Coming Soon: A New Look!

Hello to all of our fabulous foodie followers!

We have big news: the Petit Organics blog is currently under renovation and will be back with a super spectacular new look very soon! Be sure to check back regularly to find and bookmark the new blog link.  If you don't already, please follow us on Twitter @PetitOrganics and on Facebook at facebook.com/PetitOrganics where we will keep you up to date on the blog progress.

In the meantime, bon appétit to you and your bébés!

A Little Bit of Summer in March: Swordfish in a Snap!

Welcome to March! Can you believe we have arrived to the third month of 2013? Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday we were celebrating the New Year and making resolutions. We don't know about you, but over here at Petit Organics, March means two things for us:

1. Where is spring?
2. We really miss warm weather!

Since you might be feeling the winter doldrums like us, we are sharing a traditional summer recipe perfect to warm up your dinner menu for your wee ones and hubby alike: Gluten-Free Baked Swordfish with Mango Salsa. Hopefully it will be the perfect way to hold your family over until the spring bounty that is just around the corner at your local green market.

Swordfish are a tropical fish found in open water which means they are high and protein and low in fat. In fact, one serving of swordfish has a whopping 27 grams of protein - pretty amazing! It is a more oily fish which means it is very rich in Omega 3; however it also means it has a stronger flavor. In order to neutralize the stronger flavor, we have balanced it with a salsa of mango, sugar snap peas, purple onion, corn and oregano. A helpful bonus: swordfish can only survive in the wild and are not possible to farm which means they are a very clean fish.

Baked Swordfish with Gluten-Free Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds swordfish (okay to purchase fresh or frozen then defrost)
• 1 cup mango (peeled and cut into 1" cubes or purchase frozen and defrost)
• 3/4 cup sugar snap peas (stem end and string discarded from each then cut in half)
• 1/2 cup corn kernals (fresh or frozen and organic, non-GMO is preferred)
• 1/4 cup purple onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch fresh cracked pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the mango, sugar snap peas, corn, onion, oregano and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Stir several times over and spread evenly into the bottom of a baking dish.

Slice the swordfish into 1/4 - 1/3 pound pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with sea salt and cracked pepper and lay across the mango salsa in the pan.

Bake in oven for 20 - 25 minutes turning fish once until cooked through and it flakes away. Plate and serve.

Bon appétit to you and your bébés!

Bell Peppers & the Ultimate Roasted Pepper Recipe

Bell Peppers which are delicious both raw and cooked can do more than add flavor to your omelette, pasta sauce or hummus. They are nutrient-dense and are one of the richest sources of Vitamins A and C. Just one cup of bell pepper a day fulfills 100% of your little one's requirement of both vitamins. 

Aim for a variety of colors when shopping for bell peppers. You can find green, red, orange and yellow varietals. Did you know that red bell peppers are actually more mature green peppers? This makes them much sweeter, milder and easier on the digestive system. It is helpful to note that green peppers are often challenging on babies' and toddlers' digestive systems. 

When shopping for bell peppers, look for firm and shiny peppers without wrinkled skin. It is also important to buy organic peppers as they rank number 3 on the dirty dozen list. They should be stored in a ventilated plastic bag in your vegetable crisper drawer.

Roasted Bell Peppers

One of the best ways to enjoy peppers is by roasting them. Roasted peppers are deliciously versatile: add them to a pasta sauce to sweeten it up, roll them in a tortilla with cream cheese for a toddler friendly lunch idea, or serve them up with fresh mozzarella for a perfect appetizer at your next party!

Ingredients:

4 - 8 red, orange and/or yellow bell peppers

Preparation:

Preheat oven to broil setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place peppers on sheet.

Broil peppers on the top rack of your oven, rotating the peppers when blackened (approximately every 10 minutes) until all sides have been roasted.  Remove from oven and place in a metal or glass bowl and cover the top completely with a layer of plastic wrap. This step is important because it allows the pepper's skin to separate from the flesh for easier peeling.

When cool enough to handle, remove the plastic wrap from the bowl. One at a time, remove the skin, stem and seeds from each pepper.

Peel them into 2" strips, quickly rinse them with water and lay out to dry on a paper towel.

When dry, place the roasted pepper strips in a glass or plastic container with olive oil, a pinch of salt, 2 grinds of fresh cracked pepper and 1/2 a teaspoon of dried oregano (crush it in the palm of your hand prior to adding to the peppers to bring out a fuller flavor).

The peppers will last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.  You can also puree them in a food processor or blender for the perfect, sweet baby food!  Bon appétit to you and your bébés!