Mum & Toddler lunch: Cheesy Cauliflower soup

Last week we had some rainy and cold weather, and all I felt like eating was soup! I love making big batches of soup and eating it over the next few days when it is cold, it makes me feel all warm and homely. It is also a great way to get those lunch time vegetables into the toddler, and, well it is also delicious. Ezra has actually enjoyed eating this since he was pretty young, and it is still a big hit!

This is an adaption of mine from a Jamie Oliver recipe from his Ministry of Food book, which is used a lot in our house!

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic
2 onions
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
3/4 of a large cauliflower
1 chicken stock cube (salt reduced, and preservative free!)
1 cup of grated cheese
1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard

Method:

Basically I just chop everything up into small pieces and crush the garlic.
Sometimes I just throw all of this stuff into the slow cooker for a few hours, and let it do its thing.
Other times I sauté the onions and garlic in a pan on medium heat for a few minutes,  and then add the other vegetables at cook for about 5-10 minutes until they are soft.
I then add about 1-1.5 litres of water and the chicken stock and bring it to the boil, then I let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Finally, I add the cheese and the mustard and blend it all up into a liquid soup with my hand blender.

I usually serve it with a piece of whole meal homemade bread!!

All pretty easy, and quick.

It is a bit of a messy meal for a toddler, but Ezra LOVES this soup, and LOVES feeding it to himself. Meaning that he needs a clothing change and the dog gets called in as the clean up crew, but I try to do my best to make eating fun, and I know it is important to keep variety in his food. If there is a bit of mess, oh well, thats just life!!

Karen xx

Lentil, Brown Rice & Feta Salad

I don't often like to brag about how amazing my husband is, but he is. One thing I am very, very appreciative of is his cooking ability, and that he is happy after a day at work to come home and cook! Tonight he made such an easy, healthy and delicious meal I had to share!

Ingredients:

3 Cups Brown Rice

2 Cups brown lentils

1 Capsicum (we used red, but I think yellow is good too)

1 cup organic sultanas

2 spring onions

1/2 cup parsley

1/2 cup mint

1 cup spinach

100g Feta

1/2 cup lemon juice

3tbs Olive Oil

Method:

Basically we just cooked the rice and the lentils and then chopped or crumbled everything into small pieces and mix it all in together, mix through the olive oil and lemon juice and let it stand for a while to get the flavours through the dish.

Even the toddler ate this! I was skeptical if he would, but as long as we do the two spoon method he eats things like this ok (two spoon is one for me, one for him, it distracts him long enough to open his mouth and let me shovel the food in, also he is trying really hard to feed himself too).

We also have plenty left over for lunch for all of us tomorrow, I can't wait to eat it again.

Please try it, you'll love it!

Karen xx

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Toddler Lunch: Quesadilla

A favourite in our house. Even Ez stuffs them in his mouth!

Whole Tortilla, Cheese, Spinach, Tomato, Pickles and Avocado in this one, served with Yoghurt. 

Often I will use sliced turkey breast if we have some or beans work as well. 

Simply place the ingredients on one half of the tortilla, fold it in half.

Put a bit of oil in a pan on medium heat and lightly toast each side until the cheese is melted.

Cut in slices and serve with Sour cream/Yohgurt/Guacamole 

And Enjoy. It is a good lunch for adults too! 

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys

Wordless Wednesday: Toddler Snacks

I was inspired (and got the recipe) to make these muffins by another Mum at my Mothers group, our 1 year olds were going to town on them. I love finding new healthy recipes for snacks and lunches for my now toddler. These muffins have zucchini, capsicum, ham, mushroom, parsley and mozzarella cheese, and were delicious!

This is the original recipe HERE

Linking this week with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys

Family Dinner: Homemade Pesto with Chicken and Vegetables

This is another one of my go-to dinners for the whole family, including baby! 

When Ezra was younger this was a meal that I could quickly puree and give to him, and now he can eat the same meal as us. It is so easy, and yummy. I love the strong basil flavour this meal has. 

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breast

Zucchini 

Carrot

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Pumpkin (Butternut Squash) 

Olive Oil

Parmesan Cheese

Making the Pesto:

You need: Olive Oil, Parmesan Cheese and Basil (optional extras Pine nuts or cashews) 

Basically you mix about 2 cups of Basil leaves, with a handful of Parmesan and about a half a cup of olive oil in a food processor until the basil leaves are chopped finely. You want it to have a paste like texture. Add more olive oil if it is too dry.

You then roughly chop all the vegetables, I add about a cup of each vegetable, but you can tailor it to your own size family.

 Cut the chicken breast into smaller pieces and add both the chicken and vegetables into a Slow Cooker or Casserole dish. I listed the vegetables I use but you can add potatoes, sweet potato or any other vegetables you like. 

Drizzle the pesto mixture over the chicken and vegetables and stir in. 

Add a cup of water if you are cooking in a slow cooker. 

In my slow cooker I cover and leave it on high for about 3 hours and it comes out beautifully. 

In the oven, I cover and cook for about 45 mins at 180 degrees celsius (approx 350 fahrenheit).

When the vegetables are soft and the chicken is cooked through then it is ready to go. 

Serve and enjoy. 

It would also taste great served with couscous or quinoa. 

It is delicious, healthy and so, so easy. 

I hope you enjoy.

Karen xx 

Easy Family Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne

Finally I have pulled myself out of the haze of sickness that has engulfed our house in the last week, if that doesn't make you want to follow a recipe I have for you, then I don't know what will. 

This is one of my all time favourites, I made it tonight and Joel asked me why I made his birthday dish a week early. Whoops, I didn't realise he liked it that much. 

It is a great dinner for the whole family. I only cook one meal a night (and that is on a good night) so it has to be edible for us big people and the one little person too. I read that ricotta is recommended for babies over 7 months.  It is such an easy recipe, you don't have to pre-cook the lasagne noodles and it is delicious. It takes about 15 minutes of prep and then it just cooks away on its own. 

Ingredients: 

Lasagne Sheets

Mozzarella Cheese (250g) 

Baby Spinach (fresh or frozen) 200g frozen or a large bowlful fresh.

Ricotta Cheese (500g) 

Pasta Sauce (700grams approx) 

Oregano (1 tsp)

Tarragon (1 tsp)

Pepper 

Salt (optional, I don't add it until after because of the little man) 

Instructions:

- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius

- If you have frozen spinach defrost it or fresh Spinach boil or steam until cooked.

- Chop Spinach into small pieces

- Mix Spinach and Ricotta Cheese (I buy a 500g container and use about 3/4 of it)

- Add oregano, tarragon, pepper, (and salt if desired) and stir

- Pour 1/4 of your pasta sauce onto the bottom of your dish and spread evenly

- Add the first layer of lasagne noodles, covering the bottom of the dish

- Spread half (1/2) of the ricotta, spinach mixture evenly over the noodles

- Pour another 1/4 of the sauce on top of mixture

- Repeat these steps to make another layer

- Add the final layer of noodles on top

- Spread the last 1/4 of pasta sauce evenly over noodles

- Cover generously with Mozzarella 

- Pour 1/2 a cup of water around the edges to help the noodles cook thoroughly

- Cover the whole dish with aluminium foil and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 1 hour and 15 minutes for the last ten minutes I like to turn the grill on and remove the foil to brown the cheese

-Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables

Hope you enjoy!!

Karen xx