I am always trying to get more veggies in our meals. I recently bought a cookbook featured on Oprah that requires a lot of time to puree your own veggies. I do not want to spend that much time steaming and pureeing veggies and fruits, so I buy the small bottles of baby food when it is on sale and add it to different dishes.
Tonight we are having homemade veggie beef soup made with leftover roast beef. To the soup, I also added a 4 oz jar of baby carrots and a 4 oz. jar of baby squash. The brand I prefer is the Organic Naturally Preferred baby food. The 4 oz jars are about .69 cents at my Kroger store. When I make my spaghetti sauce, I add a 4 oz. jar of veggie baby food and no one knows the difference.
It is amazing how easy it is to add veggies into your homemade dishes! Experiment and have fun!
I do this with the Libby's pureed pumpkin (big can) and freeze it into cubes. I bought that instead of the baby food sqaush (a can costs 1.75 year round.) I also discovered it tastes EXCELLENT in macaroni and cheese, just do not go over 1/2-1/3 cup per box. The kids get their vita A and I feel better about it! I love to add it in stew, sauces, and of course the desserts!
By
11/07/2007
a grand idea~! Have two grankids that don't like vegies. I could tell them I died the potatoes...ha ha
By Joyce (Guest Post)
11/07/2007
Even tho I cook and make my own puree, I also use this short cut method of pureed when making different speciality (quick) breads as well, esp carrot bread--I used cooked carrots rather than shredded--I can OMIT ALL OIL that way. Making yeast breads, esp in the bread machines, would love the extra taste of the 3-4 ounces of pureed. Do not eliminate the butter, olive oil, etc you use, just back off on about 1 TB of liquid for the small baby food puree. If you make a recipe you turn out the dough, you can adjust more flour at that point.