The Little Big Cookbook for Moms: 150 of the Best Family Recipes

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Overview

The Little Big Cookbook for Moms contains 150 of the best recipes for families with children of all ages. From first meals for little ones and favorites for picky palates, to more interesting fare to introduce to children, the recipes are selected with all the things moms need to consider in mind. While most meals can be simple, get-it-done affairs, moms need to think about what’s healthy and doable, as well as continue to educate young and ...

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Overview

The Little Big Cookbook for Moms contains 150 of the best recipes for families with children of all ages. From first meals for little ones and favorites for picky palates, to more interesting fare to introduce to children, the recipes are selected with all the things moms need to consider in mind. While most meals can be simple, get-it-done affairs, moms need to think about what’s healthy and doable, as well as continue to educate young and developing tastes.
 
The Little Big Cookbook for Moms contains lists of what always to keep in the freezer, pantry, and refrigerator. A selection of recipes will use these on-hand ingredients so Mom can whip up dinner on those nights when no thinking is required. These are the standards every mom will turn to with a minimum of fuss. Home-made chicken nuggets or turkey meatloaf, a jarred pasta sauce with freshly pureed vegetables, or a quick bean salad—these are but a few staples to rely on. For those days when Mom wants to do just a little more, there are a selection of great slow-cooker and easy-to-jazz-up recipes. And for the weekends when Mom wants try introducing new things, there are favorites from around the world: a rice noodle soup with favorite toppings, tacos with all the fixings, or even a non-spicy chicken tikka masala.
 
Weekends are also the time for moms to get a head start on the busy week ahead. The book includes recipes to make and freeze over the weekend, from chicken pot pies to salmon patties. There are also menus in the back of the book for four different weeks’ worth of dinners, complete with a link to the shopping lists available online.
 
Truly the ultimate cookbook for families, The Little Big Cookbook for Moms has the best of everything for every type of chef a mom has to be! It offers the favorites and classics, the easy and convenient, the interesting and fun, and is the cookbook moms will use for many years as their little ones grow.
 
The Little Big Cookbook for Moms is divided into Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks, Dinner, Vegetables & Sides, and Desserts. Within these categories you will find a range of recipe types, including: First Foods; Toddler Favorites; Finger Foods; Tried-and-Trues; The Essentials; For the Freezer; From the Pantry; Slow-Cooking; One-Pot Meals; Jazz it Up; and Around the World. There is also a section for families with food sensitivities, which includes lists of gluten- and dairy- free recipes in the book, as well as resources and tips.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781599621098
  • Publisher: Welcome Enterprises
  • Publication date: 3/27/2012
  • Pages: 352
  • Sales rank: 351,613
  • Product dimensions: 7.00 (w) x 6.60 (h) x 1.50 (d)

Meet the Author

NATASHA TABORI FRIED is the managing editor of Welcome Books. She has conceived, edited, and produced numerous titles, including The Christmas Almanac, The Little Big Book of Love, and The Little Big Book of Comfort Food. She lives in New York with her husband and son.
 
ALICE WONG co-created, with Lena Tabori, the best-selling Little Big Book series, which has sold over 1.7 million copies. She co-edited many of the titles in this charming and popular series, including The Little Big Book for Moms and The Little Big Book for Grandmothers. She is author of The Big Book of Me: My Baby Book, and co-edited The Goodnight Book for Moms and Little Ones. Alice has also produced exquisite photography and art books which include Canyon Wilderness of the Southwest, India: In Word and Image, and China: 3,000 Years in Art and Literature (Welcome Books). Alice currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband Clark and their three children, Chi Chi, Sylvia, and Phoebe.

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Read an Excerpt

The Little Big Cookbook for Moms

150 of the Best Family Recipes
By

Welcome Books

ISBN: 9781599621098
Forewords

T he most frequently asked question in my family is “What’s for dinner?” While my girls—ages nine, thirteen, and fifteen—might feel otherwise at times, they are very, very lucky in the eating department. Both my husband and I cook a wide repertoire of foods influenced by personal taste and cultural upbringing, and the fact that we work on cookbooks and test recipes means that the girls are exposed to a worldly array of dishes. I can just imagine the stories they’ll tell when they are older: “Remember the time Mom was testing recipes for that butcher cookbook and we had strange meats for dinner for months?” “And what about that time when Dad was testing mac ’n’ cheese and used the baba ganoush Mom made instead of the cheese? We had mac a’noush for dinner!”

Between stints of recipe testing, my husband and I make the tried and true at home. My tastes lean toward the simple and clean dishes I grew up with. My childhood meals were often vegetable stir-fries with a bit of meat or steamed fish, lightly blanched greens, and fresh fruit. I still prefer unfussy dishes where the main ingredients are allowed to shine. My favorite recipes in this book are the Broiled Salmon, Chicken with Garlic and Shallots, Quinoa with Fennel, and practically all the vegetable dishes. I love vegetables. My girls know they are lucky, because Dad cooks—and their favorite meals are from him! Clark loves saucier dishes with an explosion of flavors. Unlike me, he is not put off by alonger list of ingredients. Turkey Meatballs with Linguine, Southwestern Chicken Tacos, and Vegetable Lasagna are his trusty dinner favorites.

But as all moms know, dinners are only part of the story. Kids can eat A LOT! No sooner is lunch off the table on weekends than they are scrounging around for a snack, and on weekdays they come home ravenous after school or sports. Snacks are huge in a growing kid’s life, and over the years I’ve learned to be prepared. Stocking the cupboards and refrigerator with prepackaged, somewhat-healthy snacks takes a huge chunk out of a food budget, however. Making and freezing little bites like empanadas, quiches, and frittatas to reheat, or having beans, hard-boiled eggs, avocados, and salsa handy to make salads or dips is much cheaper. Paying almost $6.00 for a small bag of granola at the health food store makes no sense, when I can easily make 4 quarts of the stuff at a fraction of the cost, by tossing rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruits into the oven.
Feeding a family is expensive, especially if you want to buy organic as often as possible, which I do. Luckily, many of the warehouse clubs are stocking more organics nowadays, and it’s easier than ever to find, for example, a 3-pack of organic chicken or a 5-pound bag of frozen organic vegetables at a decent price. For economy, nutrition, and taste, dried beans are a must-have for every family’s pantry—along with a slow cooker to make life easier. Rice and Beans, Tuscan Bean Soup, and Quick Bean Salad are regulars at my table. The chart on page 266 is a great guide for testing bean varieties.

Smart-shopping Moms (and Dads) know when to economize and when to spend a little more on the freshest, most delicious local produce. Nothing beats the seasonal apples, sugar snap peas, and asparagus we get at the farmers’ market. On Saturday mornings, my husband loves taking my youngest daughter, Phoebe, to our market at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Besides fresh produce, we indulge in fresh fish from local waters. (When the fish is fresh, the simplest preparation is best, as in our favorites Steamed Whole Fish or Pan-Fried Fish.) Farmers’ markets are a wondrous thing in big cities: not only a way to keep in touch with the earth through growing and picking seasons, but also a way to get the kids interested in all the wonderful, colorful vegetables available. If you live near a vegetable farm, that’s even better . . . there is something so satisfying about harvesting your own vegetables for dinner.

Recently, we spent an early fall weekend with Natasha at her mom Lena’s place on Long Island and visited a CSA farm. Natasha’s little boy just turned two and my girls chased him around the rows of vegetables and fruits. We picked squash, okra, and lettuces, searched for late-season berries, and dug for potatoes. At one point, Natasha’s son was toddling around chewing on a big piece of raw green pepper Phoebe had picked for him. He flashed a big green grin. That evening, Lena made her simply delicious Pan-Fried Fish with lemon-caper sauce, I made Quinoa and Fennel, and Natasha tossed together a salad of greens and roasted some veggies. We sat outside with the 4 kids, ages 2 to 15, who ate as heartily as the adults. It was divine. I wish you and your family many as happy and healthy a meal. —A.W.

I’ve always been a baker. I am the one who never missed the chance to volunteer dessert for the dinner party or cupcakes for the office party. I even made my own wedding cake! But I won’t claim to be a great cook. Which is why, when my son hit 8 months and started eating solids, I felt a bit challenged. The ironic part is, making my own baby food was easy. Steam and purée—even I could do it. It got a LOT harder when we got past the purées. He’s not a bad eater, but he’s a discerning one, and unlike my husband, he’s not wild about my simple cooking. Or at least, he’s not wild about trying it. Hard to know if he’d like it if he tasted it, but I keep telling him he will. So, in an effort to move beyond mac ‘n’ cheese, fish sticks, and spinach shapes (all organic, but still!) I’ve decided to branch out. Alice’s kids were eating sushi at a year old, so why shouldn’t mine?

We started with all things eggs: scrambled, in quiche, in fritattas (yes, he’ll actually eat vegetables this way). Then stews and casseroles, and finally, I even made my first risotto! It wasn’t nearly as hard as I had feared: in fact, as my little one gets older it will be a good dish to make with him, since he can take over all the stirring. And both he and my husband loved it. Once I’d tackled that, vegetables were simple. I discovered that roasted veggies are ridiculously easy and delicious. The Sautéed Cabbage and the Quick Cabbage Slaw are both very popular in my house.

What I’ve learned is that cooking healthy, yummy food for my family isn’t hard (phew) as long as I’m not a perfectionist, but that cooking for little ones who are learning, exploring, and testing what they can control can be. The trick is to keep trying new things and old ones, because sooner or later they just might decide they like it, not just yesterday, but always. Eating meals with family and friends, especially with older kids, help a lot as well. Little ones will be curious and excited to eat what the big kids eat.

There is so much to learn as a parent, and my first two years with my son has been a breathtaking and satisfying journey. He can walk down the street now, holding my hand. I tell him how nice it is and he brings my hand up to rub against his cheek in response. Of course my heart melts, and, of course, I want the best of everything for him. I look forward to real conversations, reading all the childhood classics together, and him starting school . . . but most of all I want to watch him grow up healthy and strong. Cooking well and trying out new foods requires some thought and a lot of patience, but that’s part of it all. I’m a mom now!
—N.T.F

Continues...
Excerpted from The Little Big Cookbook for Moms by . Excerpted by permission of Welcome Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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Table of Contents

Forewords                                         
General Nutrition                               
Glossary of Essentials, Dietary Guidance Making Choices                                
Top  Ways to Get Your Child to Eat Better                                
A Perfect Pantry                                 
Herbs and Spices Food Safety & Storage                      
Prepping and Cooking, Storing, Freezing Guidelines, Table of Suggested Cooking Temperatures Feeding Baby                                     
Homemade for Baby, Equipment for Baby Food Allergies                                  
Choking Hazards                               
Fabulous Fruit!                                  
What’s in That Lunch Bag?              
Nuts and Seeds                              
Buying Organic Meat and Animal Products                       
Know Your Fish                               
Buying Organic Produce                 
Eat Your Colors!                              
Preserving Nutrients                       
A Month of Dinners                        
Special Diets                                   
Table of Equivalents                        
Index                                               
 
BREAKFAST Perfect Scrambled Eggs                   
Perfect Fried Eggs                             
Boiled Eggs, Poached Eggs, One-eyed Sailors Classic Omelet                                   
Western Omelet, Greek Omelet, Southwestern Omelet, Italian Omelet, Veggie Omelet Baked Eggs                                        
Ham and Salsa Eggs, Toast and Prosciutto Eggs A Whirl of Smoothies                         
Berry-Oat Smoothie, Melon-Tofu Smoothie, Orange-Yogurt Smoothie, Spinach-Banana Smoothie Homemade Applesauce                    
Blended Fruits                                   
Banana-Apple, Better than Orange Juice, Strawberry Frappé, Summer Heaven Kitchen Sink Frittatas                        
Cinnamon Toast                                 
Cinnamon Milk Toast A Pancake of Your Own                    
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes   
Swedish Pancakes                             
Whole Wheat Banana Nut Waffles     
Chocolate Nut Butter Waffles, Bacon and Cheese Waffles Great Granola                                     
Oatmeal Raisin Granola, Chocolaty Goodness Granola Hot Cereal                                         
Grain Preparation Chart Overnight Oatmeal                            
Slow Cooker Oatmeal, Glazed Oatmeal Home Fries                                         
Spinach and Potato Frittata Heavenly Hash Browns                      
Ham and Hash Brown Casserole Blueberry Peach Breakfast Parfait      
Choco-Berry Crunch Parfait Breakfast Burritos                                
Baked Beans Burrito Banana Oatmeal Muffins                  
Baked Apples Stuffed with Granola  
Honey Whole Wheat Momma Bread
 
SOUPS & SANDWICHES Basic Chicken Stock                           
Enhanced Stock, Asian-style Stock, Herbed Stock with Pasta Basic Vegetable Stock                     
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup, Quick Bean Soup, Summer Vegetable and Pesto Soup, Asian Noodle Soup Mixed Vegetable Soup                    
Slow Cooker Soups Puréed Vegetable Soups                 
Tomato Soup, Carrot Soup, Broccoli or Asparagus Soup, Butternut Squash Soup Creamy Tomato Soup                     
Scallion Soup                                  
Summer Corn Chowder                  
Split Pea Soup                                
Tortilla Soup                                    
Tuscan Bean Soup                          
Grilled Cheese Sandwich                
It’s a Wrap                                        
Turkey BLT Wrap, Reuben Wrap, Veggie Supreme Wrap, Great Salad Wrap Stuffed Pita Pockets                        
Sloppy Joes                                    
Portobello, Mozzarella, and Pesto Press                               
Chicken and Beans Quesadillas      
Cuban Sandwich                             
Shrimp Salad Rolls                          
Fish Sandwich Rolls                         
 
SNACKS & SMALL BITES Easy Nibblies                                   
Roasted Chickpeas, Spiced Nuts,
Easy Edamame Popcorn Munchies                          
Popcorn Toppers                             
Zesty Popcorn, Cheesy Popcorn, Cinnamon Popcorn, Tex-Mex Popcorn, Mexican Popcorn, Sweet and Nutty Veggie and Fruit Yogurt Dips           
Ranch-Yogurt Veggie Dip, Mustard-Yogurt Veggie Dip, Honey-Yogurt Fruit Dip Guacamole                                     
Baba Ganoush                                
Baked Kale Chips                            
Sweet Potato Chips                        
Homemade Pita Chips                    
Homemade Tortilla Chips               
Cheesy Potato Skins                       
Potato Crisps                                  
Seven-Layer Dip                             
Super Nachos                                 
Quick Bean Salad                            
Great Tuna Salad                             
Tuna Salad with Grapes and Almonds, Curried Tuna Salad, Great Chicken Salad Eggs, Pesto, and Pasta Salad         
Whole Wheat Pasta Salad               
Whole-grain Salad with Roasted Vegetables                                
Cold Sesame Noodles                    
Rice Noodle Salad                          
Vegetarian Brown Rice Sushi          
Mini Pizzas                                      
Pinwheel Pleasures                         
Mini Ham and Pea Quiches             
Mini Frittatas Mushroom Tart                                 
Vegetable Tart, Roasted Asparagus Tart Sausage and Pepper Empanadas   
 
DINNERS Rice and Beans                               
Macaroni and Cheese                       
Macaroni Pie Risotto with Zucchini and Peas         
Butternut Squash Risotto Southwestern Chicken Tacos            
Tacos with Homemade Salsa, Veggie Tacos Sizzling Fajitas                                   
Shrimp or Chicken Fajitas, Vegetarian Fajitas One-Dish Stir-fry                               
Pan-fried Noodles, Basic Stir-fried Vegetables Stir-fried Tofu with Chicken and Peas                                     
Steamed Tofu with Meat Chicken Fingers                                
Bleu Cheese Dip/Dressing, Thousand Island Dip/Dressing, Russian Dip/Dressing, Asian Thousand Island Dip/Dressing Rotisserie Chicken                          
Chicken Paprika                                
Chicken with Ketchup Baked Chicken with Garlic and Shallots                                
Easy Quesadillas Ultimate Roast Chicken                     
Roast Chicken with Stuffing Chicken Potpie                               
Broiled Salmon with Honey Dipping Sauce                            
Oven-baked Salmon Rice Cakes, Pan-fried Salmon Rice Cakes Pan-fried Fish                                  
Steamed Whole Fish                       
Shrimp Curry                                   
Country-style Ribs                           
Pork Tenderloin with Shiitake Mushrooms                               
Pork Tacos, Slow Cooker Tenderloins Slow Cooker Pork with Noodles     
Grilled to Perfection                        
Grill Chart, Honey Mustard Marinade, Basic Rub, Curry Rub, French Rub, Middle Eastern Rub Beef Stew                                        
Turkey Shepherd’s Pie                      
Turkey Chili Turkey-Spinach Meat Loaf               
Stuffed Pasta Shells Thin Linguine with Turkey Meatballs                                   
Vegetable Lasagna                          
Cheater’s Lasagna
 
VEGGIES & SIDES Steamed Vegetables with Sauces    
Toasted Garlic and Coriander Oil, Balsamic-Bacon Vinaigrette, Pesto Sauce, Charmoula Sauce Winter Vegetable Medley                
Basic Roasted Vegetables                
Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette                                 
Asparagus and Veggie Toss, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, Roasted Asparagus with Sesame Seeds, Stir-fried Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms Avocado, Corn, and Black Bean Salsa                                 
Avocado and Egg Toss Beans, Beans, Beans                        
Beans Soaking and Cooking Times Breaded Sautéed Broccoli               
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad, Stir-fried Broccoli Butternut Squash with Lemon, Walnuts, and Parsley                
Butternut Squash Purée Sautéed Cabbage                            
Quick Cabbage Slaw, Cabbage with Spaghetti and Bread Crumbs Simple Caesar Salad                        
Carrot and Jicama Salad                  
Glazed Carrots Cauliflower and Apple Purée           
Cauliflower Soup Eggplant with Sesame Sauce          
Stir-fried Eggplant with Pork Green Beans with Cilantro               
Two Bean Salad, Haricots Vertswith Lemony Tahini Sauce Great Greens Sauté                        
Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce  
Seared Baby Bok Choy Mashed Peas                                   
Herbed Peas, Peas and Cheese Frittata, Peas and Asparagus Smashed Red-skinned Potatoes     
Red Peppers with Quinoa Stuffing  
Quinoa with Kale, Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms Baked Spinach Gratin                      
Japanese-style Spinach Sugar Snaps with Orange-Honey Dressing                                     
Sugar Snap, Radish, and Cucumber Salad, Stir-fried Sugar Snaps with Shiitake Mushrooms Sweet Potato Fries                           
Baked Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sautéed Sweet Potatoes Five-Star Salad Bar                            
Power Dressing Fried Farro with Collard Greens      
Quinoa with Fennel and Pine Nuts  
Couscous with Fennel and Pine Nuts
 
DESSERTS Classic Vanilla Layer Cake                 
Lemon Cake, Orange Cake, Almond Cake Chocolate Devil’s Food Cupcakes    
Peppermint Cake, Extra-Chocolaty Cake Chocolate Frosting                           
Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting Chocolate Ganache Icing               
Classic Vanilla Frosting                     
Citrus Frosting, Mint Frosting, Coconut Frosting Classic Sugar Cookies                       
Orange or Lemon Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Cutout Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies                   
Ice Cream Sandwiches, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Brownies Like No Other                    
Brownies with Nuts, Peanut Butter Brownies, Raspberry Nut Brownies, S’mores, Caramel Swiss Brownies, Chocolate Mint Brownies, Candy Brownies Lemon Squares                               
Marshmallow Rice Treats                
P B & J Bars                                     
Apple Crisp                                       
Apple-Cranberry Filling, Peach and Berry Filling, Apple Crumb Pie, Fruit Cobbler Quick Breads                                    
Cream Cheese Frosting, Pumpkin Bars Ice Cream Creations                         
Strawberry Ice Cream Pie, Banana Split Make Your Own Sundaes                  
Homemade Raspberry Sauce, Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
 

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