In the beginning, the biggest challenge was this: I didn't really know how to cook before the twins came along. I knew the basics, like opening a can, boiling noodles, and assembling a casserole of some kind. And don't forget the cheese. Lots and lots of it. I never had to read a label or think too hard. Just open, heat, and serve. As I once heard Paula Deen say on a tv interview, "I didn't get this way by lookin' at the pictures!" We've come a long way, Baby!
My Grandma's stew saved my twins' lives. It's the only thing I knew how to make that had a full recipe without any substitutions. And in talking with a friend who makes her own baby food for her sons who also have allergies, I learned about the Cuisinart SmartStick. Meant for smoothies and the like, it makes a GREAT puree tool for in-the-pot puree.
POT ROAST/STEW RECIPE:
4 potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch chunks
2-3 carrots cut into coins
Slab O' Meat: 1-3 lbs of any red meat more than an inch thick or stew meat. Be brave! Buy it and try it! (stew meat was too chewy for my guys to handle or to puree well when they were little).
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder shaken to taste over the meat (read labels to make sure there aren't any allergy warnings or added ingredients).
2 celery stocks cut into 1/4" wide U's (what is that, sliced?)
1 onion chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (read the label for any extra ingredients or allergy warnings! I've picked up many o'can with milk and wheat warnings. UGH!)
1/2-1cup of water.
Put everything in the slow cooker in the order listed. Then cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, depending on how thick the meat is. I recommend LOW. It's done when it comes apart easily with a fork. I pureed it right in my slow cooker. I was very careful not to scratch it!!! It could also be done in a blender if you wait for it to cool and then do it in batches.
Serve alone, or over rice.
STORAGE: Refrigerator: Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days (I write the date in sharpie on the foil or plastic wrap covering the dish). Freezer: For babies I would put it into ice cube trays and cover the trays with foil, put the date and "Stew" on the foil, and freeze. If I needed the trays again, I'd dump the cubes into a freezer Ziploc bag and label the bag.
REHEATING FROZEN CUBES: To reheat, I'd microwave it in 30 second increments, stirring carefully to make sure the heat gets evenly distributed. BE CAREFUL! Don't overheat it for those babies, and mix it well so there aren't any hot spots!!
TRICKS: 4 fresh tomatoes work just as great as canned, especially from the summer farmer's market, but add more salt to compensate. You can add frozen veggies to the top if you don't have fresh ones to add to the bottom (carrots, peas, and green beans work best). And you can do the meat without the extra veggies or anything. Just top the meat with seasonings, tomatoes and water, and it will still turn out well, just with less flavor, or omit the tomatoes and baste with olive oil).
Enjoy!
Love,
G
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