Hanukkah Recipe - Vegetable Latkes

Hi All

What a fun day it was announcing to our families the gender of our twins! How fun was that?! Can you believe it - two boys!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to get into the holiday season so let's kick off the season with the first celebration - Hanukkah - this year it starts at sundown on Friday, December 11th.

As many of you know I grew up on Long Island, NY and I spent a lot of time in Massapequa. The two predominant ethnic/cultural heritages there were Italian and Jewish, hence the nickname "Matzo-Pizza". Even though I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools through High School (and was seriously considering going into the priesthood - but that is another blog for another day!), I was exposed to the Jewish culture. One of my best friends back on Long Island is Jewish and I spent so many holiday celebrations with him and his family.

Enough about me - let's get into cooking!

Latkes, also called Potato Pancakes, are a traditional Hanukkah dish that are pan fried in olive oil. This is done to remember the miracle in which oil was needed to light the eternal flame in the Temple - there was only enough oil for one day but miraculously it lasted for eight.

In my recipe, I add some veggies to this as it is a great snack for baby/toddler as well as the whole family. Do NOT just make this for the holidays and forget about it until next year - this can be eaten all year round. It was our turn for snack at Alina's Co-op a few weeks back and I made several batches there and served them fresh...the kids LOVED it, especially when I served it with some Organic Applesauce for dipping...that was so fun and healthy! What a great way to get veggies into a snack...And the parents and teacher could not get enough either.

The Goods:

Vegetable Latkes
Country: Israel
Babies: 12+ months

Ingredients:
1 large Zucchini, grated
1 large Yellow Squash, grated
1 large Carrot, grated
1 large Yukon Gold or Russet Potato, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 C of Matzo meal or all-purpose flour
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
butter or olive oil
applesauce and/or sour cream for dipping

Directions:

Put all the grated veggies in a cheese cloth or clean kitchen towel and squeeze to discard the excess water. Note: for younger babies, run the veggies though a food processes to create a finer consistency.

Then place the veggies in a bowl an combine the egg, matzo meal, salt and pepper.

In a non-stick pan, melt the butter or heat the oil on medium heat (taste wise I prefer butter - just a person opinion), Using a large soup spoon or ice cream scooper drop enough latkes mixture into the pan to form small pancakes about the size of your palm or smaller. Don't overcrowd the pan.

Cook the latkes 6 minutes per side, adding more butter/oil as needed. Serve immediately or you can keep cooked latkes warm on a wire rack set in a baking pan in the oven.

Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream for dipping.

Latkes will last for about 3 days in the refrigerator or freeze them for up to 2 months. To reheat, set oven to 350 and bake for about 5 minutes until warm.

Yield: 14-16 Latkes


PS - Thank you for all your well wishes on the announcement of our twins. We really appreciate it!

PSS - We will be sending out holiday gift ideas soon, along with tips and recipes for the season!

PSSS - We should be able to announce our special pricing and delivery options on my first book The Baby Cuisine Cookbook just in time for the holidays. Please, if you know a friend(s) who would be interested have them sign up at: http://www.alinascucina.com/signup.php.

With Gratitude,
Shane

(c) 2009 - Shane Valentine

Tarragon Carrots - Quick and Easy Side Dish for Thanksgiving

Of the many Thanksgiving holiday meals, some are pot-lucks and you never really know what's in some of the dishes (like the candied yams that come in a can swimming in High Fructose Corn Syrup). Or sometimes it's an old family recipe that tastes amazing but is not really that good for you. Now you can say, "it is just once a year" and as an adult you can make that decision, but for your baby - maybe not so much.

Here is a simple recipe with minimal ingredients but full of flavor - Tarragon Carrots. It is from my new book "The Baby Cuisine Cookbook". It's so good the entire family can enjoy it and I will give those tips in a moment.
Here are the goods:

Tarragon Carrots

Country: France

Babies: 6 months +

Ingredients:

7 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1/8 C fresh tarragon, chopped
1/2 C water

Instructions:

Steam carrots for approximately 15 minutes, until fork tender.

Using a hand blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree steamed carrots, tarragon and 1/4 C of the water.

Continue to blend, adding in the remaining water as necessary. For older babies, you can simple fork mash.


Yield: approximately 2 Cups

Variations for adults:

So if you want to make extra, just keep the ratio of carrots to fresh tarragon the same. You can also roast your carrots in the oven and then toss them with a little melted butter and tarragon. Feel free to sprinkle a little sea salt and fresh pepper and WOW you have a hit and you did very little work! Mmm delicioso!

Enjoy!!

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!


With Gratitude,
Shane

PS - My first book,"The Baby Cuisine Cookbook" will be out in stores early next year but I will have a special, unbelievable, irresistible offer sent only to our members before they hit the shelves! Don't miss out on this special promotion (and just regular updates on us) please sign up on our website here: http://www.alinascucina.com/signup.php. You won't be disappointed!

It is free to join and if you are already a member THANK YOU, and if are signing up today THANK YOU too! And we don't sell our list so your email is safe with us.

PSS - remember to check back on Friday as I will post the video on our twins' gender announcement to the family -- it is going to be so fun!

PSSS - If you know someone that might like my blog and/or my new book, please forward this on to them - Thanks!

(c) 2009 Shane Valentine

Choosing Organic – When Possible

When it comes to food, today we are faced with so many choices in the marketplace and some parents are forced to ask the question, “Should I choose organic or non-organic?” Some of us feel guilty when our decision is based on our family food budget.

I am here to tell you: Do NOT feel bad… at all!

One thing I think we can all agree on is that we want the best for our kids and family. The reality is that we all do the very best we can. As you follow my blog and learn about Baby Cuisine and Alina’s Cucina, you will see that we promote the choosing of organic ingredients. However, I want to stress to you that you don’t ever have to feel bad when/if you can’t buy organics because of the price tag. Like my friend Shannon Salverda (owner of Chatterbox Learning) says in her video series and lecture circuit, when it comes to parenting “there are no ‘shoulds’”.

All you can do is make the best possible choices based on the information you have. Here is one resource on buying produce that will help you make those choices.

“The Dirty Dozen” is a short list published by the non-profit organization Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/). They suggest that if given a choice, choose the organic version of these 12 fruits and veggies due to the high level of pesticides used to harvest these crops non-organically:
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (imported)
11. Carrot
12. Pear

Here is the link to list: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Also, in my new book, “The Baby Cuisine Cookbook” there is a chapter written by Dr. Tamara Cullen, ND, (my co-author) on teaching healthy eating habits. This includes the definition of “organic“ and suggestions of what to do when your budget is a concern.

So in summary, the most important goal is to feed your baby fresh, wholesome food! Introduce them to the flavors of the world, help enhance the development of their taste buds and set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits! If it is organic – great. If not, don’t fret…know that you are an amazing parent and are doing a wonderful job! We are all in this together and I am here to help. If you have any questions, comments, concerns please feel free to drop me a note at shane@alinascucina.com and follow me on twitter (twitter.com/AlinasCucina). I look forward to hearing from you!

For more information on Shannon Salverda and Chatterbox Learning please visit her website http://www.chatterboxlearning.com/ as well as her video series on Speech, Language and Learning in the Expert Advice page on my website at http://www.alinascucina.com/expertdetl.php?id=4

For more information on Dr. Tamara Cullen, ND, and her practice at the Naturopathic Family Medicine please visit her site at http://www.naturopathicfamilymedicine.com/ as well as her video series in the Expert Advice page on my website at http://www.alinascucina.com/expertdetl.php?id=3.

With Gratitude,
Shane