A Nutritional and Flavorful Punch to Mealtime!!

From: Kim
By pureeing healthy eats like spinach, green beans, sweet potatoes and more into recipes we can add a nutritional (and flavorful) punch to most any dish we make for our children!
Here are a couple Make-Ahead Recipes that I found online at
http://www.blogger.com/www.thesneakychef.com :

Make-Ahead Recipe #1: Purple Puree

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves*
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries, no syrup or sugar added
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons water
*Note: I prefer raw baby spinach to frozen spinach for this recipe (more mild flavor); if you must use frozen spinach, only use 1 cup of it.

Raw baby spinach should be well rinsed, even if the package says “prewashed.” If you’re using frozen blueberries, give them a quick rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.

Place the spinach in the food processor first and pulse a few times. This will reduce the spinach significantly. Next add the blueberries, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water; puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to create a smooth puree.

This recipe makes about 1 cup of puree; double it if you want to store another cup. It will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Make-Ahead Recipe #2: Orange Puree

1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2 to 3 tablespoons water

Place the carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Careful - if the carrots aren’t tender enough, they may leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your kids—a gigantic no-no for The Sneaky Chef.

Drain the carrots and sweet potatoes and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth – no pieces of vegetables showing. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store more. Orange Puree will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Have fun making delicious and nutritious meals!

Smiles and Son-Rise hugs!

Kim