Coconut Chicken Tenders for the Whole Family

I found this recipe on pinterest and could not wait to try it. It's a yummy alternative to your basic chicken finger. My husband and I ate these with Trader Joe's sweet chili sauce, and my little guy ate his with a little honey. Your little one can also dip these in applesauce. This is for little ones 12+ months who are ready for finger foods. I served this with steamed broccoli.

You can find this recipe here.

Tex Mex Chicken with Zucchini for the Whole Family

I made this the other night and it was a big hit! Believe it or not this is a Weight Watchers recipe. I did Weight Watchers after having my son to help lose the baby weight. Not to sound like an ad for them, but I found so many delicious family friendly recipes on their site. I was so surprised! This recipe is full of yummy, heathy goodness for the whole family. I served this over whole wheat couscous. This is for little ones 12+ months and mommies and daddies of all ages.

Here's what you need for 4 servings:
12 to 16 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch chunks
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 zucchinis halved lengthwise and then chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tbsp minced garlic
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


In a small cup, combine oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Place chicken in a bowl and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture; reserve remaining spice mix.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate.

Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and sauté until lightly browned but still crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and corn to skillet; sauté until zucchini is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Add garlic and reserved spice mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and their sauce; bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Add chicken and 1/4 cup water (to prevent chicken from sticking to pan); cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until chicken is cooked through about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro; serve and enjoy! Remember to make sure the pieces are small enough for your little one so they wont choke.

Whole Wheat Penne with Grilled Chicken in a Spinach Sauce

I'm a huge fan of using pureed veggies as sauces, so when I saw this recipe I had to try it. This is from Giada's cookbook Giada's Family Dinners. It was a huge hit with my whole family, especially my little guy. I added grilled chicken to this pasta dish to add protein and make it more of a meal. This is for little ones 10+ months who are ready for finger food.

Here's what you need for 4 servings:
3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts grilled and cut into small pieces
1 pound whole wheat penne
3 garlic cloves
2 oz goat cheese
1 oz reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
6 oz baby spinach leaves
2 tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. While the pasta cooks, grill the chicken and then cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl. Add the drained pasta, and chopped chicken. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking water to moisten (I used around 1/4 cup). Remove your little one's portion and cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Season the rest of the pasta with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, serve and enjoy!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is my family's favorite meal. There's nothing yummier or more comforting than a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. This is for little ones 10+ months who are ready for finger foods.

Here's what you need:
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 jars marinara sauce
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
handful pine nuts
1 1/2 cups finely chopped baby spinach
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package. While pasta is cooking mix beef, pork, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, pine nuts, chopped baby spinach, 1 tsp salt and some pepper in a big mixing bowl with your hands. Don't over work the meat that will make your meatballs mushy. Form little meatballs and set aside. Heat a large deep skillet with 2 tbslp olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they are browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). While meatballs are cooking, pour marinara sauce into a medium to large size pot and heat over medium heat. When meatballs are browned add them to the hot marinara sauce, cover and let simmer for 10 or so minutes (make sure to stir often so sauce wont burn). The meatballs will continue to cook in the sauce. When pasta is cooked, drain and put in bowls. Spoon sauce and meatballs over the pasta, serve and enjoy! Make sure to cut the meatballs and the pasta up for your little ones. (You can freeze these meatballs for up to 2 months)

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Gnocchi

One of my goals this year is to learn how to make homemade pasta. I saw this recipe and thought I'd start here. I made this dish with the brown butter and sage sauce, that you can find in the link below, and served it with chopped grilled chicken. I think I still need to work on the texture of the gnocchi (I think I should've added 1 more egg), but the flavor was spot on and delicious. It was a big hit with my husband and my little guy. When I'm feeling more confident in my gnocchi making skills, I might try to throw some more pureed or chopped veggies into it. This is for little ones ready for finger food and mommies and daddies of all ages. You can find the recipe for this dish here. Enjoy!

Rachael Ray's Crispy Parm Crusted Fillet of Fish

This recipe is from Rachael Ray's Look & Cook cookbook. I made this last weekend for my whole family and it was a big hit. I try to give my little guy fish once or twice a week because of all the amazing nutrients that are found in fish. Fish are considered a complete protein, as they contain all 9 amino acids. They are also filled with Omega3s which are essential for our little ones. I used petrale sole for this recipe. Petrale sole has an extremely low amount of mercury, which makes it safe to feed to your little one. This is for little ones 10+ months who are ready for finger food. I served this with sauteed Brussels sprouts, but you can serve it with any veggie you like.

Here's what you need for 4 servings:
4 6oz fillets of petrale sole
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tblsp fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
2 lemons
Salt
Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Set up three dishes for breading the fillets. In the first combine the flour with a little salt and pepper. In the second, beat the eggs with a splash of water. In the third, combine the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, thyme, and the grated zest of one lemon. Dip the fillets in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the bread crumb mixture. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat with 2 tblsp olive oil. Saute fillets 2 at a time for 3 minutes on each side (only turn once). Add 2 more tbslp of oil to the skillet and repeat the previous with the last 2 fillets. When fish is cooked squeeze lemon over each fillet and serve. Serving size for your little one is 3 oz or 1/2 a fillet. Make sure to cut your little one's portion up into bite size pieces. Enjoy!

Basil and Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Sauteed Zucchini and Tomatoes for the Whole Family

This recipe was a big hit with my husband and son. It's a super flavorful and healthy meal that's so easy to make. This meal is full of Vitamin A and C, calcium, folate, potassium, iron, zinc, and protein. This is for little one's 10+ months and Mommies and Daddies of all ages.

Here's what you need for 4 servings:

Basil and Parmesan Crusted Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tblsp dried basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
4 lemon wedges
cooking spray

Mix basil and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Dredge the chicken through the basil and Parmesan cheese mixture to coat both sides. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 7 minutes on both sides. When chicken is done squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each piece of chicken. Serve and enjoy! Remember to cut into bite size pieces for your little one. (Serving size for your little one is about 1/2 chicken breast cut up).

Sauteed Zucchini and Tomatoes
4 medium zucchinis chopped
2 cups organic cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves minced
pepper
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about a minute. Add chopped zucchini, pepper, Italian Seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Saute until tender about 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and toss. Saute for about 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!