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.

Creamed Banana

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana, sliced
1/4 cup light cream
small pinch of sugar

(bananas are slightly sweet, alone, so I would omit the sugar)

Blend well until creamy.

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.

Rediculous Rice Pudding

image ©jenniferiserloh

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice (I would use brown)
1 cup warmed milk
2 drops pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar (i would use a little less or none at all)

Combine all ingredients and cook very gently for 10 minutes or so until rice is heated through and it's thickened up a bit.

Cool before serving. Serve warm or cold.

Sweet Potatocakes

photo courtesy nurturebaby

Age: 8m+

Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1 egg (or 2 egg yolks)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (use graham flour for a nice taste.)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk (or more)

Mix sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl with the egg. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and add the baking powder, then add to sweet potato mix. Add up to 1/3 cup of milk while stirring then stir in 1 tbsp butter.

The mixture should have the consistency of thick, lumpy sauce like an "instant" pancake mix.

Place a non-stick or heavy iron skillet over medium heat on top of the stove and add 1/2 tsp butter.

Spoon batter into the skillet and cook until bubbles rise to the surface of the pancakes and break. Approx. 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook another 2 minutes. Remove pancakes from the skillet and keep warm on a covered plate in the oven.

Note: These potato cakes freeze very well! Reheat in a toaster or microwave until warm.

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.

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.

Menu Ideas Part 2

Lunch Ideas:

Age: 6m+

Soft, cooked vegetables, pastas and rice can be ground in any combination for a healthy, tasty lunch.

Carrots and Rice:
Brown Rice, cooked.
Carrots, peeled and cooked.
Butter, tiny bit, if desired. 

Puree all ingredients.

Pasta with Cheese:
Pasta, cooked and drained.
Mild Cheddar Cheese

Puree all ingredients, mixing breast milk or other milk into the ground food to achieve desired consistency.

Menu Ideas Part 1

Breakfast Treats:


Age: 6m+

Cereal with Fruit:
Cooked Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal.
Fresh or Canned Fruit, if using canned, drain liquid and make sure it is packed in water, not syrup.

Puree fruit until smooth and mix in cereal.

Blueberries and Yogurt:
Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
Plain Yogurt
Cooked Oatmeal, Cream of Rice or Cream of Wheat


Puree blueberries and mix into yogurt and cereal.

Fruit Cup:
Banana, diced.
Blueberries
Applesauce

Puree all ingredients. Mix breast milk (or other liquid) to achieve 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.

Baked Apple & Ricotta Puree

Age: 6m+

Ingredients:
1 Apple (sweet apple, please!)
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Tablespoon Ricotta Cheese

Choose a naturally sweet apple or else you may have a baby refuse the tart taste! Our suggestion would be Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady or Red Rome's.

 Preheat oven to 350*F.

Wash the apple, peel, then remove the core. Place the cinnamon stick into the center of the cored apple, wrap in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray in the oven. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the apple is very tender.

Cool to a safe handling temperature, unwrap and remove the cinnamon stick. Cut the apple into pieces and transfer into a food processor. Puree the apple until smooth. Stir the ricotta into the pureed apple and serve immediately.

Variations: Pear

Recipe courtesy Christine.