Corn Casserole

Corn Casserole

You'll need 2 can yellow cream-style corn, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 can chopped green chiles (drained), 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1 cup milk, 2 large eggs lightly beaten, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1*1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients.  Combine cornmeal, garlic salt, and baking soda then stir into the corn mixture.  Pour into an 11x7 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until an knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

[from CB}

Toddler Veggie Recipes

Rylan loves both the spinach bites and carrots that Tracy mentioned!  He also loves the baked sweet potato fries from her site: http://52weekbabyfood.com/2010/03/25/week-12-baked-sweet-potato-fries/ (he actually loves sweet potatoes pretty much any way).

He also loves these recipes from Maryea's site: broccoli biteshttp://happyhealthymama.com/2010/07/toddler-tuesday-broccoli-bites.html, vegetable croquetteshttp://happyhealthymama.com/2010/07/vegetable-croquettes-and-quinoa-watermelon-salad-with-citrus-basil-vinaigrette.html, and spinach cheese biteshttp://happyhealthymama.com/2010/09/a-birthday-picnic-for-my-baby-girl.html

[from Robin]

Veggie Smoothies

Have you tried smoothies?  You can put spinach, kale, or avocado in smoothies mixed with fruit and it's delicious.  (I know avocado is really a fruit not a vegetable but it is more nutritious than many vegetables!) Here are a couple blog posts w/ smoothie recipes:

http://happyhealthymama.com/2010/03/behold-the-avocado.html

http://happyhealthymama.com/2010/07/toddler-tuesday-thank-goodness-for-smoothies.html

http://happyhealthymama.com/2010/08/toddler-tuesday-dont-give-up.html

http://happyhealthymama.com/2010/09/im-in-pumpkin-heaven.html

[from Maryea]

Toddler Veggies

Spices, spices, spices. Introduce slowly if you haven't done them, but it's funny how I think my boys don't like something, then they try it actually prepared with spices and they do! A few other ideas that I haven't blogged about yet are pasta with zucchini, veggies in smoothies, and zucchini fries. You can always make pizza with good veggies on top, too.


Oh, and you can put good veggies in quesadillas andmeatloaf. Or, melt or sprinkle some cheese on top.


[from Tracy]


I slip the frozen spinach into my daughter's scrambled eggs.  Works every time!  She also loves the spinach bars too!


[from Mollie]


I put spinach and carrots into smoothies and he loves those.  I try to serve vegetables both "disguised" in things, as well as by themselves so he gets used to it all.  I agree with not making it a battle though, and it sounds like you're handling it well.  Rylan's definitely more of a "fruit man" =), but we just try to get in as many veggies as we can.


[from Robin]

Kaitlyn will eat just about anything if it has Parmesan cheese sprinkled over it. 

And spices are a great way to make veggies more interesting.

[from Valerie]

My DD is pretty picky about veggies, but if I boil them/cook them in chicken broth, she LOVES them. She doesn't like cheese either, so that nixes a lot of recipes for me :-(

I buy organic Better Than Bouillon to make the broth. It is healthy, fairly low sodium depending on how much you use, and no MSG. It comes in a glass jar and needs to be refridgerated after opening.  You can find it in the gravy section at the grocery store.

[from Amy]

Crock Pot Veggies

http://52weekbabyfood.com/2010/03/09/crock-pot-basic-recipes/



[from Tracy]

Spinach Bites

http://52weekbabyfood.com/2010/03/19/week-11-leftovers-spinach-bites/


[from Tracy]

Roasted Vegetables

I used to steam all of my veggies and then my (at the time) 18 month old would only eat the green beans.  Which by the way, I found steaming the veggies in chicken broth (like just from the can) gave them much more flavor.  So, I decided to see if he would eat roasted vegetables.  His dad and I eat almost all of our veggies that way, because they're yummy!  


Anyway, you can roast anything.  Our favorites are broccoli (425 degrees for about 25 minutes) and carrots (400 degrees for about 20 minutes).  You can also do cauliflower and asparagus.  For all of these, I toss the raw veggies in a little extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  For the broccoli, I also sprinkle with a little bit of the McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning (may sound weird but it goes well with everything).  My 2 year old loves eating these now.  The carrots almost come out like chips, that's what he calls them.  Everything gets nice and crispy on the outside.  With the carrots, try and find some nice thick ones and cut them into thin slices on a diagonal. 


[from Jaime]

Veggies ad Hummus

We used to do veggies with hummus a lot. I would make Costco's harvet medley (peas, carrots, green beans, and corn). I used to steam it and them mix in a teaspoon or so of hummus. It would definitely be one of our messiest meals, but I gradually added less and less hummus and now he will eat veggies alone.

Colleen

Acorn Squash

We just had acorn squash for the first time this year.  I just cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and put it face down in a glass pan.  I cooked it for about 35 minutes at 350.  Then I took it out, flipped it over, and put some butter in the middle.  I cooked it for about 10-15 more minutes.  It was awesome!  The recipe said to add brown sugar or syrup but DH is on a diet, so I skipped that.  Anyways, it was sweet on its own (like a sweet potato) and really tasty.  Erik liked it, David didn't really, but he is sick and not eating much, so I'm going to try it again when they are both healthy.


[from Kristi]

Toddle Veggies

During the phases where my son was more picky, I remember introducing the dip concept, the sprinkle concept, cutting into shapes, fun names (broccoli trees, bird eggs,...), fun containers to present them in.  I didn't do those all at the same time.  The dip was tried and successful to get us through/past the first phase, sprinkles at the 2nd phase, shapes at the 3rd,... fun names ....  i don't remember the order, just something like that. That's basically how we've made it through so far. 


[from Becca]

Cinnamon Carrots

My LOs have both loved and continue to love cinnamon carrots. I buy fresh baby carrots, cut into disks and cook in the microwave. Add cinnamon after cooking. Healthy and delicious!


[from Nicole]

Easy Stir Fry

When DH is out make DD's favorites....lots of steamed veggies and chicken. She likes the most boring food. :) We did make a delish stir fry last night ~ so easy; frozen stir fry veggies, frozen chicken, 1T corn starch, about 1/4 c soy sauce (cooked meat first, then added veggies and 1 onion, then mixed together corn startch and soy sauce and added over all to make a sauce)....amazing over Basmati rice.

[from Rochelle]

Stir Fry

Tonight is one of my "go-to" meals. It is kind of a hodge-podgey stirfry. I always thow tons of veggies in this. You could use any veggies you want. I will list the ones I typically use. I make a lot to have leftovers for lunches for DH and I. My family loves this and eats a lot of it! Use a big skillet if you plan on making this much. Or spilt in two skillets.




Ingredients:

2 packages of Polish Kielbasa sliced into coins.(There are several kinds, I use a lean one made with turkey)

Any kind of veggie you want to add. I normally add:

Chopped green/red/yellow peppers

Broccoli florets

Chopped celery

Sliced mushrooms

Sliced carrots

Cherry tomatoes halved

Brown rice



Directions: Add kielbasa first to begin browning. Then start chopping and adding veggies. I add carrots and broccoli first as they take the longest. I cook my veggies till pretty soft as Emma still only has 6 teeth but that is up to you. Then I add celery, peppers and tomatoes. Mushrooms come last. Season with Italian seasoning. Cook until veggies are the way you want them. Serve over bed of rice and top with parmesan cheese.

[from Molly]

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

4 cups frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package puff pastry

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.



Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.



In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan, or a large terra cotta pot base, lined with foil, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

My husband does not like curry so I sub. the curry for 1 teaspoon of thyme and sub parsley for 1 teaspoon of rosemary. My family loves this recipe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[from Sue]

Hearty Beef Stew

Add savory and hearty flavors to your favorite family meals as they gently simmer in the slow cooker.



USAGEPrep Time: 15 minutes


Cook Time: 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH



You Will Need

2 lbs. stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes

5 cups cut-up fresh vegetables, such as carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes

1 pkg. McCormick® Slow Cookers Hearty Beef Seasoning

1 1/3 cups water


PLACE beef and vegetables in slow cooker.

MIX Seasoning and water until blended. Pour over beef and vegetables; toss to coat well. Cover.


COOK 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Stir before serving.



[from Sue]

Harmony's Salad

One of my favorite full meal salads is just to add everything that's in your veggie drawer with some chicken or ham from the deli and a few boiled eggs. Add some balasamic dressing and you're good to go!

[from Harmony]

Roasted Veggies

I love to roast everything! Broccoli, asparagus, carrots and potatoes are all really good if you just drizzle olive oil, swish them around so it gets spread out, and throw some kosher/sea salt and pepper on them.

Recently I found a recipe for roasted broccoli and potatoes where you use the olive oil and Montreal Steak seasoning instead of salt and pepper. It is DELICIOUS! I usually roast at 425, for the asparagus I leave them in for about 12 minutes, broccoli for about 25 minutes, maybe 30 and carrots for about 20 minutes. Everything comes out with such a deep flavor and it's nice and crispy on the outside!

[from Jaime]

Ginger Pork and Stir Fry Veggies ****

INGREDIENTS

1 (whole ) pork tenderloin, about 12-oz., thinly sliced

2 tablespoon(s) (grated peeled) fresh ginger

1 cup(s) (reduced-sodium) chicken broth

2 tablespoon(s) teriyaki sauce

2 teaspoon(s) cornstarch

2 teaspoon(s) canola oil (I use EVOO)

8 ounce(s) snow peas, strings removed, fresh or frozen

1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise , in half and thinly sliced crosswise

3 onions, cut into 3-inch pieces



DIRECTIONS

1. Toss pork with ginger in a bowl. Mix broth, teriyaki sauce and cornstarch in a cup; set aside.



2. In a nonstick 12-inch skillet, warm 1 tsp. oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add snow peas, zucchini and green onions, and stir-fry until lightly browned and tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large bowl.



3. In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp. oil; add pork mixture and stir-fry until pork just loses its pink color, about 3 minutes. Transfer pork to bowl with vegetables.



4. Stir cornstarch mixture to blend; add to skillet and heat to boiling. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return pork and vegetables to skillet, stir to combine with sauce and heat through. Serve with brown rice, if you like.


[from improvingmama]

Veggie Cincinnati Chili

My DH used to be a complete vegetarian, so here was a veggie version of the chili Spaghetti:

PREP: 15 minutes COOK: 55 minutes

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 med. Zucchini, chopped small
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz.) Peeled Tomatoes in Puree, chopped
• 8oz. can Tomato Sauce
• ¼ cup Chili Powder
• 2 tsp. Sugar
• 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp Allspice
• 1 can red Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed
• 12 oz. Spaghetti, cooked & drained
• 8 tbs reduced fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Oyster Crackers
• 4 Scallions, trimmed & sliced

*Cook onion over med. High heat for 5 minutes in large pot. Add ½ cup water, if needed to keep from sticking to pan. Add other veggies to pot and cook 5+ minutes, until veggies are softened.

*Add tomatoes, sauce and all spices. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

*Add beans and simmer an additional 15 minutes.

*Cook pasta. Drain.

*Serve Chili over cooked pasta. Garnish each serving with cheese, scallions and oyster crackers.

*8 Servings

346 calories 4 grams fat 10 grams fiber

[from doodiebug30]

Brussels Sprouts

I've never had brussels sprouts but my friend blogged and raved about this recipe:

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
1 tablespoon corn oil

5 slices smoked bacon

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts

1 orange

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard

1 can (4 oz) whole water chestnuts in water

salt and black pepper

Heat the corn oil in a frying pan, then dice the smoked bacon and fry it for 2-3 minutes until it turns golden brown. Rinse the Brussels sprouts, trim them if necessary, and cut in half. Wash any wax off the orange and grate the rind into the frying pan with the bacon and add the butter, mustard, and sprouts. Cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sprouts are crisp. Meanwhile, drain and roughly chop the water chestnuts, stir them into the spouts, and cook them for 3-4 minutes until the sprouts are golden and the chestnuts are heated through. Add salt and black pepper to taste and serve.
 
[from Mama2Henry]