Simple Crabcakes

I felt that Thomas needed a break from his regular diet of chicken, beef and fish. Now that he's 15 months old, I figured it was safe to introduce him to shellfish. Having lived in Maryland for four years, I have always loved crabcakes.

Ingredients
8 oz lump crab meat (I use Whole Catch Lump Crab Meat from Whole Foods)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C bread crumbs, evenly divided
1/4 C chopped green onions
1 t lemon juice
1 T dijon mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the crab meat, egg, 1/4 C bread crumbs, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Mix until the ingredients are well combined.
Create 1 1/2 inch balls and cover the balls with the remaining bread crumbs. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add approximately 4-5 balls to skillet at a time and flatten the balls with a spatula.
Cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Serve with tartar sauce.

Approximately 5 servings (2 crabcakes per serving)

Arroz con Pollo

This is a really yummy dish that can also be enjoyed by the entire family. Although the traditional arroz con pollo typically calls for a whole chicken and beer, it can be adapted to be more "baby friendly."

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped in bite sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/2 C green peas
1 C rice
2-3C chicken broth
1/4 t saffron threads
Salt
Pepper
2 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large pot and brown chicken. Remove chicken and set aside on a paper towel. Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic along with a dash of salt and pepper. Add green peppers, red peppers, onions, and garlic paste to the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add chicken, rice, tomato, chicken broth, and saffron threads and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the rice is cooked through. Add chicken broth as needed. When the rice is almost cooked through, add the frozen peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve.

Easy Creamed Spinach

I am always looking for dishes that the entire family can enjoy. This is a simplified creamed spinach recipe that does not compromise on taste. I served this dish with a few fish sticks for dinner, and my little one LOVED it. If the fish sticks are too chunky for your little one, you can cut them up and mix them directly into the spinach dish.

10 oz organic baby spinach
1 T butter
1/2 T flour
1/4 C whole milk

Seasoning to taste:
Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is fully melted, add flour and whisk into a paste. Add milk and spinach and combine. Cover and let simmer over low heat for a few minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted. Remove from heat, add a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper to baby's preferred taste, mix, cover and let stand for an addition 5 minutes.