8 – 12 months baby food. (Soft lumps)

Baby has such lovely teeth now and should start using them. At this stage I started introducing soft textures into the meal, it will not go smoothly at first, they will spit it out and look at you weird, I have had days that I walked back to the kitchen and blended it some more, but if you persist, they will get a hang of it faster. Enjoy your journey!

Chicken and sweet potato puree (carrots, leek, cauliflower)

• 100g cauliflower (diced)
• 1 carrot (peeled and diced)
• ¼ leek (diced)
• 500g sweet potato (peeled and diced)
• 1 chicken breast (grilled and diced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chicken/vegetable stock/water (as required)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C
2. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and grill in the oven for 20 minutes
3. Heat olive oil and sauté leek till softened.
4. Add carrot, cauliflower and sweet potato, sauté for a few minutes.
5. Add enough stock/water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
6. Cook till potatoes are done. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Pour into a blender and blend to desired texture with the diced grilled chicken.

Salmon and potato (with broccoli)

• 100g salmon fillet (you can pan fry, steam, bake it or add to potatoes towards the end of cooking)
• 2 Irish potatoes (peeled and diced)
• A few broccoli florets (sliced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Vegetable stock/water (as required)
• Pinch salt and pepper

1. Boil/steam potatoes and broccoli till potatoes are cooked (about 15-20 minutes). If you want to cook the salmon along, add it in the last 5 minutes (diced).
2. Pour into the blender. Add olive oil and stock and puree to desired texture. Season with salt and pepper.

Beef and pasta puree (with tomato, carrot, cauliflower, leek)

• 150g pasta
• 150g cauliflower (about ¼ head, sliced)
• 3 tomatoes (peeled and diced)
• 1 garlic (diced)
• ½ onion (diced)
• 1-2 leaves fresh basil
• 1 carrot (peeled and diced)
• ¼ leek (diced, wash carefully to get rid of all grit)
• 100g mince meat
• 1 cup chicken/vegetable stock/water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• Salt and pepper.

1. Cook pasta in salted water, reserve some pasta water for blending.
2. Heat oil in a pan, cook the onions, leek and garlic. Till onions are translucent.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and add mincemeat, cook until brown on all sides.
4. Add carrots, cauliflower and diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add stock or water and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 or until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
6. Pour into a blender with cooked pasta and some liquid and blend till desired texture.

Chicken and rice puree (with roasted bell pepper, carrots, leek, cauliflower)

• ½ cup jasmine rice or any long grain rice (I like jasmine because its softer and purees well)
• 1 chicken breast (grilled and diced)
• 2 red bell peppers (roasted, peeled and deseeded)
• 1 carrot (peeled and diced)
• 100g cauliflower (¼ head, sliced)
• ¼ leek (washed well and diced)
• Chicken/vegetable stock/water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• A pinch of fresh thyme
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• A pinch of cayenne pepper/chili powder (optional)

1. Boil or steam rice in a rice cooker, add some salt.  (You need a cup of water to cook the rice, wash rice thoroughly and strain before cooking)
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill in a 180˚C oven for 20 minutes. Roast the bell peppers along with the chicken, let them cool down, peel skin and remove seeds.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, sweat leek till tender. Add carrots and cauliflower cook for a few minutes. Add stock and cook on low heat. Season vegetables with salt, pepper and thyme. If you eat spicy at home, you can start sneaking in some spice.
4. Transfer vegetables to a blender, add rice, peppers and chicken and puree.

Broccoli soup

• 100g broccoli (sliced)
• 1 potato (peeled and diced)
• ¼ onion (diced)
• Chicken/vegetable stock
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Milk (optional)

1. Set all ingredients in a pot with enough stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook till all ingredients are cooked.
2. Puree in a blender and season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve baby soup with some bread and a touch of milk in the soup is nice.

 

Cauliflower soup

• 100g cauliflower (sliced)
• 1 potato (peeled and diced)
• ¼ onion (diced)
• Chicken/vegetable stock
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Milk (optional)

1. Set all ingredients in a pot with enough stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook till all ingredients are cooked.
2. Puree in a blender and season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve baby soup with some bread and a touch of milk in the soup is nice.

Butternut squash soup

• 100g butternut squash (peeled, deseeded and diced)
• 1 potato (peeled and diced)
• ¼ onion (diced)
• ¼ celery (diced)
• ¼ leek (diced)
• Chicken/vegetable stock
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Pinch of cinnamon powder

1. Add all ingredients to a pot, pour enough stock to over vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until all vegetables are cooked.
2. Transfer to a blender and puree, season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Serve baby with some bread.

Chicken and kidney bean

• 1 chicken breast (cooked and diced)
• 200g cooked kidney beans
• 1 carrot
• ¼ leek (washed and diced)
• A few cauliflower florets
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Chicken stock

1. Heat oil and cook leek till tender, add carrots and cauliflower and coo for a few minutes.
2. Add stock and reduce to a simmer, till vegetables are tender. Transfer to a blender and puree with chicken and kidney beans. Season with salt and pepper.

Apple, Pear and carrot

• 1 apple (peeled, cored and diced)
• 1 pear (peeled, cored and diced)
• 1 carrot (peeled and diced)

1. Steam apple, pear and carrot till tender. Puree in a blender.

Mango

• ¼ – ½ mango (peeled and diced)

1. Baby needs to be hungry, mango goes weird when cut and left for a long time.
2. Wash and peel mango. Mash with fork or puree in a blender.