Sneaky Chef Orange Puree Recipes

Steps:

• Cut the squash in half and remove seeds and membranes. You may bake the squash at 400*F. for about 1/2 hour or till tender. Or you can microwave in a microwave safe dish with a tbls. or two of water for about 8-10 minutes. Pierce with fork to check if done. Or if you wish, peel squash, cut in chunks and boil with carrots and sweet potato.
• In a medium pot, cover carrots and sweet potatoes with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes until yams, and especially carrots, are very tender. If the carrots aren't completely cooked, they will leave little nubs, so make sure it's smooth.
• Drain the sweet potatoes and carrots(and squash if using) and put them in the food processor with two tbls. of water. Puree on high until smooth, no chunks should remain. Stop occasionally to push the mix from the top to the bottom. If you need to, add more of the water to make a smooth puree, but the less water the better.
• This makes about 3 cups of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store more puree. Keep in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup(or 1/2 cup) portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Steps:

• Boil covered carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium pot for about 20 min, until both are tender. (Make sure carrots are tender).
• Drain and put them in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of water.
• Puree on high until no chunks. Stop occasionally to circulate.
• Add water as necessary. (Less is better).
• Makes around 2 cups, stores 3 days in refrigerator. or freeze in 1/4 cup portions.

Steps:

• Raw baby spinach is preferred to frozen spinach for this recipe (more mild flavor); if you must use frozen spinach, only use 1 cup of it.
• If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed."
• To prepare on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.
• To prepare in the microwave, place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
• Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree.
• This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Steps:

• Place the carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Careful - if the carrots aren't tender enough, they may leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your kids-a gigantic no-no for The Sneaky Chef. Drain the carrots and sweet potatoes and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth - no pieces of vegetables showing. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better. This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store more. Orange Puree will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Steps:

• Place the sliced veggies into a medium pot and cover with water. Boil for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Do not rush this! If the carrots aren't tender, the puree texture will not be smooth enough to go undetected.
• Drain the carrots and sweet potatoes, saving the cooking liquid.
• Use your food processor or blender and puree the vegetables into a smooth puree. Use some of the cooking water (3-4 tablespoons) to help get things moving in your food processor.
• I used the remaining cooking water as part of the pasta water to make macaroni and cheese from the blue box. I added 4 tablespoons of the orange puree to the finished dish. I also added some extra cheese. The dish was creamier than normal, but my kids didn't notice the vegetable.
• Freeze the orange puree in 1-2 tablespoon size portions (ice cube tray works well). The add 2 to 4 tablespoons into your cooking.
• Another idea is to add 2 to 4 tablespoons to spaghettios or other canned pasta. Or add up to 1/2 a cup to canned baked beans (the sweet kind). Or add up to 1/4 cup to canned tomato soup made with milk. The author suggests adding some to chile con queso (not tried). Another use is 2 to 4 tablespoons into any storebought tomato based pasta sauce.