Not Your Granny's Mac & Cheese

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I got this one from The Pioneer Woman site and it was delicious, as promised. Easy, different, and spicy! Makes a great side dish. Next time I'll try it with steak - yum!

Ingredients (with modifications)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bag of macaroni (any kind - use your favorite or try another kind)
• 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 4-oz. can green chilies
• 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and diced) - keep seeds if you're brave
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 c. frozen corn
• 1 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese
• 1 c. heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Sautee until tender. Add green corn and heat for 2 minutes. Add chilies.
2. While doing above, boil macaroni in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
3. Add macaroni to vegetable mixture and remove from heat.
4. Add 1 c. of heavy cream and cheese. Stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and allow to melt. Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Puree

Age: 6+ Months

Suitable for Freezing

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Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cut in half, and seeded
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter (optional)
• 1 orange

Directions

1. Juice the orange in a food processor. Make sure any seeds are removed.
2. Meanwhile, chop the butternut squash into pieces and steam for 12 minutes. Add to the food processor along with the butter and puree. Add water from the steam bath to thin to the desired consistency.

Note: Butternut squash makes a good combination with vegetables like peas or broccoli and also goes well with fruits like apple or pear.

Source

Sweet Potato & Broccoli Puree

Age: 6+ Months

Suitable for Freezing

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 c. broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1-2 tsp. your baby's usual milk

Directions

1. Steam the sweet potato (aprox. 12 min.) and broccoli (aprox. 6-7 min.) until tender.
2. Place sweet potato and broccoli in a food processor. Add milk and butter. Puree until smooth, adding water from the steamer as needed.

Note: Broccoli is best steamed or microwaved, as boiling halves its vitamin C content. If your baby isn't keen on the flavor, mix it with a sweet-tasting vegetable like sweet potato, rutabaga, butternut squash, or pumpkin. As a variation on this recipe, try sweet potato and peas or sweet potato and squash.

Source

Carrot Puree

Age: 6+ Months

Servings: 12+

Suitable for Freezing

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My little boy has been showing more and more curiosity for foods lately so I've decided it's time to move beyond the rice cereal and start him on other baby foods. Most pediatricians are now recommending starting with the orange and yellow vegetables. I figured that homemade baby foods must be at least somewhat more nutritious that what you find in the stores. I checked out this book from our local library and, sure enough - their first recipe was a carrot puree. So easy, natural, and homemade. The little guy loved it so I think we're off to a good start!


Ingredients

• 4-6 medium carrots

Directions

1. Peel carrots and chop into 1-inch pieces.
2. Place carrots in a steamer, filled with boiling water. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
3. Drain and place in a food processor. Puree until very smooth, adding water from the bottom of the steamer pan until you reach a desired consistency.
4. Spoon puree into empty and clean ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Thaw when ready to eat!

Note: Carrots are more nutritious when cooked with a little fat, such as a pat of unsalted butter, as the beta-carotene they contain is absorbed more readily.

Source

Chicken Rice Soup

This recipe came from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (Bridal Edition). Instead of making my own chicken stock I substituted chicken broth. Easy recipe to make and can be kept warm in a crock pot before serving. Great comfort food!

Ingredients (with modifications)

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 5 c. chicken broth
• 2 medium carrots, sliced (1 c.)
• 2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 c.)
• 1 small onion, chopped (1/4 c.)
• 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 c. uncooked long-grain rice
• chopped, fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Boil chicken in chicken broth until tender. Remove breasts and shred with a fork. Set aside
2. Add carrots, celery, onions and bouillon to broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
3. Stir in rice with the vegetables. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
4. Add chicken and parsley. Heat until chicken is hot.

Peanutty Noodles

Servings: 10

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Sometimes I like to take a break from the chicken, chicken, chicken and just go meatless, yet finding a vegetarian dish that doesn't feel vegetarian can be a little tricky. I made this recipe last night and can't wait to have the leftovers today for lunch!

Ingredients (with modifications)

• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided (I use olive oil)
• 2 tbsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use canned crushed garlic)
• 1 c. fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 c. natural-style peanut butter (I used whatever was in my fridge)
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. rice or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (didn't have any so I omitted this and it was still great)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 c. red bell pepper strips
• 1 pounds snow peas, trimmed
• 8 c. hot cooked linguine (about 1 lb.) (I used spaghetti)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Directions

1. Shave the carrots lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler; set aside.
2. Heat 1 t. oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and next 5 ingredients (broth through salt); stir until well-blended. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
3. Heat 2 t. oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and snow peas; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.
4. Combine carrot, peanut butter mixture, bell pepper mixture, and linguine in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature (I even like it cold).

Nutritional Information

• 296 calories
• 8.8g fat
• 11.7g protein
• 3.4g fiber

Bulgur-Lentil Pilaf

This recipe first entered our kitchen after reading Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber. In the middle of the book are some inserts that sum up the author's findings. One page in particular addresses foods that fight particular cancers, in order of their anticancer effects. Surprisingly lentils was high on several of the lists. I realized that I have never cooked with lentils so I looked up some recipes, found this one and we love it! Hope you enjoy it too...

Ingredients (with modifications)

• 1/2 c. green lentils
• 1 c. bulgur
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. and 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped (aprox. 1 cup)
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 3 tbsp. chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley (I use dried parsley flakes)
• 2 tbsp. chopped, fresh basil
• 2 tbsp. chopped, fresh chives
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Place lentils and 2 cups broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and most liquid is dissolved, about 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid.
2. While lentils are cooking, place bulgur and remaining 2 cups chicken broth in another small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most liquid is dissolved and bulgur is tender, about 13 to15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add the bulgur to the lentils.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add peppers and cook until peppers are tender, another 5 minutes.
5. Add the onion mixture to bulgur-lentil mixture. Stir in parsley, basil, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to incorporate.

Per Serving:

• 300 Calories
• 8 g. Fat (1.5 g. sat fat, 5 g. mono fat, 1.5 g. poly fat)
• 15 g. Protein
• 47 g. Carbohydrates
• 11 g. Fiber
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 370 mg Sodium