blueberry spelt oat bars

Well I’m back and should probably explain my absence in the last 4 months (and perhaps a month or so prior) is directly attributable to my having a new baby boy (one, I hope, which won’t be so hard to please in the food department).

The new little guy is pretty easy-going and surprisingly lets me do a bit of cooking and baking every now and again (I barely entered the kitchen for the first 6 months with my first son). I’ve made some simple stuff with my 4-year-old (popsicles, apple-cheese quesadillas, chocolate chip cookies, etc), and I’ve been stockpiling some very promising recipes I intend to get to as well. And this recipe for blueberry spelt bars by my new favourite Canadian food site is one I plan to get to very, very soon.

P.S. Now that the little guy is nearing 5 months and settling into a routine, I plan to update this blog much more regularly. Thanks for hanging in there! 

blueberryspeltbar

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup packed natural brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup sunflower oil
5 tbsp orange juice, divided
1/2 cup blueberry fruit preserve

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 8×8 in. baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and blueberries. Add oil and 3 tablespoons of the orange juice. Mix well. Save a 1/2 cup of the mixture and press the rest of the oats into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, mix the blueberry preserves with the last two tablespoons of orange juice. Spread preserve mixture over the oats then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of oats. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Source: Sweet Potato Chronicles

10 months ago 

pasta with kale and walnut pesto

I’m a huge fan of kale. When my son was younger and less wily, he even enjoyed a bowl or two. However now that he’s a picky and opinionated 3-year-old, he defiantly resists it every time I offer it to him. That’s why I love this idea for pesto… He loves pesto! He loves pasta too! And he might not even notice if I swap out the basil for kale… but I think I’ll add some just in case.

Makes 2 cups, enough for about 2 lbs of pasta

kale pesto pasta

1 bunch of kale
1 tsp olive oil, plus 1/2 cup
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly steam the kale.

2. In the meantime, heat teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan and use to toast the walnuts, stirring frequently. The walnuts are done when they turn golden brown and are fragrant.

3. Place steamed kale, toasted walnuts, pecorino, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Puree as you slowly drizzle remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil in a thin stream. Pesto is done when it’s pureed and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pasta.

Source: The Family Kitchen, babble.com

1 year ago  2 notes

banana pecan rice pudding

OK, so my kid won’t do anything but lick the spoon (again, the texture thing), but maybe your kids will like this homey, creamy vanilla-banana flavoured rice pudding.

This recipe has been a long-standing favourite with me and my husband. It’s adapted from a recipe designed for IBS sufferers and I’ve probably been making it at least twice a year since 2003 or so (when hubs was diagnosed). Even though he no longer displays symtoms, this recipe (and this cookbook) remain one of my faves.

My dad is, hands-down, the best rice pudding maker in the family (strictly a milk and long-grain rice type) so I don’t feel like I’m cheating since this recipe is so different from his version. We eat this one for breakfast, snacks and desserts in our house.

rice pudding

Ingredients: 

1 cup uncooked rose rice
1 tbsp vanilla OR 1 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp cinnamon OR 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1 short cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp  nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups vanilla soy milk
2 firm-ripe bananas, diced
1/4 cup pecans, toasted, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Rinse and drain again. In a large stockpot, add rice and all other ingredients except bananas and pecans, stirring well. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, and continue to simmer gently, stirring until rice is tender and begins to disintegrate, about 30 minutes. If pudding becomes too thick, add more soy milk as necessary.

Cool pudding and fold in bananas and pecans (if you can wait that long). 

Makes 6 servings

Source: ‘Eating for IBS’, Heather Van Vorous, 2000 

1 year ago 

peanut butter cookies

I’ve gone through my share of traditional peanut butter cookie recipes. I can honestly declare that these are the best (my son does not disagree)! Soft, somewhat chewy, and chock full of peanuts -thanks to the 1.5 cups of chopped peanuts! I made it with smooth peanut butter, but next time, I think I’ll try crunchy.

peanut butter cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts
About 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Directions

Position the rack to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for three minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chopped peanuts. You’ll have a soft, pliable dough.

Pour the 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the baking sheets, leaving two inches between them. Dip the tines of a fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction – you should have a flattened round of dough with criscross indentations.

Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still a little soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for a minute before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide metal spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Source: Baking, From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, 2006

1 year ago 

sweet-potato fries

My son refuses to eat any kid of potatoes except fries (I’m not a big potato fan myself). These sweet-potato fries are his favourite - way healthier than regular potatoes, plus they’re baked, not fried. Amazing for the grown-ups too with a lil wasabi mayo.

sweet potato fries

PREP: 10 minutes
BAKE: 45 minutes
YIELD: 6 servings

  • Cooking spray
  • 6 sweet potatoes
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pinch cayenne pepper (optional) 

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 

2. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into 1⁄2-inch french fries. 

3. Place potatoes in a large resealable plastic bag, and add oil, salt, and cayenne pepper, if desired. Secure the bag, and shake well until potatoes are coated with oil.

4. Arrange potatoes on the baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes. Turn with a spatula and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Watch carefully, as thinner fries may not take quite as long.

5. Transfer fries to a serving platter. Taste, and add a little extra salt, if necessary. 

HOW KIDS CAN HELP: Measure canola oil and salt; shake the potatoes in the bag; spread potatoes on the baking sheet. 

PER SERVING: 181 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 399 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol 

Source: Parenting.com

1 year ago 

semi-homemade pretzels

Who can resist freshly baked pretzels? These are easy to make using a shortcut - store-bought frozen bread dough. The flavour variations are endless: garlic powder, parmesan cheese, pickled jalapenos (press into the dough after boiling but before baking), sesame seeds, melted butter, cinnamon and sugar (after baking), and - my fave - plain old kosher salt.

pretzel unbaked

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. loaf frozen bread dough
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Let the bread dough thaw in the refrigerator for about 6-8 hours. You can thaw it on your counter top but you need to make sure to begin making the pretzels as soon as the loaf is soft all the way through but has not began to rise. If the dough rises before you form the pretzels, they will not rise as much later.
  2. Cut the thawed dough into 8 equal parts (about 2 oz. each). Using a small amount of flour, roll the dough pieces out into 24 inch ropes. Remember making clay snakes when you were a child? Use the same technique here. I found that if the dough was too coated in flour, it wouldn’t roll on the counter, it would just slide back and forth and get flat. Form each rope into a pretzel shape by making a “U” with the rope then twisting the two loose ends around each other once.
  3. Bring 5 cups of water and 1/3 cup of baking soda to a boil in a deep skillet. Once it reaches a rolling boil, drop the pretzels in and boil on each side for 30 seconds. I did this in a three pretzel rotation (3 pretzels in the pan at once). When you remove the pretzels from the water, place them on a cooling rack so the excess water can drain away. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees as the pretzels drain. A wide spatula with slats is the perfect tool for transferring the raw pretzels to and from the boiling water.
  4. Once the pretzel bottoms are no longer soggy, transfer them to a baking sheet with either parchment paper or tin foil coated with non-stick spray. Mix one egg yolk with 1 tbsp of water and brush onto the pretzels. Sprinkle salt or whatever other toppings you want onto your pretzels at this time (the yolk glaze helps the toppings stick and makes the nice shiny brown color).
  5. Bake the pretzels for 15 minutes, turning once during the cooking process. Let the pretzels cool enough to handle before adding your preferred seasonings.

pretzel baked

Source: Budget Bytes

1 year ago 

welsh rabbits

welsh rabbit

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup grated Cheddar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon cream or milk
  • 2-3 drops Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)
  • Pepper, to season
  • 1 English muffin, split and lightly toasted
  • Peas, thin slices of carrot or snow peas, 1 black olive (pitted and halved), a few fresh chives, and scallion, to garnish

Preheat the broiler to high. Put the cheese, egg yolk, cream, and Worcestershire sauce into a bowl and mash together. Season to taste with pepper. Spread the cheese mixture on the cut sides of the toasted muffin, spreading right to the edges. Place the cheese-topped muffin halves about 3 inches away from the heat source (one rack down from normal broiling position) — don’t have them too close, as the egg in the mixture can make them brown very quickly. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is golden and bubbling. Decorate the cooked muffin halves with peas for eyes and strips of carrot or snow peas for ears, half an olive for a nose, chives for whiskers, and scallion for teeth. Serve immediately.

Source: From Anabel Karmel’s Top 100 Finger Foods via Parenting.com

1 year ago 

tomato tuna sauce with lemony bread sauce

My son and husband love this meal. I’ve been making this dish since my son turned 1 - it’s a no fail meal that packs a huge nutritional punch. I think it’s especially successful because the tuna is blended and mixed in with the pasta sauce - my son tends to get turned off of certain textures - and he has no idea there are so many healthy ingredients inside!

This is a great recipe to keep in your repertoire and it’s easy to build on. You can puree just about anything with sauce and kids (and husbands) will gobble it up.

I’m not a fan of kidney beans so I substituted some red pepper hummus I had on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 cups jarred tomato pasta sauce
  • 1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 170 g can light tuna, drained
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb farfalle or rotini pasta

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Heat a large frying pan at medium, add oil, toss in bread crumbs and stir, toasting 2 minutes or until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in lemon zest. Set aside.

Mix tomato sauce, beans and tuna in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium pot and add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 5 minutes, keeping warm until mixed with cooked pasta.

Cook pasta. Drain, and combine with sauce. Serve garnished with bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan.

Flavour booster:

  • 6 black olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • chili flakes

Source: Today’s Parent Baby & Toddler, Spring/Summer 2007

1 year ago 

blueberry spelt oat bars

Well I’m back and should probably explain my absence in the last 4 months (and perhaps a month or so prior) is directly attributable to my having a new baby boy (one, I hope, which won’t be so hard to please in the food department).

The new little guy is pretty easy-going and surprisingly lets me do a bit of cooking and baking every now and again (I barely entered the kitchen for the first 6 months with my first son). I’ve made some simple stuff with my 4-year-old (popsicles, apple-cheese quesadillas, chocolate chip cookies, etc), and I’ve been stockpiling some very promising recipes I intend to get to as well. And this recipe for blueberry spelt bars by my new favourite Canadian food site is one I plan to get to very, very soon.

P.S. Now that the little guy is nearing 5 months and settling into a routine, I plan to update this blog much more regularly. Thanks for hanging in there! 

blueberryspeltbar

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup packed natural brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup sunflower oil
5 tbsp orange juice, divided
1/2 cup blueberry fruit preserve

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 8×8 in. baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, sunflower seeds and blueberries. Add oil and 3 tablespoons of the orange juice. Mix well. Save a 1/2 cup of the mixture and press the rest of the oats into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, mix the blueberry preserves with the last two tablespoons of orange juice. Spread preserve mixture over the oats then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of oats. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Source: Sweet Potato Chronicles

pasta with kale and walnut pesto

I’m a huge fan of kale. When my son was younger and less wily, he even enjoyed a bowl or two. However now that he’s a picky and opinionated 3-year-old, he defiantly resists it every time I offer it to him. That’s why I love this idea for pesto… He loves pesto! He loves pasta too! And he might not even notice if I swap out the basil for kale… but I think I’ll add some just in case.

Makes 2 cups, enough for about 2 lbs of pasta

kale pesto pasta

1 bunch of kale
1 tsp olive oil, plus 1/2 cup
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly steam the kale.

2. In the meantime, heat teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan and use to toast the walnuts, stirring frequently. The walnuts are done when they turn golden brown and are fragrant.

3. Place steamed kale, toasted walnuts, pecorino, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Puree as you slowly drizzle remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil in a thin stream. Pesto is done when it’s pureed and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pasta.

Source: The Family Kitchen, babble.com

banana pecan rice pudding

OK, so my kid won’t do anything but lick the spoon (again, the texture thing), but maybe your kids will like this homey, creamy vanilla-banana flavoured rice pudding.

This recipe has been a long-standing favourite with me and my husband. It’s adapted from a recipe designed for IBS sufferers and I’ve probably been making it at least twice a year since 2003 or so (when hubs was diagnosed). Even though he no longer displays symtoms, this recipe (and this cookbook) remain one of my faves.

My dad is, hands-down, the best rice pudding maker in the family (strictly a milk and long-grain rice type) so I don’t feel like I’m cheating since this recipe is so different from his version. We eat this one for breakfast, snacks and desserts in our house.

rice pudding

Ingredients: 

1 cup uncooked rose rice
1 tbsp vanilla OR 1 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp cinnamon OR 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1 short cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp  nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups vanilla soy milk
2 firm-ripe bananas, diced
1/4 cup pecans, toasted, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Rinse and drain again. In a large stockpot, add rice and all other ingredients except bananas and pecans, stirring well. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, and continue to simmer gently, stirring until rice is tender and begins to disintegrate, about 30 minutes. If pudding becomes too thick, add more soy milk as necessary.

Cool pudding and fold in bananas and pecans (if you can wait that long). 

Makes 6 servings

Source: ‘Eating for IBS’, Heather Van Vorous, 2000 

peanut butter cookies

I’ve gone through my share of traditional peanut butter cookie recipes. I can honestly declare that these are the best (my son does not disagree)! Soft, somewhat chewy, and chock full of peanuts -thanks to the 1.5 cups of chopped peanuts! I made it with smooth peanut butter, but next time, I think I’ll try crunchy.

peanut butter cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts
About 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Directions

Position the rack to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for three minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chopped peanuts. You’ll have a soft, pliable dough.

Pour the 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the baking sheets, leaving two inches between them. Dip the tines of a fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction – you should have a flattened round of dough with criscross indentations.

Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still a little soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for a minute before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide metal spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Source: Baking, From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, 2006

sweet-potato fries

My son refuses to eat any kid of potatoes except fries (I’m not a big potato fan myself). These sweet-potato fries are his favourite - way healthier than regular potatoes, plus they’re baked, not fried. Amazing for the grown-ups too with a lil wasabi mayo.

sweet potato fries

PREP: 10 minutes
BAKE: 45 minutes
YIELD: 6 servings

  • Cooking spray
  • 6 sweet potatoes
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pinch cayenne pepper (optional) 

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 

2. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into 1⁄2-inch french fries. 

3. Place potatoes in a large resealable plastic bag, and add oil, salt, and cayenne pepper, if desired. Secure the bag, and shake well until potatoes are coated with oil.

4. Arrange potatoes on the baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes. Turn with a spatula and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Watch carefully, as thinner fries may not take quite as long.

5. Transfer fries to a serving platter. Taste, and add a little extra salt, if necessary. 

HOW KIDS CAN HELP: Measure canola oil and salt; shake the potatoes in the bag; spread potatoes on the baking sheet. 

PER SERVING: 181 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 399 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol 

Source: Parenting.com

semi-homemade pretzels

Who can resist freshly baked pretzels? These are easy to make using a shortcut - store-bought frozen bread dough. The flavour variations are endless: garlic powder, parmesan cheese, pickled jalapenos (press into the dough after boiling but before baking), sesame seeds, melted butter, cinnamon and sugar (after baking), and - my fave - plain old kosher salt.

pretzel unbaked

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. loaf frozen bread dough
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Let the bread dough thaw in the refrigerator for about 6-8 hours. You can thaw it on your counter top but you need to make sure to begin making the pretzels as soon as the loaf is soft all the way through but has not began to rise. If the dough rises before you form the pretzels, they will not rise as much later.
  2. Cut the thawed dough into 8 equal parts (about 2 oz. each). Using a small amount of flour, roll the dough pieces out into 24 inch ropes. Remember making clay snakes when you were a child? Use the same technique here. I found that if the dough was too coated in flour, it wouldn’t roll on the counter, it would just slide back and forth and get flat. Form each rope into a pretzel shape by making a “U” with the rope then twisting the two loose ends around each other once.
  3. Bring 5 cups of water and 1/3 cup of baking soda to a boil in a deep skillet. Once it reaches a rolling boil, drop the pretzels in and boil on each side for 30 seconds. I did this in a three pretzel rotation (3 pretzels in the pan at once). When you remove the pretzels from the water, place them on a cooling rack so the excess water can drain away. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees as the pretzels drain. A wide spatula with slats is the perfect tool for transferring the raw pretzels to and from the boiling water.
  4. Once the pretzel bottoms are no longer soggy, transfer them to a baking sheet with either parchment paper or tin foil coated with non-stick spray. Mix one egg yolk with 1 tbsp of water and brush onto the pretzels. Sprinkle salt or whatever other toppings you want onto your pretzels at this time (the yolk glaze helps the toppings stick and makes the nice shiny brown color).
  5. Bake the pretzels for 15 minutes, turning once during the cooking process. Let the pretzels cool enough to handle before adding your preferred seasonings.

pretzel baked

Source: Budget Bytes

welsh rabbits

welsh rabbit

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup grated Cheddar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon cream or milk
  • 2-3 drops Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)
  • Pepper, to season
  • 1 English muffin, split and lightly toasted
  • Peas, thin slices of carrot or snow peas, 1 black olive (pitted and halved), a few fresh chives, and scallion, to garnish

Preheat the broiler to high. Put the cheese, egg yolk, cream, and Worcestershire sauce into a bowl and mash together. Season to taste with pepper. Spread the cheese mixture on the cut sides of the toasted muffin, spreading right to the edges. Place the cheese-topped muffin halves about 3 inches away from the heat source (one rack down from normal broiling position) — don’t have them too close, as the egg in the mixture can make them brown very quickly. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is golden and bubbling. Decorate the cooked muffin halves with peas for eyes and strips of carrot or snow peas for ears, half an olive for a nose, chives for whiskers, and scallion for teeth. Serve immediately.

Source: From Anabel Karmel’s Top 100 Finger Foods via Parenting.com

tomato tuna sauce with lemony bread sauce

My son and husband love this meal. I’ve been making this dish since my son turned 1 - it’s a no fail meal that packs a huge nutritional punch. I think it’s especially successful because the tuna is blended and mixed in with the pasta sauce - my son tends to get turned off of certain textures - and he has no idea there are so many healthy ingredients inside!

This is a great recipe to keep in your repertoire and it’s easy to build on. You can puree just about anything with sauce and kids (and husbands) will gobble it up.

I’m not a fan of kidney beans so I substituted some red pepper hummus I had on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 cups jarred tomato pasta sauce
  • 1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 170 g can light tuna, drained
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb farfalle or rotini pasta

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Heat a large frying pan at medium, add oil, toss in bread crumbs and stir, toasting 2 minutes or until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in lemon zest. Set aside.

Mix tomato sauce, beans and tuna in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium pot and add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 5 minutes, keeping warm until mixed with cooked pasta.

Cook pasta. Drain, and combine with sauce. Serve garnished with bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan.

Flavour booster:

  • 6 black olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • chili flakes

Source: Today’s Parent Baby & Toddler, Spring/Summer 2007

blueberry spelt oat bars
pasta with kale and walnut pesto
banana pecan rice pudding
peanut butter cookies
sweet-potato fries
semi-homemade pretzels
welsh rabbits
tomato tuna sauce with lemony bread sauce

About:

pleasing picky eaters since 2007.
kid-tested and approved recipes.
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