Whole Wheat Papparadelle with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Mushrooms

This is a healthy dinner that's full of flavor your whole family will enjoy. This meal is loaded with calcium, vitamins A, C and D, folate, fiber, potassium, protein and whole grains. This is for little ones 12+ months who are ready for finger foods. Make sure to cut everything you are feeding to your little one up into bite size pieces.

Here's what you need: Serves 4
4 to 5 pieces of uncooked chicken sausage
1 package whole wheat papparadelle
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup pasta water
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tblsp Italian seasoning
pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook papparadelle according to package (Make sure to reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining). While papparadelle is cooking, heat a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Cut open sausage casings and put meat into skillet. Saute meat until golden (about 7-10 minutes). Set sausage aside but keep juices in skillet. Add garlic and mushrooms to skillet and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add kale and chicken broth, cover skillet and cook until kale wilts. Add papparadelle, parmesan cheese, pasta water and pepper. Toss to coat. Add sausage back to skillet toss to coat again. Cook for another 2 or so minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Kale, Mushroom and Cheese Multigrain Pancakes for the Whole Family

I love a savory breakfast, so I thought I would come up with a savory pancake. This is a yummy, savory, healthy breakfast the whole family can enjoy.  These pancakes are full of essential nutrients for you and your little ones. Kale is a super food that is jam packed with essential nutrients. It's full of calcium, vitamin A, C, folate, fiber and iron. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, folate, choline, and fiber. These pancakes are also a great source of whole grains. These are for little one's 10+ months who are eating finger foods, and for mommies and daddies of all ages.

Here's what you need:

3/4 cup multigrain pancake mix 

Handful kale finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped (almost minced) cremini mushrooms

1tblsp grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 tblsp olive oil

olive oil cooking spray

Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Ladle pancake batter into skillet. Flip when you start to see air bubbles. Repeat with rest of batter. Serve and enjoy! Serving size for your little one is 1 pancake. You can refrigerate these for up to 4 days, and freeze for 2 months. 

Orzo with Italian Sausage, Bell Peppers, Kale and Cannellini Beans in a Portobello Mushroom Sauce

I started making orzo the other night and realized I did not have any sauce or diced tomatoes to go with it. I looked in my cabinets and found 1 container of Trader Joe's Cream of Portobello Mushroom soup. It's not quite sauce, but I thought it could work, and it did! I love when that happens! This meal is full of whole grains, protein, iron, calcium, fiber and Vitamins A and C. You can puree it for little one's 9+ months, or cut up into bite size pieces for older little one's eating finger foods.

Here's what you need:
1 cup whole grain orzo
1 yellow bell pepper diced
1 to 1 1/2 cup chopped kale or 1-2 handfuls (remove leaves from stem and chop)
1 package nitrate free fully cooked italian sausage ( I always use Niman Ranch) chopped
1/2 onion finely diced
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
1 can cannellini beans drained
1 10 oz container Trader Joe's Cream of Portobello Mushroom soup or 1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tblsp Italian seasoning
Pepper
Salt
2 tsp olive oil

Cook orzo according to package. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 2 or so minutes. Add peppers, sausage, cannellini beans, and chicken stock. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add cooked orzo to skillet. Pour cream of mushroom soup into skillet and stir. Add chopped Kale, Italian seasoning, and season with a little salt and pepper if you like. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! Make sure to check the temperature on your bottom lip before serving to your little one. Serving size for your little one will be between 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.

Bucatini with Chicken and Kale for the Whole Family

This is a really yummy, healthy and super easy dish the whole family can enjoy. It's jam packed with calcium, vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, protein and whole grains. You can puree this for little one's 9+ months, or serve in bite size pieces for little one's eating finger foods.

Here's what you need: (Serves 4)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into approx 1 inch chunks
2 cups chopped Kale (I just pulled of stem and apart with my hands)
3/4 pound Whole grain bucatini (a little more than half the package)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-2 shallots finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tblsp grated parmesan
1 tblsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
Salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil, add bucatini and cook according to package. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Drain rest of of water and set pasta aside. While pasta is cooking, coat a large deep skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add it to skillet. Cook for approx 6-8 minutes on each side. When chicken is cooked set aside on a plate. Add 1 cup chicken broth, garlic, and diced shallots to same skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes scraping up the brown bits on bottom of pan. Add Kale and lemon juice. Cover and let simmer until Kale wilts. Add salt, pepper,  nutmeg, parmesan, and Italian seasoning, and stir. Add chicken, pasta, and pasta water. Toss to coat. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool for a minute and then serve. Serving size for your little one will be between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup. If you are pureeing, puree with a little filtered water.

Mini Meatloaf for the Whole Family

 My mom used to make mini meatloaf for us when we were kids. It's a great way to quickly make meatloaf for the whole family.  I changed a few things from the original meatloaf recipe to make it appropriate for my little guy. I also added minced carrots and chopped kale to the meatloaf mix to add vitamins A and C, betacarotene, calcium, and iron. This can be pureed with a little water for little one's 8+ months, or served as a finger food. 

Here's what you need:

1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)

1/3 cup tomato paste

1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped kale

1 large organic carrot peeled and minced or grated

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 tsp onion powder

1 garlic clove minced

pinch ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Spoon meatloaf mix into each cup of a cupcake tray. Put tray in oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. Serving size for your little one is 2 mini meatloaf. Enjoy!  FYI You can freeze these for up to 2 months