Add a yummy new twist to your muffins
Replace some or all the white flour by wheat flour, whole-grain flour or Nutri Robin Hood (a mixture of unbleached flour and ground wheat bran). Instead of applesauce, try pureed pumpkin, carrots, plums, squash or pears. That’s a good way to increase your baby’s servings of fruits and vegetables without him noticing.
A new kind of spaghetti
Cook spaghetti with broccoli. It’s a great way to incorporate this vegetable that some little mouths loathe so much.
Broccoli pasta recipe
Ingredients
- One big broccoli
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Garlic
- Pasta
Preparation
- Peel broccoli and cut into small pieces. Steam for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Cook your pasta. Drain.
- In a pot, heat your oil over low heat and brown the garlic. Add pieces of cooked broccoli and stir to break up the pieces.
- Add the pasta and stir.
Did you say chickpeas?
They are already friends with couscous, but you can prepare them differently. Mix them with apples and celery. To make this an energizing salad, add plain yogurt or a creamy dressing. You can also add cucumber, dices pineapple, raisins, nuts and cheese.
Try hummus as a dip for raw vegetables and pitas (to please children, choose two-bites mini-pitas).
Hummus recipe
Ingredients
- One can of chickpeas
- ¼ cup sesame butter
- Olive oil
- Seasoning options: chopped garlic, dried tomatoes, sunflower or sesame seeds, paprika, cooked eggplant, pepper, cooked peppers, onions, etc.
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Adjust consistency by adding a little olive oil or water.
Patties are delicious!
Grate vegetables (zucchinis, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, etc.), add mini-cubes of other vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, garlic, etc.), add an egg and cheese. Shape into patties. Bake in the oven or in a pan.
For a quick and easy healthy meal, patties are perfect! You put the ingredients in a bowl (ground meat, canned salmon, lentils or pureed legumes, etc.), you add an egg, some breadcrumbs (you could also use dry bread or crumbled crackers), garlic, onions, grated vegetables and cheese. Season to your taste. You can easily make a “less spicy” batch for the kids by shaping their patties before adding your herbs or spices.
Using the same recipe, shape the mix into meatballs. This time, and because you will have many balls to use, you can freeze them and use it in your sauces, with your rice or in your pasta sauce. Ingenious!
Roll it!
Spread your favourite toppings in a wheat tortilla:
- For breakfast: peanut (or soya) butter, a hint of jam and sliced fruits.
- For lunch: ham, hummus, baby spinach leaves, grated cheese and seasonings.
- For dinner: Long live fajitas! Mild salsas, chicken pieces (or pureed chicken for toddlers), stir-fried vegetables.
- Reconnect with crepes and stuff them the way you like them, with vegetables or fruits.
Tofu please!
Children often appreciate silken tofu… once they have tasted it. Mix it with a fruit puree or buy flavoured tofu snacks (peach, almond, etc.) A hassle-free drink for lunch could be made with silken tofu, milk ((cow’s or soya), a banana and a hint of vanilla. For a special day, use chocolate milk. Yummy!
Tofu sandwich? Of course! Just put it on bread or in a pita.
Tofu spread recipe (for sandwiches or canapés)
Ingredients
- A packet of tofu
- A clove of garlic
- A chopped stalk of celery
- A carrot
- An onion or shallots
- Lemon juice (about two teaspoons or half a lemon)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- One tablespoon Dijon or prepared mustard
- Curry powder
- Turmeric
- Salt, pepper or other spices
Preparation
- Put all in a blender until smooth.
- Adjust if necessary by adding mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard.
- Can be kept up to five days in the refrigerator.
Sauce it up!
- For an original white sauce, replace cow’s milk with soy milk. A touch of Parmesan and a hint of nutmeg can also add a lot of oomph to a traditional sauce.
- Do you have too many vegetables in your tank? Throw it all in a huge pot with a can of tomatoes or two, blend the whole thing, and you will have a nice and creamy vegetable sauce.
- Three ingredients: zucchini, milk and cheese! That will make an original sauce that will delight pasta fans.
- Another great idea for a pasta sauce: a mixture of milk, cream cheese, pesto and a little flour. Delicious!
