Sneaking In Veggies

Veggie Paste with Garlic - Marinara Base

My son is a very picky eater. During one of his doctor visits, the doctor asked him to name his favorite red food; his reply was strawberries - I was happy with that one! Then she asked what his favorite green food was. He thought long and hard (I held my breath) and finally came up with mint ice cream - sigh. Vegetables are not one of his favorite foods, although he will eat carrot sticks without too much of a fight (as long as they are not cooked). Dinner time can be full of challenges when it comes to feeding my boy!

When he was a baby, he ate anything that he was served - it was great! Then one day, he only would eat fruit, Cheerios and milk, so I had to come up with ways to sneak in veggies. What I came up with was a vegetable paste. It doesn't have the best color, but it tastes delicious and I use it in meatballs, soups, and pasta sauce. The best part is, he has no idea that he is eating veggies!

Vegetable Paste

Ingredients:
2 zucchini squashes
1 onion
1 package fresh mushrooms2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 can chicken or vegetable broth

• Clean and cut up all the veggies.
• Over medium heat, add some cooking spray or vegetable oil and cook the onions until they are translucent.
• Add all the other veggies and broth and simmer cook until the veggies are no longer firm.
• Allow the mixture to cool, then blend or place in a food processor; blend until smooth.
• Divide up into usable sections (you can use an ice cube tray) and freeze or use immediately.

Feel free to add any other veggies that you like! I don't add any seasoning to this, because I usually am seasoning whatever else I am adding this to (but you could always add garlic or other spices when simmering).

The picture above was taken when I made marinara sauce. I started by thawing some of the veggie paste, then I added some chopped garlic. The veggie paste in the sauce also helped thicken it a bit and added lots of good flavor too!

Marinara with Veggie Paste Hidden

The sauce turned out great and he never knew that it was full of dreaded vegetables!