Once your baby has been eating simple vegetable and fruit purees for a few weeks its time to introduce foods with more taste and texture. These recipes, from The Truuuly Scrumptious Book Of Organic Baby Purees by Topsy Fogg and Janice Fisher, will give you some ideas
Enjoy feeding your baby new foods, but be careful to introduce new foods gradually and watch for allergic reactions.
Peas with garlic and creme fraiche
(makes 2 portions)
It is perfectly safe to introduce garlic to your baby's diet. What's more, babies enjoy strong flavours. Use very fresh or frozen peas for maximum nutritional value in this delicious, bright green puree that appeals to the eyes as well as developing taste buds.
1 small clove of garlic
180g (6.5oz) frozen peas or petit pois
1 tbsp creme fraiche
Reserved cooking water
Remove the skin from the garlic and place in a pan with the peas. Add boiling water to cover the peas. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the cooked peas and garlic clove in a blender. Add the creme fraiche and a little of the reserved cooking water. Blend to a smooth puree, use a mouli if need to remove tough skins. This delicious puree can be served on its own or stirred into some cooked pasta. Serve one portion. Cover and chill the remainder and use within 24 hours or chill then free in portions.
Beetroot and roast tomato
(makes 3-4 portions)
This delicious puree has instant baby appeal due to its amazing intense colour. It also makes a great pasta sauce for grown ups with goats cheese sprinkled on top. Don't panic at nappy change time. Eating beetroot can give you pink urine!
2 beetroots (about 250g/9oz total)
2 large beef tomatoes (about 400g/14oz in total)
Half a clove of garlic, crushed
Olive oil
Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius/375 degrees Farenheit/Gas mark 5 Prepare the beetroot by trimming any green stalk down to the leaves and wash thoroughily in cold water, leave the skin on. The skin should be peeled away after cooking and the stalk and root removed. Meanwhile cut the beef tomatoes in half horizontally and place on a baking tray skin down. Spread the crushed garlic across the four tomato halves, drizzle with olive oil and bake in the top of the oven for half an hour. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and peel and discard the skin. Place the cooked tomatoes and cooked beetroot into a blender and puree. Serve one portion. Cover and chill the remainder and use within 24 hours or chill then freeze in portions.
Chicken and leek risotto
(suitable for second stage of weaning, makes 3-4 portions)
This is a wonderful combination of delicate flavours and makes an excellent comfort food.
30g (1oz) butter
55g (2oz) onion, finely chopped
55g (2oz) leek, sliced
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 125g/4.5oz)
100g (3.5oz) Arborio rice
450ml (15fl oz) No Added Salt Chicken Stock
Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and transparent. Add the leeks and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped chicken breast to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice and cook over a low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Now you need to add the stock. Add about 80-90 ml (3 fl oz) at a time and cook on a low heat simmering gently and stirring occasionally. Wait for the stock to be absorbed by the rice before you add the next amount. Using this method gives your risotto a really creamy texture and should take around 20-30 minutes to incorporate all the stock. Chop or puree to the desired consistency for your baby. Serve one portion. Cover and chill the remainder and use within 24 hours or chill then freeze in portions.
The Truuuly Scrumptious Book of Organic Baby Purees by Topsy Fogg and Janice Fisher is published by Vermillion
