I think the sooner you share flavours and textures with your child, the more their palate will be open to new and varied things. Of course, follow your pediatrician's recommendations for introducing new foods and certain allergens.
Following my husband's Israeli custom, we give our son his largest meal for lunch (with meat, grain, veg, etc) and a light dairy meal for dinner. I find this makes for a much less frenzied evening.
I am NOT what you would call "a cook"; I don't particularly like to cook and I do particularly dislike to follow recipes. Here are some standbys in our home that are relatively quick, nutritious, and painless to make:
SUPER Macaroni & Cheese w/Vegetables
You could start this recipe from scratch, but I start with a box of organic mac 'n' cheese (any brand will do).
Follow box instructions for cooking pasta & drain in colander.
In saucepan (from cooking pasta) add a pat of butter or margarine (I use Smart Balance w/Omega-3) and a splash of milk.
Add your powdered cheese and stir until completely blended.
Now comes the "super" part: add shredded cheese of your choice until it's nice and creamy (you will need to add splashes of milk here and there to keep it at a smooth consistency, so keep that handy).
Sprinkle in some spices of your choice. I use: garlic powder, paprika, dried basil (in that order). There's no need to add salt; the powdered cheese and added cheese has plenty.
Now you can add any vegetables of your choosing: broccoli, chopped tomatoes, avocado, zucchini, green peas (or all the above). If you want to have a more blended mac 'n' cheese and avoid the chunky vegetable aspect, simply blend or grate as appropriate and then mix.
Zesty Fish (w/Salmon OR Tilapia)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
On any old baking tray or pan lay a sheet of aluminium foil large enough to fold around whatever piece of fish you are using (I usually give half a salmon steak or half a piece of tilapia sliced length wise).
Lash some olive oil around the middle of the foil (I always use extra virgin olive oil) and place your piece of fish on top.
Sprinkle some more oil across the top of the fish (use sparingly, especially with salmon, which has plenty of its own oils).
Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt (turn my grinder once and shake) and paprika across your fish.
Grate some lemon zest and sprinkle across your fish (the zest adds great flavour and aroma without turning bitter like the juice in cooking).
Fold your foil around your fish like a package, starting length wise and lightly rolling the sides in (so you have a rectangular parcel).
Stick in the oven for about 15 minutes (fish should flake easily when cooked, and salmon should not be pink in the middle).
(CAUTION: Carefully open foil parcel as steam will pour out.)
Chicken Drumsticks w/Tomato-based Sauce
This recipe is all about the sauce.
Start with a small (6oz) can of tomato paste (use anywhere from half the can to the whole thing depending on how thick you want your sauce; I start with half and add a little as I go.)
(You can sautee some chopped onion before adding the tomato paste to your saucepan, but if you're in a rush, it really doesn't matter)
In a medium saucepan, add the paste to some warmed olive oil.
Pour some warm water (or chicken stock) into your saucepan to thin out your paste and create your sauce (I preboil in an electric kettle: STAND BACK and turn down the heat when adding the water, you don't want to scald yourself!)
Remember, you want enough liquid to cover your drumsticks, but the level will rise as you add the pieces.
I give a nice sprinkle of the following: garlic powder, basil, salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, some tumeric (less than the rest). (Note: if you're using stock instead of water, be careful not to use too much salt.)
Add your pieces one at a time and return sauce to a simmer.
Cover and turn heat down as low as possible while maintaining a simmer.
Cook anywhere from 40 min to an hour (the meat will practically fall off the bone and the flavours from the sauce will have saturated it nicely.)
(Note: you can add in any vegetables you'd like to the sauce once the chicken has cooked for maybe 25-30min: diced potatoes, zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, celery, etc.)
I serve with rice or "ptitim" (see below).
(To come...)
Chicken Drumsticks w/Broth and Vegetables
Israeli Meatballs
Israeli Kebabs (or Sauceless Meatballs...)
5 Minute Broccoli
Go-To Squash
Beet Salad
Israeli "Couscous" or "Ptitim" w/Sauteed Vegetables
Not-Your-Average Scrambled Eggs
Israeli Salad
Avocado Salad
Cinnamon & Nutmeg Pancakes
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