Iron Rich Finger Foods: Baby Cakes

A baby post was bound to happen eventually, right?  Sorry, it comes with the territory these days, but I'll try to make it quick.  It's been a long (yet incredibly quick) journey from the screaming little nugget we brought home to this crazy, independent, opinionated, thoughtful, and cuddly little boy we see emerging.  While it seemed as if it would never happen, he finally is really into the solids, which is fun but also disgustingly messy.

Since he loves to eat now, I have started to try to increase his iron levels.  Why, you ask?  Well, at the risk of boring any non-parent, and because I am pressed for time, the short version is this: babies are born with enough iron stores to support their growth until 6 months.  After that they need supplementation to get the amount they need.  This can be through a vitamin, or through solids.  See?  That wasn't too painful was it?

Anyways.  He's still not really into meat yet, and since we are doing finger foods and not purees it means I have to get a bit more creative with his iron sources.  There's only so much peanut butter one kid can eat... or is there.  So, after much messing around, and lots of goopy, messy mealtimes, I finally came up with recipes that  fulfilled my desired criteria.  1) give a substantial amount of iron, 2) have a variety of food sources and vitamins, and 3) (hopefully) won't make him constipated.  My life is pretty awesome right now, can you tell?

The final goal was that these finger foods taste good, because let's be honest, if I am cooking I better be able to reap the rewards too.  The result?  The two recipes below.  Remember, you can eat these too.  I am more partial to the egg muffins but I imagine the bean cakes would taste delicious with eggs over them.  Of course, another baby friendly finger food is the muffin recipe from my previous post.  Bug really devours those.

Well, that's it for the baby talk today... here they are, enjoy!

Sweet Bean Cakes

• 15 oz can of black beans (no salt added)
• 1 cup shredded sweet potato raw
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 3 oz prune puree
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Drain and rinse the beans. In a bowl, mash the banana and beans and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix until combined but leave some texture.  Form the mixture into little cakes and place on greased baking sheet.  If the mixture seems too soft add a little flour or almond meal.  Cook for 15 minutes at 350, flatten with a spatula, and cook for another 10, until only slightly squishy.  Remove and let cool.

No, they are not attractive, but they taste delicious!  This also makes a ton so you can freeze excess cakes for future use.

Egg and Spinach Muffins

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup steamed and diced spinach (I buy frozen then thaw and drain the liquid)
• 1/3 cup shredded sweet potato (raw)
• garlic powder, onion powder, pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Pour into greased muffin tins filling 2/3 full, since they rise. If desired, sprinkle some cheese on top.  Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly brown and set.  Makes 6-8 cakes.

It's Time: Minimally Modified Primal Pizzas

Yes, I've been gone for another three months.  I blame the whole getting married thing.  Oh, yeah, I got married!  But that's a story for another time.

THIS post contains recipes for the much requested primal pizza crusts I make.  No, they will not be fluffy or bread-like.  Yes, they will fulfill their role as a crust and hold your favorite toppings and even allow careful dipping into ranch dressing.  It will also leave you feeling much less bloated and gross AND lets you use all that eggplant, zucchini, or summer squash you have stockpiling from your crop-share.  Read your mind, didn't I?  So, since I have been MIA for so long I am going to get right to the point.  In order from our favorite to least (based on taste, ease of making, and crust abilities), here they are!

Ready?!  I am! 

Zucchini or Eggplant Crust

• 1 lb (2-3 cups) grated zucchini/eggplant
• 1/3 cup parm cheese
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1-2 tbsp coconut flour (for moisture)
• 1 egg

Step one: take your grated veggie, salt it, and wrap it in some paper towels.  Repeat this twice over the course of a few hours for best results.  Not necessary, but makes the crust crispier.  The examples below are all of eggplant, but zucchini follows the same rules.

 When ready to make pizza, preheat oven 450 degrees.  Combine all ingredients.  Add a light sprinkle of coconut flour if still super moist.

Lay parchment paper on a pre-oiled baking sheet.  Oil parchment paper as well.  using your hands, a fork, or spatula, carefully spread the ball of "dough" slowly outward, making it thin (no thicker than 1 cm).

When it looks similar to the picture above (this one is zucchini), put it in the oven for 15 minutes.  I should look like the below picture.  If not, put it back in until it does.

Then remove pan, flip crust, and 5ut it back in for another 5 minutes or until it looks like the below picture..

Take crust out, add toppings (pre cook any non-cured meat), cook at 350 until cheese is melted, and eat!

 

Before we go any further;

topping suggestions for ALL pizzas:

Pepperoni, chicken sausage, sauteed kale/peppers/onions, broccoli, bacon (!), mushrooms, pesto, garlic, mozzarella cheese, meatballs, buffalo chicken, buffalo chicken meatballs... the list could go on.

This next one is from this website, modified minimally.  Try as we might this one always ends slightly floppy.

Flax Seed Pizza Crust

• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs

Mix the flax meal and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.  Add the eggs and stir until a dough is formed.  It will be sticky, like really really obnoxiously sticky.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes or so until it's easier to work with. Wet your hands with water to help keep the dough from sticking to them and press onto parchment papered cookie sheet about 1/3 inch thick in a circle.

You should get about a 10 inch circular crust out of it... if it's a lot smaller than that you are making it too thick.  Bake crust at 350 for 8 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.  Remove an add toppings.  For this one I made buffalo chicken meatballs and spinach!  Bake for another 15 minutes at 350.  Remove when cheese is melty and delicious (sorry, no picture of that part!).

Okay, this one has been in my files for a while, but for the life of me I cannot find any notes besides:

1) I made it and added a few modifications

2) It was the least favorite

3) The original recipe comes from The Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam.

Then I tried to find the original and couldn't.  Good story, I know.  Anyways, try it for yourself, perhaps you will have better luck!

Almond Flour Pizza Crust

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 

Mix ingredients well, using your hands to form a ball.  Again, it will be sticky.  Place the ball between two sheets of parchment paper and pat it out into a crust shape.  Place on a well sprayed pizza stone OR parchment lined baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.

As with the others when it's ready remove, add toppings, and wait for melting goodness.

These isn't it, but still.  Yum.  Oh, and enjoy!

Root Overload! What to Do With All Those Carrots.

So, every week I get a bunch of vegetables delivered through a local farm share.  This means I get fresh, organic veggies delivered each Thursday that make me think about new ways to cook.  It can sometimes get challenging, and force me to get extremely creative, especially during certain seasons... one such being carrot season!  You know winter is almost here when all you keep getting in your farmshare goodie bag every week is lots of roots and kale.  More specifically, lots and lots of carrots.  Seriously.  They are filling an entire crisper bin in my fridge right.now.

Anyways, I like a culinary challenge, but carrots are tough.  They don't exactly go with a TON of items, and if you don't like cooked carrots (ahem, R and E, guilty as charged), the list is even shorter with what you can do with them.  How am I solving this problem, you ask?  Why by HIDING them of course!  Shredded carrots are surprisingly versatile.  And they add a bit of moisture, texture, or flavor to whatever you smush them into.  I am still working out a few more recipes, but consider this the first installment of "How to Hide Veggies and Like It."

First up, enter a healthier, lower fat version of my cheesey garlic biscuit.  It still takes delicious and no has zero guilt since you are getting a helping of veggies every time you eat one!  You will notice that the type of veggie you use is interchangeable.  I made this for my very good friend recently to go with her chili... and it passed the test!  This is a must try.

Garlic Cheddar Hidden Biscuits

• 4 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 cup grated carrots/zucchini/eggplant (squeezed)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup milk or coconut milk
• 1/4 cup mozzerella cheese, grated
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients (including veggie) then add remaining ingredients and mix.

Use hands to form 4 flat biscuits on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  It will be a bit sticky, but just be patient.  Make sure you shape them the way you want them, all they will do is rise, not spread out.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. They won’t turn brown on top but the bottoms will be a nice golden brown.  I of course immediately slather mine with butter, but the choice is yours...

Next up in the hidden carrot family is an amazingly hearty breakfast muffin.  It's my new favorite to make on the weekends because (despite the long ingredient) they are easy to make and never fail to taste great.

Carrot Apple Muffins

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 apple, diced small
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl, add almond flour, carrots, apple, raisins, coconut, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. Mix well and then add remaing ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and stir well.  Put in greased muffin tin and cook for about 20 - 30 minutes.  They should bounce back when poked with a finger, and a knife should come out clean.

Of course these are great with melted butter on them, or maybe some cream cheese, but they also hold up well in your purse or pack when you are on the go... and of course taste incredible any way you eat 'em.  So, break out those carrots, get shredding, and enjoy!

**these have been R&E originals