Little Tummy Yummies: Salmon with Carrots and Tomato

It isn’t very often that two pen pals get together (less than 2 times in three years to be precise)! So when we found out that Little Joy and Little Frances were going to have the opportunity to finally meet, we mamas wanted to make something extra special to commemorate the occasion! As a rule, we try not to make things that are very fancy on this blog, but sometimes it fun to experiments and I love to celebrate a special occasion with food. :) I have been wanting to try to make fish, so I decided to try our luck with salmon. I found this recipe in The Healthy Baby Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel. Like most fish, salmon is filled chock full of essential fatty acids (EFA), also known as omega-3s. EFAs help fight off many diseases are important for brain development… some people say they can make you “smarter”. You can find more about the health benefits and hazards of fish here. Some fish may contain high levels of mercury, which can lead to mercury poisoning, however salmon is not generally considered hazardous.

Ingredients:

4 pen pals :)

2 1/4 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
5 oz salmon filet, deboned
1/2 tablespoon milk (or enough to cover the salmon, see method below)
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped. To eliminate this step and make the recipe easier, you could also purchase a can of petit, diced tomatoes and measure out just under 1 cup.

scant 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated – i.e. do not pack the cheese into the measuring cup, there should be a lot of air cushion.

Steps:

Steam the carrots for 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
Place the fish in a microwave dish, add the milk, dot with half the butter, and cover, leaving an air vent.
Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until fully cooked.***See below for alternative cooking method
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, add the tomatoes, and sauté until softened and slightly mushy.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the cheese until melted.
Mash the cooked carrots in the tomato mixture.
Drain the cooking liquid from the fish, remove the skin, and double check that there are no bones.
Flake the fish and mix with the carrots and tomatoes. You can also blend these two for younger babies or babies with no teeth.

Miscellaneous: I really like kitchen gadgets and so I try to get a couple every few months. I bought this microwavable dish on Amazon.com for $6, and it has come in handy for several recipes. If you do not own a microwavable dish with a vent, you can always cook the fish in the following way:

Place the salmon in a pan.
Pour over enough milk to cover the entire fish.
Simmer for 4 minutes or until cooked.

Timing: Fish can be introduced as early as 9 months, however as with any food, consult with your Doctor first. The carrots and salmon break up quite small and so even without chewing this recipe (in my opinion) is safe for babies who are using their gums to mash, however, if you ever in doubt, puree!

Storage: Store in the fridge for up to two days. This recipe makes quite a bit, so I could consider halving the recipe if you think that you will not be able to use it all in that time. I would not freeze this recipe.

Difficulty: 4 out of 5. This may be difficult for those with little cooking experience, and it also has several ingredients and steps. I will be on the hunt for simpler fish recipes to try out!

Epicutie Rating: Yummy In The Tummy! Both Little Joy and Little Frances gobbled this one up! They loved it. Little Frances enjoyed it so much, Kelly suggested that we make a new rating called Yummy In The Tummy to the Max. Even though this recipe was a little bit more complex than other recipes, it was worth it to see our girls enjoying the new flavors so well!

Little Joy clapping for JOY she loved this recipe so much!