The Eco-Baby Cookbook

Convert-a-Cake: The art of making a sugarless cake for your baby

2009-04-26T03:27:00.001-07:00

Active cooking time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 30-35 minutes

Cooking is about being innovative, but I once believed baking was different - written in stone and not to be tampered if you didn’t want to end up with a dense blob of hardened batter. But I was wrong. I discovered this a few months ago, when Cai stopped eating bananas . It came without warning – one day he didn’t like them, the next day he didn’t like them any better, and the day after that he decided it would be fun to mash some into his hair. Days passed. Fruit ripened. And there they were, six lonely, mushy bananas, all dressed in black and no place to go. I decided to throw them a party and make them into a cake. I used one of my mother’s apple cake recipes, omitting the sugar, replacing the white flour with whole wheat, and adding unsweetened applesauce, date syrup and some cardamom. It was Cai’s first cake. He liked it so much that "cake" became one of his first words, often requested with ever-hopeful enthusiasm. I’ve made many since, each one different. Below I am post one such recipe, but invite you to not follow it.

3 eggs

3/4 cup water

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened date syrup

2 bananas, mashed

2 apples, finely chopped

“Baby leftover” fruit peel [optional]

Vegetable oil to grease pan

Beat eggs together. Add water and all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt and mix together. Add the apple sauce, date syrup and fruit. Mix, and pour into pan lightly greased with vegetable oil. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Sugarless Tehina Cookies

2009-03-31T04:53:00.000-07:00

Active cooking time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 10-13 minutes

Yield: 24-30 cookies

It was easy to keep Cai sugar-free as a baby, but as he gets older, he’s noticing that we live in a world where cookies and cakes abound. I try not to be a fascist about it, especially because I’m far from monastic when it comes to sweets. As a compromise, I’ve started to bake sugar-free treats for us both. Here’s one of the recipes I developed with tehina, or sesame paste, which is easy, fun and when fresh out of the oven, divine.

50 grams butter [about 1.75 ounce or 3.5 tablespoons], softened.

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon cardamom

Salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup tehina [sesame paste]

1/4 cup water

Nutmeg or cinnamon or all spice.

Combine butter, oil, honey and vanilla. Add dry ingredients with a dash of salt, mix, and then tehina and water. Mix and then drop tablespoons of dough on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle cookies with nutmeg, cinnamon or all spice. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes until slightly browned. [See photo on this page.]

Chicken Stuffed with Sage, Fennel and Bread

2009-02-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

Active cooking time: 15-20 Minutes

Total cooking time: Approx. 1 hour

Serves baby and 6 adults [or 2 adults with leftovers for everyone]

This recipe is so easy I almost didn’t post it. But friends have been asking for the simple dishes, so here it is – the easiest and one of the best. I love it for those reasons, but also because though not a grain of salt is added, the dish is savory and satisfying. The sage infuses the chicken and the stuffing and if that hasn’t convinced you, it uses those end pieces of bread no one ever eats – so if they’re sitting in your freezer, liberate your shelf space with this simple recipe.

2 small chickens [2.5-3 pound each, or 1.3 kilo each], organic if you can

Leftover bread – any kind that doesn’t have nuts

Fresh Sage

Fennel, leek and other root vegetables [peeled if some are earmarked for a younger baby]

Chicken or vegetable broth

Clean chickens and stuff with bread broken into pieces, a handful of fresh sage, and if you’re so inclined, chopped fennel. You can cook this dish in the oven or on stove top:

On the stove, put chickens in a large pot with about 4-5 cups of broth – there is no need to cover the chickens, and watered down broth is fine [some white wine is fine too for older babies and toddlers]. Bring to a boil and meanwhile add leek and chopped root vegetables – carrot is great with this recipe, as is potato and fennel. Simmer, cover and leave until chicken is cooked through. You may want to remove the chicken and let the vegetables cook longer if you want them soft for baby.

In the oven, place the stuffed chicken, vegetables and broth in a large clay baking dish and roast until chicken is cooked through, basting every 20 minutes or so. Remove chicken and cook vegetables longer if you want them softer for baby.

For baby: remove some of the chicken, both dark and light, and puree if necessary. Baby can also get the root vegetables from this dish, again pureed if necessary. Chicken and vegetable should be served with a grain. Buckwheat works great with this, or try the stuffing.

For adults: Lightly salt chicken, vegetables and stuffing [optional]. Serve with plenty of the broth on top of the stuffing.

8 Ideas for Chickpeas

2009-02-08T03:07:00.000-08:00

This is the dish I was going to post today: Cod with Miso-Ginger dressing, served on a bed of smoked-paprika chickpeas. It was going to be impressive. It was going to wow my guests, a culinary couple I love to surprise. I “invented” the dish by combining two leftovers a couple of weeks ago – a chickpea tapas with a fish entree – and the Spanish-Japanese fusion result was too good not to include in this blog. But sadly, as you can see, I haven’t posted as planned. My husband got the flu, and then Cai got a virus. We cancelled the dinner plans. I had the thawed cod in the fridge, chickpeas that had been soaked overnight, a sick husband and baby, very little time and something had to give. So I took the simplest route – cooked the chickpeas, pureed them, and discovered that homemade Humous, still warm from the cooking, is better than any Humous I’ve ever had, and I live in the Middle East. Trust me on this one – buy the chickpeas dry, soak for 24 hours, and then cook for 1-2 hours until soft. Set aside some for baby – either whole or pureed with water depending on age and preference – and then below I offer a few ideas for the rest. When life gives you chickpeas, you know what to do.

1. To make Humous, puree cooked chickpeas, adding some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and then enough water [you can use the water leftover from cooking the chickpeas] to create a paste. Others might want to add Tehina [sesame paste], garlic, parsley and lemon juice, but personally, I thought the pared down Humous was divine. See the photo on this page.

2. For addictive Tapas, sprinkle chickpeas with vegetable oil, salt and smoked paprika, and then fry lightly or bake.

3. More Tapas – we had a version of this dish in Bar Pinotxo in Barcelona: Saute garlic, onion, parsley, raisins that have been pre-soaked in hot water, and pine nuts. Add the chickpeas, heat through and season with salt and pepper.

4. Like with the cannellini beans [January 15, 2009 on this blog], toss with olive oil, lemon juice and leaves from sprigs of fresh thyme. Even better when chickpeas are still warm.

5. Add to a Tabouli salad: Using cooked couscous or bulgur, add finely chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, mint or parsley leaves. Dress with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. For an added kick, crumble some feta cheese on this classic Mediterranean salad.

6. Make a quick curry by heating vegetable oil, adding a teaspoon of cumin seed, coriander seed, cardamom seed, dry fenugreek and fennel seed. Wait until seeds “pop”, add chopped onion, sauté for at least ten minutes, add a cup of chopped tomatoes, a stick of cinnamon and then the chickpeas. Heat together on low for 10-20 minutes. Serve with rice or any grain. [I will be posting again on Indian cooking in this blog].

7. Add to Mahlouba [Feb 1, 2009 post] or Chicken Bulgur salad [Dec 16, 2008 post]

8. Toss into any salad, soup or stew.

Mahlouba [a Sneaky Risotto with Chicken]

2009-02-01T01:09:00.001-08:00

Serves baby and 4 adults with leftovers

Active cooking time: 20 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 40-60 minutes

Once upon a time, I stood over the stove and cooked risotto, stirring and adding broth and wine with patience and care. I will do this again, one day, and while I'm at it will get all my digital photos printed and put them in albums. For now, I offer this “sneaky” risotto, packed with flavor and suitable for both baby and adults. The recipe is also inspired by 'Mahlouba', a Palestinian dish which means 'upside-down', because when it's done, the pot is flipped and the contents poured onto a platter.

Vegetable oil

1 onion, diced*

3 tsp cardamom

1 whole chicken, cut into parts

3 chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs

2.5 cups uncooked brown rice

Chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

Parsley or Coriander [optional]

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot. Add onion, saute for about 2 minutes, then add cardamom. Add other root vegetables if desired, then the chicken, followed by the dry rice. Pour in more than enough broth to cover everything. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer and cover. Cook until all liquid is absorbed – this will probably take longer than the rice cooking instructions.

For baby: remove the chicken breasts or thighs and some of the rice for baby, puree if necessary. Serve with a cooked vegetable.

For adults: Add salt and pepper, and serve with chopped coriander or parsley.

*add vegetable peel from “baby leftovers,” or add any chopped root vegetable to this dish with the onion – cauliflower works well, as does carrot, potato and kohlrabi.

Spaghetti with Broccoli-Wine Pesto

2009-02-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

Serves baby and 2 adults

Active cooking time: 30 minutes

Total cooking time: 45 minutes

This recipe comes from Cossimo, a friend of ours from Florence who has made us some of the best meals we’ve ever had. His spaghetti did not have the white wine, but the first time I tried the dish at home, it came out dry. [I can only imagine the amounts of olive oil Cossimo used that night, but I say this with admiration]. When cooking broccoli for baby, this is a great way to fix something simple for mom and dad while you’re at it.

500 gm broccoli

4-5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 serrano chili, chopped

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

230 gm spaghetti

1. In a large pot, cover broccoli with water, bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Leave until broccoli is soft. [If time is short, boil broccoli on high].

2. Heat water in large pot for pasta.

3. In a separate pot or pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic and saute on medium-high heat for about a minute, stirring occasionally. Add wine and serrano chili. Leave on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper.

4. Cook pasta and drain. Set aside some of the pasta for baby.

For adults*:

5. Return pasta to pot, add garlic-wine mix and toss. Add 3/4 of the drained broccoli and mix, setting aside some for baby. The broccoli will break up and coat the spaghetti like a pesto.

6. Dress generously with olive oil and salt to taste. Toss and serve.

For baby:

7. Baby gets the pasta, broccoli and a protein – chicken works well, ricotta or cottage cheese also complement the dish.

*Serving suggestions: This pasta works beautifully on its own. But you can easily serve it with chicken [you can use the chicken from the Basic Chicken recipe for baby, see Dec 16 2008 post] or grilled fish.

Caprese Rice with Cannellini Beans

2009-01-15T03:54:00.000-08:00

Active cooking time: 25 minutes

Total cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves baby and 2 adults

Before Cai was born, we cooked with canned beans and ate them much less often. Now we avoid the sodium and preservatives - I've started cooking with soaked dry beans and am amazed at the freshness, the flavor and the resemblance to the fagioli [bean] dishes we’ve had in Italy. This recipe was also inspired by those carefree travellin’ days, when we swooned over buffalo mozzarella and its classic buddies – fresh basil and tomato. Prepare this dish and then set aside half the rice and beans for baby, while the adults dine 'alla Toscana'.

For the rice:

2 cups of brown rice, cooked [season adult rice with salt and pepper]

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar [optional]

1 large tomato [approx. 200 gm chopped tomato]

140 gm buffalo mozzarella, chopped or shredded*

30 gm chopped basil*

Sea salt

Pepper

For the beans:

500 gm cannellini or white beans soaked overnight

Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Preparation:

For baby: Set aside half the rice and beans, and puree if necessary. This should be served with a cooked vegetable - broccoli complements the dish well, as does tomato and fennel.

For adults:It doesn’t get any simpler then this. Add the mozzarella, tomato and basil to the rice. Dress with olive oil and balsamic if desired [I sometimes find the balsamic overwhelms the other flavors, and prefer to leave it out]. Toss and add sea salt and ground pepper before serving.

Add thyme leaves to cooked beans [beans will be amazing if still warm from cooking]. Dress with olive oil and sea salt.

The two dishes may be mixed together or served separately as shown in the photo on this page. Bon Apetito!

*Instead of the mozzarella and basil, try this dish with feta cheese and fresh coriander.

Ramekin Dessert

2009-01-11T03:02:00.000-08:00

The fantasy dish of working parents is one that requires minimum effort, but invites oohs, aahs and entreaties for the recipe. This dessert won’t disappoint, is as flexible as your changing pantry, and utilizes fruit peel leftover from baby’s meal to boot. Using the peels, fruit and any cookies or cake lying around the house, prepare a Ramekin dessert fit for adults.

Ingredients:

Fruit peel

Fruit

Cookies or ground almond

Liqueur or red wine

Yogurt or unsalted ricotta

Sugar or confectioner’s sugar

Preparation: Layer the bottom of the ramekin dishes with any cookie, thinly sliced cake, ground almond or combination thereof. Pour a few teaspoons of liqueur such as Amaretto or red wine to soak. Add layers of fruit peel and fruit, and then top with yogurt or ricotta cheese. Sprinkle sugar on top and bake. Or, bake first, sprinkle with sugar and torch for a Brulee finish.

In the photo on this page: Ginger cinnamon cookies soaked in Amaretto, layered with pear peel, strawberry, leftover banana from Cai’s breakfast and ricotta cheese.

Potato Peel is the New Black?

2009-01-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

The poor, overlooked potato peel. Don’t ditch it – if your baby isn’t ready for vegetable peel, there’s plenty to do with this nutritious, flavorful appendage. Raw, potato peel can be added to any soup, frittata or savory pancake. Cooked and with a little of the meat still on it, you can really play around – add mayo and dijon for a potato peel salad, serve with sherry vinegar and salt as a tangy side, or layer it into any sandwich. And of course, what better way to use your potato peel than to sauté a batch in oil with salt and paprika for some homemade chips? There’s nothing you can buy in a bag that will ever match the fabulous freshness of these babies - see the photo on this page.

Mediterranean Chicken Bulgur Salad

2008-12-16T01:41:00.000-08:00

Most of these recipes were born on evenings when no meal was planned. That meant rummaging through the pantry and seeing how dinner might be contrived. A few favorite ingredients to have around the house for such nights: fresh herbs, raisins, nuts, seeds and onion. These can add texture, taste and nutrition to family fare when it’s too cold and rainy to go to the market.

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves baby and 2 adults*

2 cups of Bulgur

2 chicken breasts from Basic Chicken Breast for Baby Recipe [see Dec 16, 2008 post] shredded or cut into 1 inch pieces

Extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chopped scallion or red onion

1 chopped tomato

1 carrot, chopped

1 apple, chopped

8 pitted olives, chopped

1/2 cup seeds [like sesame and pumpkin]

1/2 cup shelled pistachio [optional]

1/2 cup of avocado [optional]

2 Tbsp sherry vinegar.

1/2 cup chopped coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Coarse sea salt

Cook bulgur**, and while bulgur is cooking, prepare other ingredients as suggested below.

For Baby: Remove half of the cooked bulgur, puree and set aside for baby’s lunch and dinner for the next 2 days. Bulgur should be served with protein and a vegetable. For older babies, no need to puree.

For Adults: Mix Balsamic vinegar with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, drizzle over chicken breasts and set aside. Chop vegetables, and then add scallion, tomato, carrot, apple, seeds, nuts and olives to the cooked bulgur [better if added when bulgur is still warm]. Dress bulgur with remaining lemon juice, sherry vinegar and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add salt to taste and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Add chicken, toss, sprinkle coriander on top, drizzle with olive oil and a few granules of sea salt. Serve at room temperature.

*To serve 4, add another cup of bulgur, two more chicken breasts, and double the seeds and vegetables

**Cooking bulgur depends on whether the grain is finely or coarsely ground. If there are no cooking instructions, start with 2-1 ratio of water to bulgur. Bring to a boil and simmer, but keep adding water if needed. Cooking time will be between 10-30minutes. Bulger should be soft and fluffy. It’s really hard to ruin Bulgur so if you’ve never made it, don’t be afraid to try.

Fettucini with Chicken and Caper Ragu

2008-12-16T01:40:00.000-08:00

Back in the days before we had a baby, my husband and I traveled to Italy at least once a year. Lured by the aesthetic wonders of Rome and Tuscan towns, what really kept us coming back was the food. Many dishes on this blog are inspired from those days, including this super simple pasta dish.

Active cooking time: 20 minutes

Total cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves 3 adults

3 chicken breasts from Basic Chicken Breast for Baby Recipe [see Dec 16, 2008 post] cut into 1 inch pieces

Olive Oil

3 garlic cloves

400 gm tomato paste*

2 cups water or broth

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp capers

1 Tbsp brine from the capers

1 Serrano chili, chopped [optional]

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Peel and crush garlic. Heat pan, add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. When oil is heated, add garlic and saute until garlic starts to brown. Add tomato paste, chili, and then broth or water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Add capers, brine and chicken. Mix in chicken, wait until heated through, and serve over fettuccini.

*In the summer, use fresh, pureed tomatoes instead of tomato paste, in which case you’ll need to use less broth or water.

8 ideas to turn the Basic Chicken for Baby recipe into dinner for you, friends and family

2008-12-16T01:37:00.000-08:00

Many mothers I’ve met tell me they don’t have time to cook for their babies. But what if you cooked just once for baby and adults in one go, increasing the amounts but not the kitchen time? Try the Basic Chicken Recipe for Baby [posted December 16, 2008 on this blog]. You can make a huge batch, freeze it for many baby meals to come, and make a fabulous dinner for yourself and your partner while you’re at it. Try one of these and let us know how it turns out.

1. Mediterranean Chicken Salad [see recipe posted on Dec 16, 2008]

2. Fettuccini with Chicken and Caper Ragu [see recipe posted on Dec 16, 2008]

3. For a taste of Austria, coat chicken with horseradish and dijon mustard, then serve with potato salad.

4. Serve over rice or couscous with a fresh salsa of finely chopped tomato, onion, coriander and lemon juice.

5. Use in any chicken salad recipe

6. Chicken Masala [recipe to come on this blog]

7. Sesame Chicken with Sake [recipe to come on this blog]

8. Curry Chicken Lasagna [recipe to come on this blog]

Basic Chicken Breast for Baby

2008-12-16T01:31:00.000-08:00

Cai loves food packed with flavor. This recipe uses no salt but the leeks and root vegetables give the chicken a savory, succulent kick. When served pureed with the root vegetables and rice, he devours it as if it's doused in honey.

Active cooking time: 30 min

Total cooking time: 1 hour

Don’t cook twice. Cook one recipe for baby, and then turn it into dinner for you. Use this and one of the "8 ideas" posted on December 16, 2008.

Olive oil

1 Leek

2 kilo [4.4 pounds] boneless chicken breast

4 - 5 cups of water or broth

Root vegetables, peeled* and chopped. [carrot, kohlrabi, potato, sweet potato, onion, fennel, turnip]

Preparation: Chop leek into thin slices. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in large pot. Add leek and saute for a minute. Add chicken breast, root vegetables and enough broth or water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Cover and leave until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and allow vegetables to cook until soft.

Remove half the chicken, puree and set aside for baby. Chicken can be stored and frozen in batches for future baby meals.

Prepare second half of the chicken for adults - see '8 ideas' blog posted Dec 16, 2008. Freeze whatever you have left for future meals.

Puree root vegetables for baby. Serve chicken, root vegetables and a grain to baby for lunch or dinner.

As for the broth:

1. Refrigerate or freeze broth for future use

2. Serve to baby lukewarm with noodles

3. Add salt, pepper and a dash of sesame oil and serve as rich broth to adults

*In an upcoming post, I’ll offer ideas to use the vegetable peel.

Insalata di Arance [Orange Salad] with pear peel

2008-12-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

Prep Time: 15 minutes

This nutrient-rich salad is unexpected and addictive. Based on a Sicilian appetizer, it will excite the palate before any meal.

3 large oranges

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup seeds [like pumpkin and sesame]

1/2 cup sultanas or raisins

1/4 cup puffed quinoa

1/2 cup pitted olives

1/2 unsalted almonds or cashews [optional]

Pear peel leftover from preparing baby's puree

Preparation: Peel and cut oranges into 1 inch pieces. Add onion and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add seeds, sultanas, puffed quinoa, olives, nuts and pear peel. Toss and serve.

* For a light dinner, mix this salad with 2 cups of cooked quinoa or bulgur and serve.

Pear Peel Revisited

2008-12-08T00:35:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that pear makes an ideal first food for baby. But just because young babies aren’t ready for the peel, that's no reason to throw it away. There are perfectly good grown-ups in your home, ready and willing to eat this "baby leftover".

8 ideas for using pear peel leftover from baby’s puree:

1. Insalata di Arance [see Dec. 8, 2008 post on this blog]

2. Serve with yoghurt, pumpkin seeds and honey for iron rich breakfast or desert

3. Toss into any green vegetable salad

4. Add to any chutney recipe

5. Add to any Bichermuesli recipe

6. Coat with ground cinnamon or ground cardamom and add to cake or muffin recipe

7. Add to pancake batter or saute lightly with butter and serve with cooked pancakes

8. Use as a layer in a ramekin desert [see Jan 11, 2009 post on this blog]

Welcome to the Eco-Baby Cookbook

2008-11-30T00:52:00.000-08:00

On this page, I'll be sharing food and recipe ideas, as well as other information relating to raising healthy babies in an environmentally friendly way.
When my son Cai was two weeks old, he underwent an operation for pyloric stenosis, a condition where the pyloric muscle blocks the stomach. When the time to feed him solids came, I wanted to be careful about what went into his tender tummy. I decided to cook everything for him, at least at first.
I soon found myself with an interesting bounty: piles of vegetable stalks, mounds of sweet potato peel, gallons of vegetable broth and other "leftovers" from baby cooking. I had lots of edible food that wasn't appropriate for Cai during these first few culinary months, and, much as I love to cook, I also had started spending way too much time in the kitchen. So I started to figure out ways to utilize these "baby leftovers" efficiently into dinners for myself and my husband. I strategized how to cook for baby and adults in one go, minimizing my time in the kitchen but maximizing our menu. I love food and believe in eating healthfully and well, and I didn't want to sacrifice the quality of our meals just because we'd had a baby. And so the Eco-Baby Cookbook was born. Stay tuned for our first recipe and I hope you enjoy...