I’m pleased to share with you the foundation of The Sneaky Chef method – a couple of my sneaky “make-ahead purees.” They’re called “make-ahead” because I encourage my readers to make a few batches every week and freeze ¼ cup portions in plastic bags in the freezer for up to 3 months (or refrigerate for 3 days). Either way, you’ll be glad you put in the half hour a week – that way preparing healthy foods takes no extra effort or time – just grab some puree that you have on hand and mix it in!
Sneaky Chef Make-Ahead Recipe #2: Orange Puree
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
2 to 3 tablespoons water
* Makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups.
In a medium-sized pot, cover the sweet potatoes and carrots with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. If the carrots aren’t thoroughly cooked, they’ll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence — a gigantic no-no for the Sneaky Chef.
Drain the sweet potatoes and carrots and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. 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.
Sneaky Chef Make-Ahead Recipe #4: White Puree
2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1⁄2 a small head)
2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if necessary
* Makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups.
Pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the cauliflower, and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Alternatively, place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover the cauliflower with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain.
While cauliflower steams, pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice (no water at this point) in your food processor. Once the cauliflower is cooked and tender, working in batches if necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water and some of the cauliflower to the food processor with the pulsed zucchini. Puree on high until smooth. 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.
Using these two purees, you can boost the nutrition in a wide variety of meals. Here are just a few items you can fix quickly:
Store-Bought BBQ Sauce – grilling season is upon us, and we often use bottles of store-bought barbecue sauce. Take any bottle of barbecue sauce and simply mix in some Sneaky Chef Orange Puree (sweet potato/carrot) or White Puree (cauliflower/zucchini). No one will taste anything but delicious bbq sauce, but the addition of veggies will add a ton of nutrition to your meal!
Store-Bought Tomato Sauce – The same trick can apply to any bottle of store-bought tomato sauce. Simply mix in some Sneaky Chef Orange Puree (sweet potato/carrot) or White Puree (cauliflower/zucchini). No one will guess their pasta or pizza has the extra hidden nutrition!
Missy (The Sneaky Chef)
