OT Feeding Therapy Tips:

Ages 8 months- 1.5 years: If you are serving the spaghetti squash to a child under the age of 18 months, you can cook a portion of the squash 5-10 min. longer, so it is softer for them. You could then serve the squash mashed or serve the squash in a bowl, so the child can practice grasping the strands. The vegan Parmesan is a great way to introduce your child to Brazil nuts, since they are ground up. When you’re blending up the ingredients, just save a portion for your little one, before adding salt to the remainder of the mix. You can then mix the nut mixture into a puree.

Ages 2 years+: You can share with your kids how a big yellow squash can turn into long spaghetti strands! We teach you how to cook spaghetti squash so your child can help you with the food prep by scooping out the squash flesh. They then could help mix it into their favorite pasta sauce.

Products Used in This Video

Brightland Olive Oil: Lucid, Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Nuvo Olive Oil: The Early Harvest-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Himalayan Sea Salt: Himalania Himalayan Fine Pink Salt Shaker

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash

Serving Size:

6

Time:

1 hour

Difficulty:

Medium

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds from each half. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash cut side down and make holes using a fork.
3. Place each half cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 35-40 min. depending on the size of the squash. Once slightly browned on the outside and tender to the fork, remove from oven.
4. Flip the squash so it’s cut side up and let it cool to touch. Using a fork, scrape strands from the side until it is fluffed and has mostly only the skin remaining.
5. Scoop the flesh from the squash into a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a generous amount of fresh pepper. Stir in vegan parmesan (recipe below) and sprinkle with your favorite herb, such as parsley.

Recipe Ingredients

Vegan Parmesan

Serving Size:

12

Time:

10 min.

Difficulty:

Simple

Ingredients

• ¾ cup Brazil nuts
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ¼ teaspoon garlic flakes or powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic flakes or powder
• ¾ sea salt

Directions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until a fine crumb is achieved. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge. Sprinkle on your favorite Italian dishes, grain bowls, and baked dishes!

The post Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash with Vegan Parmesan appeared first on Feeling Yum.

1. Rice cracker sandwich with peanut butter and honey
2. Toasted bread (so they taste more like croutons) or Gluten Free Pita Chips with a dip like baba ganoush or hummus
3. Quinoa veggie salad
4. Garbanzo bean salad
5. Gluten-free crackers (i Love SImple Mills) with a tapenade (I prefere olive tapenade)
6. Trail mix
7. Nut butter cup and fresh fruit
8. Fruit nut bars
9. Chips (I prefere Siete tortilla chips) and salsa
10. Hummus with veggies such as cucumber and carrot sticks

What ideas do you have for yummy gluten-free snacks that can be eaten on the go?

The post 10 of my go to Gluten-Free On-the-Go Ideas appeared first on Feeling Yum.

Take a favorite from your heritage. It’s a great way to share where you are from and hopefully a dish you have cooked before or could get directions from a family member.

Some include

1. Guacamole with jicama and chips
2. Salsa or pico de gallo with jicama and chips 
3. Hummus with vegetables
4. Romesco with asparagus
5. Garbanzo bean salad
6. Pasta salad
7. Soba noodle salad
8. Fruit Salad
9. Black bean or refried bean dip with chips
10. Beet Muhammara with vegetables 
11. Chimichurri with potatoes
12. Artichoke dip
13. Deviled eggs
14. Empanadas
15. Quinoa salad
16. Basmati rice with vegetables
17. Bruschetta with toasts
18. Corn bread with cranberry sauce
19. Banana bread
20. Chocolate chip cookies

The post Potluck Favorites for Varied Diets appeared first on Feeling Yum.

I have a solution! If you don’t have an immediate idea for another use, you can use your roasted red peppers to make a delicious spread that you can toss over vegetables, fish, on toast or with eggs. It’s flexible as well, so you can experiment with what you have on hand. It will also last more than a week in the fridge-theoretically. 

What is romesco sauce? For the unacquainted- it’s a sauce used in Spain that is often used for tapas. The first time I experienced eating this creamy goodness over a bed of roasted asparagus was on a trip in Barcelona, Spain. Since I cannot eat dairy, I almost subjected myself to  watching the others at the table enjoy this delicious tapa until I summoned enough courage to inquire about the main ingredients. To my delight, the creaminess was due to the almonds and it was diary free! Music to my ears.

However, I’ve made variations in the past and  although family members never complained about finishing the leftovers, I personally have found them too rich and never finished them. Also charing the bell pepper over a stove or under a broiler, peeling and cutting it is an extra fussy step that is too much of a headache to do with a grumbly stomach on a weekday. 

My inspo for the riffing on ingredients came from one of my favorite spots in Los Angeles, Botanica- thank you!

Pantry Romesco Sauce

• The remainder of a jar of roasted red pepper
• ½  cup of sprouted almonds (I prefer to do ½ cup almonds, ¼ cup hazelnuts)
• 2-3 roughly chopped garlic cloves
• 1-2 serrano peppers if you like some spice
• Splash of olive oil, add more to desired consistency
• Handful of cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of vinegar and/or lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until desired thickness
2. Add more salt or vinegar/lemon to taste. 

The post Pantry Romesco Sauce appeared first on Feeling Yum.