Here’s a refreshing and satisfying salad for a hot summer day. Perfect for a lunch or dinner at home or to bring to a potluck event. Enjoy! Watermelon & Ricotta Salata Salad Ingredients: -Juice and zest of 5 limes -¾ tablespoon olive oil -1 small clove garlic, minced -Salt, pepper, to taste -3¼ pound seedless watermelon, chopped into ½-inch cubes (Tips on How-to Chop a Watermelon) -4½ ounces ricotta salata, chopped into ½-inch cubes -Mint, to taste, finely chopped Preparation: Make the dressing: Put salt, garlic and pepper into a small bowl and mash with the
Read More »
Sometimes it can be intimidating to figure out how to break down a watermelon. Using a small, seedless watermelon, here are some steps to (hopefully) make it easier. 🙂 How To Cube a Watermelon Materials: -A watermelon (obviously) -A large, sharp knife that you feel comfortable using -A sturdy cutting board Tips: -Always use a sharp knife -Chopping produce is easier, and much safer for your hands, if you create a flat surface on the produce to place onto your cutting board before cutting Method: First, cut the watermelon down the middle so you have
Read More »
Temperatures are rising and it is starting to feel like summer! Homemade popsicles are an easy and healthy treat to help cool down Foodies young and old. The Little Foodies who are teething get some extra relief for sore gums from this frozen treat, too. Enjoy! Strawberry “Mojito” Mini Popsicles Ingredients: -½ cup Strawberry Mint Purée -Juice and zest from 1 lime Preparation: Prepare the purée. Mix in the lime juice and zest. Pour mixture into popsicle molds (Just over a tablespoon per mold). Freeze for at least 4 hours. Yields 6 mini
Read More »
Typically, when planning a meal my goal is to include what I consider to be the perfect trifecta of a balanced meal: protein, produce and starch. A strata is a savory cross between bread pudding and a frittata that combines all three, and is cooked using just one pot (baking dish). It has protein from the eggs and cheese, starch from the bread, and vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidant goodness from the vegetables. A strata is a great dish to bring to a potluck or to serve at a get together, and you can freeze the leftovers to have a delicious and hearty meal
Read More »
Sometimes I have an ingredient in the house that haunts me. Like, I can’t get it out of my head. Literally, I think about the ingredient even as I sleep. When I was a teacher and literacy consultant, I used to plan classroom lessons in my sleep. I’d wake up and write them down before they slipped away into the wee hours of the night. (Yes, I totally and completely own my nerdiness). Now, as a full-time Mommy and at home chef, I plan recipes in my sleep. The ingredient that was haunting me most recently? Fresh mint.
Read More »
Remember the Asparagus Chive Purée recipe I shared last week? Well, if you don’t happen to have any purée-eating Little Foodies in your home but want an idea for using some of the yummy asparagus that is in season right now, here’s a meal more suited to Foodies ages 12 months to 12 decades using that same purée.* Enjoy!! Asparagus Chive Risotto Ingredients: -2 ounces Asparagus Chive Purée, warmed -1½ cups arborio rice, uncooked -5 cups vegetable broth, warmed -⅔ cup dry white wine, at room temperature** -1 yellow onion, diced -3½ tablespoons olive oil -3½ tablespoons unsalted butter -
Read More »
Asparagus Chive Purée 6-9 months 9-12 months Ingredients: -10 spears asparagus, broken* and roughly chopped (3¼ ounces by weight) -2-3 stalks chives -Pinch of salt Preparation: Steam asparagus and chives. Purée. Mix in a tiny pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt if desired. Variations for Foodies 6+ months: -Mix in lemon juice and garlic powder -Mix in other spices such as paprika or cumin or black pepper -Mix with oatmeal, couscous or quinoa for texture -Mix with yogurt or ricotta cheese for protein Variations for Foodies 9+ months: -Mix in lemon juice and
Read More »
When life gives you lemons, what do you do? You make lemonade. So, when life gives me a recipe that was only so-so, I turn it into something new. That’s exactly what happened the other night when I opened the fridge to figure out what to make for dinner and saw a container of a quinoa and vegetable salad I had made the night before. The salad was not one of my tastier creations so I searched through the rest of the fridge and pantry for inspiration. And here’s what grabbed my attention: -blanched broccoli -a can of black
Read More »
Strawberry Mint Purée 6-9 months 9-12 months Ingredients: -1 pound organic strawberries, washed and roughly chopped -A few leaves of fresh mint Preparation: Purée strawberries and mint and serve. Variations for Foodies 6+ months: -Mix with oatmeal, couscous or quinoa for texture. -Mix with yogurt or ricotta cheese for protein. Variations for Foodies 9+ months: -Mix with brown rice, orzo pasta, farro or Israeli couscous for texture. -Mix with yogurt cottage cheese or ricotta cheese for protein. Want to try a more simplified purée? Try this Simple Strawberry Purée! Happy
Read More »
Simple Grilled Swordfish with Mango Sauce Ingredients: -1½ pounds swordfish steaks, trimmed of skin -Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder to taste -Olive oil for brushing a grill pan or grill -2 limes -1 very ripe mango, peeled and chopped -A few tablespoons hot water -Fresh basil, to taste -2-3 red or white scallions, red or white parts only Preparation: Start the fish. In a small bowl, mix some salt, pepper and garlic powder together. Start with 2 parts pepper, 2 parts garlic powder and 1 part salt. Mix, taste and adjust as desired. Transfer the fish
Read More »
Mango Basil Purée 9 months and up Ingredients: -1 very ripe mango, peeled and chopped -A few tablespoons of hot water -Fresh basil, to taste -Fresh lime juice, salt, chili powder (optional) Preparation: Put mango into a food processor and purée. Thin to desired consistency by adding hot water and/or lime juice by the teaspoonful. Pulse again and taste for consistency and flavor. Add basil to existing purée and pulse so the basil becomes mixed throughout. Taste and adjust seasonings and consistency as needed. Variations: -Substitute other herbs for basil such as mint or parsley -Mix
Read More »
Simple Mango Purée 6 months and up Ingredients: -1 very ripe mango, peeled and chopped -A few tablespoons hot water -Fresh lime juice, salt, chili powder* (optional) Preparation: Put mango into a food processor and purée. Thin to desired consistency by adding hot water and/or lime juice by the teaspoonful. Pulse again and taste for consistency and flavor. *Yes, chili powder. Sounds crazy but babies are open to all sorts of flavors. Exposing them to a variety of spices and flavors at a young age makes new foods less scary and more likely to be eaten
Read More »
