Spinach Artichoke Dip

I've got to say, my Peanut is not in a trying new things mood lately.  I can't even get him to put the new things to his lips, much less taste it.  I've tried every scrap of advice that I come across.  Hopefully this too shall pass.  I know they say that offering the same thing repeatedly will eventually break them down.  I'm trying.  I have tried having him help in the preparation.  I am also trying to name things in a way that associates the food with something else he has eaten and liked.  So far we have had many failures.  Mostly in the vegetable realm.  Shocker.

While trying to entice my little one into eating some veg, I am also trying to plan and prep for my upcoming holiday meal.  I remembered that I made a spinach artichoke dip for one of the holidays during the year and he ate quite a bit. I figured it was worth a shot.  He seems to enjoy things that I call dip.  He will eat a whole tub of  hummus if given the opportunity and he adores guacamole.  I also had success with my "Tuna Dip."

I made this spinach artichoke dip vegan because my daughter does not tolerate dairy well, but you could definitely substitute the regular stuff.  It is a bit lighter either way you go because of the pureed artichokes.  No one noticed the lack of true dairy when I served it to a crowd and it was definitely creamy and gooey. I made it again now because it also freezes well and on Christmas Day I can just pop the defrosted dip in the oven to warm up and then serve.  It is also a quick recipe to throw together since I used powders instead of caramelizing the garlic and onion (which you can totally do, but my kids don't enjoy the texture of those things in their food.)  The small amount we used for dinner barely left a dent!  The Peanut refused to try, but my daughter ate some with her spoon with no complaints.  To make it more dinner-y for my husband , I spread it on some toast and topped it with two eggs and some hot sauce.  (OK, that sounds more breakfast-y than dinner-y, but don't you do breakfast for dinner sometimes, too??)  Last year, I thinned out the leftover dip with some vegetable stock and used it as a sauce for some pasta.  YUM!!

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
(makes about 4 cups)

1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, half roughly chopped, half pureed in a food processor or blender
1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed to remove excess water
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese or silken tofu (if using the tofu, puree this along with the artichokes)
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the chopped artichokes and spinach.  Allow to heat through for a few minutes, then stir in the garlic and onion powders, the Italian seasoning, and the nutritional yeast.  Once the yeast is absorbed and no longer visible, add the pureed artichokes, cream cheese or tofu, and mozzarella.  Continue stirring until all is incorporated and cheese has melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve warm with chips or crackers.

Food Allergies Are Scary!

How ironic is it that I named this blog for my Peanut and he is allergic to them?   Not anaphylaxis, thank goodness, but allergic in a different way.

I make the effort to limit the amount of processed foods my family eats.  We do eat some.  I am not perfect.  I rarely let my kids have sweets or junk food, but there are times when I find it unavoidable.  Most of those unavoidable situations revolve on being outside the home. 

Preparing for our vacation this summer was one of these events.  Being that my son is so picky and sometimes given to tantrums during meals, and the fact that breakfast at our hotel didn't begin until an hour after he was accustomed to eating, I hoped to find a few healthy-ish things that he would eat that were portable and didn't  require refrigeration. I tried pre-made PB & J crackers, a strawberry filled cereal bar, and granola bars.  Knowing this Peanut so well, I decided to introduce these things before leaving.  He seemed to like the cereal bars, but would only eat half.  I noticed that he would be drooling and playing with his mouth a lot after eating them.  I attributed it to his 2 year old molars. 

The granola bars were alright, but he wouldn't eat the kind with raisins. 

I tried the PB & J crackers right before we were leaving.  He ate three, started drooling and rubbing his mouth.  I went to change his diaper before getting in the car and discovered hives.  The doctor recommended giving him Benadryl and monitoring his appearance.  I gave him the meds and the hives went away, but the drooling and itchy mouth were more than ever.  His tongue wasn't swollen and he was breathing regularly, so we were told it was ok to proceed.  We arrived at our hotel and let the kids run around a bit.  The drooling had subsided, but he was more reserved than normal and still pulling at his tongue.  At dinner, he chewed a piece of chicken for over an hour without swallowing it.  I finally took it out.  We wound up giving him some of my daughter's purees for dinner and  gave him more Benedryl.  This was immediately followed by heavy drooling and more tongue pulling and mouth rubbing.  Looking at the ingredients in the things he ate, red dye was in the cereal bar, PB & J cracker AND the Benedryl!!!  I had also noticed this reaction another time he had a granola bar with nuts. 

I eliminated all nuts and the red dye and for three months, we had no issues.  The doctor mentioned that I could try reintroducing tree nuts in a very small amount.  I tried a very small amount of cashew butter and he had no reaction.  A week later, I gave him a bit more.  Not so lucky.  Drool, tongue pulling, mouth rubbing, hiding in a corner, and crying.  After a call to my doctor, I had to stab him with the EpiPen.  Worst.  Feeling.  Ever. 

We went to an allergist for a scratch test for nuts (they don't test for chemicals like red dye) and nothing appeared.  The allergist described it as a histamine reaction similar to seasonal allergies.  He is allergic to a component and since he is ingesting it, it is his mouth that reacts.  Even though he doesn't have anaphylaxis now, he may eventually.  Now I am even more obsessive about the things going in his mouth.  Especially hard during birthday/ Halloween  time!  I find the nuts easy to avoid.  The red dye is in things that you would not expect.  Things marketed as "healthy." 

Do any of you have food allergy issues?  Please share your tips!!  Especially how to keep a grabby toddler from taking something he shouldn't in a public situation or when you cant monitor him closely.

As a side note, my Peanut turned 3!!!  How is that possible?  Anyway, this is the nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, chemical dye-free cake I made.  He wanted a front-end loader cake.  I colored the frosting with turmeric.  One of the guests said it tasted better than the professional, celebrity made cake they had eaten earlier in the day!!

Hoping This Happens

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/17/236221076/moms-petition-mars-to-remove-artificial-dyes-from-m-ms?ft=1&f=1001,1019,1146,4467352

Happy Anniversary

My original post was to be about the anniversary dinner and delicious dessert I made.  None of that happened.  I should have known that the day was going to be a challenge when I woke to the sound of my cat puking.

My car wouldn't start resulting in my husband driving home so we could take my car to the garage, followed by hysterical toddlers when brought back in the house instead of going to story time at the library.  I was still determined to make a nice dinner and dessert even though I couldn't get to the store as planned.

I would still make mussels in wine and garlic, but instead of nice bread for sopping, I would make moules frites (literally mussels and fries).  We had this on a trip to Montreal and I've done it at home a few times.  (The kids would have fish sticks.)  For dessert, I decided on a whole wheat brownie instead of the fruit tart.

During naps, I started the fries and baked the brownies.  The brownies smelled great although the batter seemed a bit strange.  I felt I was getting the day back on track.

Wrong!  Without going into too much detail, my kids ate their regularly scheduled fish sticks, fries, and carrots.  Because of timing, my husband and I ate chips and salsa with a glass of wine.  And the brownies were a bit too "healthy" for our liking.

To redeem myself, I made this tasty chicken out if my desire to do a refrigerator purge.  All of us, including the picky one, enjoyed it!  It is easy to throw together in the morning and then toss in the oven for dinner.  We had ours with rice and string beans.  The picky one only kissed the beans.  Still trying to get one in his mouth.

Asian-style Chicken Thighs

1 inch peeled ginger, grated
1/4 tsp powdered onion
1/4 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin  in

Throw everything in a glass container with a lid or a gallon bag.  Mush or shake up to cover the thighs.  Marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Place chicken in baking dish, skin side up.  Pour 1/4 cup marinade over top and discard the rest.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the thighs have reached the proper internal temperature of 170°.

I like crispy skin, so i broiled them for a minute or two.  Yum!

My Inner Martha (sort of)

I have always enjoyed baking.  I have always enjoyed crafts.  That being said, I am mildly obsessed with Martha Stewart.  I know she is hit or miss with some people, but something about her stuck with me.  Before I was married with children, I used to believe I could have a lifestyle like that.  Orderly, tasty, full of things I made with my own hands.  Now I know better. 

My house has an order to it that I understand, but baffles others (including my husband.)  I haven't done anything crafty for myself in ages (we do a lot of finger painting here.)  I haven't given up on tasty.  I still aspire to make the kind of food I enjoy eating, not just something to shove in my face.  Most times I am successful, for mine and my husband's palate.  I'm not saying I put out a spread like Martha on my table every night, but I try new recipes or ideas often.  I have been missing out on the baking part. 

During the summer, my kitchen is too hot.  We do not have air conditioning, so I try not to turn the oven on and add to the discomfort.  I did a bit of baking last fall, but my daughter was still little and a bit fussy when left to her own devices.  This year I hope to do more since I have two helpers.  I am hoping that this gets my son interested in more foods, too.  That being said, he enjoyed eating this one.  A lot.  I had to throw it together during his nap, but this is one he could definitely handle.  It is a measure and dump recipe.  Seriously.  Takes about 10 minutes and most of that time is mashing bananas.  I've been toying with this recipe for a while and finally have it where I want it.  It is moist and sweet, without being cloying.  If you are like me (constantly throwing bananas in the freezer before they turn only to have a banana avalanche), you can make this with stuff you already have on hand!  And it is vegan if you get the dairy-free chocolate chips!

Enough of my strange ramblings.  Here is the cake!  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and tasters have!

Cinnamon Chocolate Banana Cake

Cake:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 Tbsps flax seed meal soaked in 6 Tbsps warm water for at least 10 minutes (or 2 eggs)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease an 8 X 8 inch glass dish.

Dump all cake ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined.  Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Combine the 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.  Sprinkle over top of cake.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of that.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes.  (You don't want to get burned by a flaming hot chocolate chip.  Trust me.)  Serve right from dish.

It's All in the Name

It was a day of misses, including dinner prep.  I forgot to take my tilapia out of the freezer until I went to make it.  Oops.  Plus I was getting a late start.  And I didn't want to get take out.  So I looked around and found cans of tuna.

Big deal.  People have it all the time.  I don't make tuna salad often because my husband frequently eats it for lunch and I haven't been able to have mayonnaise because my still-nursing daughter is still getting over an egg sensitivity. 

Time is running out, so I go for it.  I plan on marketing it as tuna dip.  My son enjoys brown dip (hummus) and a mild guacamole, so i figured I would offer this in the same manner with carrots and tortilla chips.  But what to do about the mayo?  And make it more dippy?  My food processor!!!  It worked!  He ate his serving and accompaniments.  My daughter enjoyed her dip also, but she eats just about anything.  My husband didn't realise I left out the mayonnaise so it must have been creamy enough on his sandwich.

I feel silly writing about this, but it was a victory.  I can add something new to the lunch rotation.  Not too often, the mercury scares me.  So here is my recipe that's not really a recipe.

Tuna Dip

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1/2 dill pickle, roughly chopped
2 cans chunk light tuna in water, drained
1/8 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, and dried dill

Pulse celery in the food processor until small.  Add the pickles, pulse until chopped.  Add the tuna and seasonings and pulse until smooth.

Broccoli Bust

High on my meatloaf success, I attempted something new.  I have been trying to get my son to at least try one bite of broccoli.  He has eaten it in baby food, but green food seems to bother him.  I know that is common in many kids, but I worry that he is not getting enough variety.  To date, I have mainly offered it straight up: steamed, roasted, or sautéed.  Won't even bring it to his mouth and on one occasion it was thrown on the floor.

I decided to hide it.  He will eat a few bites of burger, so I decided to stash it there.  I figured I could make a meaty faux burger with TVP.   It was pretty easy since I already had cooked rice from some take out and frozen broccoli.  I cooked it on my griddle pan and it looked deceptively meaty.  I dolloped some ketchup on his bun and offered him a "super yummy hamburger."

Failure.  With a big, fat, capital F.  I felt bad that I served it to him.  Don't get me wrong, it was pretty tasty.  My husband and I enjoyed them as did our daughter.  My son wouldn't put it to his lips.  I took it off the bun and offered a bite on a fork.  He started to cry.  This is not a typical reaction, so I backed off for a while.  I tried again to more tears.  My husband tried.  Hysterics.  We gave up and let him eat carrots, yogurt, and crackers.  Part of me feels guilty that we didn't make a stand, but he rarely gets like that.

All that aside, the rest of us liked it, so here's the recipe.

Broccoli and Rice Veggie Burger
( made 7 patties)

2 Tbsps flax seed meal hydrated for a bit in 6 Tbsps warm water (or 2 eggs)
1 cup TVP hydrated in 7/8 cups boiling water
1 cup broccoli, chopped very fine
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsps soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything in a large food processor and grind almost to a paste.  I left some chunks for texture.  Chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat a griddle pan or large frying pan over medium high heat.

I used a 1/4 cup measure and scooped out mixture and formed thin patties.  I dropped it on the hot pan and cooked about 7 minutes per side.  I flipped when it was brown and crisp on one side.

We ate ours on burger buns with the standard burger fixings (and I put soy cheese on mine as you can see), but my leftovers were equally tasty without the bun slathered with hot sauce.

As a side note, I realised this was also a gluten free recipe if you use the right soy sauce.