Fillet of Fish Mornay with Vegetables

Quite a mouthful of a title I know, but I promise it's worth it!  First off, Wikipedia tells me that "mornay" is "a béchamel sauce with shredded or grated cheese added".  I will admit I had no idea what it meant until just this moment when I Googled it.  I can't be the only person that feeds my kid things when I have no idea what they are....  What I do know is that this is absolutely delicious!  Not just toddler food delicious but "I could eat an entire bowl myself" delicious.  Truth be told I finished off what Roman left in his bowl.  And begins a life of eating the kids leftovers.

When I first got the Okay from Roma's doctor to start solids I was so excited that I immediately ordered Annabel Karmel's First Meals cookbook from Chapters.  I haven't used the book much, but lately I've been in a bit of a rut with Roman's food.  He loves to feed himself but that only leaves a few options for things to give him. However, I've recently discovered that if the food is good enough he will let me feed him.  After cruising through the 9-12 month old section of the book I came across this delicious recipe.  Well actually it was the picture that got me, that's usually how I pick which recipes I'm going to make, but doesn't everyone?

Fillet of Fish Mornay with Vegetables (Makes approx. 2 cups)
1T butter
2/3 cup leeks, washed and thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
1/3 cup fresh/frozen peas
4oz white fish
2/3 cup milk
3 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
parsley

Sauce
1 1/2T butter
1T flour
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese *Roman LOVES cheese so I dumped a little extra in for him

Saute leeks in butter until soft.  Add the carrots, cover with water, and cook for 10 minutes.  Add broccoli and cook for 5 minutes.  Add peas and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until all veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, place fish in a pan and simmer in milk, peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.  Remove the fish and the spices from the milk.  Discard the spices and set aside the fish and milk separately.

To prepare the sauce, melt butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the milk the fish was cooked in.  Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese until it is melted.

Drain water from the vegetables and flake in the fish.  Pour sauce over vegetables and mix until well combined.  You can blend this mixture for a younger child or leave it as is for one that is accustomed to chewing.

Roman gives this meal one arm up!  He devoured his entire bowl and then some.  I don't think a drop landed on his bib, which is honestly shocking if you've ever seen this kid eat.  This recipe makes enough for 3-4 meals for Roman so I divided what was left between two mini loaf tins and popped them in the freezer.  This way I always have a delicious lunch or supper on hand and I don't have to dirty a single pan!  Happy eating!