This recipe is a little involved but MAN is it good. Austin cooked, he loves complicated recipes. Once I woke up to a cheese souffle for breakfast, not even kidding. We followed this recipe to a T and served with steamed broccoli and rice.
BLW tip: Nothing! Both kids loved it. I stir the rice every few minutes while cooking to get a sticky rice effect, seems to make it easier for both Ruthie and Bobby to pick up.
