For lunch on Monday I had nearly nothing in the house ready to eat. Thankfully, I’d seen this recipe in Food & Wine Magazine the evening before and I did have eggs and broccoli in the house. So, this became lunch for my son and I and we both loved it. The broccoli is cooked with garlic for added flavour and the sprinkling of parmesan cheese makes it delicious. And, it’s all done in one pan so clean up is easy.

The recipe below makes a big frittata, for 4-6 people. I halved the recipe and used a smaller pan with no trouble. With a piece of whole-grain toast, this makes a great lunch!

Broccoli Frittata
From Food & Wine Magazine and Marc Murphy

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional- omit if you’re worried about spice)
Salt (optional)
Black Pepper
8 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (1 1/2 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water, season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook over moderate heat until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 2 minutes; let cool. [I added a little extra water and cooked my broccoli for 2-3 extra minutes to make it softer for my toddler]
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Stir in the broccoli. Return the skillet to the stovetop and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Pour in the eggs and cook over moderately low heat until set around the edge, 3 minutes. Sprinkle the frittata with the cheese. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the frittata until the center is just set, about 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mmm, sweet roasted butternut squash, sharp monterey jack cheese, and pasta shells – a delicious combination from Tyler Florence’s baby cook book, Start Fresh!

I made this last week and it’s a big favourite for my son and husband. And it’s so much easier to make than traditional mac and cheese that it will be a go-to for a quick dinner. Butternut squash is full of beta-carotene and vitamin A, a powerhouse veggie.

You can do this recipe in stages too. I roasted my butternut squash the day before I made this recipe as I had some time on my hands. Then I whizzed it all together the next day and dinner was ready in a snap. I served this with some steamed spinach and apples for my 15-month old and a big tossed salad for my husband and I. I always give my son a few salad leaves too, so he knows he can start eating salad anytime. He usually licks the dressing off and hands the rest back to me. A work in progress.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Very slightly adapted from Tyler Florence’s book, Start Fresh

1 medium (1 to 11⁄2 pounds) butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces small pasta shells (or any pasta you like)
1⁄2 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the squash, cut-side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes. Leave the oven on and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, or tender. Drain the pasta and return to the pot, off the heat.
4. When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a food processor. Add the milk and puree until smooth. (*If you don’t have a food processor, you could probably use the blender. Just do the puree in batches) Add the squash puree to the pasta and fold together with a rubber spatula until combined. Grease a 9-inch square or round baking dish. Spread the pasta mixture evenly in the dish and top with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the top is golden and bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes. (*If you prepared the squash the day before, I would bake for about 20-30 minutes) Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Watch Tyler make this recipe.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As an avid cook, planning a menu of food and groceries for the week is great fun, so I thought I’d share my plan for the week plus a feature recipe. Please do share your own tips and tricks for your weekly menu planning too – I know people are always looking for new ideas and inspiration!

Breakfast
- Big pot of steel cut oats cooked Sunday night and in the fridge all week for quick reheating in the morning
- Apple & walnut puree for stirring into yogurt or oats (or by the big spoonful, as my 14-month old ate it today!)
- Banana Wheatgerm Muffins  for grab and go breakfasts (I add blueberries & ground flaxseed, and skip the banana garnish on top)
- Lots of fresh fruit (finger food for my son or turned into a smoothie by my husband)

Lunch
- For my husband, it’s dinner leftovers. For my toddler, it’s dinner leftovers plus steamed veg and fruit, or an omelet, or already prepped food from our freezer.

Dinner ~ I am currently reading the lovely cookbook Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, so some recipes are extra healthy this week!
Monday: Baked pasta with ham, broccoli, and a cauliflower cheese sauce. Tastes great and the cauliflower cheese sauce makes this lighter and healthier than you’d think. See feature recipe below.
Tuesday: Rustic vegetable and polenta soup, fresh bread, salad
Wednesday: Millet fried “rice” with tofu, ginger, soy (from Super Natural Cooking)
Thursday: Salmon & green beans with a dollop of pesto, all baked in a foil package, served over quinoa
Friday: Barley “Risotto” with lemon zest and spinach (from Super Natural Cooking)

Feature Recipe: Baked Pasta and Broccoli with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
Adapted from recipe in Martha Stewart Living, February 2012 issue
And here’s a great play by play by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head cauliflower, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 medium shallots or 1 onion, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk (any kind. Recipe calls for skim, but I used a combo of 1% and 3.8%)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 ounces grated Pecorino cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 pound whole wheat pasta shells (or shape of your choice. I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white rotini)
1/4 pound smoked ham, chopped
1 medium bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko (Japanese bread crumbs)- whole wheat preferably

Instructions:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add cauliflower, garlic, shallots, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with flour; stir to coat well and let cook for a minute.

Add milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; gently simmer until cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer all to a blender, and puree with nutmeg and half the pecorino until smooth, creating your cauliflower cheese sauce. Blend in batches if necessary – don’t overfill your blender. An immersion blender also works great.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions (or to al dente). Add broccoli for the last 2 minutes of cooking the pasta. Drain pasta & broccoli, return to pot, and add ham and cauliflower sauce; tossing to combine. Transfer to a 13×9 baking dish (or whatever fits all the pasta).

Toss remaining pecorino with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil (a couple teaspoons should do it). Sprinkle over the pasta and place in oven. Bake until bubbling and topping is brown and crispy, 30-35 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes and serve.

Happy eating! Next week I’ll give a timeline of when I do things, how I prep food, etc.

And, we’re planning an event on baby nutrition on Feb. 23rd! Details will be posted shortly.