fish night and chard (a rough name for a tame vegetable)

Yesterday was fish burger night. We've been grilling them once a week to have a less expensive, fish meal. They are also a good choice in central Ohio where it is often hard to find good (and economical) fish fillets. As regular fish eaters, we try to vary the type of fish we eat, because some fish are more susceptible to bioaccumulating toxic concentrations of metals.

Also, because fish is lighter than most meats and Alex is a little baby, we make sure that he gets plenty of calories from avocado and olive oil.

To garnish fish burgers (or other burgers):

1 dollop of whole milk yogurt mixed with diced scallions

1/4 of an avocado cut into thin slices

1 slice of garden tomato (we have some from the farmers market)

Serve on a hearty bun that withstands juice-we use very dense multigrain sandwich rounds

For a side dish serve:

1 Bunch of Rainbow Chard (or Kale, or fresh or frozen spinach)

I remove the roughest part of the stalk, but keep most of the stalk--- it is pretty fibrous, so some may prefer to remove more)

Cook covered on medium heat in a little water or olive oil (we use olive oil because Alex is on the little side). They are done when they are well wilted. (They are too bitter for some eaters if you don't cook them long enough). We like a little zip to our chard so I'll dress with some apple vinegar*, or if we want something sweeter instead, I will mix in 1/4 can of coconut milk, a dash of curry, and ginger to taste.

For the baby meal:

Dice 1/8-1/4 of an avocado (if you put this on your child's plate before serving other things, they may eat it... or you can blend with a couple of tablespoons of cooked apples or pears or applesauce)

Blend 2 tablespoons of whole milk yogurt and 2 tablespoons of applesauce to 1/4 c to the prepared chard or alternatively add 1/4 c of coconut milk and a few tablespoons of baby cereal. I do this frequently because Alex is on the smaller side and coconut milk is high in calories and like Mom and Dad, he enjoys the taste. Alex also likes curry and other spices, but I try to use a lighter hand than most Indian food restaurants.

I also serve Alex diced up bun and fish (drenched in olive oil for the little guy). He eats fish with mixed success. I'm not worried about whether or not he eats fish because he gets enough protein in his other meals. But if you have concerns, you could always add another protein source (cheese is the standby for our little guy).

*I don't add the vinegar until after I've taken Alex's portion out.