Preparing Thai food is quick and easy. Most recipes are cooked on a stovetop for a short period of time making Thai food ideal for weeknight dinners. Plus soups and curries can be made ahead of time, frozen and reheated for serving.
Here are some fantastic Thai recipes to please everyone from babies to grown-ups!
It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and we are celebrating going green with some tips on some of our favorite green fruits and vegetables.
Asparagus
According to the National Cancer Institute, asparagus contains a high amount of Glutathione, one of the body's most potent cancer fighters. Additionally, Asparagus is high in rutin, which is valuable in strengthening the blood vessels. Asparagus is also a source of protein, vitamin A and C, calcium and iron.
My favorite green vegetable is asparagus. We like to prepare if simply by drizzling it with a Tuscan olive oil and salt and pepper. We roast it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Cindy Hall, Fresh Baby Client Services
Here are some great tips for using asparagus.
Avocado
The best way to tell if an avocado is ready for immediate use is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will yield to gentle pressure. One-fifth of a medium avocado (1 oz.) has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a good nutrient choice. The fruit is naturally sodium-free and cholesterol-free, and due to its mono and polyunsaturated fat content, is a great substitution for foods rich in saturated fat. They also enable the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene, and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. Avocados also contain natural plant sterols, which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, lutein to help with eyesight,
- Source: The California Avocado Commission
Avocado freezes well in the Fresh Baby So Easy Storage Trays . Just mash and freeze for future use.
Broccoli
When it comes to great-tasting nutrition, broccoli has a lot to offer. The stems of broccoli are similar tasting to asparagus and the florets are like cauliflower. A cup of cooked broccoli offers as much calcium as 4 ounces of milk, as much Vitamin C as an orange, and is very rich in vitamin A. Broccoli contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc too. It is also high in fiber and low in calories.
By including broccoli regularly in your diet, you can reduce and prevent ailments like cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, high blood pressure and it may help lower blood cholesterol. The nutrients in broccoli also build strong bones, boost the immune system, and lower the incidence of cataracts and birth defects. In addition, broccoli's wealth of the trace mineral, chromium, may be effective in preventing adult-onset diabetes in some people.
Try this Broccoli and Rice Casserole recipe
Salad
You may have heard people comment that lettuce is just empty calories. This is just not true. While iceberg lettuce is not a nutritional powerhouse, other salad greens are nutritional champions.
As a general rule, the darker the leaves, the more nutritious the salad green. Just as an example, romaine and watercress have seven times as much beta-carotene, two to four times as much calcium, and twice the amount of potassium as iceberg lettuce.
By simply choosing a variety of salad greens you use in your salads, you can enhance the nutritional content and enjoy new tastes and textures. Give it try!
Lemon and lime juice cubes
I buy limes and lemons when they are on sale and juice them. I fill the trays with juice and freeze. I always have juice cubes handy. I have found the cubes are fresher tasting than the bottled stuff and it saves me money because I don’t have to buy citrus fruits when they are out of season and expensive.
Canned leftovers
I “cube” leftover canned goods. When a recipe calls for a small amount of a canned ingredient. I hate to waste the leftovers, so I pour it into a tray. I find the cube size prefect for future use. Right now in my freezer you can find coconut milk, tomato paste and chipotle pepper cubes.
- Cheryl Tallman, Fresh Baby founder
Leftover chicken stock
It’s a great way to prevent waste and to always have some on hand when preparing the family meals.
Pesto
A couple of cubes of fresh, frozen pesto added to hot pasta makes a great lunch for any toddler!
Ice painting
A summertime favorite for my toddler. Freeze washable paints in the trays either alone or with some Popsicle sticks stuck in there. When the temperature rises, pull out the colorful cubes and put them to paper or old cloth!
Smoothies
Freeze yogurt to make smoothies later on.
- Nannette Melamed, Fresh Baby Media Director
Mashed Potatoes
I have two trays with mashed potatoes in my freezer. It’s my teenager’s favorite food. For a quick snack she pops out cubes and adds veggies or just seasons to her taste.
- Becky Doan, Fresh Baby Account Manager
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Chutney is a popular Indian Condiment that is made from fruits or vegetables with vinegar, spices, and sugar. It is commonly served with roasted meats or vegetables and curries. It also makes a great snack with cream cheese and crackers.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Let cool. Pour into a blender or food processor and process to a smooth texture. Pour the sauce into an ice cube tray, cover and freeze until ready to use.
Serving: Remove a chutney cube from the freezer, defrost and combine it with pureed or mashed beans, meats rice or vegetables. At the beginning, try a small amount of chutney and work your way up to more. Here are some winning combinations for tasty chutney-infused dining:
Coconut Curry Sauce Cubes
Yellow Curry Powder is often associated with Indian cooking. It's a blend of spices, which vary by region, food, and cooking style. Most Indian curry powders contain turmeric, coriander and cumin. At the market, choose a curry powder labeled "mild" for this recipe.
This recipe uses Coconut Milk which can be found in the Asian section of your supermarket. Coconut milk sometimes separates into a thick layer of white coconut and a watery liquid. Shaking the can before opening can recombine it, but if that doesn't work, pour the contents of the can into a blender and whirl it, or pour it into a bowl and use a whisk to blend it together.
Ingredients:
Place all contents in a blender and process to smooth texture. Pour into a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour the sauce into an ice cube tray, cover and freeze until ready to use.
Serving: Remove a sauce cube from the freezer, defrost and combine it with pureed or mashed beans, meats rice or vegetables. When first introducing the sauce, try a small amount and work your way up to more. Here are some delicious combinations for awesome coconut curries:
When it comes time to feeding your baby solid foods, your initial vision might be dipping a spoon into a little jar of pureed peas, carrots or bananas. Did you know that your baby will eat about 600 of these cute little jars of baby food? And that the cost of all these jars can add up $400-$600?
If you are interested in making a HUGE dent in this baby budget line item, we recommend you make your own baby food. Now don't laugh, roll your eyes or start trembling at the thought of cooking - most people find it surprisingly simple and quick to make baby food.
Homemade baby food will cost less than $100, saving your family up to a whopping $500! And before you say" but who has the time", think about using the tried n' true ice cube tray method of making baby food. It will take only 30 minutes per week! There are not many things you can do in 30 minutes a week to save hundreds of dollars.
Here are the four basic steps to making baby food:
Step 1: Start with fresh fruits or vegetables. Depending on the type of food, you will need to wash, chop, and peel the fruits and vegetables. If you are using frozen produce, simply open the package.
Step 2: Cook the food in the microwave or steam the food on the stove. Foods are done when the can be pierced or mashed easily with a fork.
Step 3: Pour the food and cooking juices into a food processor or a blender and puree to a soft and velvety texture. You may need to add water to get the right texture.
Step 4: Spoon the food puree into ice cube trays. Cover and place them in the freezer. When frozen, pop the baby food cubes out into a freezer storage bag. Baby food cubes stay fresh for up to two months in the freezer.
When it comes time to feed your baby, simply select baby food cubes from the freezer, defrost and the rest is YUM!
There are few more money saving secrets to making baby food:
Who knew, with a blender, some fruits and vegetables, and a few minutes in the kitchen would save hundreds of dollars? Now - you do. Happy Parenting!
-- Check out our So Easy Baby Food Kit here !
Ingredients:
· 4-6 D’Ajou, Anjou, or Bartlett Pears
· 1/8 tsp vanilla
· 1/8 tsp ground ginger
1. Prep
Wash the pears. Peel skin and remove the core. Cut the fruit into 1-inch chunks or slices.
2. Cook
Microwave Method: Place the pears in a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle the pears with vanilla and ground ginger. Cover with a lid. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. The fruit is done if a fork slides easily into it or it can be mashed easily. Place the fruit and 2-4 Tablesoons of the cooking juice into a blender or food processor.
Stove Method: Pour 1 cup of water in a large saucepan. Set a steamer basket in the saucepan. Place the pear pieces in the steamer basket. Sprinkle the pears with vanilla and ground ginger.Cover the saucepan and place on a stove burner. Set the burner temperature to HIGH and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. The fruit is done if a fork slides easily into it or it can be mashed easily. Place the fruit and 2 to 4 Tablespoons of cooking juice into a blender or food processor.
Puree the pears in the blender or food processor to a smooth texture. At least once during the puree process, stop the appliance and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Pour or spoon the pureed pears into ice cube trays and cover them. Put them in the freezer for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.
Write “PEARS” and the date on a freezer storage bag. Remove the baby food trays from the freezer and quickly run hot water over the back of the tray. Twist the tray to pop the pear cubes out and into the freezer storage bag. Place the storage bag in the freezer.
Makes: About 24 one-ounce servings
-- Learn more at www.FreshBaby.com.
Step 1: Prep - Wash, peel, core and cut apples into one-inch (3 cm) slices.
Step 2: Cook - Place apples in a microwave safe dish. Cover. Cook 5 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes. Cook an additional 5 minutes. The apples are done when they can be pierced easily with a fork.
Step 3: Puree - Place apples and cooking juices into a blender or a food processor. Puree to a smooth texture.
Step 4: Freeze - Spoon into So Easy Baby Food Trays or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer eight to 10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.
Makes 24 1-ounce servings. Stays fresh for two months in the freezer.
To serve, select frozen apple cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.
Age to introduce: About 6 months
