Toddler Cafe - Jennifer Carden [19]
Fold the whole peas into the pea purée. Pour onto the warm pasta or rice. Serve with a dish of grated cheese and extra sauce for pouring or dipping.
variations
Add cooked white beans, shredded raw zucchini, or cooked bacon or chicken to the pasta.
Add dried dill or dried thyme to the sauce when blending. When adding dried herbs, make sure they have time to rehydrate by adding them into hot liquid or cooking them in the sauce. Dried, crispy herbs can be unappealing to eat.
homemade gnocchi are a great toddler food because you can flavor them with anything and they are easy to eat. this is a dish from italy that can be made in many different ways with tons of different ingredients; put your thinking cap on and start to get creative. there are much more complicated ways of making these, but this is very quick. i like to add pesto or sun-dried tomatoes to the dough.
knock knock gnocchi
makes about 6 small servings
ingredients
1 cup instant potato flakes
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon prepared basil or sun-dried tomato pesto (optional)
1½ cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole-wheat flour
Butter, olive oil, and grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
preparation * Place the potato flakes in a medium bowl. Pour in the boiling water; stir with a fork until blended. Let cool slightly.
Boil a 4-quart saucepan of water. Once boiling, add 1 teaspoon of the salt.
Stir the egg, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pesto (if using) into the potato mixture. Blend in enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead a few turns to bring it together.
Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a long, thin roll, about the diameter of a nickel. With a knife or a bench scraper dipped in flour, cut the rolls on an angle into bite-sized pieces.
Place about one quarter of the gnocchi in the salted boiling water. As the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a shallow serving dish. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.
Serve warm with butter or olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.
variations
Try adding 2 tablespoons goat cheese or shredded Cheddar cheese to the dough.
Substitute vegetable juice, such as carrot, instead of water in the dough.
crispy gnocchi
If you want to use premade gnocchi, first cook them, then drain and toss into a hot sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Let them cook on medium-high heat until golden and crunchy. Top with tomato sauce or another favorite sauce.
toddler tip
Get your kids to say “Knock knock gnocchi” five times fast every time they eat one!
recipe note
Freeze leftovers such as pesto sauce, lemon juice, or coconut milk in small zip-top bags. Lay them flat to freeze, and then thaw as needed; just snap off a frozen corner to add to sauces or soups.
here is a very easy way to make homemade ravioli. gyoza wrappers can be baked, fried, or boiled like pasta. in this case, the wrappers cook up just like pasta, with a creamy inside. serve with browned cinnamon butter, or just plain as a great finger food. freeze extra pockets for those nights when the kids are hungry and you’re too tired to cook. just boil, drain, and serve.
pumpkin pockets
makes 60 ravioli
ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
One 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus
1 tablespoon for pasta water
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note on page 66)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 package (60) round gyoza wrappers (see note on page 66)
2 tablespoons butter
Grated Parmesan cheese
preparation * Place the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high for 30 seconds to soften. Add the pumpkin and stir to combine. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, the nutmeg, and cinnamon, and mix with a stick blender or by hand until the filling is smooth.
Place a ½ teaspoon–sized ball of filling in the center of each wrapper. Wet the