Chickpea Curry
Chickpeas are a great source of protein and fiber, and at our house they have become a great meat substitute for our “meatless” nights. Without the saturated fat, hormones, and hefty price tag that meat can have, chickpeas can be a healthy and cheap way to start a meatless night tradition. This chickpea curry recipe uses curry powder to add flavor, cayenne pepper for a little heat and some coconut milk to smooth and mellow out the sauce. The result is delicious! Budget Friendly: This recipe is not...
Read MoreAsian Chicken Noodle Soup
I love this recipe for chicken noodle soup with kicked up Asian flavors. I found the idea for this recipe in a One Dish Meals by Food and Wine Magazine. I made some adjustments to make the recipe MUCH faster to prepare! Make it mild for your young tasters, and serve with a dash of Sriracha (Asian hot sauce) to satisfy those who enjoy extra heat! Some of the ingredients, like the udon noodles, fish sauce and Sriracha can be found in the Asian aisle of your grocery store (I found everything at Wegmans). Shopping...
Read MorePasta with Chickpeas and Escarole
I have been looking for more vegetarian recipes as our family is eating more meatless meals. When I’m looking for vegetarian recipes, I try to be mindful that we are including enough protein. This recipe uses chickpeas, which are high in fiber and protein, and I also chose a pasta made with Kamut (an ancient variety of wheat) and quinoa, which also increases the protein by 8gm per serving. I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine, and made a few minor adjustments. A few of my tiny tasters complained...
Read MoreCornmeal Dusted Okra and Potatoes
This is a great recipe for those little ones (and grown-ups) who are not sure about okra. I call it “Intro to Okra.” This recipe idea come from my mother-in-law who lives in the South. It uses potatoes and okra lightly dusted in cormeal and then lightly pan fried (not deep fried). The results is okra with a crispy, textures with NO SLIME! Pairing it with potatoes makes the dish a bit more approachable, as most kids love the taste of potatoes (what kid doesn’t love french fries?) One of my...
Read MoreCanning Homemade Applesauce
Apple season is upon us! Making applesauce is a great way to use all those apples you pick at the orchards. Kids love applesauce, but so many of the store-bought varieties of applesauce have loads of added sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. Making your own means that you control the sugar. Use naturally sweet varieties of apples and you won’t need any sugar at all! Over the weekend we went to our favorite fruit grower at the farmers market and told her we want to make applesauce. She suggested we...
Read MoreBarbeque Kale Chips
Kale is one of the most SUPER of the superfoods. If you think spinach is good for you, wait until you check out the stats on kale! With about 3 times the calcium, almost 4 times the vitamin A and 9 times the vitamin C per cup compared to spinach, kale is a nutritional powerhouse. We had tons of it in our garden (until recently when the heat and some bugs took it out), so I started making kale chips regularly. These chips are strangely crispy and addictive, but how can you mind, especially knowing how...
Read MoreFriteenie Frittatas
I have a lot of swiss chard growing in the garden. I asked friends for ideas on how to use it up, and one good friend suggested making frittatas. Of course! Like a giant baked omelette, frittatas are a wholesome vegetarian meal that can be served for breakfast or dinner. They are also a great way to use up extra veggies. While I started making frittatas I saw a great egg muffin idea from a wonderful facebook page called, “Help! Mom’s on a Health Kick!” Then it occured to me that I could...
Read MoreSweet Curried Carrots with Chive Yogurt Dressing
This is a great carrot recipe that was shared by my friend nurse Trina at our office at PL Pediatrics. It combines the sweetness of honey with spiciness of curry. The whole dish is cooled off with a greek yogurt dressing. This would be great for an Easter Dinner (just make sure the Easter Bunny doesn’t get his hands on these delicious carrots!) The recipe originally comes from Better Homes and Gardens. Baby Food Option Babies can be introduced to spices at a very early age, and roasting these...
Read MoreSpinach Gnudi
I would like to thank a fellow physician and bonified chef, Sonali (aka “The Foodie Physician“) for lending me this fantastic recipe and allowing me to try it on the Tiny Tasters. Gnudi is a cool Italian dish that is basially a “nude” ravioli! Think of a big ball of spinach ravioli filling, cooked like pasta, and served with sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Delicious!! I let some of my Tiny Tasters try it, and it went over quite well. Some of these tasters were a little hung up on...
Read MoreSloppy Joe Sliders
My kids have never had Sloppy Joes, so when Chef Kirsten shared this “healthified” version from her awesome website, La MesaVida, I knew I had to give a try! I changed the recipe ever so slightly according to what I had available. My nine year-old is still not completely sold on peppers, onions and mushrooms, but I find if I chop them really well in the food processor, they don’t bother him as much. I chopped each veggie in my mini-food processor, but you could just as easily throw them all...
Read MoreMashed Potatoes and More
Kids love mashed potatoes and they make a nice easy baby food too. This recipe uses root veggies mashed up with the usual mashed potatoes to create a more rustic, flavorful and nutrition-packed side dish. I modified the recipe idea, which I got from Cooking Light Magazine slightly to make it more user friendly, and added roasted garlic to bump up the flavor. The result is delicious! I like to keep some of the skins of the potatoes for more texture and added nutrition. Dr. Yum Tip Potatoes tend to be high in...
Read MoreHow to Bake a Pumpkin (Video)
Pumpkins are one of the greatest things about fall. My favorite pumpkin farm, Miller Farms in Locust Grove Virginia, has a great collection of fall heirloom pumpkins. Over the years I have learned that these varieties are great for baking, with less stringy fibers and better color and taste. We bake a few pumpkins, freeze the puree, and use it for baking for months. Pumpkin cookies, muffins, yogurt, cake, soup…..the list goes on. We even made pumpkin butter yesterday. YUM!!! Babyfood Shortcut: Make...
Read MoreGnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale
This is one of the BEST fall recipes I’ve tried in a while!! It comes from Food Network Magazine. It’s a perfect way to mellow out kale greens, which are SO nutritious! We made this with roast chicken on the side and fresh grape tomatoes. There is a ton of kale, but if you have cooked with these kinds of greens, you know that they will wilt down A LOT, Just know they will all fit in your pan if you just give it a few minutes. If you added some white beans in at the end, I think it would...
Read MoreCara Talks about more about the Vegetarian Diet and Yogurt
This week Cara Wright, nutritionist, vegetarian, and mom, talks about raising her daughter, Evelyn as a vegetarian and how she uses yogurt as a dietary staple. ______________________________________________________________________________ When I originally sat down to write about raising a vegetarian child, I was going to start by listing all of the misconceptions of a vegetarian diet. Instead of harping on old, pre-conceived notions about “not getting enough protein” and “what about iron?”, I want to...
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