RECIPE: #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Date & Butternut Squash Tagine

Last week I made my Healthy Lunchbox Snack (Date & Walnut Cereal Bars) using dates so for this week's challenge I wanted to do something completely different. My sister bought me a tagine a couple of years ago and I hadn't used it for a while so I decided to dust it off to make a Moroccan-inspired dish this week. I originally planned to use lamb but the supermarket only had full lamb shoulders which intimidated me a bit so I went with a vegetarian version instead. Fear not, carnivores, it's still a hearty, satisfying dish :)

YOU'LL NEED:
4 chopped Medjool dates
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tin cherry tomatoes
4-5 chopped walnuts
250g frozen butternut squash (cutting this stuff is my pet hate so I bought a lazy version!)
100g sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cinnamon
A squeeze of runny honey

METHOD:
1. Defrost the frozen mushrooms and butternut squash (I poured boiled water over mine and left for 5 minutes or so until it was soft).
2. Slice the onion and dates, lay in the bottom of the tagine
3. Add the butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, spices, sesame seeds, garlic and honey. Stir well.
4. Add a splash of water to loosen the mixture slightly
5. Bake in the oven as Gas 4 for 1 hour.
6. Eat chocolate while it cooks - optional but highly recommended! :)

I served ours with wholemeal giant cous cous and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped walnuts on top. Delish!
 
Note - The NHS guidance is that honey should only be given over the age of one. I'm not sure if this changes if the honey is cooked but personally I always err on the side of caution and would skip it for younger babies.

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team have made for Date Week by visiting our Facebook Page 

RECIPE: #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Walnut and Date Cereal Bars

Anyone who follows my Instagram feed will know I'm a big fan of putting lunchboxes together. Filling them with varied, healthy food can be a bit of a challenge, especially when it comes to snacks. This week I decided to make something I've tried before but not perfected: homemade cereal bars. I totally revamped my recipe and was really pleased with how these turned out - they are soft, sweet fingers of pure deliciousness!

To make these...

YOU'LL NEED:
5 Medjool dates (I used organic ones)
70g walnuts
25g sultanas
70g porridge oats
15g dessicated coconut
1 beaten egg
Coconut oil or unsalted butter for greasing the baking tray

METHOD:
1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and grease very lightly with coconut oil.
2. Finely blend the nuts then tip them into a large glass bowl. Add the sultanas, coconut, and porridge oats then stir.
3. Blend the dates into a sticky paste - throw in a handful or two of oats if they start to gum up the blender like mine did.
4. Put the dates into the bowl then using a thumb and forefinger, rub them into the oat mixture as if you were making crumble. Continue until the dates are distributed evenly into the mixture.
5. Stir in the beaten egg.
6. Press the mixture onto the baking tray in a rectangular shape about 2-3cm thick.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at Gas 5, ensuring the egg is cooked.
8. While still warm, slice into finger shapes with a sharp knife. I used a pizza cutter which was the perfect tool for the job.
9. When cooled, peel the cereal bars carefully off the greaseproof paper. I will keep mine for a few days in a sealed Tupperware container... if they last that long!

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the InstaWeanTeam are making this week by visiting our Facebook Page

 

Healthy eating out and about...

Little Dude and I went shopping today. My plan to make a quick dash to get him some new shoes turned into a casual jaunt round a dozen shops and before I knew it, it was 11.30. I'd packed some snacks - raisins and a Nom Nom Kids smoothie pouch filled with kiwi, banana and apple - but nothing substantial enough for lunch. The smoothie was still half frozen at that point anyway - excellent planning Mama!

Usually when we eat out I pack a full homemade lunch box to take with us. Quite honestly, kids menus at most cafes and pubs make me cringe; the majority of them don't seem to extend beyond fish fingers, chicken nuggets, and burgers. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to serve the odd thing like this in moderation (white chocolate buttons are a particular weakness for both of us!) but I'd much prefer to do it when I can read the packet myself and check out the salt content, amongst other things.

L tends to nap after lunch so I figured it was worth braving it and ordering a couple of things for us to share, rather than let him fall asleep on the way home and go to bed with an empty tum. Mama needed coffee so we headed to Starbucks and I picked a cheese and ham toastie and a chicken salad. The food selection was obviously aimed at adults but both of these seemed suitable enough for the pair of us. I figured Little Dude would be all about the carbs but he surprised me by merrily munching through a handful of sugar snap peas and bravely sampling a huge slice of lime. It's just a shame I didn't capture the faces he pulled on camera - he went back for several tastes though so must have liked it!

This got me thinking... where else can I find decent children's menus? I generally really enjoy putting a lunchbox together for him but it'd also be handy to have more places that I can visit on a whim without stressing about what there is for him to eat. I'd love to hear from other Mamas about their favourite places to take little ones for decent, healthy food. Let me know your recommendations here or on the BLWMamaUK Facebook page and I'll put a list together for us all to share.

PRODUCT REVIEW - Ezpz Happy Mat & Happy Bowl

Ezpz have a pretty straighforward mission statement: To take the mess and stress out of mealtimes. Founder Lindsey Lourain is a Mama of two boys and, being the proud owner of a very grubby little man myself, someone I am now eternally grateful to!

First, the technical bits - Ezpz placemats are:

• Dishwasher safe
• Microwave safe 
• BPA, PVC, phthalate and lead free (I had to look up phthalate but didn't like the sound of it when I did)
• Made from FDA approved silicone
• Suction to the table
• Can be stacked and carried together
• Can be drawn on with dry wipe marker  

 
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my parcel from Ezpz; the mats are much more substantial than I'd expected with a thick, chunky base. The bowls have stiff sides that don't yield to little fingers (ours was excitedly prodded and poked by both myself and Little Dude!). The divided plate on the Happy Mat has three good sized sections which are more than enough to satisfy a hungry toddler. I have a tendency to over-cater so I like this gentle nudge towards portion control.

We have an Ikea Antilop high chair and the Happy Bowl fits quite neatly onto the tray, while the Happy Mat hangs over the sides a little. This doesn't bother me though - the more coverage the better in my opinion. Having said that, Ezpz have noted the seemingly universal popularity of the Antilop and I believe are working on a mat specifically to fit this particular highchair. Personally, I think the 'suction' element would be better described as 'sliproof' but semantics aside, it definitely works. Obviously it can still be peeled off the table by a determined toddler but there is definitely less chance of the meal being upended than with a traditional bowl or plate.

We used our mat and bowl for some very messy meals - overnight oats, pasta bolognese and yoghurt to name a few. So far, it's done a grand job. Often, I find that tomatoes and berries can permanently stain my tableware but so far it hasn't happened with the Ezpz mats. The absolute best feature is that the built-in placemat allows me to let Little Dude do his own thing with a spoon (he's all about spoon practice at the moment) then just lift up the mess and tip it into the bin or rinse it under the tap. This really saves me a lot of time in chasing squished bits of food round the highchair tray while L tries to catch them first and throw them over the side!

In terms of downsides, there is very little to call out. The Ezpz logo has indented lettering which can be a bit fiddly to clean if food gets stuck in there, but that's about it. I have a titchy microwave so I haven't tried heating food up directly in them yet (I guess other people might have the same problem), but again, that doesn't cause me any real issues.

So - overall, I think these are a fab product and they've already become a staple part of mealtimes in our house. Ezpz ship internationally from their website currently but are also working on setting up distributor in the UK - keep an eye on their website for details. Happy eating!


Note - technical details are taken from ezpz's own website/literature.

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Finding savoury snack foods is hard. Little Dude isn't keen on veg that he can see and identify as veg, if you know what I mean. He'll happily munch tomatoes, courgette, broccoli, peppers (basically anything) in a casserole but a stick of raw carrot won't get much more than a  lick before it's chucked in the floor. I do buy pre-prepared baby snacks sometimes but most of them seem to be sweet - carrot cakes, yoghurt raisins, biscotti. This week's #InstaWeanTeam Challenge inspired me to try a savoury snack idea; something we could take out and about with us in our snack tubs. Quinoa is another ingredient I've never cooked with this challenge (I'm starting to think I've led a bit of a sheltered life...) so these were a bit experimental but turned out really well.

YOU'LL NEED:
50 g Quinoa
200ml Cold Water
1/4 Red Onion
2 Savoy Cabbage Leaves
1/8 Tsp Chia Seeds (optional)
Handful Grated Cheddar Cheese
Pinch Mixed Herbs

METHOD:
1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packet - I washed mine thoroughly then added to a clean pan with the water and herbs, simmering for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn't run dry but you want all the water to have soaked in by the end.
2. Finely chop the onion and savoy cabbage then saute for 3-4 minutes in a little unsalted butter until soft
3. Add the cooked quinoa to the veg and stir.
4. Add the chia seeds and cheddar, mix well.
5. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, shape it into small balls (I made 9) and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
6. Bake at Gas 4 for 35 minutes until firm and starting to crisp

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team made for Quinoa week on the InstaWeanTeam Facebook Page!

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Crispy Baked Green Beans

A real challenge this week - green beans! These are one of my favourite veggies actually (unfortunately for Mr BLWMamaUK who doesn't share the same affinity for them that I do) but never one I've thought of as being particularly versatile.

Still, I knew the other ladies would come up with something brilliant so didn't want to let the side down. I have two weak points when it comes to baby food - savoury snacks and desserts. I decided to tackle the former and make something we could take out and about with us. As it happened, I made so many that we also had them for dinner with grilled salmon and rice noodles. Those little green beans are pretty versatile after all :)

YOU'LL NEED:
1/3 Packet Green Beans
Panko Breadcrumbs (approx 1/4 packet)
1 Beaten Egg
2-3 Tablespoon of Plain White Flour

METHOD:
1. Trim the beans at both ends
2. Get three bowls and put the egg in one, the flour in another, and some breadcrumbs in another
3. Roll the beans in flour until it is lightly coated.
4. Drop the beans into the egg and coat on both sides.
5. Roll the beans in the breadcrumbs, making sure it is completely covered
6. I baked them at Gas Mark 5 for 30-40 minutes until they were starting to go golden and the beans inside were soft/wilted. You could probably speed up the process by boiling the beans in hot water for 5-8 mins first but this didn't occur to me until mine were already in the oven!

For a snack, team the crispy beans with some creme fraiche or hummus. Delish. 

Don't forget to check out what everyone else made for Green Bean Week on the #InstaWeanTeam Facebook Page 

Snack tin is by Replay Recycled

#InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Berry Breakfast Muffins

This week's challenge was to make a healthy dish with summer berries. Breakfast can be a tricky one to keep interesting so I made some berry muffins by adapting a recipe from the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley (a great place to start if you're thinking of taking the plunge into BLW).

I halved the ingrediants in the basic banana muffin recipe then added a couple of handfuls of berries, plus an extra raspberry placed on top for decoration. These little beauties are naturally sweetened by the banana so don't include any refined sugar, making them perfect for little tummies. As they cook the fruit bursts and stains the inside of the muffin with lovely pink and red patches. Little Dude enjoying playing with the different textures and getting his fingers thoroughly mucky. They also freeze really well so can be defrosted overnight or by a quick blast in the microwave. I chucked half my batch of 6 muffins into the freezer and will use them for lunchboxes at a later date - it's always handy to have food that doesn't make too much mess when you're dining out. 

YOU'LL NEED:
75g Self Raising Flour
30g Unsalted Butter
Handful of Berries - I used Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Redcurrants
2 Ripe Bananas
1 Egg 

METHOD:
1. Line a muffin tin with silicone cupcake cases
2. Sift the flour into the bowl
3. Melt the butter
4. Mash the bananas, add the melted butter and egg
5. Add the banana mixture to the flour, mix well then stir in your whole berries
6. Spoon into the cupcake cases and place a berry on top for decoration
7. Bake at Gas 5 for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

Banana makes such a fab base for cake, bread or muffin mix because you can add pretty much anything to it. When we're bored of berries I'm going to try some variations:

• Sultanas and raisins
• Chocolate chips
• Stewed apple
• Sprinkling mixed seeds on top
• Baking the mix in a loaf tin and serving in slices with butter 

Tag me in your favourite muffin recipes - I'd love to see them on Instagram (@blwmamauk).

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Prawn Spring Roll Challenge!

Ok, so my #InstaWeanTeam Chinese Food challenge isn't the most photogenic this week but it definitely tastes good. Next time I make these spring rolls I'll brush them with melted butter instead of egg, I was just curious to see how egg would turn out this time! (I've put butter in the recipe below instead because I think this will give them a more even colour). Mr BLWMamaUK and I had these for dinner with a stir fry. Little Dude had his the next day as an afternoon snack. Nom :)

YOU'LL NEED:
1/2 Tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 Small Garlic Clove (crushed)
1 Tsp Sesame Seeds
1/2 Tsp Low Salt Soy
1/2 Tsp Mirin Rice Wine
1/2 Cup Cooked Prawns
2 Cups Mixed Stir Fry Veg - I used pepper, beansprouts, carrot and onion
Unsalted Butter (melted) 
2 Filo Pastry Sheets
Organic Coconut oil for frying (or your usual oil)

METHOD:
1. Put the oil, spice, seeds, soy and rice wine in a pan with the prawns and veg. Fry for 3-5 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool.
2. Lay a filo sheet out length ways on a floured surface, cut vertically into 3 strips.
3. Cut across the strips horizontally so you have 6 rectangles of pastry.
4. Lay a blob of filling across the bottom of a pastry strip. Gentle roll it up and into a sausage shape. Seal the end with a little melted butter.
5. Flip the pastry roll over and paint the ends with a little more butter, fold them over to seal them.
6. Lay the spring roll on a greased baking tray and brush lightly with melted butter.
7. Repeat until all your mixture is used up - mine made 8 spring rolls.
8. Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

** Note - rice wine does contain alcohol. I was happy that I heated it enough to cook it out but if you're not comfortable, skip this ingredient**

Don't forgot to check the InstaWeanTeam Facebook page to see what the other ladies made this week!

RECIPE - Baked Chicken Bites

I can't believe it's taken me so long to make these because they were SO yummy. Crunchy, chickeny (surprise, surprise) and pretty healthy because they were baked, unlike the pre-prepared breaded chicken you can buy. I've been meaning to try something like this for a while so when the I spotted a pack of Panko Breadcrumbs in the supermarket this week I decided it was time to take the plunge. My only worry now is that I'm going to start breadcrumbing everything in sight now I've realised how easy it is. These took about 12 minutes to prepare and another 25 to cook. And the verdict from my most important taste taster? 'Nom. NOM!'

YOU'LL NEED:
300g Diced Chicken
Approx 5 Tbs Plain White Flour
1-2 Beaten Eggs
Packet of Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tasp Black Pepper

METHOD:
1. Get three bowls and put the egg in one, the flour in another, and some breadcrumbs in another - start with one egg and about 1/3 packet of breadcrumbs, you can always put more in if you run out.
2. Add the spices to the breadcrumbs and stir well.
3. Using tongs (or your fingers if you're brave, I hate touching raw meat!), roll a piece of chicken in flour until it is lightly coated.
4. Drop the chicken into the egg and coat on both sides.
5. Roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs, making sure it is completely covered
6. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray greased with a little unsalted butter
7. Repeat. Lots.
8. Bake the chicken at Gas 5 for around 20-25 minutes until it is cooked through.

Enjoy - don't forget to take me on Facebook or Instagram if you try this one out :)

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Mexican Challenge

Mmmm, Mexican food! I was pretty spoiled for choice this week because I love this kind of grub. Old El Pasa fajitas tend to make an appearance in our house when I'm having a lazy chef moment but still fancy something tasty with plenty of veggies. Although I was tempted to make a baby-friendly version of this old fave it's something I've done before so I chose to mix it up with a new dish - pulled pork burritos. 

I roasted the pulled pork at the weekend so kept some aside knowing I had burritos on the menu later in the week. This is a great one for using up whatever leftovers you have; chicken, beef or pork would work just as well. Same deal for the veg, you can't really go wrong once it's wrapped in a tortilla. Go nuts!

 

YOU'LL NEED:

Leftover Pulled Pork

1 Red Pepper 

1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 Tin Kidney Beans

1/2 Tsp Oregano

1/2 Tsp Cumin (x 2)

1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1/8 Tsp Low Salt Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Wild & Basmati Rice

Handful Grated Cheddar Cheese

4 Kos Lettuce Leaves

3 Tortilla Wraps

Chilli Flakes (optional)

METHOD:
1. Put the rice in a pan, cover with boiled water, add the 1/2 tsp of cumin and simmer until cooked (mine took 25 mins), then drain and set aside.
2. Empty the tomatoes, rinsed kidney beans, spices (including the other 1/2 tsp cumin), soy and oregano into a pan.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes until the mixture has reduced slightly. 
4. Take off the heat, mash slightly with a fork and leave to cool
5. Slice the pepper into thin 'sticks' and set aside
6. Warm the tortilla wraps in the microwave for 30 seconds (it helps them bend)
7. Take a deep breath - you are ready to roll your burritos! :)
8. Lay out a sheet of foil, slap a tortilla on top, then a lettuce leaf.
9. Add a couple of spoonfuls of rice, bean mixture, some pork, and 4-5 peppers
10. Sprinkle a little cheese and some chilli flakes on top then carefully wrap the whole burrito into a sausage shape using the foil the seal it together at both ends.
11. If the filling has cooled too much, pop the burritos in the oven for 5 mins to warm through.
12. Serve (roll the foil down as you eat to stop it falling apart).If you have extra filling, just stick it on the plate as well.

Note - young children will need the foil removing for them. I served Little Dude a de-constructed version of the burrito with all the separate parts laid out on his tray for him to explore but it coulsd just as easily be cut into slices for a baby or toddler. The photo on the right shows the version for myself and Mr BLWMamaUK. It looks a bit like an explosion in a burrito factory but boy, was it good!

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the #InstaWeanTeam made for Mexico Week by visiting our Facebook Page.