disclosure: i was gifted this book by the author and asked to review. all opinions are my own. this post contains affiliate links.
i can NOT even believe it…
this tiny baby of mine will be a year old next month!!
i could have sworn i birthed her last week, but she is now -this- close to walking, already saying her first words, and eating food like a house afire. this girl loves her food.
when i heard that fellow blogger, sonali ruder, had published a baby food cookbook i knew i must get my hands on it. having someone already do the thinking and provide easy, nutritious recipes for this busy mom to feed her hungry, food-loving girl was a gift.
and not just anyone… sonali authors the blog, the foodie physician, but she’s also an ER doctor, a culinary school grad, and a momma! where she finds the time to accomplish so much, i don’t know. but i do know she’s more than qualified to write this book. (as a matter of fact, it is her second cookbook… the first being her natural pregnancy cookbook.)
her newest book, natural baby food, is overflowing with recipes for every stage of baby-feeding, from purees to finger foods. combining all sorts of flavors and nutritious foods, too. while the book is not exclusively gluten-free, a large majority of her recipes are.
with this third little one, i skipped quickly over purees and adopted a baby-led weaning approach. that just means instead of spooning lots of mushy food into her mouth, i cut up a bunch of super-soft foods she could pick and eat herself. this was partly because i liked the concept and partly because with a family of five, i ain’t got no time for spoon-feeding. (oh how i would’ve made all the purees with my firstborn though! benefits of birth order are real.)
at my house we have loved her beef kofta kabobs and her chicken, rice & broccoli skillet bake. my whole family devours it all. but it was the cauliflower cheesy bread that really caught my eye. i’ve not yet given that grain-free, gluten-free cauliflower crust a go, so i jumped on sonali’s.
it was as easy and delicious as i’d hoped. my littlest ate it up, but honestly had to fight her older brother (my eldest) to claim her two pieces. he and middle sister finished up the plate in a blink. brother even asked me to make it again real soon.
although i’d consider myself a relatively seasoned baby-feeder, it is so nice to have the new ideas of such delicious, nutritious, baby-approved recipes in sonali’s book. and i can tell you all three of my “babies” approve. and momma does too!
Cauliflower Cheesy Bread
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower about 2 pounds
- 1 egg or 2 egg whites
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Marinara sauce for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove the outer leaves and cut it into florets. Place them in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is finely chopped and looks like rice.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a microwave-safe dish or bowl. Cover and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam the cauliflower in a steamer basket or bake it in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.
- When the cauliflower is cool, transfer it to a bowl lined with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Bring the ends of the cloth together and squeeze as much liquid out of the cauliflower as you can. I got about ½ cup liquid.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl and add the egg, Italian seasoning, ½ cup cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Form the dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches and ¼-inch thick.
- Bake in the oven 15-20 minutes until cooked. Remove the baking sheet and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top. Bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Let cool a little bit and then cut cheesy bread into breadsticks. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
