Spinach Soup

At first bite, our son acted like it was poison. But then when we weren't looking, he grabbed my big soup spoon and was spooning it in like it was delicious. And it was.

This is modified from a Vegetarian Times recipe.

Spinach Soup with Paneer

2 T butter, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 T thinly sliced ginger
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 t curry powder
4 c vegetable broth
1 pound spinach
4 oz paneer cheese, cubed

1. Heat 1 T butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for three minutes.
2. Stir in ginger, garlic, and curry. Cook for one minute.
3. Stir in spinach. Cook for a few minutes more, until wilted and bright.
4. Purée until smooth.
5. Heat remaining 1 T butter in skillet over medium heat. Add paneer cubes and cook five to seven minutes, until golden brown, turning occasionally. Add to soup bowls at the table.

First Birthday

It has already been over a month since our son's birthday! First birthdays are a big deal for parents; it marks one year of being parents and it is a year of transformation for all. Because of this, it is easy to go overboard on a party that the baby certainly won't remember.

We had a couple of mini-parties. At his school, I brought a "baby cake" with no sugar, eggs or dairy and covered it with puffs. Each child got a bib and then dug in. Another mom had done this a couple of weeks prior, and I thought it was such a great idea that I copied it. Why improve on something sweet and simple that already worked? Plus, the teachers said that my son had gone cookie-monster crazy over the other kid's cake. Second time around, and it was again a success!

The next day we had a close friends and family party with a decorate-your-own-muffin table. We had three types of muffins (vegan chocolate, blueberry, and zucchini banana), two frostings, and three toppings (mini chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, and puffs). People could decorate and eat their muffins whenever without having to wait for the birthday boy to blow out the candle and eat his. Because the guests--which included about 6 children under 5--didn't have to wait to eat the muffins, no one got impatient. It was a lovely day surrounded by people we love and our son was thrilled with it all.

Here is the recipe for the healthy first birthday cake, adapted from Homemade Baby Food Recipes. Note, this cake is not super tasty for adults except for when it's fresh out of the oven.

Applesauce Banana Cake, serves more than enough hungry babies

2 cups flour (wheat or all-purpose)
1 T wheat germ
1+ t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 c applesauce
1/4-1/2 c soy milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda and cinnamon in one bowl.
3. Combine bananas, applesauce, and 1/4 cup of soy milk in another bowl.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. If it is still dryish after mixing, add more soy milk. Batter will be very thick.
5. Pour batter into a 9x9 square or 9 inch round oiled pan and bake for 60-90 minutes. It will be finished when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

8 oz (2 cups) whole wheat flour
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 heaped tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
6 medium, ripe bananas - mashed
8 fl oz (1 cup) sugar-free applesauce
2-4 fl oz (1/4 to 1/2 cup) soy milk


Preheat the oven to 325 deg F (160 deg C).
In a bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking soda and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce with the mashed bananas and 1/4 cup milk.
Pour the applesauce mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. If the mixture seems dry, you can add up to another 1/4 cup milk.
Pour into a greased 9" x 9" square or 9" round pan and bake for around 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The cake is ready when a sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Read more: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/healthy-first-birthday-cake-recipes.html#ixzz2CXzD8PsU

Read more: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/healthy-first-birthday-cake-recipes.html#ixzz2CXzD8PsU

Saffron Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

These are great flavors together! My son is practicing using a spoon with a bowl that is suctioned onto his high chair tray. He loved this.

I adapted this recipe from one that I found in the New York Times. Saffron can be a little pricey, but it makes all the difference. Plus, sweet potatoes and bell peppers are inexpensive in the fall, so the whole meal works out to be affordable.

Serves 8, 30-45 minutes to make

3-4 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 thyme sprigs
2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
4 cups of soup stock (I added 2t Better Than Bouillon to the water used to boil the sweet potatoes)
Pinch of saffron threads

1. Heat broiler to high. Arrange red peppers on pan, skin side up, and broil about 4 inches from heat, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover pan to steam skin loose for another 10-15 minutes. A little skin is fine--just take off the skin that is easy to peel off and then coarsely chop the flesh.

2. Meanwhile, scrub the sweet potatoes, peel the skin if it doesn't look good, and then chop in 2" cubes. Boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until soft.

3. In a soup pot, heat olive oil. Add onion and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, bell peppers, stock, 2 cups of water and saffron. Cover until it boils, and then uncover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Discard thyme sprigs and purée soup with either an immersion blender or very carefully in a normal blender.

Serve with toast and chevre. Finish off with cardamom ice cream.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was a hit with our little guy!

Serves 6-8

2 really big sweet potatoes, in 2" cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
juice from one big lemon or Valencia orange

1. Put sweet potatoes in a pot half-filled with water. Boil with lid on until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
2. Drain and mash in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients.

And that's it. Serve with black beans, tortillas, and avocado.