Food / 14 July, 2017 / Christina Walter

10 Baby Weaning Recipes

We’ve put together some tasty weaning recipes for introducing food to your little one.

Carrot and Sweet Potato with a Hint of Parsley

This naturally sweet orange vegetable puree combines smooth, tasty carrots and sweet potato, with a little butternut squash. These three vegetables are ideal for first tastes, and are packed full of nutrients. A swirl of olive oil and a touch of roasted garlic and fresh parsley add to this fantastic recipe, a popular puree with our little piccolo’s.

Tip: If you have less time to make this, simply grate the carrot, sweet potato and butternut squash into the pan, it will take much less time to cook.

Ingredients

• Dash of olive oil
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
• 100g butternut squash, peeled, chopped and de-seeded
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• ¼ tsp of dried parsley or 3/4 leaves of fresh parsley
• 100ml of salt free stock or boiling water

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the garlic and stir for a minute before adding the carrot, sweet potato and butternut squash. Stir on a medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add the stock and stir in the parsley. Place a lid on and cook for around 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
3. Reserve around half of the stock by pouring it into a mug. Blend the vegetables and add more water to get to the consistency you want.

Recipe by Alice Fotheringham, Piccolo’s in-house infant nutrition specialist.

Raspberry and Apple with Soaked Oats

Juicy pink apples combined with the sharp sweetness of our raspberries, and mixed with wholegrain oats to make a smooth, thick puree, perfect as a snack or for breakfast. Make a big batch and mix up the berries and store in the fridge for all the family. For adults top with toasted seeds or ground nuts.

Tip: Try making this for adults by grating the apple into the oats and adding full fat yoghurt and water with the raspberries to make a delicious bircher muesli. Soak overnight.

Ingredients

• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
• 5 raspberries
• 2 teaspoons of oats

Method

1. Place the peeled, chopped apple in a steamer and steam for five minutes until soft. Reserve the water from the steamer.
2. Puree the apple, raspberry and oats together. If too thick a consistency add a little of the apple water or a little breast or formula milk.

Recipe by Alice Fotheringham, Piccolo’s in-house infant nutrition specialist.

Sweet Potato Beef Ragu Made with Carrot Sauce

This beef stew is made using a rich sweet potato and carrot sauce and slow cooked beef. Perfect for all the family, make double portions to feed a family of four. This also freezes brilliantly.
Tip: The longer you cook this dish, the more the flavour will intensify and you will get a more tender beef.

Ingredients

• ½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 6 button mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves taken off and chopped finely
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• ½ leek, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
• 20g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• ¼ tsp fresh chopped rosemary or a pinch of dried rosemary
• Glug of olive oil
• 600g stewing beef (featherblade or brisket or boneless chuck works well), cut into nice large chunks
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)

Method

1. Add a glug of olive oil to a large heavy based saucepan or casserole dish with a lid and put it onto a medium heat. Once the oil is hot add in the onions and cook until they start to soften, around eight minutes. Mix in the garlic, leek, carrot and mushrooms, and reduce the heat slightly. Cook for around 10 minutes, occasionally stirring and adding a splash of water if the vegetables start to catch on the bottom of the pan.
2. Once the vegetables have softened, add the beef and let it brown all over.
3. Once the beef has been sealed, add the sweet potato, thyme and tomatoes (once you’ve emptied the tin into the pan, fill it half way with water and swill round to get all the left over tomato and pour the tomato-ey water into the pan with the vegetables and beef).
4. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat and bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can put in a slow cooker and cook for 4 hours, or cook for an hour in the oven at 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
5. Once cooked and the meat is tender, mix in the cheese and puree.

Recipe by Alice Fotheringham, Piccolo’s in-house infant nutrition specialist.

Apple & Beetroot Purée

Ingredients

• 2 eating apples (about 200g), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 beetroot (about 150g), peeled and cut into chunks
• baby’s milk

Method

Put the beetroot into a steamer over simmering water and cook for around 15 mins, add the apple and cook for a further 8 mins until both are tender.

Blitz to a purée in a food processor. Add a splash of milk (or water from the saucepan), if necessary, to create a smooth texture. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times while blitzing to get a smooth consistency throughout.

Serve one portion and divide the rest between small containers or ice cube trays and freeze.

Spiced Pear Purée

Ingredients

• 2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• small pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• baby’s milk

Method

1. Put the pear into a steamer over simmering water and cook for around 8 mins until tender.
2. Blitz to a purée in a food processor along with a very small pinch of cinnamon, if using. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times while blitzing to get a smooth consistency throughout. Add a splash of milk (or water from the saucepan), if necessary, to create a smooth texture although usually pears will blitz well without.
3. Serve one portion and divide the rest between small containers or ice cube trays and freeze.

Celeriac, Carrot & Apple Purée

Ingredients

• ½ celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks (about 200g)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (about 200g)
• 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• splash of baby’s milk

Method

Put the celeriac, carrot and apples in a steamer over simmering water for 15 mins or until tender.

Blitz to a purée in a food processor with a splash of milk to create a smooth texture. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times while blitzing to get a smooth consistency throughout.

Cheesy Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

• 40g potato, peeled and cubed
• 40g carrots, peeled and chopped
• 60g broccoli
• 60g cauliflower

To make the cheese sauce:

• 15g butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 150ml milk
• 2oz cheddar cheese

Method

1. Steam brocolli and cauliflower for about 10 minutes until tender.
2. For the sauce, melt the butter on a low heat, add in the flour and stir to make a pasta. Slowly add in the milk stirring until the sauce has thickened. Add in the cheese and keep stirring until all of the cheese has melted.
3. Add in the brocolli and cauliflower and puree in a blender for younger babies or mash with a fork for older ones.
4. Steam or boil the potato and carrots until soft.
5. Mix in the Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese sauce and heat through.

Herby Tomato and Cheese Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 small carrot (60g)
• 35g new potatoes
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 100g canned chopped tomatoes
• Pinch of dried oregano
• Pinch of pepper
• 30g mild cheddar cheese, grated
• 50g Cook at Home Pasta stars

Method

1. Peel the carrot and potatoes and chop into small cubes. Heat the oil in a small pan, add the garlic, carrot and potato and cook, stirring for a minute.
2. Add the tomatoes, oregano, pepper and 60ml water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are really tender. Drain.
3. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack, drain.
4. Stir the sauce into the pasta along with the cheese. Use a stick blender to blend the mixture to form a smooth, lump free puree. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Salmon, Broccoli & Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

For the Fish:

• 75 g salmon fillet, skinned
• a small knob of butter
• 50 g broccoli florets

For the Sauce:

• 15 g butter
• 15 g flour
• 200 ml milk
• 20 g gruyere cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp mascarpone

Method

1. Put the salmon in the microwave dish and dot with butter. Cover with cling film, leaving an air vent, and microwave for 90 seconds. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for 4 minutes.
2. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk, then continue to stir over a low heat for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

3. Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the Gruyère and Parmesan until melted, then mix in the mascarpone.
4. Flake the salmon and finely chop the broccoli, then stir both into the cheese sauce.

Parsnip, Spinach & Sweet Potato

Ingredients

• a knob of dairy free margarine or butter
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
• 250 g sweet potato
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 250 ml unsalted or weak vegetable stock, or water
• 75 g baby spinach

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
2. Add the diced parsnip, sweet potato and apple.
3. Sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the stock or water.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes until tender.
5. Add the spinach and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Puree in a blender until smooth.