Years ago I had the great fortune to take several trips to Morocco for modeling jobs. It was so 
incredible being able to travel to cities all over the country and to experience 
the culture first hand. We would go to what are called souks, where the local merchants sell hand woven rugs, tagines (covered clay pots used to cook stews), food, jewelry and much more. It was always fun getting to take a break from work or shopping 
(when time allowed) to eat delicious creations, many of which were made with couscous.
When I’ve asked people what they think couscous is, they usually say, 
”a grain”. Actually, couscous is pasta made by rolling and shaping moistened 
semolina wheat and then coating the tiny pieces with finely ground 
wheat flour. The quick-cook variety, which you can buy in stores, takes only 
minutes to steam.
Although I love a savory dish with couscous, I’m always trying to 
think of healthy sweet treats for Kenya that he will enjoy without giving him sugar. With 
that in mind, I came up with this vanilla bean couscous recipe. It couldn’t be easier and you can make as much or as little as you 
want just by increasing the amount of milk and couscous. If you want to make it 
even sweeter, you could add some agave nectar, but when Kenya, his 
grandmother and I tried it today we thought it was heavenly just like it is.

Vanilla Bean Couscous (Makes 6 Toddler Servings)

1/2 Cup plus 3 Tbsp Whole Milk
1/4 Cup Water
1/3 of a Vanilla Bean, about 1 inch long
1/2 Cup Couscous

1. Place the water and 1/2 cup of the whole milk to a small saucepan.
2. With a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half. Starting at one end of the bean, using the flat side of the knife, scrape the seeds out of the pod. Add the seeds (it won’t seem like a lot, but it is) to the saucepan with the milk and the remaining vanilla bean.
3. Bring the liquid and vanilla to a boil.
4. Add the couscous, stir, reduce to a simmer and cover.
5. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Stir the couscous, breaking up any clumps, add the remaining 3 Tbsp of milk.
7. Remove the whole vanilla bean.
8. Cool and serve.

Oats are among the most nutritious grains you can give your baby. They have a higher level of protein (15-20 %) higher than other grains and contain good levels of polyunsaturated fats. These fats include linoleic acid which is part of the omega-6 fatty acid family which helps support a strong immune system and healthy blood. They’re also rich in vitamin E and zinc, which protect free radical damage, maintain the body’s thymus gland and aid in fatty acid metabolism. Oats are also easy to digest which makes them important for babies immature tummy’s.
More importantly, though, they’re delicious and so many things can be added to them. Now that Kenya is over a year, I’ve come up with different morning recipes, but this one stands out because he loves it. It’s easy to prepare, refrigerate and just add a touch of milk to make it creamy and serve.

*There are several types of oats you can use. Just follow the package directions depending on which you choose. Adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time will make the oats softer.

Oatmeal, Almond and Banana Puree (4-5 breakfast servings)

1/2 Cup Oats (I use 5 minute Rolled Oats)
1 Cup Whole Milk (you could also use water)
1 Tbsp Almond Butter
1/2 Banana

1. Bring oats and milk to a boil and simmer (the package says to cook them for 5 minutes, but I find that for babies you should add a few extra minutes to make them softer).
2. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.
3. Serve.

Blue food? I know what you’re thinking, she actually put blue dye in her babies food?! No, the ingredients in this delicious mash are blue potatoes and purple cauliflower. Now that I look at the picture again, does it look blue or purple. No matter how it looks, it tastes delicious. Don’t be scared of the color, the blue is an added vitamin boost. One of the first things I learned in culinary school was the brighter the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins it contains. In this case, the dish is packed with potassium and vitamin C. Pretty to look at and fantastic for baby to eat.

Blue Mash (Makes 12 Baby Servings, freeze 1/2)

2 Medium Blue Potatoes, peeled
1 Cup Purple Cauliflower Florets
2 Tbsp Whole Milk (you can also use the water remaining under the steamer pot or rice milk)

1. Add the potatoes to the steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Add the cauliflower and continue to steam 4 more minutes.
3. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.
4. Cool and serve.