Lesson: How to get your baby to eat his vegetables

Cooper likes most vegetables, but he can be pretty picky.  Like with green beans and broccoli...not going to happen.  He'll take one bite and spit it right back out.

He does, however, have a passion for cheese.  My child has eaten more varieties of cheese in his 14 months than I did the in the first 14 years of my life.  If he sees the package of cheese come out of the fridge, he starts reaching and grunting until I hand it over.

This weekend I bough some fresh broccoli and was looking for something different (but healthy) to do with it.  We usually roast it, tossing the broccoli in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar first.  Or we just steam it topped with a little salt and pepper.  I like it steamed but I wanted something different.  Cue the cheese sauce below.  It is actually a Cooking Light recipe, so score!  I have a love/hate relationship with cheese sauces that start with "stir milk into flour over medium heat."  I usually end up with clumpy flour and non-melted cheese.  This time, though, was a success!  We loved the sauce and it was so easy.

But the best part - Cooper ate his broccoli!  We were hesitant to let him try it, but he was a fan.  Lesson learned.  If you want your baby to eat his vegetables, then cover them in cheese.

The only downside to this recipe is that it makes quite a bit and leftover broccoli isn't that great. 

Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce adapted from Cooking Light

• 1/2 T flour
• 1/2 cup skim milk (I ended up adding a little more than 1/2 a cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded 2% cheddar cheese
• 2 T grated parmesan cheese
• about 1/2 t Dijon mustard
• salt & pepper
• a pinch of ground thyme
• steamed broccoli

Place flour into a sauce pan and gradually stir in milk.  Over medium-high heat, stir until milk is smooth and it begins to bubble and thicken.  Continue to heat for an additional minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from the head and stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour over steamed broccoli.

WW PointsPlus: 2 PP per serving

More dough...and pizza!

My current "wish list" includes a pasta roller, a single-cup coffee maker, an e-reader...and now a pizza peel.  I'm just not sure where I'm going to store it.

Last week, during the great Arctic Blast of 2011, I threw together a batch of Light Whole Wheat bread dough.  The recipe isn't very clear on how much one batch will yield, but I got about 5 grapefruit sized balls of dough.  I baked one and threw 4 in the freezer.  I pulled one out in the morning and by the time we got home from work it was completely thawed out.

Light Whole Wheat Bread from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 T yeast
• 1 1/2 T kosher salt
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

The directions are the same as this bread recipe.  I divided the recipe in 5 chunks and plugged it into WW, estimating 16pts for one chunk.  So if you're on WW, divide that down for the amount of servings you consume.

The pizza came from this blog.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it turned out pretty good.  The catch is that the dough stuck to the pizza stone.  I'm pretty sure it is because the stone wasn't screaming hot (and the pizza dough wasn't slid onto the stone from a pizza peel or something of the like with flour underneath).  I preheated the oven to 550, as directed by the Artisan Bread cookbook.  I then spread the dough out onto the pizza stone using some flour to keep it from getting too sticky.

Southwestern Chicken Pizza adapted from Proceed with Caution

• 1 recipe pizza dough
• 5-6 grilled chicken tenders, chopped (I grill a package of these on Sunday to pack for lunch)
• tomatillo salsa, about 1/4 cup (I used the jarred stuff, but check out the blog for what looks like a great recipe)
• chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• chopped cilantro
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spread the pizza dough onto the stone.  Top with salsa, chicken, tomatoes, beans and cilantro.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the dough begins to brown on the edges.

The pizza was great, with the exception of it sticking to the stone.  I'm adding it to our rotation - especially since we can throw it together at the last minute.

I'm like a regular old Betty Crocker.

First pasta and now bread!  I jumped on this bread baking bandwagon recently and I'm officially converted.  Please pray for the success of my diet in the midst of all of this rising dough.  Seriously.  The dough...it just keeps rising.  And rising.  And rising.  Picture some sort of Willy Wonka scene where the rooms gets overtaken by bread dough.

The crazy comes from this book.  Which I'll be buying on Amazon later this morning.  The recipe itself was really easy and I'm looking forward to having a little variety in choices of bread.  Hopefully something with whole wheat that will also be a little more waistline friendly.

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes

• 1 1/2 T yeast
• 1 1/2 T kosher salt
• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

In a large bowl, mix the yeast and salt with the water.  Add in the flour and stir until the flour is no longer dry.  Let is sit, loosely covered, for 2-5 hours at room temperature.  Cover with an airtight lid and move to the fridge.  The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

When you're ready to bake the bread, use a LOT of flour on your hands before pulling off the dough.  Pull off about a grapefruit sized amount, cutting it with a serrated knife.  Roll the dough around until you have a smooth top, pulling it creating a rougher bottom.  Place the dough on a pizza slide (or a flat cookie sheet - you just need to be able to slide it onto the pizza stone) dusted with cornmeal.  Let it rise for 40 minutes before baking.

Set the oven at 450.  Place a roasting pan on the bottom rack and your pizza stone on the middle rack while the oven preheats.  When you're ready to bake the bread, use a serrated knife to cut slash marks on top.  This will keep the bread from breaking (I think that's the right term) while it bakes.  Slide the dough onto the pizza stone and add 1 cup of water to the roasting pan.  Close the oven to trap the steam and let it bake for about 30 minutes.

I thought I would get about 4-5 loaves of bread out of the recipe, but since it keeps rising I may get 8!  I left some dough at my mom's house (about 2 loaves worth) and brought home what I thought would make 2 more loaves.  However, by Saturday I could have 10. 

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is probably my favorite appetizer.  It is also one of those things I do fairly well without following a recipe.  If we're tossing around the idea of a snack or appetizer, I'll pick up a few tomatoes and a loaf of french bread and voila - instant appetizer.

Bruschetta

• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced small
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed
• about 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• salt & pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• shredded parmesan cheese

This is a good mix for the two of us.  I guess on all of it, though.  Bruschetta is one of those recipes that tastes a little different everywhere you go, but you probably have an idea of what it should taste like to you.  Sliced a baguette about 1/4" thick, brush with EVOO and bake in the oven until crispy.

I actually made pasta.

And I cooked my first Pioneer Woman recipe.  Actually it could count as two recipes.  The pasta and the sauce.  But still - both were a success.  I did learn a few things.  First, I want a pasta roller.  Second, next time I'm going to mix it with the dough hook on my mixer instead of by hand.

Homemade Pasta from The Pioneer Woman

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 eggs

According to the recipe, you need 2 eggs to 1 cup of flour.  That will also feed 2 people, so 4 eggs will (in theory) feed 4 people.  Although, that's what we did and we really had about 5 servings.

Either in a bowl or on the counter make a well with the flour.  Crack the eggs into the well and start mixing, gently.

Eventually you'll get dough.  But you have to work at it.  A lot.  Knead, and mix, and roll, and twist again and again until you have a nice ball a dough.  According to PW, it should be smooth and not tacky.  That is kind of hard to describe, but it made sense once we got there.

Break the dough into smaller, more manageable pieces, and roll it out on a lightly floured surface.  I used a pizza cutter and sliced fettuccine sized noodles for dinner.

To cook the pasta, boil in salted water for 2-3 minutes. 

Pasta alla Vodka from The Pioneer Woman

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 whole medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 3/4 cup vodka
• 1 14oz can tomato puree
• 1 cup heavy cream (I actually used cream, not half & half so I'm not sure if this would still be as good)
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil & butter.  Add the vodka, stir and cook 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the tomato puree and stir.  Reduce the heat to low and add the cream, stir and simmer.  Add the red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.

Drain the pasta, keeping about 1 cup of the water in case you need to thin the sauce out.  Toss the pasta in with the sauce and Parmesan, coating the pasta in sauce. 

Christmas Dinner

Which, for us, is really Thanksgiving: Part 2.

I found a turkey recipe years ago in a Southern Living cookbook that works.  The turkey always usually comes out perfect and has a really good flavor.  This year I was feeling ambitious.  I've failed at dressing and mac & cheese before, but I planned on trying again.  Eventually I'll get it right...right?

Cornbread Dressing from Southern Living

• 2 T butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 recipe Andrew's Cornbread (see below)
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 T fresh sage, chopped
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Melt 2 T butter with oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms, celery, and bell pepper, and saute 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Crumble the cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Stir in mushroom mixture, half-and-half, and next 6 ingredients. Add chicken broth, and gently stir until moistened. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bake, covered, at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.

Andrew's Cornbread

• 1 t vegetable oil
• 2 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T self-rising flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 T mayonnaise

Brush a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with oil, and heat in a 425° oven 5 minutes. Stir together cornmeal and next 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and mayonnaise, stirring just until blended. Pour batter into hot skillet. Bake at 425° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cornbread pulls away from sides of skillet. Remove to a wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

My notes: I wasn't fond of the cornbread.  The small amount of oil I used was still too much and it caused the crust to do something strange.  Plus, it didn't crumble well...it ended up chunky and...just weird.  I loved the flavor, though, so I think next time I'll use my own cornbread recipe (the one on the bag of cornmeal with a little brown sugar added).

Creamy Four-Cheese Macaroni from Cooking Light

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 2/3 cups skim milk
• 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 ounces light processed cheese (Velveeta) 
• 6 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 T butter or stick margarine, softened

Preheat oven to 375°. Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8-10 minutes), stirring constantly. Add cheeses and cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in macaroni and salt. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl; stir until well-blended. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

• fresh green beans, trimmed
• bacon
• brown sugar
• butter

The amount of beans needed will depend on how many people you plan to feed.  For 5 adults, I did about 1lb.  Cook green beans - either steam or boil - just until done. Remove from heat and drop into ice water to stop the cooking process.  Wrap 8-10 beans with one piece of bacon, secure with a toothpick.  Melt about 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1/2 stick of butter (depending on how many you're cooking).  We tossed these on the grill to cook the bacon, but that might not have been the best idea since I looked outside to see flames.  I ended up putting them in a dish and finishing them in the oven after I brushed the butter & brown sugar on them.  A better idea would actually be to brush them with the butter mixture first and cook them in the oven at about 400 for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is done.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I've made a butternut squash soup before that is pretty good, but this one was much easier!  And it had a different taste to it. 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Weight Watchers

• 3lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 29 oz chicken broth
• 1 1/2 t curry powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.  Place squash, onion & broth in a large dish and bake for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and let cool about 15 minutes. 

In a small skillet, toast the curry powder over medium heat until fragrant, about 15 minutes.  Add the curry powder, salt & pepper to the veggies and puree.  I used an immersion blender to puree the vegetables, but you can also use a food processor or a blender.

We served this over light 4 cheese ravioli (Cooper was a fan!) with a salad.  You can also add a little sour cream and green onion.

WW Points: 3 (without ravioli) for 3/4 cup soup and 2 t fat free sour cream