Baby Chicken (or turkey) Nuggets

Our little linebacker began taking interest in our food around 2.5 months and was attempting to steal our forks at 3 months.  We started him on solids at 4 months.  Since he was beginning so early, we decided to feed him purees in lieu of the original plan to practice Baby Led Weaning.

I am a firm believer that good health starts from the beginning.  Growing up, my favorite snacks were carrots with ranch dressing and strawberries.  Today, if you put a crudite tray in front of me, I am still all over it.  Clay and I try to be healthy and really wanted to build a foundation for Bryson that would last a lifetime.  That meant foregoing the convenience of packaged foods and artificial flavors, both in his purees and the adult food he consumed.  Sure, if bacon cheeseburgers and onion rings are your thing, it's easier to give baby a piece of what you're eating, but baby's well-being should trump convenience every time.

I started out making Bryson's purees.  With each new food, he got the jarred stuff once or twice and if he liked it, I made a batch.  I used only organic frozen varieties even though we aren't strict about eating only organic fruits and vegetables.  Frozen vegetables are much more nutritious than canned, or even from the produce section oftentimes, because they're frozen at their peak.

At 6 months, we began to give Bryson chunks of food, starting with things we knew he liked: carrots, pears, etc.  Now that he is almost 8-months-old, he is almost past purees.  At dinnertime, we all sit at the dining table and Bryson gets some of what we're eating.

Since some of our food isn't baby-friendly, I have been experimenting with recipes for Bryson and have stumbled upon a hit!  Not only does he love it, but it's great for him, is easy to make AND can be frozen for future use!

Seriously, iPhone, you couldn't take a better picture??

Ingredients:

- 1 pound ground chicken

- 1 apple 

- 1-2 adult carrot(s)

- 1/2 yellow or white onion

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

- 1/2 garlic clove

- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

- dried thyme, if desired

- black pepper, if desired

Directions:

- Peel the apple and shred the carrot. Cut into chunks and put in a food processor with the garlic and onion.

- Process the ingredients until they're smooth, but still chunky.  They don't need to be pureed.

- Combine apple, carrot, onion and garlic with ground meat.

- Add in the white of the egg.  Adding the yolk may make it runny.  Add desired spices.

- Mix everything together well.

- Add 1/4-cup of the bread crumbs and mix.

- Add remaining bread crumbs if needed.

- Form into balls, then flatten each ball into a nugget shape.

- Heat a stovetop grill or pan on medium heat.

- Add 1 tbsp olive oil and allow it to heat up.

- Cook the nuggets on each side for roughly 7 minutes.  Don't overcrowd the pan or they take forever.

- Finish in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes if you're unsure if they're done.  Babies CANNOT eat under-cooked meat.

Tips:

- I actually used turkey because our grocery store stinks and didn't have ground chicken. You can use any meat, but I recommend using something with 9% or less fat. I used 97/3 because I prefer extra lean.

- Bryson has never had garlic before, so I only added it to half. If your baby hasn't had or doesn't like onion, garlic or spices, play around with the combination.

-This yields a lot of nuggets, so you can freeze them for later.  I packaged 5-6 nuggets together in plastic wrap, then put all of the packages together in one ZipLoc bag.  Adding the plastic wrap helps prevent freezer burn and makes it easier to get smaller portions out.

The apples and carrot release their juices during the cooking process, so the nuggets are super soft and easy to chew.  When Bryson took his first bite, his eyes got huge and he grabbed for more.  I'd say he's a fan!  I hope your little one loves them too!

Freezer Cooking

Plan meals that use the same ingredients in different ways to cut costs and prevent food from spoiling.
GOOD freezer bags are also a necessity!

With Bryson's arrival [hopefully] less than 2 months away, I have started nesting hardcore. I have plenty of projects around the house, but Pregnancy Brain Syndrome makes concentrating on one thing nearly impossible, so I decided to buckle down and knock out the least time consuming- prepping some meals for the freezer.

Friday night, Clay had a friend over, so I spent 2 hours in the kitchen chopping and bagging. Because of those 2 hours in the kitchen, I have about 2 weeks worth of meals frozen and ready to go! Since we eat foods that are low on the glycemic index, foods that are typically considered convenient aren't for us, so this will make our lives much easier! 

 I've had a few people ask for recipes and/or what I put in the bags, so here you go! 

On the menu: 

Teriyaki Chicken 

Meatloaf 

Roast 

Beef Stew 

Paleo cheese steak 

Pork tenderloin 

Marsala sauce 

Beef Stir-fry 

Chicken Stir-fry 

Stuffed Bell Peppers 

Spinach Lasagna

The ingredients listed below are what's actually in the bag/foil. I labeled each bag and if you don't know how to make the dish, writing instructions on the bag is helpful. Unless otherwise noted, nothing is pre-cooked. 

Teriyaki Chicken 

Baby carrots 

Red onion, chopped 

Pineapple 

Garlic 

Chicken breasts 

Teriyaki 

-- Directions: Toss everything in the crock pot with water or chicken broth and cook on low for 6 hours.

Meatloaf 

1 pound ground beef 

1 pound ground turkey 

1 egg 

Yellow onion, diced 

Dale’s 

-- Prep Notes: I actually added a ton more than this because I had extra stuff. I tossed in diced tomatoes, minced mushrooms and minced bell peppers. They'll add flavor, moisture and nutrition, so if you have anything left from any recipe, toss it in! I lined a meatloaf pan with foil, formed the loaves, then popped the foil out and froze the loaves in gallon-sized bags. Without the pan, there's so much more room. 

-- Directions: Thaw completely.  Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. 

Roast 

Pork sirloin roast 

Baby carrots 

Cubed red potatoes (Normally don't use these, but will need some carbs)

Frozen cut green beans 

1 onion, chopped

-- Directions: Pour the contents in a crock pot and cover with beef/chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Beef Stew 

2 pounds beef, diced 

1 onion, chopped 

1 bag green beans 

Few stalks of celery, chopped 

1 can diced tomatoes 

-- Directions: Pour the contents in a crock pot and cover with beef broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Paleo Cheese Steak 

3 pounds steak 

2 onions, sliced 

4 bell peppers, sliced 

Worcestershire sauce 

Wing sauce 

-- Prep Notes: This actually made three bags, so you can definitely change up the ingredient amounts. 

-- Directions: Preheat a skillet with a tablespoon of olive or canola oil. Pour the contents of the bag in the skillet. Cover with lid [or foil]. When the onions are translucent and meat is cooked through, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and place under broiler for a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
Source

Pork Tenderloin 

1/2 cup pineapple juice 

Soy sauce 

Ground mustard

Ground black pepper 

Minced garlic 

-- Prep Notes: I thawed a few pieces of the frozen pineapple I had for the teriyaki chicken, then smashed it with a fork to release the juice. No need to buy cans of pineapple juice that you won't use AND you get some yummy chunks. 

-- Directions: Thaw thoroughly, then wrap in foil. I like to slow roast on 300 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is roughly 145 degrees (the recommended safe cooking temperature for lean pork is no longer 160 FYI). 

Marsala Sauce 

8-10 white mushrooms, sliced (or 1 small pre-sliced container) 

1.5 onions, sliced 

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth 

Marsala cooking wine 

-- Prep Notes: This is pre-cooked and just makes an easy topping for chicken. Before bagging, allow the sauce to cool. Lay the bag flat in the freezer until it's frozen through, then you can stand it up like a book. 

-- Directions: Slice mushrooms (or buy them sliced) and onions. Cook the onions on medium-high heat in a preheated pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once they begin to soften, add mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes, until mushrooms release their liquids. Pour in a can of chicken broth and marsala cooking wine to taste. I eyeball this, so I have no idea how much I use, but I'd guess between 1/4 and 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper. If there isn't a lot of liquid, add more broth. Bring to a rolling boil and leave it for roughly 2 minutes, then turn down to a simmer until the liquids have reduced by roughly half. 

Beef Stir-Fry 

1 pound lean beef 

1 bag stir-fry veggies 

1 small can water chestnuts 

Stir-fry sauce 

Soy sauce, to taste (can be added after cooking instead) 

-- Directions: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and toss in the contents of the bag. Cover with lid or foil until cooked through, stirring occasionally. 

Chicken Stir-Fry 

3 chicken breasts, cubed 

1 bag stir-fry veggies 

1 small can water chestnuts 

Stir-fry sauce 

Soy sauce, to taste (can be added after cooking instead) 

-- Directions: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and toss in the contents of the bag. Cover with lid or foil until cooked through, stirring occasionally. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers 

7 bell peppers 

1 pound ground turkey 

1 onion 

Roasted red peppers 

Mushrooms, diced 

1 small can crushed tomatoes 

Worcestershire sauce 

-- Prep Notes: Brown the ground beef and allow it to cool before combining with other ingredients. Mix all ingredients, then place in bell peppers. To ensure the peppers don't fall over, cut the very bottom of each pepper, but not too far up. You just want to level the pepper off, not cut a hole in the bottom. I froze each pepper in its own bag. 

-- Directions: Thaw the pepper(s) completely. Take out of the bags and place in a casserole. Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Spinach Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey

1 small tub part skim ricotta cheese

1 jar no sugar added spaghetti sauce

1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg

-- Prep Notes: This is not cooked through, but the ground turkey is browned.  Freeze in a disposable foil container for easy cleanup.

-- Directions: Brown ground turkey and drain.  Allow to cool completely.  Combine thawed (and drained) spinach with ricotta cheese, egg, and seasonings (I use Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper).  Put half the meat on the bottom of the dish, layer with the ricotta mixture, then top with spaghetti sauce.  Repeat the layers.  When you're ready to cook, allow it to thaw completely, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Make sure your bags are clearly labeled.

Weekly Food Prep

I like junk food. A lot. I just can't eat it, thanks in part to Fibromyalgia and the remainder to my waist that prefers to stay small... well, you know after B-Man gets here. Small is not a word to describe my waist currently. The best adjective would probably be nonexistent.

Being that I work full time, spend 40 minutes in traffic to get to the gym after work, drive 25 minutes home, have 2 puppies to tend to immediately, then need to straighten up and prepare dinner, I have many 12-13 hour days. On those busy days, it's easy to talk myself into "just one more" burger. Or better yet, Chick Fil-A. Yum!

In an effort to prevent stops for oh so good greasy junk, I spend roughly 2 hours preparing for the week on Sunday afternoon. It takes some practice and I won't lie- the first few times you do it can be crazy overwhelming. I'm hoping this post of tips will help you learn to do it. They aren't a real guide for how to do this yourself as meals change week to week, etc., but just things I've learned through trial and error.

Before I begin ANYTHING, I make a meal plan. You can download the Excel spreadsheet I use here. I try to use one ingredient in multiple meals. Not only does it cut down on prep time, but also on grocery costs and wasted food! We have the same meals for lunches all week and variety for dinner. I package his lunch in individual bowls so all he has to do on early tax season mornings is grab a bowl and run.

Start by cooking any meat that can be cooked ahead of time. I cook roughly 4.5-5 pounds of chicken for Clay's lunches throughout the week. Once the chicken breasts are in the oven, I can forget about them for a few minutes and start working on the other stuff. If I'm making anything that requires browned beef or turkey, I start it before moving on to chopping. Browned meat can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days, or can even be frozen for later use. If you make a recipe that uses browned meat often, double up on the meat and freeze half for next time. It's a HUGE time saver.

Other meats that aren’t prepped ahead of time, but need to be marinated, like steak, should be prepped next since that's quick and easy. Put the marinade in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, season the meat, then toss it in the bag. Done and out of the way!

When you're cooking things like rice, pasta or vegetables ahead of time, start them early so they can be working while you're doing the prep work for items to be cooked later. This week, I steamed cauliflower after the meats were taken care of. For both applications (paleo pizza crust & mashed “potatoes”), it had to be steamed to the point of falling apart, so I poured the entire bag of frozen cauliflower in the steamer and moved on to something else for 10 minutes.

When everything you plan to cook ahead of time is working, start prep work for things to be cooked later. Some meals, like the Philly cheese steak below, cooking ahead would ruin in the integrity of the dish. Instead, I slice the peppers, onions and meat, and store them together in a gallon zipper bag. When I'm ready to cook, I don't have to chop anything and clean-up is only one pan!

When everything begins coming together and ingredients are packed up, I chop fresh fruit and veggies for snacks. Snacks are incredibly important to me since I try to eat 6 small meals throughout the day, especially while pregnant. My best friends are small plastic bowls and snack-sized bags.

This was last week's fruit haul.  This week I made a fruit salad and packaged in small bowls.

Now, some easy prep ahead recipes:
Slow Cooker Pot Roast: Brown the meat during your weekly prep, then let cool. Place all ingredients, except water, in a zip bag. On the morning you're ready to cook, pour the contents of the bag in the slow cooker, pour in water, turn on the slow cooker and forget it!

Fajitas: Slice peppers and onions on prep day and toss in a bag. Season and slice chicken; put it in a smaller bag inside the pepper & onion bag. When you're ready to cook, oil a skillet and brown the chicken, then add the vegetables. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in one bag and toss in a slow cooker, then top with 1/2-1 cup of chicken broth. Slow cooker recipe here.

Stuffed Bell Peppers: Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, chop and saute veggies and cook whatever meat you choose to use. You have two options for storage. You can combine the ingredients and fill the peppers and place them in the dish you intend to cook them in, cover with foil, and pop them in the fridge 'til you're ready to cook. Alternatively, store the filling in a zip bag and the cored peppers in a separate bag, to be filled when you're ready to cook. If you have too much filling, put it in a bag and freeze for next time.

Baked Ziti: Make your favorite baked ziti recipe, but DON'T bake it. Instead, combine all ingredients in a baking dish and cover with foil until it's ready to cook. Some great looking recipes are here: Cheesy Spinach & Turkey Ziti & Traditional Baked Ziti w/ store bought sauce

Slow Carb Philly cheesesteak: Slice peppers, onions and steak and store all together in a zip bag. When it's time to cook, you'll only need to pour the ingredients in a skillet with the seasonings.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken: Chop cilantro, juice two limes, and combine in a zip bag with chicken. Pour the contents in the slow cooker and top with salsa when ready to cook.

A few other tips:
If you pack your salads in mason jars, the air doesn't get in to wilt the lettuce. Because tomatoes and other veggies lose moisture, putting them in the bottom makes the moisture fall away from the lettuce, also preventing soggy greens! You can even put the dressing in first and just shake when you're ready to eat!

If you plan on having burgers, don't cook them ahead of time! Not only will they lose moisture in the fridge, but they'll be even dryer after microwaving them. Instead, combine your raw meat and seasonings then form into patties. Stack the patties on top of each other with a piece of foil between each, then wrap in plastic wrap or pop in a sandwich-sized bag.

If you're cooking a dish that requires one ingredient to begin cooking first, use multiple bags! For instance, sometimes onions need to cook for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. I do not want to chop before I cook, so I do it with my prep and put them in a sandwich-sized bag, then put that bag in the gallon-sized bag with the other ingredients. It still keeps all of the ingredients together, but keeps the onions separate for easy removal.

The juices of raw meats can't always be contained by zip bags, so ALWAYS safeguard the rest of your fridge. I use larger plastic bowls to contain the bags for each meal. Sure, I started that at first because as a self-diagnosed OCD gal, organization makes me happy, but then I realized the bowl was great because a leaky steak bag didn't contaminate my produce drawer!

If you have left over sauces or soups, you can always freeze them for use later. To save space in your freezer, skip the bulky bowl! Instead, pour the [cooled] sauce, etc in a bag and lie flat in the freezer. Gently remove all air from the bag, then zip closed. I always lean the end of the bag against something to prevent any leakage. When the sauce is frozen solid, it will stand up like a book! Thank you, Grandmama, for that little tidbit of knowledge. It's been used frequently!

You've probably picked up on this, but if you're bulk cooking/preparing, zipper bags are a much better option than bowls. They take up much less room and there's no clean up!

Do you have any prep ahead or storage tips you've learned? I'd love to hear them!