Are you a puree mom too?

I recently put up a recipe that calls for Sweet Potato Puree...

Are you a puree mom too?

It all started when I started making my own baby food. I loved making fresh foods and knowing exactly what was in my sons food. I found I ALWAYS had purees on hand anyway, so started using purees in my everyday cooking. I used lots of recipes and ideas from the first Jessica Seinfeld recipe book “Deceptively Delicious”. Although all my kids don’t eat baby food anymore, I STILL keep making purees and them on hand all the time. But now it’s just because I LOVE tricking my kids!!

I definitely bought the second book as soon as it came out, and am really starting to master the art of hiding veggies in meals. I feel excited again about making meals! If you’re like me... I just get so tired of making the same old meals and HATE that moment when you have to think of “what to make for supper” ugh... Adding purees makes me feel like I can be a little creative and just feel good that I am making each meal just that much healthier. It does actually put a little fun back in cooking. Not to mention how fun it is to win when the kids are eating veggies and don’t even know it! Score ONE for MOM!

But how do I have time?

I make a little extra veggies at a meal and puree them, or take a day once and awhile to do all my purees in a day OR if I have something about to go bad in my fridge I puree it all right away. This helps with the grocery bill! I find makes fewer trips to the store because I never throw away bad veggies, can buy in bulk and nothing gets wasted!

I freeze them in muffin tins, which is a perfect 1/2 cup size for almost every recipe/meal, then pop them into a freezer bag and have a big basket in the freezer full of bags of purees. This is so great because I always have a veggie (and frozen fruits too, puree or not) handy even if I have none fresh, and can add them to so many dishes!!

I usually have sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, banana, those which use the most, and spinach, beet, and butternut squash at all times. Plus chick peas or navy beans in a can to quick puree if I want to use. (I also freeze a few purees in mini muffin sizes, which is about a ¼ cup size OR you could try an ice cube tray, that way you can use 2 or 3 and have more variation to your recipes, and I use beets, spinach and banana especially because I throw one of each into smoothies in the morning if I don’t have fresh spinach or banana.... and yes...beets! Maybe I’ll blog about my smoothies tomorrow...)

They are all so easy, I buy fresh veggies and steam whole to get the most nutritional value, but I cheat with sweet potato...I just buy frozen organic peeled and cubed sweet potato at Costco and it's as simple as steaming them and throwing them in my Majic Bullet. Great for the Quinoa recipe I put up in the last blog.

Here are a few TIPS for using your purees in meals:

Some are tricks from the Jessica Seinfeld books. I do recommend her books. But now that I have mastered a few recipes myself I just toss purees into anything I can think of!

I put broccoli and carrot purees in my meatballs or meatloaf...they NEVER know!! Then I grind up all bran buds and use them mixed in or instead of breadcrumbs, so you’re getting veggies and fibre too! Adding bran/fibre to groundbeef helps to cut down on your body absorbing the fat! So you can still have a meatball once and awhile!

Then I throw carrot puree in all my tomato/or spaghetti sauces for any pasta! Sometimes with ricotta cheese too for added protein! Next I’m going to try it in tomato soup!

So my spaghetti and meatballs is full of carrots, broccoli fibre and added ricotta cheese without anyone knowing! I feel like an evil genius!

Carrot and Cauliflower are good way to get more veggies in my homemade chicken noodle soup, Cauliflower in awesome in mashed potatoes- gives it great flavour without adding sour cream! Plus in macaroni and cheese and even in scambled EGGS with a little cheese, and maybe some crumbled turkey bacon too! I bake my scrambled eggs in muffin tins for something different and they make a great homemade egg McMuffin to go, or egg Benedict knock-off if you only want half the English muffin!

Spinach is fun to make green eggs too! Or use fresh or puree broccoli in eggs with a little cheese and pour into tart shells for quiches, these actually freeze good and make good eat on the go breakie or snacks!

(I love cheddar cheese, but I use ¾ mozza and ¼ cheddar to cut down the fat.)

Banana is great to have on hand for banana bread (of course), toss into pancake or waffle mix, smoothies and oatmeal! But oatmeals a whole other blog, I love my oatmeal in the morning!

Beets make fun pink pancakes, add a little vanilla and cinnamon for a little flavour!

Applesauce is of couse another versatile “puree” I always have, but no, don't make it anymore. Great in pancakes, oatmeal, and did you know it is a great substitute for OIL in any of your favourite muffin and cake recipes!?

I hope my little tricks give you some cooking inspiration, I know we can all use a little trick or variation when it comes to the task of meal-making.