I generally stick to three vegetables: cauliflower, sweet potatoes and spinach. I am hoping to add carrots to the mix soon.
I pureed some cauliflower today and took pictures so you can see the process.
I started with two heads of cauliflower.
After cutting it up, I steam it until it's soft.
Then I puree it in my food processor. You have to add quite a bit of water to cauliflower to get a good consistency.
Then I spoon it into ice cube trays and if there is extra, I use mini bread pans. I tried just using ziploc bags, but it was messy and there is the extra cost and waste of the bags.
I freeze them for a couple hours and then pop them out (sometimes I have to run a little hot water on the bottom) and store them in big ziploc bags.
So what do I add these purees to? I'm so glad you asked!
CAULIFLOWER: macaroni and cheese (a homemade recipe, not the box kind, and I substitute one cup of milk for one cup puree), ramen noodles and scrambled eggs (I add one or two cubes).
SPINACH: spaghetti sauce (store bought or homemade), any kind of pasta dish, pizza sauce. I like adding pureed spinach in place of bigger spinach leaves because when it's pureed it looks like a spice and my kids can't pick it out!
SWEET POTATOES: pancakes and french toast (I add one or two cubes to the batter and mix it right in)
It works for us! If you can think of other ideas or you have certain recipes you add puree to, please be sure to share with me!
You sneaky little mama you! :) Great ideas!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the ice cube idea, that is brilliant! I do a cauliflower mac n cheese too. I love Jessica Seinfeld's book, she has such great ideas! I thought I would share my recipe with you, the 6 year old can't even tell the difference, she thinks it's just a different brand, LOL!
ReplyDelete1 head cauliflower, cut into florets. 1 pound wheat pasta. 2 tbsp. butter. 1/4 cup flour. 1 1/2 cups milk. 1 cup chicken broth. 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar. 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard. Salt & Pepper to taste.
You can puree the cauliflower if you want, sometimes I just break it up small and leave it as chunks. You boil the cauliflower until it's soft and remove it from the water. Then I cook my noodles in the same pot. In a saucepan you melt the butter, whisk in the flour and then once that has combined well you whisk in the milk and broth. Let it simmer about 5 min until it starts to thicken and then you stir in the cheese. Once it is all melted you can either add in your cauliflower puree or just add the chunks of it and the noodles and mix it together. It's so yummy!