Dear readers, today I start my  little LOVEly guest post series with my friend Katharina, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! I need to return to baby love now! See you on Thursday with another guest post. I will be returning myself on the blog with our #2flowergirls flower styling challenge on 2nd October. I wish you a great day and thank you so much Katharina for the great recipe and your beautiful photos. xxx Elodie

Going wild - with eco-friendly tableware for children (plus: a pasta dish recipe to serve upon)

Are you in for a bit of eco-chic? Then today's post might be just the thing for you.

But let me first say hello and introduce myself! I'm Katharina, a German food blogger. You can find me over at Katharina kocht., where I share the yummy things that make their way from our small kitchen to the dining table. I've known Elodie for a while now through our regular blogger meet-ups in Hamburg and I was very happy to participate in her Virtual Baby shower. And of course I'm absolutely looking forward to meet Baby Love sometime soon!

When Elodie asked fellow bloggers for guest post while she and her new little family take time to get to know each other I totally wanted to join in, however my mind was pretty blank. I don't have kids (yet), so I wondered what food-related and child-related idea I could come up with. And just then Birgit of kinderzimmer-haus.de asked if I was interested in checking out some of their infant tableware manufactured by the brand Zuperzozial. Inspiration hit just in the nick of time!

 

Zuperzozial is a Dutch brand who design tableware from organic material, such as bamboo, corn or sugar extract. Add soy-based ink for the print and there you go: eco-friendly, bio-degradable and, most importantly, really cute plates, bowls and cups for little food adventurers. The dishes’ characteristics are a bit like those of plastic tableware as they not prone to breaking from a little banging on the table or throwing on the floor (rumour has it some kids actually do this - not your little angel though, I'm sure), but it's made from a 100 per cent organic material. It can even go into the dishwasher! Eco-chic at its best, don't you think? And the "Hungry Lion" print makes meals a wild party. As for the goat - I just pretend it's the lion's BFF.

I wouldn't be a food blogger if I hadn't brought a recipe along with the tableware. As probably any child’s, my favourite childhood food was pasta. Oh yes, definitely pasta! I loved the days when little spare time only allowed for a quick pasta lunch, preferably spaghetti with tomato sauce, “sprinkled” with a cheese layer almost the height of the pasta itself. And my grandmother even started cooking tomato sauce, on our constant nagging. She must have been past 70 at that time… Looking at the peas on the product pictures I also remembered how we loved to swarm out into our grandparents’ garden and “harvest” anything that was remotely ripe. No berry and no pea would be safe from us! Combining both memories I cooked a pasta dish for you that is not only extremely versatile but will (hopefully) please both children and parents alike. At my house we call it the "let's see what's left in the freezer-pasta” as any sort of preferably green veggies may go in there. You can basically change or leave out certain veggies that aren't your child's favourite. But who knows, maybe a lion's strength may encourage the little one to brave the green monster formerly known as broccoli?! ;-)

The Zuperzozial "Hungry Lion" tableware was sponsored by the webshop kinderzimmer-haus.de. However, my views and opinions are my own, and I think this stuff really rocks. There's even a girlish variety with a pink flamingo… and a travel mug made of bamboo for mom's caffè latte. Cool, huh?

Veggie pasta with loads of grated parmesan cheese

Here's how I prepare the dish - change and adapt according to your little gourmet's tastes. This makes about 4 servings.

Favourite kind of pasta, I used 300g of conchiglie pasta, but orechiette or farfalle will also work well.

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 TBSP olive oil or butter
• 150 g frozen broccoli
• 150 g frozen green string beans - basically take a handful or a cup of each of the frozen veggies
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup of cream
• Salt and pepper
• 150 g frozen green peas
• 1 cup or 1 handful of grated parmesan cheese or any hard cheese of your preference.

Bring water to the boil and cook the pasta according to instruction.

Meanwhile, chop or mince the garlic clove. In a large pot on medium heat, heat olive oil or butter and gently fry the garlic until it is soft and golden (don't burn or it will taste bitter). Add the still frozen broccoli and beans (or whatever veggie strikes your fancy) and fry it for a minute or two along with the garlic. Then add vegetable stock and cream and season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, stir occasionally. Then add the frozen peas - they don't need to cook for very long so they can go in last. Add some of the parmesan as well (about one third) and simmer for another 2 minutes.

The pasta should be nearly done by then, it's perfect when it's still pretty al dente. Drain but keep some of the cooking liquid, a cup or so, then add the pasta to the sauce.  Stir well and let the whole thing simmer for a few more minutes, so that the pasta is cooked and the sauce thickens a bit. If it gets too dry add some of the cooking liquid and/or some more cream.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with looooooads of grated parmesan.

Note: If this dish is just for you, you can add some chili flakes as well to give it some zzzzzing!