Need some tried-and-true meal ideas? I know the feeling and I’m here to help! Every Thursday, I share some of the meals we’ve eaten in the past week—only the winners, because who wants to waste time on recipe fails? Here’s what was on our menu this week:
Roasted Cauliflower with Punjabi Seasoning from Vegetarian India
We rounded this out with naan and chickpea curry—I cut down on the oil a little bit, but stuck to the recipe other than that. This week, we had several breakthroughs with Little Pea where she’s finally eating foods she normally takes one bite of and promptly spits out; cauliflower is one of them. I had read that even if a toddler doesn’t eat a certain food that you should keep serving it to them (as opposed to saying, “well, so-and-so won’t eat cauliflower, so I won’t bother making it”) and I’m glad I followed that advice because it paid off.
Apple, Leek and Butternut Squash Gratin from Martha Stewart
I made this with vegetable broth instead of wine because I have totally become one of those people who fears cooking with wine and serving it to my child. I’m sure I will change my mind when she’s older! But right now I don’t want to deal with a surly drunk toddler! This was definitely missing something and I’m pretty sure that something was booze, but Little Pea loved it and had leftovers for breakfast too.
Pea Fritters from Feeding Finn
I discovered this recipe over the summer and this is the second time I’ve made it; these freeze beautifully and they’re super easy to make. Little Pea likes them cut into quarters and then she dips them in ketchup.
Dina’s Tossed Mushrooms from Skinnytaste + Banana + Veggie Burger
The veggie burger was not touched; we had burgers again over the weekend and I cut it into small pieces this time and then Little Pea ate it. It’s funny how much form matters to toddlers. The mushrooms were another breakthrough for us—I made them expecting that my husband and I would eat them all, but Little Pea finished her serving. Yes!
Emmentaler on Rye with Sweet-and-Sour Red Onions from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Grilled cheese, y’all! Do I even need to tell you how good this recipe is? And how much I love this cookbook? These onions are a staple for us—I put them on burgers, on pizza, in pasta, on other veggies. Little Pea always enjoys grilled cheese and this was no exception.
Toddler Bento Lunches
Trader Joe’s Mini Pitas with Hummus + Health Warrior Banana Nut Chia Bars + Wild Mushroom & Leek Jack Cheese + Red Grapes + HappyTot Ancient Grain Dino Snacks
I worried that this was a ridiculous amount of food for a toddler, but Little Pea only came home with a single pita half and a few stray dinos. When she started school, I was very hung up on having elaborate lunches planned for each day, but I’ve relaxed a lot, which makes mornings less stressful. The thrown together lunches seem to always be the ones she likes best.
Egg, Potato + Cheese Quesadillas + Cumin-Lime Crema + Mary’s Gone Crackers Vanilla Minis + Trader Joe’s Balela + Strawberries
The crema and tortillas were leftovers from the Sheetpan Chickpea Fajitas we had last week; quesadillas are a consistent winner in our bentos. And then balela! My favorite prepared food from Trader Joe’s now that they killed off the Middle East Feast! I’m glad Little Pea likes it too because we can split it for lunch.
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