What does “delicious food” mean? It depends on who you ask. That’s why every month our Feel Good Food Plan – filled with nutritious recipes and a few wild cards – is hosted by someone new. In October, VP of Digital Video June Kim wrote about cooking (and reading novels) as a new parent.
Exactly one year ago, my life completely changed: I had a baby. Earlier, she would wake up multiple times a night because she was hungry and needed milk. During those long nights I would daydream about the day when she could finally eat solid food, maybe That This will be the key to a good night’s sleep for her and me.
When she was about five months old, I noticed her curiosity starting to grow. She watched in amazement as I ate toast and scrambled eggs in the morning. When the food was nearby, she opened her mouth. At her next pediatrician appointment, we gave her the go-ahead to start solids. I will never forget the day she tasted real food for the first time – mashed avocado.
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My baby girl doesn’t shy away from smell. Luckily for me, she’s keen to try just about anything. With a few adjustments, she can eat anything I eat: used-up frittata cut into thin strips, mojo meatballs without chili or salt, cooked lemon zucchini pasta. Testing and saving recipes that are delicious enough for me has become a rewarding challenge and Safe for my baby. This way, at the end of a long day, I can spend time enjoying a meal with my family without having to worry about making multiple dishes to suit different needs.
October’s Feel Good Food Plan leans toward recipes that are low-stress, baby-friendly, and tasty enough for the adults in the room.
Delightful Recipes for October
This fall, I’m leaning toward slowing things down. I’m trying to live in the present and enjoy my favorite season with my curious children. Nothing makes you appreciate the here and now more than eating together, so it’s important to me to instill this in my daughter as soon as she starts eating solid foods. Everyone eats the same thing, which is a wonderful commonality. Some nights, this doesn’t go as planned. That’s okay too.
Weekend broccoli orzotto
I’m a simple girl–put a serving of cheesy carbs in front of me and I’m happy. This Orzotto is the epitome of comfort in a bowl, with its tangy cheddar sauce covering broccoli and tiny slices of Orzo. This is a recipe that checks a lot of boxes for me. It’s made up of pantry staples thrown in one pot and ready to serve in about 30 minutes. This is also a dish specially designed for babies. Cooking it unseasoned means my daughter is ready to devour it with a baby spoon. (Babies under a year old should not have salt added.) Then, after giving her one portion, I can season the rest myself—and add some spicy broccoli florets on top for an adult-only garnish.
A family-friendly dinner that even the youngest kids will love.
Soothing Dal as a Starter Solid Food
When I first started my daughter on solid foods, I wanted to ease into it. While I had learned how to perform CPR on babies, I certainly didn’t want to test those skills. I mainly eat mashed foods like avocados, baked sweet potatoes, and white rice porridge. When I was ready to make a real recipe for her, one of the first dishes I made for us was this comforting dal. It has a lot of flavor considering how quickly it comes together. Grated apple brings a slight sweetness to the lentils, while garlic, ginger, and onion provide a savory base for warm spices like turmeric and cumin. When she first tried it, I spooned some lentils to her using her delicate silicone baby spoon as she eagerly explored the new feeling of food in her mouth. She ate it by the spoonful and I made a mental note of this recipe to rotate every week.
This smooth lentil soup is the antidote to festive excess. Skip the yogurt to make it vegan.
Freezer-friendly fritters
Vegetable fritters are something I like to keep on hand as a quick addition to lunches and snacks for the little ones. I just take one out of the freezer and heat it up quickly in the microwave. Even though I mostly make this recipe for my babies (no salt), I’d be lying if I said I didn’t steal some of these Herbed Cauliflower Fritters for myself. I love that this recipe uses a clever shortcut that makes this recipe even easier to put together: a bag of frozen cauliflower rice.
Frozen cauliflower is more than just a side dish. Here, a quick heat in the microwave will shred veggies into a hearty vegetarian main dish.
Porridge for bad weather
Whenever I feel a little under the weather, I crave porridge. This pork and shiitake mushroom porridge uses a genius technique of rinsing and freezing the rice before cooking, which breaks it down and cuts cooking time in half. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the recipe—it has a surprising depth of umami thanks to the presence of minced pork and fresh shiitake mushrooms. When serving it to my little one, I omitted the soy sauce for her and just drizzled some on top, along with some chili crisps for me and my husband.
Since porridge can take hours to cook on the stove, we came up with a clever trick: rinse and freeze the rice overnight.
More feel-good finds this month
Stylish pants for your postpartum body
Postpartum body shape adjustment quite experience. Most of my prenatal clothes didn’t fit well (if at all), and I’ve been having a hard time finding practical clothing that would make me feel good in this new age of life. I’ve always been a fan of the Big Bud Press, but especially now, I’m forever grateful for these structured pants with plenty of room in the waist. Bonus points for food style colors.
A can of luxury when I need a quick snack
As a mom, self-care has taken a back seat. This is a new reality and I am intentionally trying to correct it. It really helps to have a few special little items on hand. Speaking of lunchtime, I rarely have time to whip up a nice meal between work meetings, but I can always grab a can of Fishwife x Fly By Jing Smoked Salmon to pair with some leftover rice and any fresh veggies. (like cucumber, lettuce, or avocado) to make a satisfying lunch that will last me until dinner time.
This book freed me from the shackles of reading
Before having kids, I read quite a bit. Unfortunately, once my kids were born, this habit died and I found myself too tired to pick up a book for months. Nothing shocked me enough until I started reading real american Author: Rachel Kong. This is a story spanning three generations of a Chinese-American family, with themes including family secrets, race and love, the complexities of class and wealth, and more. I couldn’t put it down.
Join us again next month when commercial producer Alaina Chou will be hosting the November Feel-Good Food Plan, featuring weekend recipes that I’ll be repeating throughout the fall and winter.
