More on green veggies

When we went in for Kyle's 12-month check up, the topic of a well-rounded diet of course came up, and I mentioned that I really have trouble getting Kyle interested in veggies (this isn't a surprise to those who have read through earlier postings on the blog)

Because Kyle has loved the freeze dried mango, pineapple, and strawberries that we have been getting from Trader Joe's lately, I was thinking that maybe I should look for a similar product for veggies. After seeing a bag of Snapea Crisps while on vacation at the beginning of the month, I thought we should give it a try. They are GREAT! I opened the bag while Kyle was napping, and I am surprised that there were many left by the time that he woke up. He loved them too, and couldn't get enough, every time I gave him another one, he'd do a little happy dance for me. The only thing that I regret is that they are a little salty, so I am going to have to limit his intake of these. There are two flavors, Original and Caesar. I haven't tried the Caesar yet, as they have even more added ingredients. I've picked these up at both Trader Joe's and at Safeway (in the produce section), additionally, there is a list of retailers on the company's website.

Green veggies, part 2

I was cooking a spinach and mushroom frittata for playgroup at our house, and I couldn't help tasting the spinach as a cooked it. Fresh spinach, freshly sauteed was delicious, so I couldn't help thinking that Kyle would like it... well, I was wrong. However, the NEXT day, he absolutely devoured the leftover piece of frittata that I was trying to eat for my breakfast. So, now I know how to get him to eat his veggies! The only drawback was that there were egg whites in the frittata, however, with Kyle being this close to 1-year old, I wasn't too concerned about it.

Please note: using organic spinach is recommended to avoid elevated levels of nitrates.


Here's the recipe, reprinted from Fine Cooking magazine.


Spinach & Mushroom Frittata

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

8 extra-large eggs
2 Tbs milk
A dash of hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large bunch fresh spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed, and thinly sliced
2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese


RECIPE METHOD

Whisk the eggs vigorously. Mix in the milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In an ovenproof pan, saute the spinach in the butter, then add the mushrooms. Turn the heat to medium high and pour the eggs into the pan.

Let the eggs set for several seconds. With a heatproof rubber spatula, gently stir the eggs, starting from the center. This stirring makes the frittata puff up more in the oven.

Lift the edges so that the eggs flow to the bottom. When the frittata is half-set, add the grated Gruyere.

Transfer the pan to the heated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Green veggies

Kyle did pretty well with his green veggies while we were on puree, but now that he loves his finger food, it seems that he is not as interested. The green beans and peas are just not cutting it anymore, and although he will still eat the Happy Baby Spinach and Mango puree, it's just not the same when he can't feed himself. So I tried zucchini last night for a little variety, and it wasn't a big hit. So, I'm thinking that we are going to have to try sneaking it into his diet. Here's the recipe that I am going to try the following. Of course, I am going to have to tweak it a little bit not to use egg whites, and I have already omitted the nuts from the recipe. It will definitely be easier to do these things once Kyle is past the 1-year mark! On top of that, I want to play around with using some whole wheat flour and applesauce. I'll report back with the final recipe. Zucchini Bread Source: © Cooking Light Magazine

RECIPE INGREDIENTS 3 cups shredded zucchini (about 3 medium) 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 5 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1/2 cups skim milk 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs (YOLKS?!?!?!?) Cooking spray

RECIPE METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Press zucchini on several layers of paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; set aside.

Combine flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, walnuts, and next 6 ingredients (walnuts through nutmeg) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Add zucchini; stir. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Serving size: 1 slice (12 slices per loaf)

Recipe reprinted by permission of © Cooking Light Magazine. All rights reserved.

Nutrition Facts

Yield: 24 servings Facts per Serving

Calories:	183	Fat:	6g	Carbohydrates:	30g
Cholesterol:	19mg	Sodium:	64mg	Protein:	4g
Fiber:	1g	% Cal. from Fat:	30%	% Cal. from Carbs:	66%