Baby-Friendly Creamed Spinach

I believe it’s important to cook tasty, healthy and easy-to-make food for EVERYONE in the family, including children and babies. 

The honest truth is that as a parent, I now have to be faster in the kitchen, and I don’t always have time to cook and clean up after two separate meals during the day. Whenever I cook for my family, I always consider how I can feed them a healthy dose of protein and keep them full and satisfied at the same time. So I’ve modified this creamed spinach recipe to be higher in protein (and lower in fat!) than traditional creamed spinach by using ricotta cheese in in lieu of traditional butter and cream. The result is every bit as satisfying though. This treat can be eaten as a main dish, a side or even as a healthy dip for your favorite chips, crackers or veggies. It is also easily pureed into baby food or given to little ones comfortable with soft textures.

Ingredients:

2 cups white onion (2 small or 1 large) finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup ricotta cheese

½ cup milk

1 bag organic frozen baby spinach

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 cup of parmesan cheese (plus additional cheese if making dip)

Directions

Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Sauté chopped white onions until translucent (about 8 minutes). Add ricotta cheese; stir until warm and soft. Mix in milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg and allow mixture to cook until it bubbles. Add in frozen spinach. Continue to stir all together until heated through. Add parmesan cheese and cook until melted.

 As a spinach dip- place creamed spinach in an oven safe dish, top with 1/4 cup of parmesan and cook under the broiler until cheese is browned.

 *Note- this recipe is not ideal for iron absorption due to the calcium content of the cheese and milk.