Eco Baby Sauces Know How

The Spice World

Sauce making for those steamed or to be creamed
veggies: (read here baby food care)

  
How to:
Firstly get in your hands all the nessesary ingredients that make a great sauce.
The ingredients can change from time to time, variety is the spice of life!
Let`s think globaly and localy at the same time, we could use some spices or sauce makers from other countries and the basic veggies or food can be as local as we are!

Let`s see, now we have amazing japanese kitchen... they offer all kinds of sea weeds, tofu, miso (red, white, miso buillon, dark red), soya sauce, those can make a perfect variety taste for a baby too !!
This link here is everything one needs to know about japanese spices, what are their names, what are they etc.
read here about japanese spices
I strongly recommend to begin the baby with the sea weeds and the japanese spices, since they are full of good nutrients, very healthy and fully apropriate for a baby(organic only).
 
Example recipes with japanese spices: 

1.Creamy, for all stages of baby from 8th month on
3 small Naxos potatos
1 small brocoli (head)
1 small red carrot
fresh cut rosemary (10 needles)
steam and blend with
olive oil, Shoyu soya sauce just 2 drops
1 small tea spoon of Organic Miso Buillon (label: Clearspring)

2. Creamy Spirulinee, from 9th month
1/2 small Sweet potato
1 small bowl of brown rice well cooked
1 clove of garlic
1 medium zuchini
1 Nori suhsi sheet
steam and then blend with little water and
olive oil, 1 tea spoon Spirulina powder (greek) or 2 tablets Spirulina Aztec

~

Greek or Mediterranean kitchen is a key for all tasty dishes so, we can really enjoy the variety of our herbs, fruits and veggies, olive oils and olives, olive pates, fava, capers, potatoes from Naxo,all kinds of different goodies coming form all islands, villages and country side in Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal !
Ask for them in your local roganic store and organic farmers market in your aerea. The whole thing is really cheap and quick. Buy few each time to experiment, try stay with the same ones for at least 3 months, so you can really enjoy them and learn how to prepare them. The easiest & fastest way is to add them in the steamer and then blend it with the rest of the food. Make sure you add just enough to have a taste but not over do it, so the baby can eat it !! They need light tasting spices but they love them in their foods ! Is a food playground and through tasting the babies are receiving the love, joy of the chef and the world around them. You can explain each herb or spice each time to the baby...! Enjoy the journey with your little one !


List of Mediterranean Herbs that can be used in baby foods:
Name: Arugula (Rocket)
Greek Name: Roka
Pronounced: ROE-kah
Name in Greek: ρόκα

Name: Basil
Greek Name: Vasilikos
Pronounced: vah-see-lee-KOHS (rhymes with "dose")
Name in Greek: βασιλικός

Name: Bay Leaf
Greek Name: Daphni
Pronounced: THAHF-nee (hard th)
Name in Greek: δάφνη

Name: Dill
Greek Name: Anithos
Pronounced: AH-nee-thohs (soft th, end rhymes with "dose")
[bName in Greek: άνηθος

Name: Fennel (leaves)
Greek Name: Maratho
Pronounced: MAH-rah-thoh (soft th sound)
Name in Greek: μάραθο

Name: Marjoram
Greek Name: Mantzourana
Pronounced: mahn-dzoo-RAH-nah
Name in Greek: μαντζουράνα

Name: Mint (Spearmint)
Greek Name: Dyosmos
Pronounced: thee-OHZ-mohs (hard th, end rhymes with "dose")
Name in Greek: δυόσμος

Name: Oregano (Greek)
Greek Name: Rigani
Pronounced: REE-gah-nee
Name in Greek: ρίγανη

Name: Parsley
Greek Name: Maïdanos
Pronounced: mah-ee-dah-NOHS (rhymes with "dose")
Name in Greek: μαϊντανός

Name: Purslane
Greek Name: Glistritha
Pronounced: ghlee-STREE-thath (hard th)
Name in Greek: γλιστρίδα also known as antrakla, αντράκλα, say: ahn-DRAK-lah

Name: Rosemary
Greek Name: Thentrolivano
Pronounced: then-droh-LEE-vah-no (hard th)
Name in Greek: δεντρολίβανο

Name: Sage
Greek Name: Faskomilo
Pronounced: fahs-KOH-mee-lo
Name in Greek: φασκόμηλο

Name: Savory
Greek Name: Throubi
Pronounced: throo-BEE (soft th)
Name in Greek: θρουμπί

Name: Tarragon
Greek name: Estragon
Pronounced: es-trah-GON
Name in Greek: εστραγκόν

Name: Thyme
Greek Name: Thymari
Pronounced: thee-MAH-ree (soft th)
Name in Greek: θυμάρι

Name: Wild Celery/Italian Cutting Celery
Greek Name: Selino
Pronounced: SEH-lee-noh
Name in Greek: σέλινο
List of Spices that can be used in baby food:
Name: Anise
Greek name: Glykaniso
Pronounced: ghlee-KAH-nee-so
Name in Greek: γλυκάνισο

Name: Cardamom
Greek name: Karthamo
Pronounced: KAR-thah-mo (hard th)
Name in Greek: κάρδαμο

Name: Coriander
Greek name: Kolianthro
Pronounced: koh-LEE-ahn-throh (hard th, rhymes with "dough")
Name in Greek: κολίανδρο

Name: Cumin
Greek name: Kymino
Pronounced: KEE-mee-no
Name in Greek: κύμινο

Name: Curry
Greek name: Kari
Pronounced: KAH-ree
Name in Greek: κάρι

Name: Ginger
Greek name: Piperoriza
Pronounced: pee-peh-ROH-ree-zah
Name in Greek: πιπερόριζα

Name: Mahlab
Greek name: Mahlepi
Pronounced: mahk-LEH-pee
Name in Greek: μαχλέπι

Name: Mastic
Greek name: Mastiha
Pronounced: mahs-TEEKH-hah
Name in Greek: μαστίχα

Name: Mustard Powder
Greek name: Moustartha Skoni
Pronounced: moo-STAR-thah SKOH-nee (hard th)
Name in Greek: μουστάρδα σκόνη

Name: Nutmeg
Greek name: Moschokarido
Pronounced: mos-ho-KAH-ree-thoh (hard th, rhymes with dough)
Name in Greek: μοσχοκάρυδο


Name: Saffron
Greek name: Zafora or Safrani
Pronounced: zah-for-AH or sah-FRAH-nee
Name in Greek: ζαφορά, σαφράνι

Name: Sumac
Greek name: Sumaki
Pronounced: soo-MAH-kee
Name in Greek: σουμάκι

Name: Vanilla
Greek name: Vanilia
Pronounced: vah-NEEL-yah
Name in Greek: βανίλια


Only with Greek and japanese kitchen, believe me you have few years of experimenting but hey, maybe it`s not everyone`s taste so, let`s see more deeply into spice world for babies too !
Ask your grandmother, unties and uncles from your village friend`s relatives that know Greek nature or your local organic farmer and explore this fun and creative game of herbs and spices!

for example:
Actual Brazilian sauce recipes for babies too:

1) Molho á Campanha
- 2 chopped and seeded tomatoes
- 1 chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 chopped green bell pepper
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 bunch of finely chopped leaf parsley

2) Whole Brown Rice
- 1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g whole brown rice
- pinch of wild salt
- 500 - 600 ml boiling water

Read here BABY FOOD CARE
Read here BABY FOOD RECIPES


~ for exited readers only:)  - NOT BABY FOOD - but exiting exotic cousines for creativity !!

Let`s go to Brazil, Peru, Mexico all the Latin America world, maybe this is a bit far out,  too much variety for a baby but again, keep an open mind with global thinking for everything, even cooking! Our problem is that we stay in the classic "recipes" of our mothers and we don`t explore others. With your baby you have this oportunity to explore, play and learn all those new tastes and world !!
Variety is the spice of life!

Brazilian Cousine
Brazilian Food Recipes From The North
(Amazonas, Pará, Amapá, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins and Acre)
Brazilian food recipes from this region have more influences from indian cuisine than anywhere else in Brazil. A typical ingredients is tucupi, it is a yellow broth used in various dishes; extracted from manioc root. The liquid has to be cooked before use since it is poisonous. It is essential in popular dishes like Pato no tucupi (En: Duck in tucupi) and Tacacá. Many exotic herbs and vegetables grow in this region, examples are pimenta do cheiro (a type of chili pepper) and jambú (a herb).
The many rivers in the region has always provided protein, fishes like pescada amarela, piraiba and pirarucu are very appreciated, the meat of the jacaré (En: Cayman) is also eaten. Dried and salted shrimp (Po: camarão seca) is a very common ingredient in Brazilian food recipes from this region. Nowhere else in Brazil you have more types of fruit and nuts than here. The açaí has long been an important protein source for the indigenous, mostly eaten warm with rice in place of beans eaten elsewhere in Brazil. Lately this little purple berry has become immensely popular all over the world, then frozen and mixed with guaraná syryp in a sherbet. Fruits like cupuaçú and bacuri are enjoyed in different types of desserts. The castanha do pará (En: para nut) is popular and also exported in big quantitites.
Brazilian Food Recipes From The Northeast
(Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Piauí, Alagoas and Sergipe)
This part of the country has a culinary history that dates back a few hundred years. In Brazilian food recipes from this region you can most of the times see influences from Africa, Portugal and from the indigenous indians.
A typical dish is vatapá is a stew made traditionally from bread, shrimp (dried or fresh), malagueta chili peppers, fubá (rice or corn flour), coconut milk and dendê palm oil - it is eaten with rice or in Bahia commonly in a fried bean ball with a nut and okra mix named caruru (then it is known as acarajé and is very associated with Bahia and black culture). There are several types of moquecas, one is from Bahia. It is my favourite Brazilian dish. A delicious seafood stew made mainly from seafood, onions, garlic, tomatoes, coriander, coconut milk, chili peppers and dendê palm oil. The original moqueca is believed to have indian origin, later came African influnces and added dendê palm oil and coconut milk.
Other typical dishes include carne de sol (sun dried beef) and buchada de bode which is a fried ball made of intestines, you can see similarities to the Scottish haggis since it is cooked in the animal's stomach. A typical drink from the Northeast would be the batida. It is the sugarcane destillate cachaça mixed with fruits and sweetened milk. These tasty drinks are very potent and goes straight to the head without you noticing you are drinking alcohol.

Brazilian Food Recipes From The Southeast
(São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais)
The three states in this region show quite big differences.
Minas Gerais - This big state has its own kitchen called Cozinha Mineira, it is quite heavy food with various dishes including beans, corn, cheese and meat from both the pig and the cow. Egg and fried sausages are also common.
Rio de Janeiro - Tha Cariocas love meat. A weekend barbecue with friends and family is for many the highlight of the week. Feijoada; the black bean mixed meat stew is still popular, this dish has its origins in Europe, when it came to Brazil the black beans were added. Feijoada is traditionally drunk with a Caipirimha which is a drink made with cachaça, lime, sugar and lots of ice. Grilled spring chicken (Po: galeto) is also quite typical. Oh, and all this dishes are preferrably drunk with ice cold beer. The Cariocas are also very helath oriented; coconut water, fresh juices, açaí sherbet and sushi is readily available.
Espirito Santo - Along with various seafood dishes the moqueca capixaba is notable, it does not have dendê palm oil nor coconut milk like the Bahian version. Just like Rio, Espirito Santos has quite a lot of African influences, visible in various fish stews like pirão, this due to the history of plantations with black slaves.
São Paulo - The metropolitan city of this big state has got a very high culinary standard. Here you can eat some of the best Lebanese, Arabian, Italian and Japanese food in the world. This due of course to the history of immigration. The African influence is very small. In the state a meat based diet with rice and beans is paramount.

 Brazilian Food Recipes From The South
(Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina)
In Brazilian food recipes from this region you can easily see the influence from Italian and German immigrants. Pasta, pizza, sausages and sauercraut is easy to find. The barbecue from here is also famous, it has its roots in old indigenous indian cooking methods. Wine and German style beer is appreciated with great gusto.


Peruvian Cuisine
The first topic I will approach is ingredients. Peru is a large country with varied climate, soils and biotopes. When the Spanish arrived the Indians cultivated many foods that were foreign to the Spanish: Potato, yam, zucchini, some cultivars of beans, peanuts, manioc, tomatoes, maize and aji chili pepper are examples. Of fruits avocado, lucuma, cherimoya and papaya stand out. Many of these ingredients were mixed with the cuisines of the newcomers to create unique Peruvian food recipes. Some cultivars were forgotten and replaced by imported ones, of late many of these have been re-discovered. The immigrants also brought with them new ingredients such as chickens, cows, pigs, rice, citrical fruits and lots more. Of paramount importance was the introduction of sugarcane since it became an important export product. Guinea pigs is a traditional food and is eaten until today; alpaca and llama meat is also eaten. Fish and seafood are abundant along the coast and there also an important source of protein.
The second topic is the ethnical mix and its effect on Peruvian food recipes. Like I mentioned earlier there have been large scale immigration from several ethnical groups including Europeans, Africans and Asians. The newcomers brought with them their cuisines and they met with those of other immigrants, indigenous indians and new ingredients. The result is an interesting cross-over cuisine that of late have received a lot of international attention. In this process some plants have been re-discovered like quinoa.

Camote A cultivar of sweet potato.
Cancha Toasted maize.
Humita Maize cooked or baked in their husks. Come in many varieties. Of indigenous Indian origin.
Tamales Maize mush with cheese and meat served in husks.
Empanada Pastry with filling. Of Spanish origin.
Butifarras A special ham sandwich that is made with lime, onions and chili peppers.
Chalona Salt dried alpaca or lamb meat.
Charqui Beef jerky.
Jamon serrano Spanish style ham.
Shambar Bean and pork soup.
Yuka chupe Manioc soup.
Chairo A vegetable and meat soup of Andean origin.
Rocoto relleno Bell peppers stuffed with minced meat and chili peppers.
Anticuchos Barbecued skewered meat.
Papa rellena Deep fried meat and cheese stuffed potato mash.
Papas a la Huancaina Boiled potatoes served with a spicy cheese sauce.
Causa A popular potato dumpling that can be made with chicken or seafood. Spiced with chili, lime and onion.
Ceviche World famous. Fresh raw fish prepared with lime juice.
Tiradito Similar to sashimi, served with a spicy sauce. A good example of the Japanese and Korean influence.
Pachamanca Pit baked vegetables and meats. Of Andean origin.
Escabeche Fish marinated in vinegar with spices.
Pollo a la Brasa Marinated chicken cooked in ashes.
Lomo saltado A stirfry of beef, onion and vegatables. Of Chinese origin.
Aji de gallina Pieces of torn chicken served with a spicy cheese and walnut sauce.
Arroz chaufa Chinese style mixed fried rice.
Carapulca A peculiar mixed meat stew that is made with dried potatoes, chilis and peanuts.
Arroz con leche Sweet rice pudding.
Helados Ice cream.
Suspiro a la limeña A dessert made with dulce de leche and meringue.
Mazamorra morada A purple maize jelly flavoured with cloves.


Mexican Cuisine
Mexican food recipes of today have quite clear roots in Amerindian and Spanish cuisines, this meeting have given birth to many creations that have won fame around the world. Immigration from Asia have also made its presence in the cuisine. Quite interesting is how some traditional Mexican dishes have met with US American cuisines and thus created a Tex-Mex kitchen, a few of these dishes have actually become quite popular also in Mexico (like nachos). This type of fusion is also typical in Mexico, many dishes are combinations of different cuisines. Mexican cuisine is relying on some ingredients of American origin like maize, chocolate, avocado, tomato, zucchini, chili peppers, potato, beans, turkey and bell peppers. Other 'imported' ingredients in ample use are beef, goat, chicken, wheat, onion, garlic, rice and lime. There are several types of chili peppers, the hot habanero is one, another is and the milder jalapeño. Chipotle is smoke dried jalapeño. Of dairy products cheese and sour cream are most popular. The most common cereal is wheat, cornmeal is the most used flour. The Mexican food recipes vary quite a lot with region. You could generalize and say that the northern cuisine is milder and more red meat based while the southern use more spices and is more traditionally Amerindian. Along the eastern coast there are Caribbean influences with ample use of coconut, fish and seafood. Below is a list of some typical Mexican foods.

Frijoles Beans are most often refried.
Pambazo A quite fatty wheat bread.
Salsa Means sauce but is normally associated with a vinegar based dip made with fresh coriander, chili peppers and tomatoes.
Guacamole The recipe for this dip can vary but it always contains mashed ripe avocadoes. Common ingredients are lime juice, garlic and tomatoes.
Chorizo A Spanish style meat sausage. In mexico it is made with chili peppers.
Mole A sauce made with chocolate, chili peppers and spices.
Tortilla Flat bread made from cornmeal or wheat flour.
Tamale There are many varieties, they all include cornmeal dough and is cooked in banana leaves or corn husks.
Taco A common fast food. A tortilla with filling of either or vegetables, meat and seafood.
Elote Whole maize served with butter and spices. A common street food.
Barbacoa Is a collective name for various methods to slow cook meat.
Mancha manteles A stew made with meat, vegetables and fruits.
Quesadilla A cheese filled cornmeal tortilla.
Enchiladas Stuffed and baked cornmeal tortillas.
Chiles rellenos Stuffed Chili peppers. The filling can be cheese, meat and rice.
Chicharrones Deep fried pieces of pork.
Albondigas Yes, Mexico also have their meatballs.
Burrito A soft wheat tortilla filled most often filled with vegetables, rice, beans and meat.
Birria A meat stew, traditionall made from sheep or goat.
Tostada A hard cornmeal tortilla. Can also be used to refer to a the bread with a topping.
Ceviche As in Peru. Raw fish (most often sea bass) marinated in lime juice.
Huevos Motuleños A tortilla with a fried egg on top covered in a sauce consisting of peas, tomatoes, chilis and ham.
Dulce de leche A sweet paste obtained from reducing milk. A common ingredient in sweets and desserts.
Burros deep fried dough tubes, often filled with dulce de leche.
Pastel de tres leches Sponge cake made with uht milk, condensed milk and double cream.


Thank you,
Anna Korakaki

sources
http://www.savoryjapan.com/ingredients/spices.html
http://greekfood.about.com/
http://www.our-food-recipes.com/list-of-spices.html
http://www.our-food-recipes.com/