Tropical Chicken and Brown Rice

image courtesy zatarains

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (Brown/or Jasmine) Rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup papaya cubes
1/4 cup mango cubes
1 or 2 boneless chicken breasts
pinch of ginger and nutmeg if desired

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until rice is soft, fragrant and a bit soupy.
3. Take out the chicken breast(s) and cut into small pieces, transfer back to saucepan
3. Add more water if needed and stir frequently to stop sticking to the pot and add more milk or water if necessary.
4. Cook an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is done

Once the mixture is fully cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree or chop as needed for your baby's age and texture requirements. This makes a great finger food meal for older babies and toddlers alike.

Apple Swirl Cake - GREAT Birthday Cake

image courtesy myrecipes.com

Age: 1 year (due to orange juice)

Ingredients:

2 cup apples
3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute apple sauce)
4 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt

Peel, core, and chop apples into small pieces. Mix together with 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine sugar and cooking oil; beat. Add eggs, orange juice, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Beat until smooth. Pour one third batter into greased and floured 12 cup bundt pan alternating with one half apple mixture. Repeat.

 
End with layer of batter on top. Bake at 325 degrees F for 60 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 10 to 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack or serving plate to complete cooling. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired or lightly frost with cream cheese frosting.

Bananas Foster

image courtesy grillvillebbq

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:
1 whole banana, ripened
½ tsp. vanilla powder
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 - 4 Tbsp. breast milk or formula

Add  banana, vanilla powder and cinnamon into food processor and blend until smooth. Add milk little by little until creamy texture has been achieved.

Creamed Peas

image courtesy thedailygreen

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:

4 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Whisk in flour and allow to cook for 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Add salt and pepper and other spices as you find appropriate. Cook until sauce begins to thicken. Add peas, stir and cook until peas are heated through (about 5-7 minutes). Serve warm alone or with rice.

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

photo courtesy readersdigest

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:
8 medium sized sweet potatoes
5 tablespoons - use butter
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons mayonaise
2 cups water & 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
quick shake of salt
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger to your taste

In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer the potatoes.

In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth.
Gradually add broth/water, mayonnaise, and spices. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 2 hours or until tender.

Sweet Potato Soup

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photo courtesy myrecipes

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable broth)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk (use whole milk or use 8oz whole milk yogurt)

Mix the flour and butter to make a roux in a large saucepan. Heat the roux until you achieve a nicecarmel color.

Add the broth and brown sugar, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Stir in the sweet potatoes and spices, bring to a simmer again, and cook for 5 minutes more. 

Next, puree the soup in batches and return to the saucepan. Add the milk, and reheat soup. Season with salt and pepper (optional), ladle into warm soup bowls and serve.

Note: You can substitute sweet potato puree for the whole sweet potatoes and skip the pureeing as shown above.

Sweet Potato Risotto

photo courtesy aliveandcooking

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:
2 md sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
4 cups hot vegetable stock
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic

1½ cups arborio rice (12-ounce package)
¾ cup white grape juice
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1½ teaspoons thyme leaves
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoons black pepper

Preheat oven to 350*F. Peel sweet potatoes and cut in half. Cut half the sweet potatoes into ¼-inch diced and set aside. Cut the remaining sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast until soft about 30 minutes. Puree with ¼ cup chicken stock. Reserve.

In a large saucepan heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and sauté onion and small diced sweet potatoes over medium high heat. Cook about 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and arborio rice and cook 2-3 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in white grape juice. Cook, stirring until completely absorbed.

In the same manner add hot stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring until each addition is completely absorbed and stock is used up. Add sweet potato puree, rosemary, thyme, butter and Parmesan. Simmer on low for 10 minutes or until your risotto is soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste with pepper if desired.

Not Your Mama's Apple Pie

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:
3 cooking apples, sweet!
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon water or apple juice
Small pinch of ground cinnamon

Peel, core and dice the apple into small pieces. Add to the lemon juice and water and cook over medium heat in a small saucepan for 20 minutes or until soft.

Mash or puree to desired consistency. Beat in the egg yolk (or infant cereal) and sugar until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until set. Cool before serving.

Peach Yam Bake

Age: 8m+ (6m+ if made without the flour/wheat germ/spices)

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (optional)
3 tbs. flour
2 Tsp Wheat Germ
1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs butter
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups of fresh mashed peaches

Combine sugar, flour, wheat germ and spices. Cut in butter until you achieve a texture like bread crumbs. Arrange yams and peaches in 1-1/2 quart casserole; sprinkle with butter mixture. Bake at 350*F for 35 minutes. Puree (or mash) until you reach a desired consistency.

Apple Pear Supries

 Age: 8m+

Ingredients:
2 cooking apples, sweet!
1 pear

1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon water or apple juice
Dash of ground cinnamon and nutmeg

Peel, remove core and dice the apples and pear into small pieces. Add the lemon juice and water (or apple juice) Simmer on low in a small saucepan until soft, about 20 minutes.

Mash or puree the fruit. Whisk in the egg yolk and sugar until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until set. Cool before serving.

Sweet Potato Apple Mash

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes
Apples (sweet, please!)

Pre-heat oven to 400*F. Bake sweet potatoes and apples, together, until tender. Remove peel and puree with a little water until desired consistency.

Baby's First Chicken Pot Pie

photo courtesy west side dinner swap

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken, cooked and diced

1/2 cup green beans, cooked to tender

1/4 cup carrots, cooked to tender and diced

1/4 cup potatoes, cooked to tender and diced

TINY pinch of each: salt, pepper, oregano

Water to suit

Combine all ingredients and puree. Add water to achieve desired consistency.

Mixing It Up - Apples, Sweet Potato & Squash

So you've gotten your baby to eat a variety of single flavor foods and you're wondering what's next? It's time to mix it up, of course! Now that your baby has been introduced to a nice little selection of flavors, it's time to make baby's food a little more interesting! Don't worry, it will be easier then you think it will, I promise!

I'm sure you have a few dozen baggies in your freezer of frozen cubes of single flavor purees, waiting to be devoured. Just take 2 or 3 (or more depending on your babies appetite) and allow then to thaw together.

Here are some flavors that work well, although, the options are endless!

Apple & Squash
Apple & Sweet Potato
Banana & Pear
Banana & Apple
Carrot & Peas
Peach & Apple
Pear & Apple
Sweet Potato & Squash

Once you've dabbled in the protein category and accomplished the task of getting baby used to some single flavor proteins, you can start mixing that up a bit, too. Here are some more flavor combination:

Beef & Carrots
Beef, Potatoes & Peas
Chicken, Apples & Squash
Chicken, Brown Rice, Peas & Carrots
Chicken, Green Beans & Potatoes
Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
Lentils, Carrots, Squash & Rice
Lentils & Beef
Turkey & Squash
Turkey, Potatoes & Peas

Please don't hesitate to email some recipes or ideas of food combinations, to us, so we can add them to the list!

And with that.. I give you today's recipe:

Apples, Sweet Potato & Squash

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:
3/4 cup apples, diced and cooked until tender
1/2 cup sweet potatoes, diced and cooked until tender
1/2 cup squash, diced and cooked until tender
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
TINY pinch of salt

Combine ingredients and puree until desired consistency.

Sweet Chicken & Potato Puree

photo courtesy parents magazine

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:

1 (6oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast half

1 large (12oz) sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a small saucepan, poach chicken breast in enough water to cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and internal temperature reaches 170*F. Remove from saucepan and cool. Reserve the poaching liquid.

In a medium bowl, add sweet potato, olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss until potatoes are coated. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 350*F until potatoes are tender. Cool and puree.

Grind chicken in a food mill and mix into pureed potatoes. Add enough poaching liquid to reach desired consistency.

Spicy Sweet Potato

photo courtesy parents magazine

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/8 teaspoon cumin

Cook sweet potato in boiling water until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Microwave butter and spices together for 45 seconds. Add to sweet potatoes and puree until smooth.

Curried Peas

photo courtesy parents magazine

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:

1 (10oz) package frozen peas, steamed and drained

1/3 cup plain organic yogurt

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Puree all ingredients in a food processor or food mill, until smooth.

Asparagus & Broccoli Mash

photo courtesy parents magazine

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:
1 cup cut asparagus pieces
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minces
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and roast in a 375*F oven for 15 minutes or until tender. Puree all ingredients in the food processor until the consistency of your baby's liking.