Hassleback Baby Potatoes with Basil and Spinach, Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Life has been extraordinary, to say the least over the past 6 weeks. It has been a whirlwind adventure that has led to me becoming (thanks to you all buying my book) a number one best-selling author. This has, in turn, opened so many doors that are helping me fight the obesity problem facing our children, one healthy finger food at a time. It is because of this that I have been a little slack in giving you all-new, delicious recipes from Baby Led Feeding. That was though until today!
‘Mammy Oscar Day’
Friday in our house is known as ‘Mammy Oscar Day’. I am off work, we clean, we do the food shopping and most importantly, we cook, then bring the fruits of our labour to the park, or simply serve them to Daddy when he comes in the door from work. I had taken a break from everything for a few weeks (including crazy cleaning) but today I feel like the rest had been enough and boy was it a productive day! I have so many new recipes for you and I am so excited to share them over the next few weeks.
Starting with these amazing potatoes, the perfect finger food or those little baby hands. Hasselback potatoes look fancy! Let’s be honest they look like work, but I can assure you that they really, really don’t take any more time that wrapping a potato in tin foil and roasting in the oven. It takes no time at all to slice them and then it’s just a matter of drizzling with a little oil and roasting until they are soft and delicious.
The Pesto
I am a huge, huge fan of pesto and am constantly trying to find different ways of adding as much oomph into it so that it really just blows the scale of nutritional goodness. This pesto took me less than 5 minutes to make and it will get you 3 dinners from just one recipe! Seriously that is amazing! It uses pumpkin seeds which are way cheaper than pinenuts and they taste just as amazing if you toast them before making up a batch. You can freeze pesto in icecube trays and just pop onto a portion of pasta, defrost then spread on chicken or even use on toasties sprinkled with cheese. Yes like I said I am a huge fan of pesto especially when I know it is packed with iron and so much goodness that I know my little ones need.
Cost
Cost is a huge factor when it comes to feeding your families with healthy food. The perception is that healthy = expensive, but I want to dispel that idea right here and now. I costed out this meal from my weekly food shop and wanted to breakdown the price show how cheap it is to good amazing food!
Pesto – Makes 3 Dinners – (Cost €6.76) €2.25 per dinner
- Pumpkin Seeds – Full Bag €4.19 (uses 1/3 pack) – €1.39
- Basil – €3.57
- Organic Spinach Leaves – Full bag €3.00 (uses 1/4 bag) – €0.75
- Garlic – €1.50 full bulb (uses 1/2 hulb) – €0.75
- Extra virgin olive oil – €0.30
New Baby Potatoes €1.99
Cherry Tomatoes – €2.49
I served with…
Free Range Whole Chicken € 7.99
But you can substitute this for beans, quinoa, lentils if vegetarian.
Total Meal Cost (with chicken)– €14.72
Meal for 2 Adults + 3 Children
I think that is pretty good for an amazing dinner packed with goodness. The pesto will be used tomorrow with pasta for lunch and again on Monday roasted pesto chicken with vegetables. Each time the pesto is only costing €2.25 which is so much cheaper and healthier.
I would love to know if these breakdowns of recipe would be something you are looking for? If you think it is a good idea leave a comment below and I will be sure to include them in every recipe going forward. I think it will encourage us all to cook better when we know its not going to break the bank.
Happy weekend! Delighted to be back writing recipe for you.
Aileen xoxoxox
Ouuu and you can buy my book from here: The Baby Led Feeding Cookbook (free delivery world wide)
Hassleback Baby Potatoes with Basil and Spinach, Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 kg baby potatoes
- 3 tablespoons rapeseed/olive oil
- 12 cherry tomatoes on the vine
- 80 g pumpkin seeds
- 50 g basil leaves
- 50 g baby spinach leaves
- 40 g hard goat cheese or 20g parmesan
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 6 roasted cloves garlic skins on
- Black pepper to season
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
- Give the potatoes a wash, then dry and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (which helps with cleaning!)
- With a knife carefully slice each of the potatoes cutting only 3/4’s way down stopping before you cut through tot he bottom. Space the slices about 2mm apart then bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, then add the 12 cherry tomatoes on the vine to the baking tray and brush each of the potatoes with the oil that is on the base of the tray (basting them with the oil that is already there). Return to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- At the same time, scatter the pumpkin seeds onto a tray and add to the oven for 10 minutes. You just want them to toast gently so they release their beautiful flavour.
- Remove the pumpkin seeds from the oven then add to a blender along with the basil, spinach, goat cheese, olive oil, roasted garlic and black pepper.
- Remove the potatoes and tomatoes from the oven and place on a plate for serving along with the roasted tomatoes.
- To serve drizzle the pesto over the potatoes and add a little extra grated goat cheese and serve with roasted chicken or beans for a yummy, scrummy dinner.
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Recipe Notes & Tips
Writen by Aileen Cox Blundell - number one bestselling author, award winning blogger and Mum of 3 kiddies who all eat their veggies.
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