Egg White Crepes

Needed to use up 4 egg whites from Banana Coconut Cream Pie recipe, so found this as a quick option. Many other recipes using egg whites require whipping them to a froth which I just didn't have the patience for.

• 4 egg whites
• 1 c milk
• 1 c flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 T oil
• filling: berries (fresh or defrosted and drained), banana, mini chocolate chips

1. Whisk together egg whites, oil, milk, flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Pour 1/4 c and spread thin in pan. Cook for 2 min over medium heat until lightly browned.
3. Flip and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Put ~2 T filling in crepe and fold in half.
5. Makes about 8 crepes (depending on size).

Variations

1. Add a dash of cinnamon to batter.
2. If too thick, add more milk or coconut milk.
3. Cut recipe in half if only have 2 egg whites to use up, to make 4 crepes instead of 8.

Lentil Cheese Wedges

Based on recipe from Baby Led Weaning Cookbook (this version leaves out the onions). Very easy to make and pretty tasty from the herb mixture.  MM said needed salt but I thought it was fine. Need to cut into thinner fingers for baby to prevent gagging.

• 1 c red lentils, rinsed
• 2 c water
• 3/4 c grated cheese (I used cheddar blend)
• 1 egg, beaten [better with 2 eggs]
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs [or dried coconut]
• 1 t herbs (whatever you have. I used oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, ...)
• black pepper

1. Put lentils and water in small pot. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min, occasionally skimming off froth as needed.
2. DRAIN and place in large bowl.
3. Add cheese, breadcrumbs, spices and egg. Mix thoroughly.
4. Spread in greased 9" cake pan.
5. Bake 375 for 30 min.
6. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Have made this many times since, including:

• Indian style: using cumin, turmeric, chili, curry powder. 
• Used dried coconut instead of bread crumbs to make it gluten-free
• Forgetting to drain the lentils - very moist (better to drain it)
• Double the egg
• Less cheese, different cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, etc)
• Add grated carrot

Adults eat it up - especially those from Oz.

Baked Eggplant and Zucchini Risotto

Based on recipe from Baby Led Weaning Cookbook, but modified to suit my diet (no onion) and doubled to have leftovers for lunch. The veggies all shrunk quite a bit and most of the zucchini broke apart. Would need to cut pieces much bigger next time, but the sizes for 6-month intro worked out well none-the-less...the rice made it all sticky and she was able to suck on the eggplant pieces. Surprisingly tasty despite my lack of fondness for eggplant. MM rated it only 3 *s vs my 4 *s.

• 1 eggplant (medium)
• 1-2 zucchini
• 5-7 cl garlic
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• ~5 c stock, heated
• parmesan cheese, generous amount or less (for BLW watch salt content!)
• pepper
• pat of butter

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Saute garlic in oil for a few seconds.
3. Add the veggies and cook until soft.
4. Add rice and stir until coated in oil.
5. Add heated stock and bring to boil.
6. Pour into 9x13 dish (or large casserole). Cover with foil (or lid).
7. Bake for 30 min.
8. Stir, add more stock as needed. Bake for another 10 min.
9. Add butter, pepper and parmesan. Stir. Let sit covered for few minutes before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

First time cooking with butternut squash, and it was pretty easy.

• 1 butternut squash
• 0-4 carrots, chopped
• 3 cl garlic
• sliced/grated/chopped ginger
• 1 pasta sauce jar chicken stock (or favorite stock)
• 1/2 t cayenne
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t oregano
• ground pepper
• salt
• optional: 1/2 block of cream cheese

1. Optional, but recommended: Pre-roast the squash. Either bake whole at 375 for 1 hour or cut in half and bake cut side down for 30-45 min. Take out and cool slightly before spooning out squash. OTHERWISE, peel and chop squash.
2. Heat oil in pan. Add garlic and ginger, stirring for 30 seconds. Add spices: cayenne, cumin, oregano. Add carrots and stir for a minute.
3. [If squash is uncooked, add it in here. Otherwise wait til after carrots are softer.]
4. Pour in chicken stock and bring to simmer. Cover until carrots are soft.
5. [If squash was roasted in oven, add it in now.] Cook until squash is heated through and soft. Add additional water/stock if needed
6. Season with pepper and salt.
7. Turn off heat. Let cool slightly. Add cream cheese.
8. Blend in batches. Transfer to serving bowl.
9. Serve with sliced sourdough bread.

Variations

10/19/14: 1 squash, cut in half, baked 35 minutes. Scooped from one half, peeled other half and cut. Plus 2 carrots and 1 sweet potato. Ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, hot curry powder. Added 4 c stock and last 5 minutes 1 can coconut milk.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

This was my first time cooking a whole chicken. Worked out surprisingly well - very easy to put together. Spiced it in the morning, put it in the fridge, then put it in the slow cooker before leaving in the afternoon. Most chickens will fit well in a 6 qt slow cooker, but I have a 4.5 qt size one so got a on-the-smaller side chicken and it worked out well.

• 1 whole chicken, small enough to fit in your slow cooker (~4 lb)
• 4-5 carrots, chopped in half or thirds
• optional: celery sticks, cut in thirds
• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 2 t paprika
• 1 t salt
• 1 t thyme
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1/4 t pepper

1. Combine rub spices in bowl.
2. Put onions, carrots and celery on bottom of slow cooker.
3. Remove giblets from chicken. Rub spice mixture all over chicken, and optionally inside and under the breast skin.
4. Place chicken on top of veggies and cover. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until meat is falling off the bone.
5. Serve hot (with rice and greens).
6. Use carcass to make chicken stock.

Chicken Stock

• 1 rib celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• parsley
• thyme
• onion
• salt

1. Pick meat off bone and store as leftovers. Leave in bones, onion and juices.
2. Roughly chop celery, carrot and onion. Add to crockpot along with spices.
3. Fill with water up to 1/2" from top.
4. Cook on low overnight (or 8-10 hours).
5. Run through sieve to separate bone and other bits from the stock. Refrigerate or freeze.
6. Use in split pea soup, hedgehog meatballs, wonton soup, risotto, etc.

Slow Cooker Burrito Beans

This recipe is supposed to mimic refried beans, without having to use the stove. They take quite a long time on high heat, so need to be started very early, or done on low the night before.

• 3 c dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 5 cl garlic, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 3 t salt
• 1 t fresh ground pepper
• 1 t cumin
• 9 c water

1. Place onion, jalapeno, beans, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin in slow cooker. Pour in water and stir to combine.
2. Cook on high for 8 hours (or start night before on low).
3. Pull out beans by strainer to serving bowl, leaving liquid in slow cooker. Mash with potato masher, adding liquid as needed for desired consistency.
4. Serve as filler for burritos. Freeze leftovers.

Tomato Basil Soup with Cheese Dumplings

Made this for dinner and had leftovers for 2 lunches. Originally served with lettuce wraps*. Leftovers heated up with leftover meatballs and ate with toast. The cheese dumplings make this soup much more filling than it would be alone. There end up being quite a few dumplings - I could see cutting that part in half, or just doubling the soup and it all being fine. Soup = ***, Dumplings = ****

• 4 cl garlic, diced
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
• 3 c broth
• 1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c ricotta
• 1 c parmesan
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 c flour (or less when in Canada)
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes, about 1 min, until fragrant.
2. Add in the whole can of tomatoes, broth, basil, 1/2 t salt and some pepper. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat.
3. Simmer for 7-8 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the cheeses, eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Stir just until dough forms.
5. When soup is done simmering, roll dough into small balls (~48) and drop into simmering soup. Cook for about 2-5 minutes until cooked through (depending on size...better to go smaller than what I did in the picture). Note: keep at a simmer only as boiling might make the dumplings fall apart.