Recipes for babies and children

APPLE AND APRICOT PURE ( 4 months + )

• 2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 2 peeled fresh organic apricot or dried apricot, finely chopped

Place the apple and apricot in a pan and just cover with water.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Strain the water and keep to one side.

Puree the fruit mixture by pushing through a sieve or by using a liquidizer. Add a little of the reserved water if a thinner consistency is preferred.

PEAR AND DATE PORRIDGE ( from 4 months )

• 1/2 tbsp organic oats
• 150ml water
• 1 small organic dates, finely chopped.

Put all the ingredients in a small pan, cover and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them sticking

Puree by pushing through a sieve or by using a liquidiser. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.

SMOKED WHITE FISH PASTA (+9 months)

•  White smoked fish boneless and skinless
•  Green beans
•  Stars pasta ( for 9+) use farfaline pasta for12 + months babies)
•  knob of butter
•  bit of double cream for sauce

The amount of each ingredients to be use depend on each children but It is so easy to prepared and better have fresh that I recommend you use just enough for a meal or for a day (keep in the fridge).


Boil the pasta in water for 20 minutes.
In another pan steam or boil the green beans for 15 to 20 minutes (until softener) once is ready cut then in a small pieces with a scissors or knife.
Wash the pasta in a cold water in a sieve.
fried fish in a butter mixing till fall apart put some double cream, pas and green beans and cook everything together for a minute.
Toddlers loves this recipe.


PS. you can use broccoli, green peas or spinach instead green beans.

  

HOW TO PREPARE FIGS FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN

To introduce figs in a diet of a 6 months baby you should wash the figs in a running water and then suck them from 5 to 10 minutes in a boiled water through away the water and blend it. Through away piece of the skin but leave the seed. Place in a bowl and give to your baby as a dessert, tea time or even mix with his lunch or dinner.
Toddlers can have figs row since of course they are very well washed.

 After 2 years old your baby can eat sugar so you can give him dry figs to eat at any time.

Children can have figs row, dry, in the lunch or dinner or even with his favorite  salad just as adults does.

ps. Any kind of fig is a good source of vitamins; dried figs, compote, cooked but especially well washed raw.

FIG PORRIDGE AND BANANA

• 1/2 tbsp organic oats
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 dried fig finely chopped or pureed
• 1 small banana, mashed

Put the oats and the water in a small pan and bring to boiled.


Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them sticking.


Remove from the heat and stir in the fig.


Put the mixture to one side to cool. Then add the banana and mix with a fork until well combined.

Cottage Pie as mama cook  

Super easy recipe full of goods.

Mince (just enough for fulfill the bottom of the plate)

one carrot

spinach 

potatoes

Fry the mince in olive oil with a bit of garlic pure. 

Boiled potatoes and carrot until is softer and  mash them together.

Boiled the spinach for 7 minutes.

 Lay the mince on the bottom of the plate.

Lay the spinach on the mince and the potatoes on the spinach.

Serve it.

Liver Pasta

Liver is a very nutritive food because It is rich in vitamin A, high protein, It is rich in 7 sources of vitamin B, vitamin C as well as Iron, essentials minerals etc.

This is a very simple recipe that consist in make your  babies favourite bolonhese pasta and instead use mince you use pork, lamb or even chicken liver etc. fried and blend.

Use just enough sliced liver for a portion. Fried in a butter with a garlic or onions pure. Blend it and add to a tomato sauce. Mix It in your babies favourite pasta and serve it.

If you think the smell or taste is too strong just add two drops of lime or lemon when you frying.

Liver can be use as a mince or any other meat. Why not try...liver cottage pie or liver in a polenta and black bean soup.

APPLE AND PLUM WITH BLUEBERRIES (from 6 moths)

• 2 sweet eating apples
• 2 ripe plums, skinned, stoned and diced
• 55g blueberries
• 2 tbsp water or pure apple juice

Put the apples, plums and blueberries in a saucepan with the water or juice.
Heat until bubbling, reduce the heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes until really tender, adding a spoonful more water or juice if necessary.


Blend the fruit to a puree in a food processor or place in a bowl and use a hand blender.
If you don't want to serve it straight away you can freeze.

BEEF CASSEROLE (from 6 month )

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peel and crushed
• 110g lean stewing steak, strimmed of fat and cut into chunks.
• 3 dried apricots chopped 
• 150 ml passata
• 200 ml chicken stock or water

Heat the oil in a small flameproof casserole or heavy-based saucepan and saute the onion gently for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the stewing steak and saute, stirring, until browned.

Add the carrots, potato and dried apricot and pour over the passata and stock or water. Bring to boil, stir,  then cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender adding more stock or water if necessary and stirring occasionally.

Leave to cool slightly, then puree in a food processor or place in a bowl and puree with a hand blender. For older babies you can roughly chop in a food processor.

SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO & LAMB

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed 
• 50g leeks, chopped
• 700 ml water
• 150g risotto rice
• 100g asparagus tips, chopped
• 2tsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 finger-sized strips of spring lamb

Saute the garlic and leeks in little vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring.


Add a ladle of water to the rice and simmer. Keep adding the water, stir and allow each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.


Saute the asparagus tips in a separate pan until tender. Add to the rice together with the cheese and parsley.


Pan-fry the lamb until fully cooked. Serve with the risotto.

Berries and Cherries

• 75ml water
• 1 tbsp ground rice
• 1tbsp basmati rice
• 1 large eating apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 rasberries
• 1-2 strawberries
• 2 cherries, stoned and chopped

Bring the water to boil in a small pan. Add the ground and basmati rice, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes,stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the fruits and simmer until apple is soft (about 10 minutes,).

Puree by pushing through a sieve or by mashing the fruit with a fork. Add extra water if a thinner consistency is preferred.

AUBERGINE, CHICKPEA AND SPINACH CASSEROLE

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 aubergine, chopped into 2cm cubes
• 1/4tsp ground coriander and 1/2tsp ground cumin
• 120g tinned tomatoes, chopped
• 100g cooked, tinned chickpeas
• 2 handfuls spinach, washed and chopped

Heat the oil in a small pan, fry the onion and aubergine for 3 minutes.

Add the ground coriender and cumin. Cook together for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and 4tbsp water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook for further 2 minutes.

Roughly mash the mixture to your desired texture.

Chicken Dumplings  (suitable from 9+)




1 1/2 tbsp shallot diced
1tbsp olive oil
110g minced chicken
20g fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 sweet eating apples, peeled and coarsely grated
3tbsp parmesan cheese grated
1/4tsp thyme leaves
750ml chicken stock


Saute de shallot in the oil for about until soft. Transfer for a food prrocessor and cool for 5 minutes.


Add the chicken, breadcrumps, apple, parmesan and thyme, then season with pepper. Whizz until well combined.


Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into small balls (dampen your hands with water to make it easier).


Put the stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken balls and bring up to a simmer. Reduce the heat and poach for 4-5 minutes, until cooked though


Remove with a slotted spoon and cool before serving (cut the balls in half or mash for smaller babies).


To reheat a portion, put the chicken balls in a bowl and add 1tbsp of water. Cover and microwave for 30-40 seconds on high. Be careful for not overcook as they will turn rubbery.