I love to cook. There’s no question about it. But I also love efficiency. And when it comes to cooking for a baby, a toddler, and 2 adults, efficiency is key. I can’t imagine making 3 separate meals for everyone on a daily basis. Does anyone actually have time for this? Instead, I make sure that whatever I’m making for the baby can easily be parlayed into a meal for us, and vice versa. This citrusy brown rice salad with roasted root vegetables is a prime example. I roasted the sweet potatoes and carrots on two separate baking sheets (one with salt, one without) – the unsalted batch was pureed into baby food and the rest went into this brown rice recipe. A perfect lunch, dinner or side dish. Wholesome, delicious and above all, easy. And isn’t that what every busy parent wants!?
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (approx. 2 cups)
- ½ lb. carrots, peeled and sliced (approx. 2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- ½ cup raisins
- Preheat oven to 400.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes and carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender and golden in spots.
- In a small bowl whisk together orange juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked brown rice, roasted veggies and raisins. Pour the orange juice mixture over the brown rice and stir to combine.
*If making baby food, double the amount of carrots and sweet potatoes. Add to a separate baking sheet and roast as described above, omitting the salt. Once cooked through and soft, add to a food processor with a little water and puree until smooth; adding more water as needed until desired consistency.
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