Sometimes you want to give your children something a little more elegant to eat for dinner than just diced carrots and chicken and fruit. Plain, simple, and nutritious, yes.....but also boring. It is hard for me to get a more elegant menu prepared for my little guy on most nights because we don't get home from work/daycare until around 6:15 and he eats around 6:30 every night. This does not leave a lot of time for creativity. Recently though I have prepared a couple little items that were simple but a little more exciting for the little guy.

Simple sweet potato "casserole"
1/2 cup diced sweet potato steamed (leftover from the previous night)
organic whipped butter
brown sugar
pinch of unrefined sea salt

I just warmed it all up in a bowl and melted the butter a little and pureed with my immersion blender. Pretty good substitute and a little jazzed up from the previous night which was just plain diced sweet potato. Yes I know it has butter and brown sugar in it, but it was good and just had a little of the bad items.

Southern squash "casserole"
1 small summer squash (organic if you can find) peeled and diced into bite site pieces (i don't remove the seeds, sam has always just eaten them, but if you would feel better about yourself if you seeded it, then please do)
shredded cheese
2 t minced onion
unrefined sea salt
organic whipped butter
organic cold pressed olive oil

In a skillet add 1/2 t butter, 1/2 t olive oil, squash and onion. Cook until tender enough for your child to eat. Add just a pinch of salt and put into a small bowl. Add the cheese (probably about an 1/8 cup) and just slighty puree with your immersion blender. I left it sort of chunky for sam so that it wasn't too close to baby food.

These items are just a quick easy way to add a little flavor and variety to your child's plate.

Also, I am going to share the meal I made for me and Austin tonight because it was THAT good.

Flank steak quesadillas
1# marinated flank steak grilled and cut on the bias into small pieces (recipe for marinade below)
whole wheat tortillas
mexican cheese shredded
organic black beans drained and rinsed
onions and peppers sauteed
organic butter
jalapeno lime hot sauce (google this...Bruce foods louisiana brand jalapeno lime wing sauce.........this is the BEST stuff ever for flank steak or carne asada..YUM)

In a skillet melt about 1/2 t butter and spread out, lay torilla on top of butter and let cook slightly. Add your cheese and toppings and let melt. Fold tortilla in half before it gets too crispy and brown. Easy breezy dinner.

Flank Steak Marinade
2 T smart balance oil
2 T Tamari
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t dehydrated garlic
2 T salsa verde
2 T brown sugar
1 t cilantro paste (i buy it from publix or kroger in the produce section, great in a pinch when you don't have fresh cilantro)

I let it marinate in a gallon size ziploc overnight. SOOOO GOOD!

Hope you enjoy :)