Saturday, July 24, 2010

Jack's Super Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

This is my little Superman. Who, at 10 months, is not so little.

Faster than a speeding Fisher Price animal train, Jack manages to scamper his way all over the house, investigating every inch and climbing everything possible. How does this little man of steel keep up his constant supply of energy? He eats. He eats a lot.

A few months ago, I told Jack's teachers at daycare that, because Jack had been through food allergy tests, I felt confident that they could let him try pretty much any food. I was expecting to hear that Jack had branched from his level-1 squash to maybe something wild and crazy, like level-2 pears and blueberries. But instead, he moved to real food, cut in tiny pieces.

And he loved it. Overnight, he started eating chicken and tomatoes with pasta. Meatloaf. Chicken quesadillas with black beans. Chili. The hubby and I decided that instead of making special meals for the little man, we'd feed him bites of whatever we were eating, so he could be introduced to those flavors early on. So he's already comfortable now eating things like Cajun chicken kabobs with potatoes and tomatoes, brisket, bratwurst (with mustard!), grilled zucchini and red pepper, and chicken lo mein (which Jack thinks is the best food EVER).

Obviously, ensuring that the little man eats his veggies is a top priority for us. We've been making a lot of soups and stews with plenty of veggies, but we also need some quicker meal ideas. These pinwheels hit the spot, and they have plenty of veggies mixed in with low-fat cream cheese.

Jack's Super Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Makes 2 Jack-sized servings

1 Tbsp. low-fat cream cheese
1/2 carrot, grated
2 Tbsp. minced cucumber
2 Tbsp. minced tomato
1 small tortilla (about 6-7")
2 Tbsp. shredded cheese
1-2 slices ham

Jack's suggested accompaniments
Chopped pineapple
Cool water in a sippy cup

1. Mix together cream cheese and grated carrot.

2. Stir in cucumber and tomato.

3. Spread veggie cream cheese mixture on a tortilla.

4. Top with cheese and ham.

5. Roll up tightly, and then cut into slices (and then into bite-sized pieces).

This would probably work better if you refrigerate the pinwheels for an hour or two before slicing, but the little man has no such patience. He has places to go and kitties to chase.

2 comments:

Natasha in Oz said...

Boy oh boy, he is growing up so quickly! What a cutie! And how wonderful that Jack has already got such a sophisticated palate! Good job mum!

Best wishes always,
Natasha.

Heather S-G said...

Oh my gosh! Your little guy is getting so big!! He's so cute =) I bet my older kiddos would like this, too....YUMMY!