Fit Fare

I have two main goals, with regards to my toddler and food. The first is nutrition, to get her expanding palate accustomed to healthy options - wheat bread instead of white, oven roasted potatoes instead of tater tots - so that when she can choose for herself, she’ll be more likely to choose healthy foods. The second is pleasure. I’m trying to show her how joyfully diverse the foods of the world are, and hopefully food will be a source of happiness to her, as it has been for me.

To those ends, I’m constantly inventing and adapting recipes. Recently, I experimented with a number of nut-free pesto recipes - these days, parents are advised to delay feeding nuts to children until preschool age if there are concerns about allergies. Pesto is pretty exotic, for a 16-month-old, plus it packs a nice nutritional punch. The herbs and greens provide beta-carotene and valuable phytonutrients as well as fiber, and the beans are great sources of protein and plant iron. Cheese adds more protein, plus calcium. Babies will eat nearly anything on noodles, so this is a great way to maximize the nutrition of something you know your child will eat.

You can use almost any leafy green herb you like for pesto - you can even make delicious spinach pesto. Instead of nuts, I’ve substituted pinto beans, chick peas, and sunflower seeds. Feel free to experiment with the recipe below.

Caveat - for this one you need a food processor (or a sous chef).

Rotini with Parsley-Pinto-Cheddar-Pesto (and Cherry Tomatoes)

1 clove garlic
4 oz. Mild cheddar cheese
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 can pinto beans
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 box rotini
about 10 cherry tomatoes
rosemary

Put a pot of water on to boil.

While the water is boiling, chop the garlic and warm it in a pan over low heat with the olive oil. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t scorch.

In the food processor, shred the cheese with the shredding disc. Set aside the cheese, unplug the processor and wipe out the bowl. Put about 2 cups parsley leaves, half a cup drained, rinsed pinto beans, and some salt into the bowl of the food processor with the regular cutting blade. Pour the warm oil and garlic over the parsley and beans, and pulse to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and salt to taste. Pulse again. Careful of your fingers!

Meanwhile, cook half the box of rotini according to the package directions. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, and put them into the same pan you cooked the garlic in, over very low heat, with some whole pinto beans, about a half teaspoon rosemary and salt to taste. When the pasta is done, drain it, and put it in the pan. Melt the pesto down over it. Then add the cheese and stir over low heat until combined. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves two parents and one small child.