Pumpkin Mochi

G started preschool last September. This opened up a whole new world of food. Not only do I feed my own child, but now I make snacks and treats for school events. What will the kids eat? Can I keep the sugar and refined/processed items to a minimum and have them eat it? Oh, and no nuts or anything processed in a facility with nuts.

For the holiday celebration, I went back to my roots. Something so simple and popular it has to be a hit. Mochi! Sure, it's got sugar and extremely refined white rice flour, but at least nothing has seen a nut and, bonus, naturally gluten and dairy free! Plus, G can help make it.

Then J pointed out that kids around here have probably never seen mochi. At least not the kind without ice cream inside. Hm. Do I want to be the mom who sends the weird food? If they try it, they should like it. Maybe if I cut it into fun shapes. And it does jiggle, kind of like jello. Is that good or bad? Well, I'm too busy with holiday and birthday baking to come up with anything else at the last minute, so weird food it is.

I went with pumpkin so it was seasonal and had a familiar pie taste, limiting the weird factor to texture, not taste. G helped mix and cut out the shapes. There is a bit less sugar than most mochi recipes but it is still quite sweet. I am not sure if canned pumpkin puree will work the same or if it will need extra liquid. Note that this make A LOT of mochi.

Pumpkin Mochi

450 g mochiko (1 pound box)
200 g sugar (1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
112 g melted butter (4 oz, 1 stick, 1/2 cup)
400 g fresh pumpkin puree (14 oz)
2 cups coconut milk
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch and 8x8-inch pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together mochiko, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, pumpkin, coconut milk, and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour. Cool completely before cutting.

Toddler Food - Tuna Pea and Pumpkin Kale Croquettes

G. hates peas.

She used to eat peas every day like they were candy. Best thing ever. Peas were better than cereal in a circular shape.

G. turned one. Hates peas.

In true toddler fashion, make them look a little different, they are yummy. The ones on the left are the Tuna Pea Croquettes. The ones on the right are Pumpkin Kale.

Tuna Pea Croquettes
1 cup mashed potatoes with butter & soy milk (no salt)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted and pulsed in a food processor or blender
5 ounces canned skipjack tuna (no added salt), drained
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Mix everything together. Shape into 2 tablespoon patties. Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Kale Croquettes
15 ounces pumpkin puree
12 ounces tofu, pulsed in a food processor or blender to get small chunks
4 cups kale, cooked & chopped fine
1/4 cup flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Mix everything together. Shape into 2 tablespoon patties. Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.

Toddler Food - Pumpkin Tofu Bites

So we are past the baby food. But in typical toddler fashion we have food issues.

Number 1: She is awfully picky about biting into things and textures. I'll admit, I'm just as likely to tear off pieces of bread-type things rather than take bites, but she just hates to take a bite out of anything! Even teething biscuits aren't worthy of biting.

Number 2: Sometimes she just won't eat something she used to love. For weeks. Peas were a daily favorite for months. Now, if she sees a pea, it's all over. It reminds me of feeding my grandmother with dementia.

Fortunately, she seems to eat anything I make into nugget/croquette form. This has been a theme for the last month and I figure it's best to document all these recipes in case I want to make them again.

Pumpkin and tofu were always favorite foods so I started with that. She really seems to like these and they freeze very well.

Pumpkin Tofu Bites with Broccoli

10 ounces firm tofu, drained and minced

8 ounces pumpkin puree (about 3/4 cup)

5 ounces cooked brown rice (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup flour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 ounce frozen broccoli, defrosted and minced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Combine the tofu and pumpkin, mash slightly. 

Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop in 1 Tablespoon balls on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.