Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hidden Nutrition

A while back I bought a book called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.  It is all about adding pureed veggies to your food to make it extra nutritious with out your kids even knowing that they ate veggies.  You are still supposed to offer the veggies in their whole form too, this just ensures that they get the benefits from them, whether or not they eat them.  I don't completely follow her recipes, but I use them as inspiration to figure out which purees to add to certain foods.  I have had a lot of people asking me how to do it.  It could not be easier! 
First, you chunk up your veggies and place them in a glass bowl or steamer.  I read something a long time ago that said you should keep your veggies in big chunks when you cook them.  Less surface area means less "lost nutrition" from the cooking process.  I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense so I do it that way!
Add a few tablespoons of water to the bowl and loosely cover with saran wrap.  Microwave on high for about 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
Place cooked veggies in a food processor or blender and add a small amount of water.  I like to use my cooking liquid so that I can get back any nutrients that cooked out.  Puree until smooth, adding more water as needed.
Scoop puree into an ice cube tray in rounded tablespoons.  Tap on counter to make sure it all settles in, and add more as needed to top it off.  Place in freezer.
When your puree is completely frozen, pop the cubes out of the tray and place in a freezer bag.  Make sure to label what veggie it is!  When you are cooking, simply pop a cube or two into your hot food, and viola!  Hidden nutrition!!

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