[starbarrett]

I'm looking to expand my repetoire of quick, healthy, and well-received toddler meals. 4 times a day I find myself in a situation where dd wants to eat _now_ , but reserves the right to be picky about what I serve up.

This week I found a great sure-fire & quick recipe. She loves it and it's fast and healthy.

Please write in with yours!

Quick Mac & Cheese w/ Broccoli:
1) I just throw a hand-full of left over pasta in a bowl. I used penne, but I bet spirals or shells would be a hit, too.
2) Grate some cheese into the bowl. Cheddar & parmesean if you have it.
3) Finely chop some fresh broccoli and put it in the bowl. I chop it so fine that it just sticks to the noodles and cheese. That way dd can't not eat it! I sneak vegis in this way all the time. Otherwise she'd never eat any.
4) (optional) spice it up with onion powder & pepper. My dh added a dab of butter, and that of course made it even better, but it's not necessary.
5) Pour a few tablespoons of milk over the contents of the bowl and mix together.
6) throw the bowl in the microwave and alternately nuke and stir until the pasta has absorbed all the milk.

It's ready to serve, pretty healthy, and if the pasta is already cooked, it only takes 5 minutes to make!

 

[SageRocks!]

This isn't a real quick recipe, but it is easy and makes a whole lot. I freeze it in small batches that take about a minute in the microwave to heat up (that's where the quick part comes in!). This recipe is a total sure thing with my baby. If I worry that maybe she hasn't eaten enough that day, I pull some of this out of the freezer and she inhales it! When she was very little, before I started giving her cow's milk, I even made it with pumped breast milk!

Fillet of fish mornay with vegetables
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup leeks, washed and finely sliced (white part only)
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
1/3 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 lb catfish, cod, hake, sole, or haddock fillets, skinned and boneless (any mild tasting fish is good)
2/3 cup milk
3 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
sprig of parsley
Cheese Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/3 cup grated Edam cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, cover with water, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, adding a little more water if necessary. (I don't usually add more water, I just let it all boil away)
Meanwhile, put the fish in a pan with the milk, peppercorns, bay leaf, and parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked (cooked fish flakes apart easily). Set aside, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the flavorings.
To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the fish cooking liquid, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, add the cheese, and stir until melted.
Drain the vegetables and mix with the flaked fish and cheese sauce. Blend to a puree of the desired consistency for young babies if you need to. I usually chop the carrots and broccoli in a food processor before cooking and stir it all vigorously with a fork when it's all done to mush it all up to the right consistency.

I usually add a half pound to a full pound of fish now. My baby's favorite is with catfish. You can also stir in some cooked couscous at the end.

 

[surf mama]

My dd (2) loves roasted veggies. I either cut them into small pieces or into thin slices with my salad shooter-then I coat them with olive oil and salt and a little pepper. If they are small pieces I lay them out in a single layer but if they are in thin slices I lay them out similar to scalloped potatoes about 3-4 slices high. I roast them at 350 or 375 until they are tender and a little browned. Dd's favorite is sweet potatoes cooked this way...she will also eat white potatoes, zucchini, asparagus, and broccoli when I roast them. I just open a can of garbanzo beans to serve with it or a grilled cheese sandwich or a cheese quesadilla.

Another quick meal is plain yogurt with thawed berries mixed in and granola sprinkled on top.