{Baby Approved Meals} Sweet Potato + Lentil Puffs

I have had so much fun planning and pinning meals for Aiden to eat as he grows. Now that he is a big one year old, he pretty much eats what we eat, but I love sharing recipes that I've made along the way in the hopes that some of you can use them for your little ones too. And if you don't have a little one, these are a healthy and delicious snack for anyone!

Aiden loved these when he was first starting to pick up food on his own and they were easy to pack up and take on the go as a snack. They are baby and Mama approved.

Ingredients:
1 Medium Sweet Potato (peeled + chopped)
1/2 cup Lentils
1/4 cup Frozen Peas
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 carrot (grated)
1 egg (beaten)
Olive oil

Instructions:
1.) Add lentils and 1 cup of water to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until lentils are soft.
2.) Steam the Sweet Potatoes until soft (I used the steam feature on my BEABA Baby Cook)
3.) Add Drained Lentils and Sweet Potatoes to a large bowl and allow to cool.
4.) Add the grated carrot, cheddar cheese and beaten egg to lentil mixture and mix.
5.) Stir in the Frozen Peas.
6.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees then form mixture into small balls/puffs. Place on greased baking sheet.
7.) Brush the tops of the sweet potato puffs with olive oil
8.) Bake approximately 30 minutes, turning the puffs a few times throughout the cooking time to ensure they cook evenly.

Other Baby Approved Meals:

Lentil & Brown Rice Soup

Banana & Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

Vegetable + Egg + Cheese Orzo

Healthy Banana Smash Cake

Healthy Carrot Spaghetti

Original recipe found here.

{Baby Approved Meals} Healthy Carrot Spaghetti

I've made this dish many times especially when Aiden was smaller and couldn't quite yet eat what we were eating. He always slurped it down. This spaghetti "recipe" is a little healthier and easier on the bellies of a little one than regular spaghetti because no tomatoes are involved. And since I was always looking for new recipes for Aiden I thought I'd share it with you.

Ingredients:
1 cup pasta
1/2 cup pureed carrots
Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
1.) Boil water and cook pasta as directed on box
2.) Drain pasta and cut up into small pieces
3.) Cut up and steam carrots
4.) Puree carrots
5.) Add pureed carrots to the top of the cooked pasta
6.) Sprinkle with cheese

Other Baby Approved Meals:

Lentil & Brown Rice Soup

Banana & Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

Vegetable + Egg + Cheese Orzo

Healthy Banana Smash Cake

{Baby Approved} Healthy Smash Cake

As Aiden's first birthday approached I decided to look into making my own smash cake for him. Since he hadn't had a lot of sugar I didn't want him to be on sugar overload so I found a recipe for a somewhat "healthy" smash cake and it was surprisingly delicious! We ate the leftovers for breakfast for oh 3 days after his party so I promise, it's yummy. The recipe for the cake and icing are below...

Banana Smash Cake
Ingredients:
5 ripe bananas
1/2 cup homemade applesauce
3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil (melted)
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cups Oat Flour (grind rolled oats in blender)
1 Tsp. Cinnamon

Instructions:
1.) Mash the bananas in in a medium bowl
2.) In a separate large bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and cinnamon together
3.) Add the mashed bananas, applesauce, coconut oil and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
4.) Coat your pans with oil (I used two 8 inch round cake pans)
5.) Spread the batter into the bottom of the pans
6.) Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center)
7.) Cool the cakes before frosting

Cream cheese icing
Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz.) no sugar added apple juice concentrate
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
1.) Soften the cream cheese
2.) Whisk the cream cheese with the apple juice concentrate and vanilla extract until creamy. (It will take a little while for the cream cheese to get creamy, don't give up when it looks super runny, I promise it will thicken up. Just keep whisking, just keep whisking...

Once the cake is cooled, frost it and refrigerate until it is ready to be devoured! I made this cake the night before Aiden's party and it set up well and tasted great the next day!

Inspirational Number Tee from The Blue Envelope

{Baby Approved Meals} Vegetable + Egg + Cheese Orzo

*Disclaimer: My one year old loved this dish on days 1, 3 and 5 but refused to it in on days 2 and 4. Eating is an adventure at this age, just sayin...

Ingredients:
1 cup Orzo
1 cup Frozen peas and carrots
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons Shredded Cheese
1 Tablespoon Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil
2.) Add the orzo and cook 3-4 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally
3.) Add the frozen peas and carrots to the orzo and continue cooking for 2 minutes
4.) Drain veggies and orzo
5.) Whisk the eggs, milk and salt and pepper together in a separate bowl.
6.) Add cheese to egg mixture
7.) Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat
8.) Add the drained orzo and veggies to the skillet
9.) Add the egg mixture
10.) Using a rubber spatula, stir until the eggs are set and have coated the orzo/veggie mixture (3-5 minutes)
11.) Serve warm with additional cheese

Recipe adapted from here.

See other {Baby Approved Meals} here and here.

{Baby Approved Meals} Banana & Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

This recipe is the first in my new series: Baby Approved Meals. I'll be sharing a few simple, tried and true recipes from my kitchen as I've been spending a lot of time there making healthy meals for my little guy. This recipe is the perfect amount of sweet and is a great consistency for your little ones!

Ingredients:
(Makes about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup jasmine rice
3/4 cup coconut milk (plus more as needed)
1/2 cup mashed banana

Instructions:
1.) Combine rice and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
2.) Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer, stirring occasionally until liquid is absorbed and rice is soft.
3.) Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk.
4.) Set aside to cool.
5.) Transfer cooled rice mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too think, add more coconut milk.
6.) Spoon rice pudding into a bowl and top with mashed banana.

Recipe adapted from one I found in this cookbook.