201 Organic Baby Purees (13 page)

3.   After both chicken and potato have cooled, combine in a food processor or blender. Pulse until consistency is semismooth.

4.   Serve warm.

 
Peachy Chicken Combo

FREEZER/PARENTS

Chicken tastes amazing when combined with flavorful fruits like apples and peaches. It also takes advantage of ingredients you have leftover from previous meals.

4 SERVINGS

½ cup cooked chicken, diced

½ very ripe peach, peeled and pitted

¼ cup white or brown rice, cooked

1.   Combine chicken and peaches in blender. Purée until smooth. Remove.

2.   Fold in rice. If mixture presents too much texture, fork-mash or purée to make it smoother.

3.   Serve warm.

 
Beef and Carrot Mash

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Although babies' fat requirements are different than adults, look for at least 80 percent ground beef to accommodate the requirements of all family members. There's no need to purchase a separate package.

4 SERVINGS

½ small sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup lean ground beef

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks

1 cup water

1.   Sauté onion in a deep, nonstick pan until soft and translucent. Use extra-virgin olive oil to keep onions from sticking to the pan, if necessary.

2.   Add the ground beef to the pan. Cook until browned.

3.   Add carrots and water. Simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

4.   Scoop mixture into a blender with a slotted spoon. Add a little cooking liquid. Pulse until semismooth. Serve warm.

 
Turkey–Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Consider using the dark pieces of turkey meat for puréeing in this recipe. Dark meat is juicer and more tender than white meat and makes a smooth purée. Alternatively, use leftovers to make this recipe.

4 SERVINGS

1 small sweet potato (or ½ large sweet potato), peeled and chopped

½ cup frozen corn

½ cup cooked turkey

1.   Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan with the corn kernels.

2.   Add enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil; then simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.

3.   Place the corn, sweet potatoes, and turkey into a blender. Purée until semismooth.

4.   Add cooking water, gradually, to make the mixture smoother, if necessary. This mixture will be somewhat thicker than other purées due to the corn kernels, so be sure that your baby is ready for the texture.

 
Veggie Pork Dinner

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

As soon as the weather breaks, fire up the grill and invite your friends and their babies over for a grilled pork dinner—or purée!

4 SERVINGS

1 small baking potato (or ½ large potato)

½ cup green beans (fresh or frozen)

½ cup cooked pork, chopped

1.   Wash and peel the potato. Cut into small pieces and place into a saucepan.

2.   Break off the ends of the green beans (if fresh) and pull the strings off the sides. Cut into small pieces. Place in the saucepan with the potato pieces.

3.   Add enough water to cover the potato and green bean pieces. Bring the water to a boil; then simmer until the potatoes and beans are very tender, about 15 minutes.

4.   Place the beans, potatoes, and pork in a food processor or blender and purée for 30 seconds.

5.   Add cooking water gradually to make the mixture smoother.

 
Beefy Peas and Potatoes

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Who said meat and potatoes had to be dull? Mix up the variety of potatoes in purées. Choose red skins or Yukon Gold to change things up!

3 SERVINGS

1 small baking potato (or ½ large potato)

½ cup peas (fresh or frozen)

½ cup cooked lean ground beef

1.   Wash, peel, and dice potato. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 10–15 minutes.

2.   Add peas to saucepan. Boil for another 5–10 minutes until peas and potatoes are both very tender.

3.   Let cool; then place in food processor with beef. Purée as needed to reach desired consistency, adding leftover cooking water to thin out the mixture.

 
“Real” Rice with Pear Purée

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Celebrate baby's graduation from ground rice or boxed infant cereal with this heart-healthy purée.

3 SERVINGS

½ ripe pear

½ cup water

¼ cup brown rice

1.   Remove skin and core from pear, and chop into small pieces. Pour the water into a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil.

2.   Add the rice and pears; then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25–30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

3.   Purée to reach a semismooth consistency. Thin with water if desired.

 
Apricot Brown Rice

SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

You can use previously frozen apricot purée in this recipe to make a quick meal for baby.

2 SERVINGS

¼ cup brown rice

½ cup water

1 ripe apricot

1.   Combine the rice with ½ cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 20 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.

2.   Wash the apricot well. Peel it, remove the pit, and chop into small pieces.

3.   Combine the rice and apricot in a food processor or blender. Purée until semismooth.

 
Lamb and Pumpkin Dinner

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Sweet potatoes make a great substitute if you're all out of pumpkin—the sweetness and color are virtually the same.

4 SERVINGS

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces ground lamb

½ cup organic canned pumpkin

1.   In a medium saucepan, add the teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and lamb and brown lamb meat until done. Browning the lamb should take about 5 minutes for this small amount.

2.   Remove lamb from pan and combine with the pumpkin.

3.   Purée while gradually adding water to reach a smooth consistency.

 
Roasted Lamb and Tomato Compote

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Use all of these ingredients to make a healthy meal filled with iron, lycopene, zinc, and beta-carotene for yourself.

2 SERVINGS

2 ounces roasted lamb meat

¼ cup cooked brown rice

4 tablespoons Simply Sweet Potato (
Chapter 4
)

¼ cup diced tomatoes

Purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

 
Chickpea, Carrot, and Cauliflower Mash

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Reserve some of the chickpeas in this recipe to incorporate into a salad for yourself.

8 SERVINGS

2 carrots

1 cup cauliflower florets

2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15-ounce can)

¼ cup vegetable broth or water

1.   Peel and slice carrots.

2.   Steam carrots and cauliflower until very tender.

3.   Drain and rinse chickpeas.

4.   Combine all ingredients and mash with a potato masher or fork.

5.   Add broth or water as necessary to reach a semismooth consistency.

 
Rutabaga and Pear Medley

FREEZER

Rutabagas are beta carotene–rich root vegetables that grow best in cold climates, such as the northern United States and Canada.

4 SERVINGS

1 rutabaga

¹
⁄
₈
to ¼ cup water

1 small ripe pear, peeled, cored, and chopped

1.   Peel rutabaga and cut off ends; cut into chunks.

2.   Combine rutabaga and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.

3.   Boil until soft, approximately 10 minutes.

4.   Transfer rutabaga, pear, and reserved cooking water to a blender. Purée until smooth. Add more water if necessary.

 

CHAPTER 6

Pleasing an Expanded Palate (Ten to Twelve Months)

Chunky Purées for Little Ones

Your baby should be enjoying his journey in discovering new earthy tastes. By now, he's an experienced traveler, having discovered simple, smooth, sweet purées to thicker, seasoned meat purées. From ten months old, your baby can expand his palate to include more of nature's wonders, including strawberries, citrus, and teething biscuits (see
Chapter 7
). This chapter introduces fish, whole-wheat pasta, and pudding, foods that your baby is sure to enjoy and benefit from. The recipes in this chapter should be a chunky consistency, which can be achieved using the “pulse” action on a blender or by mashing the food with a fork. At this point, your baby can enjoy all of the purées in previous chapters and the transitional meals in
Chapter 7
with the exception of cow's milk and honey if he's younger than twelve months. Therefore, encourage exploration and allow your baby to feed himself purées with his hands or with an infant fork or spoon. Keep plenty of bibs on hand!

It's been mentioned before, but it bears repeating:
Raw honey should not be given to a child under twelve months old.
It can cause a life-threatening illness called infant botulism. At this age, solid food should be offered three times per day with two snacks. Milk still plays an important part of your child's diet, and you should be giving your child 16–24 fluid ounces of breast milk or formula per day. Use previously frozen purées and combine them with pasta shapes, diced cooked vegetables, and yogurt, or use them as spreads for teething biscuits. Frozen purées can always be used, so don't let them go to waste!

By now your baby should have a monster appetite, eating three meals and two snacks per day! Your baby has reached independence, an important step on the developmental ladder to feeding. Your baby should be able to tolerate a chunky texture and can begin to self-feed. Introduce the sippy cup, and allow him to drink more fluids. He should still continue to drink 16–24 ounces of breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula per day. Offer no more than 4 ounces of 100 percent no-sugar-added fruit juice per day. Expand the variety of cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, soft breads, and finger foods. Babies will take about ¼–½-cup servings of each of these per day at this age.

The following list includes some new flavors and textures to add to your baby's diet:

•  Black beans

•  Breadsticks

•  Couscous

•  Citrus

•  Diced vegetables (cooked)

•  Dried fruit pieces

•  Grits

•  Pinto beans

•  Plantains

•  Rice cakes

•  Strawberries

When introducing citrus and strawberries for the first time to your baby, watch out for stomach upset or other reactions. Most babies tolerate these foods well and can enjoy them at this age.

 
Atlantic Cod Dinner

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

This oven-baked fish dinner provides super nutrition. Try it on a cool night while watching the sunset.

3 SERVINGS

½ medium carrot

½ small zucchini

1 small Atlantic cod fillet

½ tablespoon unsalted garlic butter (to make a batch, mix ½ cup softened, unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon dried parsley)

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon lemon juice

1.   Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wash and peel the carrot. Wash the zucchini; then cut both into thin slices.

2.   Prepare a double layer of aluminum foil about 18" x 18", and lightly grease the inside of the foil.

3.   Place the fish and vegetables in the foil, dot the top with unsalted butter and lemon juice, and then seal the packet and place in a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

4.   Allow to cool; then fork-mash before serving.

 
Baby Muesli

SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

The breakfast cereal muesli, which means “mixture” in German, was first created by a Swiss nutritionist as a health food. Feel free to substitute different fruits and grains.

2 SERVINGS

½ ripe banana

1 ripe pear

2 ripe apricots

¼ cup regular oats (not quick-cooking)

1 cup milk (or soy milk)

1.   Peel the banana, pear, and apricots. Remove all stems, seeds, and pits.

2.   Chop into small pieces.

3.   Pour the oats and milk into a saucepan. Bring to a boil; then cook at a boil for about 30 seconds.

4.   Add in the fruit pieces and stir thoroughly.

5.   Cover the pot, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the oats are smooth and thick. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

6.   Serve as is or purée for a creamier texture.

 
Tofu Veg Stir-Fry

SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Because soy sauce is high in sodium, choose a light or low-sodium variety and stay away from the bouillon cubes. Use fresh or prepared chicken stock instead.

2 SERVINGS

1 small carrot

2 large broccoli florets

½ small zucchini

2 ounces firm tofu

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ginger, ground

1 cup chicken stock or water

1.   Wash the vegetables well. Peel the carrot; then dice all vegetables into small pieces.

2.   Cut the tofu into small strips.

3.   Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the tofu and stir-fry until brown, about 5 minutes.

4.   Add vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, and stock. Bring the stock to a boil; then stir-fry until all vegetables are cooked and tender, about 12–15 minutes.

5.   Allow to cool; then fork-mash before serving if desired.

 
Captain's Fish Chowder

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

All aboard! This thick and creamy soup offers a serving of vegetables and the catch of the day, tilapia.

2 SERVINGS

½ medium white potato, diced

¹
⁄
₈
cup corn

¹
⁄
₈
cup peas

2 cups water

1 small tilapia fillet

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

¼ cup milk (regular or soy)

1.   Combine potato, corn, and peas in a saucepan with 2 cups water.

2.   Bring to a boil; then cook for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

3.   Wash the fish fillet, removing any bones. Place fish into the bottom of a microwave-safe dish and add enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. Cover with either a lid or microwave-safe plastic wrap.

4.   Cook fish in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let rest; then cook for another 3–4 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and is an opaque color.

5.   Drain the vegetables. Add the fish, unsalted butter, and milk, stirring over low heat until the chowder thickens. Allow to cool; then fork-mash or purée before serving.

 
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

This is one of those meals that can be prepared for the whole family. This recipe makes enough for three adults in addition to three servings for your baby. Make a side of fresh or frozen broccoli to enjoy with your meal.

3 ADULT SERVINGS; 3 BABY SERVINGS

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup diced scallions

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (uncooked)

1 cup milk

8 tablespoons Sautéed Broccoli Purée with Parmesan Cheese (
Chapter 5
)

1.   Generously spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2.   Combine bread crumbs, cheese, and scallions in shallow dish.

3.   Dip each chicken breast in milk and then coat both sides with cheese mixture.

4.   Place each breast in baking dish and spray the top with cooking spray.

5.   Bake for 20–25 minutes at 375ºF.

6.   Cut chicken into cubes and add to food processor or blender and purée to a chunky consistency. Remove chicken from blender and add the Sautéed Broccoli Purée with Parmesan Cheese. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Baby's Cordon Bleu

FREEZER/PARENTS

Use a meat pounder or mallet for tenderizing the meat when stuffing chicken or beef. Meat mallets come in both wood or metal. Simply wrap the meat in plastic wrap on an appropriate work surface, and pound it with the mallet. Using the plastic wrap helps reduce contamination on surfaces.

2 SERVINGS

1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (about 6 ounces)

2 thin slices of ham

2 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1.   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the chicken breast and remove any skin or fat.

2.   Slice the chicken breast in half horizontally. Pound with a meat mallet to make the chicken as thin as possible.

3.   Place the ham slices over one piece of chicken. Sprinkle the cheese on top; then place the other piece of chicken on top.

4.   Place the assembly in a greased baking dish. Brush with melted unsalted butter and sprinkle the top with bread crumbs. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 170°F. The juice from the chicken should run clear when pricked with a fork.

5.   Allow to cool. Fork-mash or use a blender to pulse for a chunky consistency.

 
Black Beans

BASIC/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Black beans provide fiber, protein, and powerful antioxidants. Give your baby a dose of this chunky purée a few times per week. Mix it with other frozen purées in your freezer stash for a fresh take on a classic.

8 SERVINGS

1 cup dried black beans (or 1 15-ounce can of black beans)

3–4 cups water (or enough to cover beans)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1.   Soak dried beans in enough water to cover, according to package directions, for 6–8 hours or overnight before cooking.

2.   Drain soaking water from beans and rinse.

3.   In a medium saucepan combine beans with enough water to cover and bring to a simmer with the lid tilted.

4.   Cook 1–1½ hours or until tender.

5.   Drain and rinse cooked beans (or drain and rinse canned beans, if using).

6.   In a medium saucepan or sauté pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.

7.   Add beans and heat through for 1–2 minutes, or until desired temperature is reached.

8.   Remove from heat and mash beans with a potato masher or fork.

 
Oatmeal with Sautéed Plantains

SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

This hearty recipe makes great use of plantains and can be made for breakfast any day of the week for everyone in the family.

4 SERVINGS

1 yellow plantain (very ripe)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

½ cup water

½ cup 100 percent apple juice

²
⁄
₃
cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.   Peel and cut plantain into ½-inch pieces.

2.   Put brown sugar in plastic bag and place plantain pieces in bag, shaking the bag to coat them.

3.   Heat unsalted butter in small pan over medium heat, place plantains in pan, and cook until the sugar begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes each side; remove from heat.

4.   In a small saucepan, combine water and apple juice. Bring to a boil.

5.   Once boiling, stir in rolled oats and cinnamon. Return to a boil.

6.   Reduce heat to low and simmer to desired thickness, 3–5 minutes.

7.   Top oat mixture with mashed plantains and serve.

 
Refried Pinto Beans

SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Make this classic recipe as a side dish—it goes well with rice (see Pinto Beans and Brown Rice recipe later in this chapter).

8 SERVINGS

1 cup dried pinto beans (or 1 15-ounce can)

3–4 cups water (or enough to cover beans)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1.   Soak dried beans in enough water to cover, according to package directions, for 6–8 hours or overnight before cooking.