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You can imagine how thrilled I was to receive a copy of Superfoods
for Babies and Children by Annabel Karmel (Atria Books, $34.50 Cdn).
Annabel, the mother of three, is the author of 14 best-selling books
on healthy food for children.
Superfoods is an excellent resource, with more than 130 kid-friendly recipes plus terrific tips on nutrition for each stage of
your child’s development. The pictures are whimsical and provide
visual aids to enticing eats. Annabel
Karmel (www.annabelkarmel.com) knows what children should eat - and what they will eat.
Superfoods are foods that have roles other than supplying the basic
components of our diet – carbohydrates, protein and fat. These roles
vary from boosting energy and brain power to prevention of illness
and repair of damage. Annabel Karmel rates superfoods by color,
providing a rainbow of examples including fire-engine red, sunshine
yellow, emerald green and dark blue or purple fruits and vegetables.
The time to start stocking up with these protective nutrients is in
childhood – it can never be too early.
She says “What we feed our children today will determine their
future tomorrow. A well-stocked pantry is the best form of
preventive medicine known to man.”
Eating by color encourages parents to use foods in tempting
combinations. Karmel provides easy instructions for creating
balanced meals, with menu charts to help you plan ahead, suggestions
for healthy convenience foods to keep on hand and information on
allergies and common childhood complaints.
Superfoods for Babies and Children will guide you through your
child’s first five years, from first foods for your baby to
delicious meals for fussy toddlers. There are creative lunch-box
ideas for school children, snack suggestions, scrumptious family
meal ideas, plus tips on getting kids into the kitchen to help with
meal preparation. Almost all of the recipes can be used or adapted
easily by the Kosher cook.
Recipes include Tomato Sauce with Hidden Vegetables, Spinach and
Ricotta Cannelloni, Salmon Teriyaki with Noodles and Rabbit Muffins
- fun foods that will appeal to kids of all ages. This book reminds
me of the Joy of Cooking, but with a focus on feeding kids fantastic
food.
I’m not really sure if I want to pass this cookbook on to my son
Doug. He’ll just have to drive down the 401 from Montreal to Toronto
with his wife and Sammy to enjoy some of the healthy, fun dishes in
Superfoods! I think that’s a super idea, don’t you?
BAKED SWEET POTATO AND CARROT PUREE
From 6 months
Baking sweet potatoes in the oven enhances their naturally sweet
taste, so this is a good puree to make if you are making a roast for
the rest of the family, as you can just pop the sweet potato into
the oven to cook alongside. It is also very tasty without the added
carrot.
1 medium sweet potato
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons your baby's usual milk
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wash and dry the sweet potato and prick
all over with a fork. Bake in the oven until tender (about 45
minutes). Meanwhile, steam or boil the carrots until tender (about
20 minutes). When the sweet potato is soft, allow to cool down a
little, then cut it in half and scoop out the flesh. Puree together
with the cooked carrot and the milk.
Alternatively, you can cook the sweet potato in a microwave. Pierce
several holes in the potato with a fork. Place on at least two
layers of microwave-safe paper towels. Microwave on high for 5
minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Let stand for 5
minutes. Peel and puree with the carrot and a little of your baby's
usual milk.
Makes 4 portions.
Tip: Sweet potato comes in two varieties: orange-fleshed and creamy-fleshed. Both have red skins and both are good sources of
potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. However, I prefer to use the
orange-fleshed variety, which is also an excellent source of beta-carotene. This helps to prevent certain types of cancer and mops up
free radicals.
FINGER-PICKING CHICKEN BALLS
These tasty chicken balls make great finger food.
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
Two 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried (optional)
1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour for coating
Vegetable oil for frying
Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté half the onion and the grated
carrot for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using your hands,
squeeze out a little excess liquid from the grated apple. Mix
together the grated apple, chicken and sautéed onion and carrot
along with the raw chopped onion, parsley, thyme, bread crumbs and
bouillon cube and chop for a few seconds in a food processor. Season
with a little salt and pepper.
With your hands, form the mixture into about 20 balls, roll them in
flour and fry in a little oil until lightly golden and cooked
through (4 to 5 minutes).
Makes 20 balls.
Tip: Chicken is high in protein, low in fat and low in cholesterol.
Our bodies require a certain amount of protein each day and the body
does not store protein, so we need to replenish it each day. Protein
provides the building blocks of all cells.
MINI VEGETABLE BURGERS
These tasty mini burgers in a crispy coating are bursting with fresh
vegetables and flavored with Gruyère cheese.
2 medium potatoes (do not peel)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup washed and finely chopped white part of a leek
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seasoned all-purpose flour (flour mixed with a little salt and
pepper)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
15 mini buns
Lettuce
Ketchup
Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 25 to 30 minutes,
then peel and grate. Meanwhile, melt the butter and sauté the onion
for about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrot, leek, and mushrooms,
and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the grated potato, corn, soy sauce,
cheese, parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to
taste. Form the mixture into 15 mini burgers, coat with flour, dip
in the beaten egg, and then dip in the bread crumbs. Dip in the egg
once again and then coat with another layer of bread crumbs to make
a crispy coating for the burgers. Sauté in a small amount of oil in
a skillet until crisp and golden on both sides. Serve on their own
or in mini buns with a little lettuce and ketchup.
Makes 15 mini burgers.
Tip: Onions and leeks have a protective action on the circulatory
system that helps to prevent blood clots. With children eating more
and more junk food, fatty deposits in the arteries can now be found
in even the youngest of children, and in later life these deposits
may lead to heart disease, as will arterial blood clots. When fat
deposits and blood clots break loose and clog the arteries, the
result is a heart attack or stroke.
MIXED BERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
Crumb Crust:
8 ounces graham crackers (2½ cups crumbs)
1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)
Vegetable oil for greasing pan
Cheesecake:
5 ounces white chocolate
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream (35%)
Topping:
14 ounces mixed summer berries, such as strawberries, blackberries,
raspberries, blueberries, and red currants
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
2 ounces white chocolate
To make the crust, put the graham crackers in a plastic bag and
crush them with a rolling pin; then mix with the melted butter.
Press them into the bottom of a lightly oiled 8-inch loose-bottomed
tart pan or springform pan (this can be done with a potato masher).
Place in the refrigerator to chill.
Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering
water. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat in the cream cheese.
Add the vanilla to the cream or, if using a vanilla bean, split it
lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the seeds into the cream.
Whip the cream until it forms fairly stiff peaks and gently fold in
the cream cheese and white chocolate mixture. Pour on top of the
crust and put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
Once the cake is set, carefully remove from the pan. Arrange the
berries on top of the cake. Heat the jam with 2 teaspoons of water
and strain through a sieve. Allow to cool for about 1 minute and
gently brush over the fruits. Melt the white chocolate and drizzle
over the top of the fruits with a teaspoon.
Makes 8 portions.
Tip: Summer berries are packed with vitamin C, which helps to
strengthen the immune system and fight infection. Vitamin C also
aids in the absorption of iron.
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Oh Baby -
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