Cupcake gets Homemade Baby Food

At 5 months my doctor gave us the green signal to feed my daughter solid food.  I had borrowed books on baby food from a close friend of mine a month before.  I wanted to read up on it and figure out what recipes she might enjoy.  Don't get me wrong...I did try the baby food you buy at stores.  When I say I did try I meant me...I tasted the baby food.  I wasn't too crazy about it, so I decided to make my daughter her baby food.  I taste everything I make before I give it to my daughter.  If  I don't like it I change it accordingly until it passes Mama B's standards. 

I won't lie, making baby food is work.  I usually cook baby food on Sunday nights while my daughter is already asleep and my hubby is playing GT5 with his usual Sunday racing buddies online.  It takes me 1-1.5 hrs. I cook enough for several days and freeze them.  I would cook them fresh daily but I prefer cooking bigger portions because I do work full time, so by the time I get home I prefer spending my available time with my family than in the kitchen.

I usually steam each ingredient separately and then mix them later on. For example,  cook peas, chicken, carrots, cauliflower, apples, pears, etc.  After steaming, I freeze each item separately.  When it's time to feed my daughter, I defrost the peas, chicken, carrots, heat them up, mix them together, and feed it to her.  That way you get several options for your baby's daily menu for that week, so your baby isn't stuck eating the same food.

Beaba Baby Cook Food Maker

I've even been inventive with the baby food I've made, so it isn't the standard chicken w/ peas.  She's had rib eye steak with Chinese broccoli.  She's even had salmon, tomato, whole wheat Penne pasta, and basil.   My husband and I want our daughter to be exposed to different types of  food as possible so hopefully she doesn't become a picky eater and her pallet is not too conservative.  I don't put salt in any thing my daughter eats.  Yes, we do right down what she eats so if any allergies flare up we can track it.

There are a lot of items out there in the market now that are available for parents who want to make their own baby food.  My neighbor has the Beaba baby cook food maker, which she got at William Sonoma. She loves it because it's simple to use and does everything in one container.  You don't have to wash a lot of items after using it.

One of the books I used and borrowed from my friend (which I found useful) is:

The Petit Appetit by Lisa Barnes.  This Mommy even has a blog as well, so you can keep track of her blog on food and her adventures with it as well.

The Petit Appetit Cookbook

I use Munchkin baby food containers.  I love these because they have screw on tops and are color coded so you know what is inside.  Green= veggies, Blue = meat/poultry, Pink = fruit  (it's my color coded system).  They are also squeezable so you can remove/pop out  frozen baby food easily.

Munchkin fresh food containers holds 2 oz.

I actually enjoy making my daughter her baby food.  My husband and I take our daughter with us to our local Farmer's Market and check out the produce.  It's great because she gets to be be exposed to local farmers around our area.  I am also seeing the benefits myself! It's actually helped improved my own food intake as well.  We eat a lot more healthier: organic foods, brown rice, and low sodium/sugar diets.  I avoid over processed foods like sugar.  Face it...we are growing older, so the food we used to eat 10-15 years ago won't be processed by our bodies the same way.

Spaghetti or Squash?

I was browsing through Food Network's website and found this yummy Spaghetti recipe.  But instead of using the standard Spaghetti pasta, it calls for Spaghetti squash.  Believe it or not... it's very tasty! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 links hot Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey; 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash, cut-side up, in a large microwave-safe bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until tender, about 20 minutes. Scoop out the flesh into a colander (use a towel to hold the squash) and shred with 2 forks.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the sausages, turning, until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about 4 more minutes. Toss in the squash and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the sausages and sprinkle with parmesan.

My Comfort Food

I must admit something....I don't cook at all!  Yup, Mama B doesn't cook.  My hubby (We'll call him Mr. F1, since he's a big fan of Formula 1) wears the cooking apron in the family.  He cooks pretty good which is surprising because he only started to cook when we got married.  Mr. F1 and I used to alternate on a weekly basis taking turns cooking, but when Cupcake arrived cooking was harder for me since I am the one who drives her to Grandma's house and picks her up.  Mr. F1 and I try to seriously split the house chores 50/50 as much as we can....I think this is what helps me keep my sanity most of the time.  Mr. F1 and I also agree that we get time off to relax once a month.  I usually head to the spa and get a pedi/mani or go shopping.  I am tired most of the time, but that doesn't mean I actually have to look tired.  Just because I am married and a mom, doesn't mean I have to sacrifice style too.

I digress! .....Mr. F1 cooks mostly Malaysian-Chinese food.  It's very tasty and yummy!  When we were dating my sister always looked forward to his cooking!  His food actually tastes like the food you would buy from a Chinese restaurant.  (Obviously by now you've figured out my sister and I are not Chinese)

Below is a recipe Mr. F1 uses to make Claypot Chicken Rice.  It's actually from a book, "Anges Chang's Hawkers' Delights".  It's written in Chinese and English.  The English translation isn't the best, so bear with me on this one.

This recipe asks for a claypot, but you don't need to use one.  We use a rice cooker and my sister uses
a regular pot.

2 cups rice, washed and drained
3 cups chicken stock (If you are using store bought chicken stock, Mr. F1 advises to use 70% chicken stock and 30% water, so it isn't that salty.)
2 chicken drumsitcks, cut into pices
5 Shitake mushrooms, soaked, cut into half  (Mr. F1 uses the dried ones)
1 Chinese sausage  (Sometimes my sister and I used to omit this...I know gasp!)
3 cm thick young ginger, sliced thinly

Marinade:
2tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine (Mr. F1 uses Shao Xing Cooking Wine)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tspn pepper
1/2 tspn sugar
1/2 tbsp cornflour

spring onion and red chillies for garnish  (My sister and I omit this too...another gasp! My sister isn't too crazy about spring onion and back then my tolerance for anything spicy didn't even exist!)

1. Mix chicken, mushrooms w/ marinade and ginger for 30 minutes
2. Put rice and chicken stock into a claypot (rice cooker/pot)., cover and bring to boil.  Lower the temp and cook w/ low heat till holes are formed on top (About 15 minutes)
3. Spread marinated chicken and mushrooms, Chinese sausage on top, cover and cook with low heat till rice is dry and chicken pieces are cooked (another 15 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. Before serving you can sprinkle spring onion and red chili on top.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe feel free to ask me.  Send me an email at urbanwarriormoms@gmail.com.  I'll  be more than happy to forward them over to Mr. F1.  I love it when he cooks this because the dish is very tasty and brings comfort to me.  If any of you also have other versions of this recipe feel free to make a comment.

Lemon Pepper Parmesan-Crusted Salmon

Fish anyone?  This recipe was taken from Progresso (R) Lemon Pepper Panko bread crumbs box.  It's one of the easiest recipes I have done.

1 Salmon fillet, 1 1/4 lb (about 3/4 inch thick)
3 tbsp melted butter or olive oil
1/2 cup Progresso (R)lemon pepper Panko
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray baking dish.  Place salmon skin side down and brush with 1 tbsp of butter.  In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, onions, and remaining 2 tbsp butter;  press evenly on salmon.  Bake 15-25 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork.

I did not add any green onions when cooking this dish.  When I got pregnant green onions always made me sick, so now I have a fear of eating green onions. 

Ginger, Garlic, Gai-lan (Chinese Brocolli)

This easy recipe was written by  Chef Andrew Cohen. It can be found in the website Edible Paradise.  I want to give thanks to my cousin's wife again for finding the recipe and sharing this link!

This dish has a sweet-tangy sauce which is a nice complement to bittersweet taste of Chinese broccoli
(gai lan). You can substitute regular broccoli if gai lan is not available.  Although the recipe doesn't call for it, my cousin's wife added chinese sausage and ham for meat.  You can add any meat if you like: chicken, beef, or pork cut in small pieces.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Chinese broccoli (gai lan), washed and leaves separated from stems
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and de-germed, minced
1 inch of ginger root, peeled and grated finely, saving juice in small bowl
2 green onions, cleaned and root removed, sliced finely on the diagonal
1/3 cup of good quality (low sodium) chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of soy sauce, darker Chinese style preferred
1 tablespoon of brandy
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil (Kadoya Black Sesame oil preferred for deeper, more subtle flavor)
2 to 3 tablespoons of grapeseed, peanut, or canola oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon warm water (optional)

METHOD:
If stems of Chinese broccoli (gai lan) are thick skinned, peel. Cut into two-inch lengths. Shred the larger leaves. Combine the stock, soy sauce, brandy and sugar together, and set aside. Heat a wok or ten-inch chef’s pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, and when hot, add the gai lan stems. Cook, stirring to prevent burning, until the stems are coloring up and getting tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the leaves and toss, cook about 30 seconds to wilt.

Remove the vegetable from the wok, and add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add garlic, and then squeeze the grated ginger pulp over the pan to drip the ginger juice in the oil. Add the green onions and toss for 30 seconds. Add the stock, then the gai lan. Toss to coat and heat through. If not using cornstarch to thicken the sauce, cook the dish over high heat to reduce the sauce until slightly thickened.
To make a thicker sauce, this is where the cornstarch comes into play. Mix the cornstarch and the warm water together to form a slurry. When well mixed, pour into the wok and stir, and bring to a boil. This will thicken the sauce. At this point you finish the dish. Remove the pan from the heat, and drizzle with the sesame oil. Toss to coat well, and serve.

Have a Happy & Healthy Cinco de Mayo!

These days finding recipes that are both healthy and popular with the family is a must.  My sister made Mexican stuffed tomatoes and fish tacos last year for Cinco de Mayo, and they were a hit!

Both dishes are from Rachel Ray, so you know they don't take long and are fairly easy to
prepare.  Check out the recipes below:

Mexican Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 5 yellow vine-ripe tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 2 jarred pimentos, drained and chopped
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 small zucchini, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in palm of your hand
• 2 tablespoons, a handful, fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves, your choice, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the bowl

Directions

Cut the tops off 4 tomatoes and trim a thin slice off the bottoms so that they will sit upright easily. Hollow out the tomatoes with a spoon over garbage bowl or sink. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Remove stem of remaining tomato. Seed and chop tomato.

In a bowl, combine chopped tomato, pimentos, onions, zucchini, jalapeno, lemon juice, oregano and cilantro or parsley. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the bowl. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the bowl in a slow stream or about 2 tablespoons. Toss mixture to combine and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Fill the empty tomatoes with stuffing and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mexican-stuffed-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

Halibut fish tacos w/ guacamole sauce

Ingredients

• 4 pieces fresh halibut, steak or filets, 6 to 8 ounces each
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 small to medium ripe Haas avocados, pitted and scooped from skins with a large spoon
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, eyeball it
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, eyeball it
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 heart Romaine lettuce
• 12 soft (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions

Preheat a grill pan or indoor grill to high heat or, prepare outdoor grill. Drizzle halibut with extra-virgin olive oil to keep fish from sticking to the grill pan or grill. Season fish with salt and pepper, to your taste. Roll lime on the counter top to get juices flowing. Also, any under ripe citrus may be placed in a microwave oven for 10 seconds at high setting to induce the juices to flow. Grill fish 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until opaque. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime down over the fish and remove from the grill pan or grill. Flake fish into large chunks with a fork.

While fish is cooking, in a blender or food processor, combine avocado flesh, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, yogurt and salt. Process guacamole sauce until smooth. Remove guacamole sauce to a bowl and stir in diced tomatoes and chopped scallions. Shred lettuce and reserve.

When fish comes off the grill pan or grill, blister and heat soft taco wraps. To assemble, break up fish and pile some of the meat into soft shells and slather with guacamole sauce. Top with shredded lettuce, fold tacos over and eat!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/halibut-fish-tacos-with-guacamole-sauce-recipe/index.html

Easy Pasta and It ain't Mac & Cheese

I glance at the clock and it's 4pm (still on my maternity leave).  Time to cook dinner for my hubby and myself while my sweet prince is napping.  Sure we can order takeout but after having takeout for a couple of days one craves homemade food.

Instead of preparing dinner I go on Facebook.  I love to cook but after my little one was born, i can't cook the way i used to.  I now rely on quick and simple recipes.  Once on Facebook, I see my cousin's wife posted a picture of sun dried tomatoes pasta with garlic and coriander.  This recipe called for you to saute garlic in olive oil, to add coriander, and to toss in some pasta.  What do  you know... this was the quick and simple recipe I was looking for!

I made some modifications to the recipe.  Instead of using spaghetti, I used farfelle (those bow-tie pasta).  I prefer using smaller size pasta to avoid using my big pots.  I substituted the corainder for zucchini, yellow squash, and basil.  My hubby and I needed to eat more veggies to makeup for all the takeout we've been eating.

You can pre-cut the veggies ahead of time and cook the pasta in parallel with the veggies to save time.  Overall, it took me no more than 15 minutes to cook dinner! It was quick, easy, yummy, and most importantly healthy!

Recipe Summary

• 3/4 - 1 lb of farfelle pasta
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 medium size zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium size yellow squash, chopped
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• handful of basil, chopped
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the pasta in a medium size pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 8-10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until garlic is aromatic, about 2 minutes.  Add the zucchini and yellow squash until tender, about 3 minutes.  Season with the chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  Finally, add the drained pasta into the large pan. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

garlic, zucchini, basil, sun dried tomatoes, and yellow squash

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional) and serve.

Sun dried tomato basil pasta with garlic and veggies

If you have other quick and easy recipes feel free to send us an email, urbanwarriormoms@gmail.com.  Many thanks to my cousin's wife!