201 Organic Baby Purees (15 page)

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove, pressed

Water

1.   Place asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Add Parmesan cheese and garlic.

2.   Bake asparagus at 400ºF for 20 minutes or until tender.

3.   Remove from oven and cut spears into thirds. Purée while adding water to achieve a chunky consistency.

 
First Rice Pudding

PARENTS

You can use leftover rice in this recipe instead of preparing it from scratch. Simply combine the leftover rice with the other ingredients and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

3 SERVINGS

1¼ cups milk (regular or soy)

½ cup white rice

2 teaspoons white or brown sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1.   Bring 1 cup milk and rice to a scalding point (watch carefully so the milk doesn't boil).

2.   Reduce to a simmer; then cook for 30 minutes, or according to package directions. Rice is done when the liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

3.   Give the rice a good stir. Add sugar, vanilla, and ¼ cup milk.

4.   Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly absorbed.

5.   Allow to cool; then fork-mash or purée before serving.

 
Bread Pudding Bonanza

SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Use leftover bread for this recipe, even if it's gone stale. The baking process softens it up and offers a nice texture that's easy for baby to eat. Serve your portion with caramel or chocolate sauce on top!

2 SERVINGS

4 slices bread

1 egg

½ cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1.   Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.   Cut the bread into cubes and place in the bottom of a greased ovenproof baking dish.

3.   Mix the egg, evaporated milk, unsalted butter, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon into a bowl. Pour over the bread cubes and let it soak for 10–15 minutes.

4.   Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 
Baby's Homemade Apple Pie

FREEZER

This recipe offers all the flavors of a traditional apple pie, except it's just for baby. Use any sweet variety of apples for this recipe.

2 SERVINGS

1 red Gala or Fuji apple

1½ cups water

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon cinnamon

Organic graham crackers, crushed

1.   Wash, peel, and core the apple. Chop into small chunks.

2.   Put apple pieces in a small saucepan with 1½ cups water, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 25 minutes, or until apple is very soft. Stir occasionally.

3.   Fork-mash. Top with a heap of crushed graham crackers and serve.

 
Baby's Peachy Cobbler

FREEZER

The shortbread cookies replace the traditional sweet biscuit or pie crust topping found in peach cobbler.

2 SERVINGS

1 fresh peach

1 teaspoon brown sugar

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon cinnamon

Organic shortbread cookies, crushed

1.   Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.   Wash the peach and cut into thin slices. Remove the skin.

3.   Place peach into a small greased baking dish with brown sugar and cinnamon. Give it a quick stir; then bake for 30 minutes, or until peaches are completely soft.

4.   Remove from oven. Fork-mash. Top with a heap of shortbread cookies.

 
Easy-Peasy Pear Dessert

FREEZER/PARENTS

For a grown-up variation, serve this on top of vanilla ice cream or pound cake.

1 SERVING

1 pear

2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1.   Peel and core the pear. Dice into small pieces and mix with unsalted butter, cinnamon, and sugar.

2.   Bake in a baking dish at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until pear is soft to touch.

3.   Fork-mash and serve.

 
Baked Apples

FREEZER/PARENTS

This classic dessert will appeal to everyone, especially baby. The cinnamon and sugar bake right inside of the apple, a nice change from slicing the fruit and mixing it with sugar and spice.

1 SERVING

1 apple

1 teaspoon white sugar

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup water

1.   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the apple. Remove the top core, leaving the apple intact.

2.   Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on the inside of the apple. Pour the water into a small baking dish; then place the apple in the center. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the apple is completely cooked.

3.   When cooled, fork-mash to a suitable consistency. If desired, the entire skin can be removed once the apple is cooked.

 
Baked Zucchini

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Pizza, pizza! Not quite! This recipe resembles pizza, but it's a healthier alternative in disguise. Season with salt and pepper for older members of the household.

2 SERVINGS

1 medium zucchini

½ cup tomato sauce

½ cup shredded mozzarella

1 tablespoon oil

1.   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scrub the zucchini and trim both ends. Slice into rings.

2.   Place zucchini into a baking dish. Smother with tomato sauce and mozzarella and oil; then cover the dish.

3.   Bake for 45 minutes, or until zucchini is very soft and cheese is melted. Serve as is or fork-mash if desired.

 
Chicken and Spinach Stir-Fry

FREEZER/PARENTS

Stir-frying is a quick, easy, and healthy way to cook for children. Use a nonstick skillet for stir-fries, or if you have a wok, give it a try! If the vegetables seem too crisp, try adding more liquid to soften things up a bit.

2 SERVINGS

1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (about 6 ounces)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh spinach (or ¼ cup precooked
)

½ cup chicken stock or water

¼ teaspoon parsley

1.   Wash the chicken breast and remove any fat. Dice into small pieces.

2.   Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet or wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 8–10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

3.   Add the spinach, chicken stock, and parsley. Continue to stir-fry an additional 4–5 minutes.

4.   Allow to cool; fork-mash and serve.

 
Ham and Peaches

FREEZER/PARENTS

Because honey can only be served to children who are twelve months and older, agave nectar offers a sweet substitute for those younger than twelve months.

1 SERVING

½ ripe peach

3 ounces ham, cooked

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1.   Wash the peach and cut in half. Peel the half you're using for this recipe, remove the pit, and dice into small pieces. Either cut a wedge out of a ham steak or use 2 thin slices of cooked nitrate-free deli-style ham.

2.   Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the ham and sauté for several minutes, or until both sides are lightly browned. Add the agave nectar and cook another 1–2 minutes.

3.   Add the diced peach to the skillet. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking or burning.

4.   Allow to cool; fork-mash and serve.

 
Silly Dilly Poached Salmon

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Poaching, a healthy and easy way of cooking, locks in flavor and will keep the fishy smell out of your kitchen. Try infusing flavor into the water by adding spices like salt and pepper, parsley, or even lemon juice. However, remove those ingredients before serving.

2 SERVINGS

1 thin salmon fillet

2 tablespoons water

Dash of dried dill

1.   Wash the salmon well, removing all bones.

2.   Pour the water and dill into a sauté pan. Place the fish into the pan, putting the skin side facing down.

3.   Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 10–12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

4.   Allow to cool; then do one more check for bones. Either serve as is or fork-mash if desired.

 
Good Old-Fashioned Oatmeal

BASIC/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

This is a basic recipe for preparing rolled oats. At the second stage of eating, the oats were ground into a powder, but now baby can enjoy oatmeal without the need for the blender! Add flavor to this recipe by incorporating any of your previously frozen fruit purées and a dab of unsalted butter for wholesome goodness. Substitute whole milk for the water if you wish.

4 SERVINGS

2 cups water

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1.   Bring water to a boil.

2.   Add oatmeal, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5–10 minutes or until water is absorbed and oats are tender.

3.   Serve warm.

 
Soulful Grits

BASIC/PARENTS

Note that if you want to feed grits to your baby when she's younger than ten months, you'll need to stick to instant grits, as traditional grits will be too gritty. Instead of the traditional way of cooking grits in plain water, this recipe uses chicken stock that adds a little soul to this cheesy recipe.

2 SERVINGS

¼ cup grits

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or broth

2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons diced ham steak, cooked

1.   In a small saucepan, combine grits and chicken stock or broth.

2.   Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add cheese and ham.

3.   Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.   Serve warm.

 
Pinto Beans and Brown Rice

SUPERFOOD

This recipe uses leftover brown rice and puréed pinto beans. Whip up a nutritious batch and pair with other Mexican favorites for a family dinner.

1 SERVING

4 tablespoons cooked brown rice

4 tablespoons Refried Pinto Beans

1.   Combine brown rice and pinto bean mash.

2.   If necessary, use a food processor or blender until desired consistency is reached.

 
Hide-and-Seek Cauliflower Mash

FREEZER/PARENTS

Here's a great game to play with your baby over mealtime: Find the cauliflower! It's buried in there somewhere!

10 SERVINGS

2 large red-skinned potatoes, washed and chopped

1 cauliflower head, cut into florets

1 cup whole organic milk (dairy or soy)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil

1.   Place potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until soft; drain, and return to pot.

2.   Steam the cauliflower until tender; drain, and add to pot with potatoes.

3.   Add organic milk and unsalted butter to potatoes and cauliflower.

4.   Mash with a potato masher or use a beater to get a thinner purée.

 
Pear–Green Bean Blend

FREEZER

Make sure to choose beans at their peak for mashing. Frozen beans are a great alternative also. Stay away from extra-large beans, which may be tough and hard to mash, and avoid beans with blemishes or bad spots altogether.

3 SERVINGS

1 medium pear

½ cup green beans

2 cups water

1.   Wash, peel, and core the pear. Cut into chunks and place in a steamer basket.

2.   Wash the beans thoroughly. Trim off the ends, remove the strings, and place in the steamer basket.

3.   Add enough water so that it fills the pot under the steamer basket, about 2 cups. Bring to a boil and steam for 10–15 minutes, or until beans are very soft. If the pears cook more quickly, remove them with a slotted spoon.

4.   Place the beans and pears on a plate, and fork-mash them together.

 
Plenty of Sweets Chicken Dinner

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD

Set aside some of the grilled chicken you make next time you're outside enjoying the beautiful weather and cooking on the grill. Use some of the previously frozen purées and you're done!

2 SERVINGS

2 ounces shredded chicken, cooked

4 tablespoons Pretty Peas (
Chapter 4
)

4 tablespoons Simply Sweet Potato (
Chapter 4
)

1.   Purée chicken in a food processor or blender. Add water or broth as needed to achieve a smooth purée.

2.   Combine the chicken purée with the vegetable purées.

 
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

FREEZER/PARENTS

Although it may seem like a lot of spinach in the pan, the spinach will cook down. Don't add any additional oil to the pan until the spinach wilts and you can gage a little better.

4 SERVINGS

6 cups fresh spinach (baby spinach or another variety)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

½ tablespoon real unsalted butter

1.   Wash and drain spinach well.

2.   In a large skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and unsalted butter and sauté for about 20 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic. Add spinach and cook until tender.

3.   Transfer to a blender and pulse the spinach to a chunky purée or fork-mash if desired. Add water if needed. Can be frozen for up to eight weeks.