#TestKitchen Adventures: Spinach Pancakes

We've been trying really hard the last little while to find some more recipes for the boy-o that incorporate veggies into them to make sure he's getting enough of the good stuff. I want to feed him delicious food as well, so finding recipes that meet both criteria is important. The latest success story, which has been totally boy-o approved, is Spinach Pancakes! I think they taste pretty awesome too.

Spinach Pancakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce (or 1 mashed banana)
• 1/2 cup cooked spinach, drained

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
3. Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat and grease with oil.
4. Pour about 2 tablespoon of the pancake mixture onto the griddle, cook 2 minutes or until bubbles start forming on the surface and the bottom is golden brown.
5. Flip the pancakes and cook for 2 minutes longer.

To Freeze: Allow to cool, place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready, place in toaster or oven to reheat. 

Not only are these pancakes super healthy, they freeze well, and they're delicious! The boy-o is more than happy to fill his tummy with them, and they make a great option for mom too.

Baby Quesadillas: Chicken and Black Bean

I've been scratching my head the last little while trying to come up with some more finger foods the boy-o can eat to encourage him to feed himself more often. With this ridiculously cold weather we haven't gotten out much the last week and the fridge was looking pretty bare. Then I remembered we had a can of black beans and decided to try making up a simple quesadilla for the boy-o and made myself a breakfast one by adding an omelette to mine. I used up little bits of stuff we had in the fridge and it was a huge hit! So it's definitely going on the menu rotation from now on.

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadilla for Baby:

Ingredients:

- one tortilla wrap cut in half

- black bean (or assorted bean) pureed

- a few pinches of grated cheese, or some sliced cheese

- a little bit of ripped up cooked chicken

- a spoonful of rice

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees,

2. Combine black bean puree with chicken bits and rice. Mix well.

3. Spread black bean mixture on one half of the tortilla.

4. Add cheese on top of bean mixture and place other tortilla half on top.

5. Place on baking rack and bake until tortilla is lightly toasted and filling has melted. Remove from oven and LET COOL. Do not serve to baby hot! You can cut up the tortilla half into 4 little triangles to serve and let baby hold it, or rip into bite sized pieces depending on self feeding ability level.

TIP: Be careful not to overfill the tortilla as that will make it harder for baby to eat. A little goes a long way!