April 9th, 2010
By now, at 19 months, Paloma chews very well and loves to munch away at the original Bowl of Goodness. Still, this baby version remains among her favourite breakfasts.
Ever since becoming interested in raw food, I’ve been experimenting with making my daughter’s ration rich with a variety of different food groups and flavours. Besides the obvious green smoothies, soups, and fruit purees, the amount of raw options for babies and toddlers who cannot chew very well, is quite limited. I haven’t been able to find many recipes of the sort, so to turn the situation around, I started coming up with my own.
Most of our breakfasts include grain sprouts, and my intention was to create a similar dish, but one that requires little chewing on Paloma’s part. The first logical step was to simply puree freshly sprouted grains together with some fruits. Surprisingly, that doesn’t taste too good. When fresh sprouts are broken down completely, their flavour intensifies and becomes quite grassy and unpleasant.
For my next try, I gently dried the sprouts in a dehydrator, and then ground them in a coffee-grinder into a sort of flour.
To specify, I usually mix oat groats, buckwheat, and sunflower seed sprouts, reserved from making chocolate granola. I also thought about incorporating other valuable ingredients, such as chia and flax seeds, hemp hearts, goji berries, and raw pistachios*. These were also ground until flour-like. The ground blends hold up well when refrigerated, which is quite convenient for, say, taking with you on the road, or just having handy at all times.
For the base of this raw cereal, I used a dried apricot and prune puree. You can utilize any kind of fruits to make a base for this cereal, but I especially like the combination of those two (unsulfured) – they become creamy in consistency, not to mention their health benefits.
To prepare, soak the dried fruits in purified water for about an hour. Drain, and blend in a food processor, adding some water to create a smooth and creamy preserve. When Paloma was younger, I froze it in small portions, but now, since she eats more, I keep it all refrigerated in a glass jar.
Next, add some of the flour blend into the puree.
For the final touch, mix in homemade kefir, raw goat milk/yogurt, or nut milk for a vegan version.
A typical baby breakfast still-life at our house:
*If you worry about giving nuts to your child, just exclude pistachios from the list. I like them particularly because they are the only nuts that contain a significant amount of lutein and zeaxanthin – antioxidants that are great for eyesight.
Bon Appétit to your little ones!
Post by: A
Tags: a, baby, food, food for tots, paloma, raw food, recipe
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April 6th, 2010
After a holiday feast, all that I desire is a glass of this – smooth, sweet, and green. It’s so simple, I often wonder why I didn’t think of the drink myself.
Take some familiar greens, or better yet, be adventurous and pick the brightest leaves with the strangest name. A bunch usually serves about three people. Add a banana per person, the riper the better. Stop here for a classic combination, or go on to add some kiwi, apple, grapes, mango, or berries for a more fruity flavour. Add about 1/2 cup of water per person and blend well until smooth and bubbly. Generally, this kind of smoothie tastes like fruit, but some greens overpower the sweetness. Those include collard greens, Swiss chard, and, the mightiest of all, arugula – nothing can mask its presence. But after drinking them for a while, you will get used to the taste of the leaves and learn to enjoy their freshness.
The fact is, green leafy vegetables are very good for you, being the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food and all. Another fact is, it’s difficult to eat enough. Make a sizable salad, chew it for an hour, and you will still not get as many greens as in a smoothie (nothing against salads here). I cannot imagine a morning without this beverage, it is my only coffee.
All of the friends who drink them feel same way, green smoothies are energizing and it’s catchy how clear-headed they make you feel. Paloma has one twice a day, for breakfast and dinner.
To further advocate, here is a little anecdote – one of my friends insists on drinking the smoothies exclusively out of a wine glass, as she believes they deserve nothing less.
Tags: a, baby, drink, food, food for tots, m, raw food, recipe, salad, staple
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March 8th, 2010
This raw soup has become a true staple in our home. It is incredibly refreshing and simple to prepare and is very nutritious – just look at all that colour! Paloma eats it almost daily for either lunch or dinner and seems to enjoy it immensely. The original idea is by Valya Boutenko, it is unquestionably my favourite recipe from the Boutenko family (thank you, Valya!). The recipe below has been modified just a little in a way that works best for us.
1 haas avocado
1 bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch spinach
juice of a half of lemon
1 1/2 – 2 cups purified water
1/2 teaspoon Celtic salt (optional)
*Garnish with dulse flakes – important, this adds a whole other dimension to the flavour
Chop the peppers and avocado roughly. Put all the ingredients in a blender and whirl until creamy.
I like to serve this soup with raw crackers – the recipe is coming soon.
Some of my friends have told me that if a bell pepper is nowhere to be found in your kitchen, you can substitute it with a cucumber for another delicious variation. I have yet to attempt this version, but will try it soon.
Bon appétit!
On a side note, March 8th is International Women’s Day. Happy Holiday, ladies.
Post by: A
Tags: a, baby, food, raw food, recipe, soup, staple
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