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Annabe

N e w CompleteM e a l Planner200 quick, easy and healthyrecipes for your baby

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T H E C L A S S I C B E S T S E L L I N G C O O K B O O K F O R B A B I E S A N D T O D E E ED E L U X E I L L U S T R A T E D A N D U P D A T E D E D I T I O N



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babies andch ildren and has been translated int oover20 languages.This new edition takes in allthe latest research in child nutrition, includes newimprove d versions of th e orig inal recipes,25 brandnew recipes and photographs that bring therecipes t o ife.

W ith go per cent ofjun k food b eing bought

by paren tsfortheir kidsand mo reth an one infive under-fours in Britain overweight w e need tobrin g back home cooking. Forth e past ibyea rs I'veprobably spent more tim e in the kitchen cooking uphealthy children's meals than anyone in thecou ntryand a ll the recipes are tested on a panel of babiesand toddlers .With a little bit of help from th e book,

you to o can be ma king really n utritio us food that'seasy t o prepare and p late-lickingly good. l can alsopromise tha t you and your kids w ill love the resultswith ou t spending hours in the kitchen.

I hope you enjoy th e advice and recipes in this bookas much as I have enjoyed creating the m . ..



C H A P T E R O N E

The best first foods for your baby



Thecurrent UK Department of Healthrecommendationsstate th at babies should notbegin weaning unt il hey aresix months old andshould be exclusively breastfed un til his tim e.However,this has only recently cha nge dfro m'between four and six months'. Statistics have shown

tha t the major ity of babies in he UK begin weaningbeforesix months,and mo st health professionalsrecognise ha t many babies show signs th at the y areready forweanin gat a younger ageth an sixmonths.Thevery m ini m um agesh ould be17 weeks,asababy's digestive system wo n't fu lly m atu ref or thefirst fe w m onths and foreign proteins very earlyon may increase he likelihood of fo od allergies.

It svery importa nt to remember,when start ingyour baby on solids,that milk is still th e best andmos t natural food for g rowing babies.I wouldencourage m others t o give breastfeeding a try.Apart from th e emotional benefits, breast milkcontains antibodies th at w il l help protect infantsfrom infection.ln th ef irs tfe w months,they areparticularly vulnerabieand the colostrum a motherproduces in he first fe w days of breastfeeding is avery im por tan t sourceof antibodies which help t obuil d up a baby's im mun esyste m. (If only for th isreason, it is obvious tha t there are some enormousbenefits in bre astfeed ingyou r child,even for asli ttl e as one week.) It s also medically proventh at breastfed babies are less likely todev elopcert ain diseases i n ater life.

Milks hould contain all the nutrientsyourbabyneeds togr ow .The re are 65calories in 120 m l l q f l ozmilk,and formula milk is fortified wi th vitaminsand iron.Cow's m ilk isn't such a'complete'food forhum an babies so is best n ot started unti l your babyisoneyearold.Solidsare introduced toad d bu lkt o

a baby's diet,and t o ntroduce newtastes,texturesand aromas;they also help th e ba by to practise usingthe muscles in his mouth. But givinga baby too muchsolid food to oea rly may lead tocons tipation,an dprovidefewernutrientsthan he needs.lt w ould beverydifficult fora bab yto get theequivalent amountof nu trientsfrom the small amount of solids he wi llconsume as he gets fr om his milk.

Don't use softened wate r or repeatedly boiledwa te rw he n ma king upyou r baby's bottle, becauseof th e danger of concen trating min eral salts. Babies'bottles should no t be warmed i n a microwave,asthe milk may be too ho t even though th e bott lefeelscool totheto uch.W arm bottles by standing the m inho t water.

Between four and six mo nths babies shouldhave 500-600 mlI18 -2ifl oz breast or infa nt formu laeach day.500 m l l i 8 f loz is enoug h whe n solids areintroduced bu t it Isn't between four and six m onthsw it h nosolids. It 's impo rtant t o make sure that,upto th ea ge of eight months,your babydrinksmilkat least fou rtim es a day (especially as it is highlylikely th at a bot tle m ay not be finished at each feed).If t h e number offeeds is reduced tooquickly,yourbaby w ill no t bea ble todr ink as much as is needed.Some mothers make the m istakeo f givingtheir baby



solid food when he is hungry,when wh at hereally needs is an add itional m ilkfeed.

Babiesshould begiven breast orformula milkfo rt he wh ole of th ef irs t year.Ordinary cow's,goat'sor sheep's milk is not suitable as you r baby's m aindrinkas it doesn't contain enough iron and othernutrien ts for proper growth. However,whole cow's

milkc an be used in cooking orw it h cereal whenweaning. Dairy products 1ikeyoghurt.from agefraisand cheesecan be ntroduced once firs t tastes o ffr ui t and vegetables are accepted and aregenerallyvery popular wit h babies.Choosefull-fat productsas opposed t o ow-fa t as babies need th e caloriesfor proper grow th.

Freshfoodsjustdotaste,smeliand look better thanjars o f pre-prepared baby foods. Nor is there any doub tthat, prepared correctly,theyare be tter for your baby(and you),for it s inev itabletha t nutrients,especiallyvitamins,are lost in he processingof pre-prepared babyfoods.Home-madefoods tastedifferent from thejars

youcan buy.1 believeyourc hild w ill be lessfussy andfindthe transitio ntojoinin gin with family meals easierif he is used t o a wide selection offr esh tastes andtextu resfrom an early age.

Organic fru it and vegetables are produced wi th ou tart ificia l chemicals,such as pesticides andfe rtilisers.However,there is at present noscientifice viden ceth at pesticide levels n ordinary foods are harmfu l to

youn g babies and children, b ut some mothers prefernot to ake the risk.lt is an environmentally friendlyoption bu t generates higher prices and it is up t oyou to decide whether it's wa rth th e extra money.

Genetic mo dification (GM) is th e process of

transfe rring genes fro m one speciesto another. Forexample,a t ende ncyto resist damage from certaininsectscould beim plante dfrom one planttoanother.More research is needed t o know w hether geneticmodification can im prove thequ ality and availabilityof cropsorwh etherthecostto humans and theenvironment outweighs any benefit. Ify ou wish toavoid CMfoods,consult th e labels as by 2005 it willbe compulsoryto declare C M ngredients.

ProteinsProteins are neededfo rthegr owth and repair ofo urbodies;any extra can be used to provide energy(oris deposited asfat).Proteins are made u po f different

am ino acids.Somefoods (meat,fish,soya beans anddairy produce, includingcheeses)contain all the am inoacids that are essentialto our bodies.Otherfoods(grains,pulses,nutsandseeds)arevaluablesourcesof prote in bu t don't contain alltheessentialaminoacids.

CarbohydratesCarbohydrates and fa t provide our bodies w it hthe ir m ain source o f energy.There are tw o typesof carb0hydrate:sugar and starch (which in complex

T H E BEST F I R S T F O O D S F O RY O U R B A B Y 9



form providesfibre).ln b oth types there are tw oforms: natura l and refined.The natura l form providesa m ore healthy alternative.

FatsFats provide th e mo st concentrated source ofenergy,

and babies need proportionately more fat in the ir d iettha n adults. Energy-dense foods like cheese,meatand eggs are needed to fue l the ir rapid grow th anddevelopment,andfat provides mo reth an 50 percentof the en er gy i n breast milk. Foods th at contain fatsalso contain fa t soluble vitamins A,D,E and K,whichare impo rtan tfort he healthy development of yourbaby.The problem i sth at many peopleeat too muchfat and thewrongtype.

There are tw ot yp es of fat -saturated (solid atroom temperature) wh ich mainly come from anima lsources an d from artificially hardened ats found incakes,biscuits and hard margarines,and unsaturated(liquid at room temperature),which com efromvegetablesources. It ist he saturatedfats whichare the m ost harmful and which may lead t o highcholestero l levels and coronary disease late r in life.

It is imp orta ntto give your baby whole &ilk (full-fat) fora t least the f irst twoyears bu t try toreducefats incookin gan d use butter and m argarine inmoderation.Try t o reduce saturated fats in yourchild's diet by cu ttin g do wn on fatty meats like fatty

minced mea t or sausages and replace he m w it h leanred meat,chicken oro ilyf ish .

Essential fa tty acids (EFAs) are imp or ta nt fo ry ou rbaby's brain and visual development.There are tw o

10 NEW COMPLETE BABY&TODDLER MEA L P L A N N E R

types of EFA-omega 6 fr o m seed oils,e.g.sunflower,safflower and corn,and omega 3 fro m oily fish,e.g.salmon,trout,sardines and fresh tun a (N.B.no ttinn ed tuna).ln general we ge t enough omega 6 inour die ts-it is the omega 3 th at is often low.Therig ht balance of b ot h types of EFAs are impor tan t,

especially in early life.

Sugars! 3L

Fruits an d fru itjuicesVegetables and vegetable juices

J';",. .,~ & 9 ! 8 * f . , j

Sugars and honeySoft drinksSweetjelliesJams and oth er preservesBiscuits and cakes

Starcheshj;3t#.,rai

Wholegrain breakfast cereals,flour, bread and pastaBrow n ricePotatoesDried beansand lentilsPeas, bananasand many othe rfruits and veg eta bles

CI''f:~,, .<... ~ .~ .8

Processed breakfast cereals

(e.g. sugar-coated flakes)Wh iteflour, breadsand pastaWh ite riceSugary biscuits a nd cakes



For most babies who ea t fresh food in sufficientquantitiesand drink formula milk u ntil the age of oneyear ,vitam in supplements are probably unnecessary.However,in the U Kth e Departmen t of Healthrecommends tha t i fyou r baby is being breastfed(breastmilk doesn't contain enou ghv itam in D)or

is drinking less than 500 m lI i8 fl o zo f nfant formulaa day,you should give hi m vi ta m in supplem entsfromth e age of six month s t o woyears.Askyour healthvisitor fo r advice.

Childrenfollow inga vegan diet should have atleast 600 m ll zi fl oz of afortif ied infant soya milkdaily unti l he age oftw o,th en they won't needsupplements.lt is mainlyvitam ins Aan dD tha t arelikely to be low n children aged six months t o t w oyears who don't have 500 m l h 8 f l ozfortified infantor soyaformula.

Vitamins are necessaryfor the correctdevelopment o ft h e brain and nervous system.Ago od balanced diet should supply all the nutrientsyour child needsand an excessof vitamins ispotentially harmful, b ut children who are picky eaters

could benefit by tak ing a mu lti-vita min supplementspecially designed forch ildren .

Thereare two types o f vitamins-water-soluble(Cand B complex)and fat-soluble (A, D,E and K).Water-solublevitam ins cannot be stored by th e body, so foodscont ainin gthe se should be eaten daily.They can also

easily be destroyed by overcodking,especially whenfruits and vegetables are boiled in water.You shouldt ry to preserve thesevitamins by eatingthefoo dsraw or ju st ligh tly cooked (in a steamer,for instance).

High-Risk FoodsMore and more children aredevelopingan allergyt o sesame seeds, so don't give the m t o highly atopicbabies un til they'reat least nine m onths. Berry andcitru sfrui tsca n trigger a reaction bu t rarely cause atrueallergy.The mo st common allergic pro blem stha tmay be trigger ed by an adverse reaction of oo d are:nausea;vomiting;diarrhoea;asthma;eczema;hayfever; rashesand swel ling oftheeyes, lips andface.This is one reason wh y it's u nw ise to rushstart ingy our baby on solid foods.

12 NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y &TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R



It really isn't necessarytogivea veryyoung babyCow's m ilk at ld dairy produce , anyth ingtod rinkothe rthan m ilkor plain waterNu tsan d seeds if he isju st th irs ty Fruit syrups,squashes andEggs sweetened her bal drin kss hou ld bediscouraged,WReat-based products t o prevent den tal decay. Don't be fooled i f th eFisli (espec ially shellfish) packet says'dextrose'-this isj us t a typeo fsugar.Ciiocoiate Ifyourbabyrefusestodrinkwater,then give him

unsweetened baby uice or fresh l o o per cent fruitjuice. D ilute according t o nstructions or,forfresh

Water juice, use one part juice t o hree p arts water.Humans can survive for quite a time wit hou t food,but only afe w days with ou t water. Babies lose more

..-water thro ugh their skin and kidneys than a dultsand .

alsothro ugh vom iting and diarrhoea.Thus it'svitalth at th eyd on 't become dehydrated. Ensure your baby

drinks plentyoffluids;cool, boiled water is the bestdri nk to giveon hotdays-it's a better thirs t quenchertha na ny sugary drink.Avoid b ottled m ineral water asit can contain high concentrations o f min eral salts,which are unsuitableforbabies.



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ify ou rfa mi ly has a history offood allergy or atopicdisease such as hayfever,asthma or eczema, the re isan increased risk of deve loping an allergic disorder,sofoods should be introduced w it h great care.If possible, breastfeed exclusively for th e fi rs t sixmonths. If notdiscuss with your doctorthe optionof using a'hypoallergenic'infantformula instead.When weaning,start w it h lo w allergen foods likebaby rice, rootveg etables, apple or pear. Ne w foodsshould be introducedone ata tim ea nd tried fortw oo rth re e days. In th at way,if there is a reactionyou wi ll k no w w ha t has caused it.Avoid high-riskfoods unt il your baby is ni ne to welvemonthsold.

There's no need t o w orr y a bout food allergiesunlessthereisafamily histo lyof allergy or atopicdisease.The incidence of food allergy i n norm albabies isvery small and,with thete nde ncyt oalater intro duct ion o f solid food a t six months,theySvebecomeeven lesscommon. Don't remove keyfoods

like milkan dw heat fro m your child's d iet beforeconsulting a doctor.Many children grow out of th ei rallergies by th e age o f two , b ut some-particularlya sens itivityto eggs, milk ,nuts or shellfish-canlast for life. If yo ur child has an allergy,tell anyadults who may feed him.

Never be afraid t o ake your baby t o he doctor

if yo u are worried tha t something is wrong.Youngbabies'imm unesystem saren'tfully matured andbabiescan become illveryqu ickly i fth ey arenrttreatedproperly and can develop serious complications.

: . , , , , . . . . . ~. .Lactose ntolerance isn't ac tually an allergy butthe ina biliw to digest lactose-the sugar in m ilk -because o f a lackof a digestiveenzyme.Thiscanbe hereditary and ,ift his is th e case,yourchild mayexperience nausea,cramps, bloating,diarrhoea andgas,usually about 30 min utes after consuming dairyfoods,and should be given a special di et th at avoidsall da iry products.Since lactoseis present in breastand cow's milk, babieswho are lactos eintoierantshould be given soya formula . However, soya milk isn'trecommendedfor babies unde rthea geof six months,and sothese babiesshould begiven aspecial low-lactose infa nt formu la (sometimes Iabelled'LF').

Lactose ntolerance is a rare complication th at canoccur after a gastrointes tinal infection.in childrenoveroneyear,ites safeto remove milkp rodu ctsfo rafe wd ays to see ifth is makesa difference.ln babiesunder a year,continue t o breastfeed but, if additionalfeedsareneede d,talktoa doctor, hea lthvisit or orpharmacist about us inga low-lactosefeed for

a couple ofweek s.If children suffer fr om lactose intolerance due

t o a lacko f lactase,this w ill last for life.

, . , . ., . , , . ., ,:, L .

Ify ou th ink your baby is sensitiveto cow's milk,you should consult your doctor. Breast mi lk i st he

best alternative, b ut moth ers should li m it theirow n consum ption o f dairy products as they canbe transferred t o heir baby throu gh breast milk.If brea stfeeding has ceased,yourdoctorwili



recommend an extensively hydrolysed (low-allergen)infa nt formula,which is available on prescription.

This condition means tha t no dairyproductsaretolerated.Milk-freevegetable or soya margarine may besubstitutedfor butte rThe re are also many soya-based(non -dairy) yogh urtsa nd desserts available andcarobcan be sub stitute dfor milkchoco1ate.Babies

often outg rowt his allergy byth ea ge of two, butun til then it's impo rtant t o ensure your child getsenough calcium i n his diet.

Eeg5! Eggs can be giv en fro m SIX months but they must,.1 be thoroughly cooked un til both the w hite and th e6 yolk are solid.Soft-boiled eggs can be given afteri' one year.i:

FruitsSomechildren have an adverse reaction t o citrus,berries and kiwifru1t.Rosehip and blackcurrant,being rich in vit am in C, make good alternativestoorangejuice.

IHoneyHoney should n ot b egiven to children un dertw elvemonthsas it can cause infant botulism.Although thisisvery rare, it is best to be safeas a baby's digestivesystem is too immature tode al w ith t he bug.

NutsIt is rare t o be allergic tot re e nu ts such as wa lnutsand hazelnuts. However,peanuts and peanut

produ cts can induce a severe allergic reaction -. naphylactic shoc k-wh ich can be life threatening,

so it's best to be cautious. In families wi th a historyof any allergy inc lud ing hayfever,eczema andasthma,it'sadvisableto avoid all productscontaining peanuts,including peanut oil, un til hechild is three years old,and th en seek med ical advice

before introducing peanut products in to th e diet.Peanut b utt er and fin ely ground nuts, however,canbe intr od uc ed fro m six months,provided there isno family history o f allergy.

It is impo rtant oo nly buy packagedfood th at islabelled 'nut free';loose bakery products,sweets andchocolates may contain nuts.Children unde rthea geoff ive shouldn't begiven whole nuts because oftheriskof choking.

GlutenGluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Foodscontaininggluten,such as bread or pasta,should n otbe introduced int o any baby's diet before six months.

When buyin g babycereals and rusks,choose

varieties th at areg luten- free. Baby rice is th e safestt o ry at flrst,and the reafterthere are plenty ofalterna tive g lute n-fr ee products such as soya,corn,rice, mille t rice noodles and b uckwhe at spaghetti,and pota tof lours for th ickeningandbaking.

In somecases intoleranceto wheat and similarproteinsis temporary,and children may grow ou t o fthec onditio n before they are tw oo rth re e years old.However,although it is rare,some peop le su ffer froma permanent sensitivity to glu te n k now n as coeliac

TH E B E S T FIRST FOODS F O R Y O U R B A U Y



disease.Symptoms in clude losso f appe tite,poorgrowth,swollen abdomen and pale and particularlysmelly stools. Coeliac disease can be diagno sedby a blood test and can be confirmed by lookingat th eg ut w all usingendoscopy

Gastro-oesophageal reflu xRefluxis caused whe n a weakvalve at th e top o f ababy's stomach a llows the ir feed, along wi th g astricacid,tocome back up,causingsymptoms includ ingvomiting and heartburn.Ail babies are born with thisweakvalve b u t some regurg itate excessive amo untsbecause of reflux. Regula rvomiting, refusingfeedsor only manag ingsmall amounts at a time, losingor no t gainingw eight,or cryingexcessiveiy afterfeedscan a ll be sympto ms of refiux.If you areworried take yourb aby toyourGP.

ifyou r baby isdiagnosed wit h reflux:G? Holding your baby in an upright p osition duringand about 2 0 minu tes after eachfeed can help.$2 Raisingthe head end ofy ou r baby's cot a few

inch eso ffthe ground by placing blockso rth/ckbooks underth e legs of the cot means gravity w illhelp to keep his feed down.:%Try giv ing smaller, more freq ue nt feeds so asno t t o overload your baby's stomach.1 In moreseverecases it can be wo rth tryingfee dthickene rsthat can be used whe n breast- or bottle-

feeding.There are alsoseve ral prethickenedformulas available on prescription.Some babiesalso require antacid medicines. Mo st cases o f gastro-oesophageal reflux improve after starting solids

bu t for m ost babies this is no t an indication o startsolids ea rly

Preparing Baby Foods

Preparingandcooking bab yfoodsisn 't difficult but,becauseyou'redealingwitha baby,considerations likehygiene mu st be of th e utm ost iinportance.Alwayswash fru it a ndvegetablescarefully before cooking.

EquipmentMos t ofthee qui pm en tyou require will already bei nyour kitchen- mashers,graters,sieves,etc.- bu tth efo llo wi ng fou r pieces may no t be,and I considerthem t o bevi ta i!

M ou lilb ab yfo od grinder (see page 208) This hand-turn ed food m ill purees th e food, separating it romth e seedsand tou gh fibres which can bedifficultforthe bab ytodige st . l t is ideal forfoods l ikedriedapricots, sweetcorn o rgre en beans,and is also goodfor p otato,wh ich becomes sticky in afo od processor

or blender.

Electric han d biend erThisis ea syto clean andideal for makin g small quantitiesof baby puree

Food processorThis is good for puree ing largerquantities when making ba tchesof pureesfor

freezing.

SteamerSteamingfood iso ne of th e best waystopreserve nutrients.lt is wo rth bu ying a multi-tiered



steamer,so you can cookseveral foods at once.(Acolanderover a saucepan with a well-fitt inglid isa cheaper alternative.)

SterilisingAt first,it isvery impo rtant to sterilise bottlesproperly,and particularly the teats t ha t your babysucks, by whatever approved m etho d you choose.Warm m ilk is th e perfect breedingg roundforbacteria and,if bottles are not p roperly washed andsterilised,your baby can becom every ill.However,it is not necessary to sterilise the eq uip me nty ouuse for cooking,pureeing or sto ring baby food,bu t take extra care to keep everythingv ery clean.

Use a dishwasher if y o u have one,which helps

t o ensure thee quip me nt is perfectly clean.Dryutensils wi th a clean tea to we l or use kitchen paper.

All milk bottlesa nd eats should continue t obe sterilised u nt il you r baby is one year old, b utthereis really no t much point sterilisingspoons orfood containers beyond the age wh en your babystarts toc raw l and p ut everything in reach into hismouth.There is no need to sterilise any othe rfe ed ingequipment, b ut do wash bowls and spoons in adishwasher or by hand at about 27'C/8o0F-youwill need tow ea r rubber gloves.lf using a food mixerit is a good idea to rinse it out w ith boiling wateras they area comm on breedingg roundfor bugs.

SteamingSteam thevegetab les or fruits until tend'er.~his'is the best w ay to preserv ethefresh aste andvitamins.Vitamins B and C are water-soluble andcan easily be destroyed by overcooking,especiallywhen foods are boiled i n water. Broccoli oses over 60per cent of its antioxidants w hen boiled, bu tless than 7 per cent when steamed.

BoilingPeel,seed or stone the veg etab les or fruitsas necessary and cu t i nt o pieces.Try t o use themin imu m amount ofwa ter and be careful n ot toovercook.To makea smooth puree,addjust enoughofthecook ingliquidora smaliamount offormula

or breast milk.

MicrowavingPlacethevegetablesorfrui t in a suitabledish.Adda little water,cover lea vingan airve nt and cooko nfull power un til end er (stir halfway through). Pureet o he desired consistency. Check th at it sn't too ho tt o serve to your baby and stir we ll to avoid ho t spots.

BakingIfyou arecookinga mea lforthefam ily in theoven,you could use the opportunity t o bakea potato,sweet potato or b utte rnut squash foryour baby.Pr ick thechosenvege tab lewi th aforkand bakeun til tender.Cut in ha lf (remove the seedsfrorn

th e squash),scoop ou t th e flesh and mash togetherwi th some water or m ilk.

T H E BEST FIRST FOODS FOR YOUR BABY 17



Freezing Baby FoodsAs a baby only ea tst iny amounts,especially inthe early stages of weaning ,it sav estim eto makeup larger quantities o f puree and freezeextraportions in ice cub etray s or small plasticfreezerpots forfu ture meals.Thus,in a couple of hoursyou can prepare enoug hfoo dfor you r baby fora m onth using the weekly m enu planners.

Cookand puree thefood,co verand cool asquicklyas possible.To preserve th e qu alit y o f the food, it isimp orta ntth at anyfoods tha t are to befrozen arecovered.You can bu y icecube trays th at are made ofa flexible ma teria l and come wi th lids (see page 208).It isalso best if he container is filled almost t o the

to p rat hert han leavinga large pocket of air abovethefood. Food should bestored in afreeze rtha t wil lfreeze food to -18~CI-o.4'F or bel ow i n 24 hours.

Once your baby starts e ating larger portions,it isa good idea to b uy some plasticcontainers wit hsnap-on lid sth at are designed forfreezing babyfood.Always label frozen food w ith the contents

and expiry date.Thawfoodseither byta kingthem out ofthe

I

freezer several hours before a m eal, heating i n asaucepan or defro sting i n a microwave.Alwaysreheat foods un til piping hot,allowto cool and testthetem perature oft he food before givingit toyourbaby. If rehea ting in a microwave, make su ret ha t

you stirt he food to g et rid of any hot spots.

Never refreeze me als tha t have alreadybeenfrozen; however,if usingfrozenvegetables

orf rui t t o make baby pureesthey can becookedand refrozen.::Do no t h ea tt o defrost and the n leave in th efrid ge to reheat and serve.$2 Ifyo u have defrosted baby food i n hefr idgeovernight,it should be used wi th in 24 hours.Oncereheated use wit hin i hour as babyfood isa primebreeding ground for bacteria.'2 Do no t refreeze me als tha t have previously beenfrozen.Theexception t o his is th at rawfrozen foodcan be returned tothefr eez er once it is cooked.For example,cookedfrozen peas can be refrozen.:1 Sometimes you m ay need to ad d liquid whenreheatingfroz en food as it can cause food t od ry out.$2 Babyfoo ds can be stored i n a freezer for up t oeig ht weeks.

Introducing particular foodsI have listed opposite particul arfoo dsth at you shouldavoidfeed ingyour baby until a certain age has beenreached.This is not an exhaustive lis t and you should

refer t o each chapterfor more information.

M e a l PlannersIn he ne xt chapter I'vedevised some meal plannersto helpyou throughthefirstweekswhen you startt o wean your baby.The FirstTastesMeal Plannershows howto gradua llyweanyour baby ontosolids

using mainly singleingredient, easily digestedfruitandvegetable purees th at are unlikely t o provokean allergic re action.Once your baby has beenintroduced toth ese tastes, pr og re 'ss tot he ~ft er



FirstTastes Accepted Meal Planner,which includescombinations of fru it and vegetable purees like carrotand pea or peaches,apples and pear s.Ad aptth erecipesacco rdingto wh at is in season.

These planners are inten ded only as a guideand will depend on many factors includingweigh t.Ify ou r baby's last meal isclose t o bedtime,avoidgiving him a nyth ingth at is heavy or difficultt o digest.This iscertainly no tth e time t oexperimentwith new foods i f you b oth wanta good nig ht's sleep.

I have trie d t o give a w ide choice o f recipes,although I expect that,in practice,meals thatyour baby enjoys wo uld be repeated several tim es -and this is where you rfree zerw ill come in handy.

In subsequent chapters,thereare mealplannersforyour baby which you m ayfo llow orsimply use asa guide.Adapt the cha rtsac cord ingto w hat is in season and wha t you are preparingforyourfam ily. From nine months onwards,you shouldbe abie toco okfo ryou r baby andfamilytogether,perhaps eating the recipes you give your baby forlunch and tea for yo ur ow n supper, provided youdo not add salt to yo ur baby's portion.

In hese later charts, I have set out fo ur mealsa day, b ut m any babies are satisfied w it h ust threemeals as we ll as some h ealthy snacks.

Many ofthevege table purhes n heearlychapters can be transforme d in to a vegetable soup;and a numbe r of th eve geta ble dishes can serve as

good sidedishesforthefamily.Again,ifyou givethebaby some of thevegetables you are preparingfor

thefamily,m ake sure they have not been salted.In th e later chapters m any recipes are suitablefo rth e wholefamily.

With each recipe are symbo lsoftwoface s-onesmiling 0 , he other gloomy O. Ifyo u tick these youw ill f ind these u seful for recording your successes(or otherwise)! Some recipes also show a snowflake,whic h m eans th e meal is suitableforfreezing.

l>',,!;,?l. c:,-, ;p; i-,:~!,:,.,?

Gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats)6 monthsCitrus fru its6 monthsWeil-cookedeggs

6-9 monthsSoft egg5,e.g. well-cooked scrambled eggsfrom iyearAdded saltlimitedamountfrom 12 monthsSugarl imitedamo unt rom 72 monthsWho lecow'sm ilkasa main drink12 monthsHoney12 monthsPate12 monthsSoftlblue cheese,e.g. BrielGorgonzola12 months

Wholelchopped nutsgyears

T H E BEST FIRST FOODS F O RY O U R BABY 19



C H A P T E R T W O



Asdiscussed in chapterone,thecu rrent UKDepartm ent of H ealth guidelines state th at babiesshould be exclusively breastfed u p t o t h e age of

X"sixmonths. However,most bab iesin th e UKbeginwea ning betwe en four and six months.Every babyis different,and signs tha t you r baby could be ready

to it ar t solids are:r Sheis no longer satisfied by a fu ll milkfeed .z She isdemanding ncreasingly frequent milkfeeds.3 She may star t tow ake n he nigh ttofe ed aftera period of slee pingthrough th e night.4 *is interested in watchingo therseat.5 She isa bl et o support her head and neck well whenin a s itti ng position.

N.B.A baby's diges tive system is not capableof absorbingfoods m ore complex tha n babymilk before th e age of at least 17weeks.

'6

Start by offering herve rysmooth,run ny pur6esofapple, pear,carrot,sweet potato, pota to or bu tte rn ut

squash.You can also mix fruits and vege table s wi thbaby rice.Don't expect your baby t o eat much a t allin he fir st week.Just offer solidsoncea day at firstand choosea tim ew he n you are bot h relaxed andnot i n a hurry.She w ill need to bea little b it hungrybu t n ot ravenously so.You may need to give he ra l i t t le milktot ake thee dge off her hungerfirst .Don't ru sh,try and g o a t your baby's pace.



again.Also bear in mind tha t o ne of th e reasonsforth e six-month recommendation is tha t inunderdeveloped countries breast milk issterile,whereas the introduction of solids early on canlead t o nfection.

First fruit s and vegetablesVery first foods shou ld be easy t o digest an dunlikely to provoke an allergic reaction.

l ind t ha t ro ot vegetables likecarrot,sweetpotato,parsnipand swedetend to bet he mostpopu larwithveryyo ung babiesdue tothe irnaturally sweet flavour and smooth textu reo ncepur&ed.The bes tfirstfru itsfory oun g babies areapple,pear, banana and papaya, bu t it's im po rta nt

tha t you choosefruit tha t is ripeand has a goodflavour,so it's a gOod idea t o aste it yourselfbefore giving it oy ou r baby.

Un til recently,the advice given was t o ntroduc eeach food separately, wait ing for thr ee days beforeintroducing anoth er new food. However,unlessthere is a history of allergy ory ou are concernedabou t your baby's reactions to a certain food,the reisn o reason why new foods should not beintroduce d o n consecutive days, provided youkeepto the l ist in thetable.

Take carewh en introducing solids no t toreduce your baby's rnilkintake,as m ilk iss tillthe most important factor in grow th and

P developmentk;It simp orta nt to we an your baby on as wide

a range off oo ds as possible.Afterfirst tastes areaccepted you can intro duc ea ll ru itan d vegetables

(see page 31). However,take care w it h citrus,pineapple, berry fruits an d kiw i ru it as these mayupset some suscep tible babies.



Best first fru its Best fir st vegetables

Apple CarrotPear PotatoBanana* SwedePapaya' Parsnip

PumpkinBu ttern ut squashSweet po tato

'Eo nan oon dpo poy odo not require cooking providedtheyare ripe.They con bepur6edormorhedon theirown~rtogether~i thoIi t t ie

' breast orformoio milk Baanonar orenotsoitableforfreezing.,

FruitAt fi rst a baby should havecooked purees of fru itslikeapples and pears,or uncooked mashed bananaor papaya.After t he irst few weeks you r baby cangraduate to o ther ra w mashed or pureed fruits likemelon, peach an d pl um -these are delicious aslon g as they are ripe.

Dried fruits can be ntroduced bu t n smallquantities;although they are nu tr~ tio us the xte nd

t o be laxatives. Ify ouare worrted ab out t he bse ofpesticides, organic fru it and vegetables are ivai lab le

VegetablesSome people prefer to st a rt their babies onvegetables ratherthan fr uit in ordertoe stablisha l ikin gf or m ore savoury tastes.

When introd ucinga ba by to solids,it is bestt o sta rt w it h roo t vegetables, particularly carrots,since the y are natu rally sweet. Differe nt vegetablesprovide different v itamins a nd minerals (seechart

on p age n) so a variety is o f value a t later stages.Manyvegetables have quite strong flavours-

broccoli,for exam ple-so whe n solids are fairly w el lestablished,you could m ix in some po tato or babyriceand m ilkt o make it more p alatable.Veryyoungbabies liketh eir food q uite bland.

No teth at all fruit andvegetablescan also becooked in a microwave (see page 17for method ).

RiceAnother good firstfo od is baby rice.Mixed wi thwater or breast orf orm ula miik,it is easily digestedand its milky taste make sfora smooth transitiont o solids.Choose o n et h at s sugar-free and enrichedwit hv ita mi ns and iron. PersonallyI prefertocombine baby rice w it h fr ui t and vegetable purees.

Textures

At thevery beginningofweaning,the riceandfruit orvegetable pureesshould be fairly w et andsoft.This m eans th a t mos t vegetables,for instance,

should becooked un tilvery soft so tha tth ey pureeeasiiy.You wi ll probably need to th in ou t theconsistency of h e purees, since babies are mo reiikelytoaccep tfood in a semi-liquidform.You canuseform ula or breast milk, fruitju iceo r boiled water.

As your baby becomes moreaccustomed to th efeel of'so lidfo od'in her mouth.you can gradually

start t o reducetheam ount o f l iquid tha t you aread ding toth e pures,which will encourage he rtochew a little.Thissho uld bea natural processassheshould wan t toch ew her food asshestarts teething



(usually between six an d twelve months).You couldalsothicken the purees if necessa rywith baby riceor some crumbled ru sk.As the baby becomes olderand solid feeding isestablished (a tth e age of aboutsix months), some fru it can be served ra w andvegetablescan becooked more lightly (retainingmorevi taminC).

Peel,core and deseed fruits as necessary beforecookingand1orpureeing.Vegetables wi th fibresor seeds should besieved or p ut thro ugh a m oulifor a smooth texture.The hu skso f leguminousvegetables cannot be digested at this stage.

QuantitiesAt theve ry beginning,don't expect your baby t o

take more than 1-2 teaspoo nsof her baby riceoraf ru it o rvegetablepuree. Forthis you should needone por tion-in thissection,this means oneortw o cubesfrom an ice-cube tray.

As your baby gets used toea tingso lidsyo u mayneed tode frost th ree or mo refrozen food-cubesfo r hermea1,orstartfreezingfood in argerpots.

DrinksWater is th e best dri nk to offer.But freshly squeezedorangejuice is high invi ta m in C,which helpsyourchild to absorb iron. Ifyo ur baby reactstoorang ejuice you can offer blackcurrant or rosehip instead.Diluteone pa rtjuice to a t least five parts cooledboiled water. Diluted uice tastes weak to us but

babies don't miss th e sweet tas te as they haven'tbeen used to t.Trytoavoid g ivingsweet drinksas

this will givethe m a swee ttooth and result inth em no longer acceptingwater.

Ifyou buycommercialfruitjuices,they shouldbe unsweetened. Bu t even those labelled'unsweetened'or'no added sugar'still containsugars and acids th a t can lead t o oo th decay. It isimp ortan t no tt o et your baby continually sip anyflu id except water.

Ajuicer is a useful mac hine to have in he kitchenwhen there is a baby in he house.Manyfruitsandvegetablescan be turne d in to nutritiousdrinks.

Tips for introd ucing solidsi Ma ke the rice or purCefairly we t and so ft at first,using breast orfor mu la milk,an u nsweeten edjuice

0rcookingwater.A handy t ip is to m ix th e puree inthe plastic removab letopof afeed ing bottle(whic h has been sterilised).2 Hold your baby comfortably on you r lap or sit herin her baby chair.lt w ou ld be bette r if both ofyouwere protected aga inst spills!3 Choosea time wh en your baby is notfr? nticallyhungryand maybegive hersome milkfirst topartially satisfy her-she wi ll then be morereceptive to th e new idea.4 Babies are unable to ickfood o ff a spoon wit htheirtongues,sochoosea smaII,shallow plasticteaspoon off wh ich she can take some food w ithher lips. (Special we an ing spoons can be bought.)5 Start by giv ing jus t onesolid feed duringtheda y,

about 1-2 teaspoons t o begin with.1 p ref ert og ivethisfee d at lunch-time.

FIRST-STAGE WEANING



Fruitand vegetablesFIRST TASTES

AppleMAKES5 PORTIONS

Choose a swee t variety of eat ing apple. Peel, halve,core and chop2 m edium apples.Put i nt oa heavysaucepan w it h 4-5 tablesp oons wa ter. Cover andcookover a low heat un til tender (7-8 minutes).

Or steam fo rth e same lengt h o f ime. Puree. If

steaming, add some o f the boiled water from thebottom of thesteam erto thin ou tth e puree.

Apple and CinnamonSimmer zapples in apple juiceo rwate rwitha cinna mo n stick. Cook as above; remove stick

PearMAKES5 PORTIONS

Peel, halvea nd core2 pears,then cut i nt o smallpieces.Coverwith a little water,cookover a low heatun til soft (about4 minutes). Or steam for th e samelength oftime.Puree.Ifthe pears arevery ripe you

may not need any water,and afte rthe fir st fewweeksof w eaning ,you can safely puree ripe pearswi th ou t cooking.Appleand peartogether makea good combination.



PapayaMAKES4 PORTIONS

Papaya isa n excellent fr u it to giveave tyyoung baby.It has a pleasing sweet taste which is no t too stron gand blends wi thi n seconds t o a perfect texture.

Cut a medium ru it i n half, removeall the black

seeds and scoop ou t th e flesh. Puree,addinga lit tleform ula or breast milk if yo u like.

Cream o f FruitMAKES3 EXTRAPORTIONS

Combiningafruit puree with baby milkand babyriceorcrum bled rusk can ma ke it more palatablefor your baby.in the nex tfe w months,when yourbaby mays tart eatingsome other exotic fruitslike mango and kiwi fruit,this method of'diluting'the fruit purees wi th mi lkw ill also make themless acid ic.

Peel,core,steam or boil and pu re et he fr ui tas described and,foreach 4-portion qu antit y of

prepared fruit,st ir in1 tablespoo n of unflavouredbaby riceor half a low-sugar ruskand 2 tablespoonsof baby milk.

Three-Fruit PurCeMAKES4 PORTIONS

This is a delicious combination of three of th ef irs tfruits tha tyou r baby can eat .

M i x 1dessertspoon each of pear and apple purees(see page2 6) w it h h alf a banana,mashed.You couldalso use ha lf a raw ripe pear,'peeled,cored and cu tintochunks.Pureethisand the half banana in ablender unti l smooth, then mix together w ith t hedessertspoon of cooked apple puree.

Carrot or ParsnipMAKES4 PORTIONS

Peel,trim and slice2 me dium carrotsorparsnips.Place in a saucepan o f igh tly boilingwater,coverand simm er for 25 minutes or untilverytend er.Alternatively,you can steam them . Drain, reservingthecooking l iquidsandpuree to a smoothc~nsis tency~addingasuch o f he reserved iquidas necessary.

The cook ingtim e is longer fo rsm all babies.Onceyour baby can chew,cut th e cooking tim e do wn t opreservev itamin C and keep heveg etables crisper.

l

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28 NEWCOMPLETE BABY & TODDLER M E A L PLANNER



Sweet Potato, Swede or ParsnipMAKES 4 PORTIONS

Usea largeswee t potato,a small sw ed eo rtw oh

large parsnips.Scrub,peel and chop in to sm all cubes.Coverw ith boilingwat eran d simmer,covered,untiltend er (15-20 minutes).Alternatively,steam thevegetables. Drain,reservingthe cooking liquid.Puree in a blender add ingsom e liquid if necessary.

PotatoMAKES 10 PORTIONS

Wash, peel and chop400 gI i4 oz potatoes,justcoverw ith boiling water and cookover a m ediumheat for about i sminutes. Blend w it h some cooking

liquid or baby m ilk to make thedesired consistency.Alternatively, steam the potatoes and blend wi thsome wat erfro m thes team er oryou r baby'susual milk.

Avoid using a food processor t o puree pota to asit breaksd own thesta rch and makes a sticky pulp.Use a mo ul i instead.

You can bake pota too r sweet p otato in th e oven.Pre hea tto 200°C/4000F/Gas 6fori-i'/4 ho urs oruntil soft.Scoop o ut th e insideand m ouli or mashwi th a little baby milkand a knobo f butter.

Cream of CarrotM A K E S 2 PORTIONS

Acreamy puree can be made wit h many differentvegetables by add ing milk and baby rice.Makeapu re ew ith one large carrot (app rox.85 g13 oz).Thisshould ma kea bou tloo mll3%fl ozcarrot puree(see page 28 ). M ix i tablespoon of un flavoured babyrice wit h 2 tablespoons ofy ou r baby's usual milk .Stirth e baby rice mixtu re into thevege table puree.Halfa low-sugar ruskcrushed and mixed wit h milk w illalso make a creamy puree.Allowthe rus kto softenin he baby milk before mi xin git into thevegetablepuree o f your choice.

Butternut SquashMAKES 6 PORTIONS

But ternu t squash has a naturally sweet flavourth at isv ery popular w ith babies.

Peel a bu tt er nu t squash weig hin ga bo ut 350 g112oz.Deseed and cut thef les h into z% cm /i inch cubes.Steam or cover wi th boiling wat er and simm erforabout 15 min utes or until ender.~rd n?ferthe quashto a blender and makea puree with a l i t t le oft hecooking liquid.



Fruit a n d v e g et a bl e sA F T E R F I R S T TA S TE S A C C E P T E D

CourgetteMAKES8 PORTIONS

Wash 2 me diu m courgettes carefully, remove th e'

ends and slice.(Theskin is sof t so doesn't need t obe removed.) Steam un til tender (about i o minutes),then puree in a blender or mash wit h afork.(No needto ad d extra liquid.) Good mixed w it h sweet potato,car rot or baby rice.

Broccoli and Cau liflowerM A K E S4 PORTIONS

Us eio o gI4ozof either.Wash well,cut into smallflorets and add150 m lI 5f l oz boiling water.Simmer,covered, un ti l e nde r (about 10 minutes). Drain,

reservingthe cooking liquid. Puree un til smooth,addinga litt leo fth e liquid,or baby milk,tomak eth e desired consistency.

Alternatively,steam th ef lor et sf or io minutes forbetterflavour and retention o f nutrients.Add waterfromthestea mer,or baby milk,tomake a smoothpuree.Broccoli and cauliflow erare good mixed wi tha cheese sauce or ro ot vegetable puree like carro t

or sweet potato.

Green BeansFrench beansare best since they te nd t o be th e leaststringyvariety; runner beans should be pureed in amouli.Wash t he beans,top and tail,and remove anystringy bits.Steam u nt il ender (about 12 minutes),then blend.Add a little boiled water or baby m ilk tomake a sm ooth puree.Green vegetables like beansare good m ixed wi th roo t vegetables such as sweet

pota to or carrot.

Potato, Courge tte and BroccoliMAK ES4 PORTIONS

Com bining potato w it h green vegetables makesth em more palatable for babies.Peel and chop t w o

me dium potatoes (zoo g17oz). Boil in water belowa steamer for ab out 10 min utes or u nt il soft.Place25 g11 oz broc col iflorets and 50 g12 ozslicedcourgette i n h e steamer basket,cover and cookfo r 5 min ute sor u ntil all thevegetables are tender.Drain the pota toan d puree all thevegetables ina mouli,addingenough baby m ilkto m ak easm ooth consistency.

FIRST-STAGE WEANING 31

~~ ~~



l Broccoli TrioMAKES4 PORTIONS

PeachMAKES4 PORTIONS

Carrot and CauliflowerMAKES4 PORTIONS

MangoMAKES 3 PORTIONS

Cantaloupe Melo nMAKES 6 PORTIONS

@ & & , q p r n @ m ~ ~ @ ~ m k I E

m m & h n w ~ m @ m h m i A dr & ~ @ G @ ~ m m f i % c m ~m&mflm&m&aaam*

PlumMAKES4 PORTIONS



Dried Apricot, Peach or PruneM A K E S4 PORTIONS

Ma ny superrnarketsstocka selection of ready-to-eatdried fruits. D ried apricots are particularly nutritious,being rich in betacarotene and iron.Avoid buyingdried apricots tha t have been treated w ith sulphurdioxideor E z o -t h is preserves their bright orangecolour, b ut thissubstan cecan trigger asthma attacksin susceptible babies.

Co ver ioog /4o zfr uit wit h fresh cold water, bringt o he boil and simmer u ntil soft (about 5 minutes).Drain, remove thest ones and press through a mo ulit o remove the rough skins.Add a little ofthe coo kingliquid to makea smooth puree.

This isgo od combined wit h baby ricean d milk,

banana or ripe pear.

Aprico t an d PearMAKES8 PORTIONS

Roughly chop 50 g120 2 ready-to-eat dried apricotsand pu tth em nto a saucepan wit h 2 ripe Conferencepears (350 g/ i2 02) peeled,cored and cut in to pieces.Cook,covered,overa lo w heat for 3-4 minutes.Pureein a blender,Alternatively,use4fresh,sweet, ripeapricots,peeled,stoned and chopped.

Apple an d Raisin Com poteM A K E S8 PORTIONS

Heat 3 tablespoonsof fresh orange uice i n asaucepan.Add zeatin ga pple s peeled,cored andsliced,and 15 gl% oz of washed raisins.Cook gentlyfor about 5 minutes un til soft,addinga little waterif necessary.

Dried fru it likeapricots or raisins should be p utthrough a moulifory oung babies,toget rid ofth eouter skin which isdifficult t o digest.

PeasMAKES4 PORTIONS

I en d to use frozen peas as the y are ust as

nutritiou s asfresh.Coverloog/4oz peas wi th water,bringt o the boil andsimrner,covered,for4minutesunti ltender.Drain,reservingsome cooking liquid.Puree using a m ou lio r press throu gh a sieveand addsomeof thecooking liquid t o rnakethe desiredconsistency.Good combined w it h potato, sweetpotato, pa rsnipo rcarro t.lf usingfresh peas,cookthemfori2-IT minutes.



Sweet Red Pepper SpinachM A K E S2-3 PORTIONS M A K E S2 PORTIONS

Wash,core and deseed a med ium red pepper. Wash o o g1402 spinach ieavesvery carefully,Cut int o quarters and roast under a preheatedgrili removingthe coarsestalks.Eithersteamthe spinachun til he skin is charred. Place in a plastic bag and or p ut i n a saucepan and sprinkle wi th a little water.ai lo wt o cool.peei offthe blisteredskin and puree. Cook un til th e leaves are wilte d (about 3-4m inutes),

Good w i th cauliflower,sweet pot ato or potato. Gen tly press ou t any excess water.Good com binedw it h potato,sweet pota to or butternu t squash.

Avocado. MAKES 1 PORTION Tomatoes

Cut a well-ripened avocadoin half and scoopout M A K E S2-3 PORTIONSthest~ne.Use l/~-l/zand mash the flesh w it h afork, Plun ger med ium tomatoesin boiling water for

maybe adding a l i tt le mi lk.S e~ eq uic kly to voidit 3oseconds.Transfertocold water,skin,deseedturn ing brown. Good mixed wi th mashed banana. and roughly chop.Melta kno bo f butter in a heavy-

DO n o t reeze avocados. bottomed saucepan and saute the tom ato untilmushy.Pureein a blender.This isgo od combinedw it h potato,caulifloweror courgette.

Corn on th e CobM A K E S2 PORTIONSRemove the ou ter corn husksan d silkfrom tp e cornon the cob and rinse well.Coverwith boilingwater

3and cookovera m edium h ea tfo rlo rninutes.5trainand then remove the kernels o f corn usinga sharpknife. Puree in a mouli.Alternatively,cooksomefrozen corn and the n puree.

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Peach and BananaThis isa delicious p ur ee to make when peaches are in seison.They are agood source ofv ~ ta m in and are easy t o digest. Banana alsocombines wellw it h papaya.

M A K E S 1 PORTION

i ipe peach, skinned an d cut in to piecesi

mof l banana, peeled andsliced%tablespoon p ure apple uicebaby rice (optional)

Put th e peach, banana and apple juice i nt o a small pan, cover an d simmerfor 2-3 minutes.Puree i n a blender.lf it's to o runny,add a lit tl e baby rice.

Three-fruit PureeThis makesa nicec hang efrom plain mashed banana or apple puree.Whenyour baby issix months orolder,you can mak ethis wi th r awg rated appleand mashed banana.

M A K E S 1 PORTION

'/4apple,peeled, cored and choppe d'/4banana,peeled a nd choppedi easpoon orangejuice

Steam the app le unt il ender (about 7minutes),then pureeor mash it

to ge th er wi th t he banana and orangejuice.Serveas soon as possible.




~e ach es,A pples nd Pears *o

Wh en peaches aren't in season you can make this us t u singapp ies and pears.

ift he puree is toot hin,s tir in some baby rice to hicken it.

MAKES 8 PORTIONS

2 eating apples,peeled, c ored andcho ppedi anil lapod2 ablespoons applejuice or water2 ripe peaches, skin ned an d chopped2 ripe pears, peeled, cored an d chopped

Putthechopped apple in a saucepan.Spiitthevaniila pod wit h a sharpknife,scrapetheseeds in to th e pan and add the pod and applejuice orwate r.Simrner,covered,for abou t 5 minutes.Add th e peachesand pears and cookfor 3-4rninutes more.Rernove th e pod and puree.

M ixe d Dried-Fruit Com pote$ o oDriedfruit concentratesthe goodness oftheo riginaifruit.D ried apricotsandprunes are a good s ourc eof iro n and dried apricots are also rich in betacarotene.Their natu ral sweetness makes th em good first foods and I i k e to m i x t h e m w i t hfresh fruit. Prunes are a well-know n laxative, so they aregoo d m ixed wi th appleor pear if our baby is constipated.

MAKES 6 PORTIONS

i50 g/ 2 oz each driedapricots, driedpeaches andprunesI

i ating apple and i ear, peeled, cored an d chopped, o r i pplean d3 resh apricots, skinned, stoned an d chopped

Putthedriedfruit ,appleand pear (or apricot,if using) into a saucepan an dju stcoverw ith boiling water.Simmerfor about8 minutes.Drain th ef ru it and puree,addinga l i t tleoftheco oking l iquidif necessary.

36 NEWCOMPLETE BABY&TODDLER MEAL PLANNER- -.-. ~



Vegetable Stock :I: o o

Vegetable stock for ms the basis of m any vegetable recipes.This should keep

for a we ekin thefridge andit s well worth makingyourown,which will befree fro m additivesand salt.

MAKES ABOUT 900 M L l l l h P IN TS

r large onion, peeled125g/4% oz carrot, peeled7 celery stalk775g/6 oz mixe d root vegetables (sweet potato,

swede, parsnip], peeledv eekzsq/r oz butterr sachet bouquet ga rn iI sprig offresh pars ley and I ay eaf6 black peppercornsg o o ml/r%pints water

Chop ail thevegetables.Meltthe butter i na large saucepan and sa ute the on ionfor 5 minutes. Add the re mainin g ngredients and cover w it h the water. Bring oth e boil and simmer for abou t 1 hour.Strain th e sto ckand squeeze any remainingjuicesfrorn thevege tables throug h a sieve.

Carrot g n d Pea PureeooIBoth carrots a?d peas have a naturally sweet taste th at appeals to babies.

MAKES 2 PORTIONS

2 0 0 g/70 z carrots, peeled and sliced40 911% oz rozen peas

Put thesliced carrotsin a saucepan and cover wi th boilingwater.Cook,covered,

for15 minutes.Add th e peasa nd cookfor a furth er 5 minutes.Pur@ewithsufficient cooking liquid t o make a smooth puree.

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Baby Cereal a n d Vegetables ,S

Sometimesvegetable pureescan bevery wate ry- here I have added baby rice,which makes an excellent thickenin g agent.

MA K ES6 PORTIONS

25g/1 oz onion, peeledand choppedi easpoon olive oi li edium courgette, trimme dand sliced50 g/2 oz broccoli2 me dium carrots, peeled and slicedvegetable stock (optional)

go g/z oz rozen peas3 tablespoons bab y rice

Saute theo nio n in the olive oil for2 minutes,then add all thevegetablesexcept th e frozen peas. Just cover w it h bo iling water or vege table stock.Bring backto th e boil,then simmer for2 0 minutes.Add the frozen peas andcookfor 5 minu tes more. Puree thevegetables,addingas much ofth e coo kingliquid as necessaryto make thede sired consistency,and stir in he baby rice.

Sweet Vegeta b le M ed ley ;:.: o

Rootvegetables ike swede,carrot and parsnip make delicious and nu tritiou spure esforyo ung babies.You could also use bu ttern ut squash and pum pkin.

MAKES5 PORTIONS

lo o g/4 oz carrot, peeled and choppedi o o g b oz swede, peeledandchoppedioo g/4 ozpotato, bu tternut squash orpumpkin,peeledandchopped50 g h oz parsnip, peeled and chopped300 ml/iofloz wa tero rm ilk (can usecow's m ilkin cooking rom sixmonths)

Put thevegetables in a saucepan w ith t he w ater or milk. Bring to th e boil,the n cover and simmer for 25-30 min ute sor u nti l thevegetables are tender.Remove w ith a slotted spoon and pureethevege tables in a blender,togetherwi th as m uc h cooking liquid as necessary o make the desired consistency.




Watercress, P otato andCourge tte Puree % o

M A K E S 6 PORTIONS

Avocado a nd Banana or Papaya o o

iI

M A K E S 1 PORTION

h d *



Butternut Squash and Pear *oo

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Sweet Potato wi th Cinnamon o

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

F I RS T-S TA GE W E A N I N G



Leek, Sweet Potato a n d Pea Puree +E o oSweet potatoes make perfect baby food;they arefu ll of n utrie ntsa nd havea naturally sweet taste and sm ooth texture.Choose th e orange-fleshed varietyas it is rich in betacarotene.lt is fine t o use frozen vegetables i n baby pur6esas they arefrozen wi th in hours of b eing picked and can beju st as nutritio usasfreshvegetables.Oncecooked,frozenvegetables can be refrozen.

MAKES5 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz leek, washed andslice d4 0 0 9/14 oz sweet potato, peeled and chopped300 rnl/rofl o r vegetable stock50 g/2 ozfrozen peas

Pu tth e leek and chopped sweet pot ato in a saucepan,pour overtheveg etablestock and bri ng to th e boil.Cover and simmerfor 15 minutes.Add th e peas an dcontinue to cookfor 5 minutes.Pur6e i n a blender.

1 1---

NE W C O M P L E T E B A B Y & TODDLER M E A L P L A N NE R . .4 2 ~ p - ~ p j



Fi l l



First tastes m ea l plan ne rWe ek1 Early mo rni ng Breakfast Lunch Tea

Days 1-2

Days 3-4

Day 6

Day 7

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott ie

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott ie

Breastlbott ie

Breastlbott le Breastlbott ie. Breastlbott leBaby rice

Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott leRoot Vegetablee.g.carrot orsweet potato

Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott lePea rwi thbaby rice

Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott le

Apple

Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott leVegetab lee g.

but ternutsquashor sweet potato

Bedt ime

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Daysi-2 Breastlbott ie Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott leAp ple or pear Root Vegeta blew it h baby rice e.g.potato,

fparsnip or carrot

Days 3-4 Breastlbott le Breas lbo tt le Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott leBanana or papaya Sweet Vegetable

Medley

Dayss-6 Breastlbott le Breastlbott le ' Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott leApple or pear Sweet potato,

Day 7 Breastlbott le Breastlbott le Breastlbott lePeach and banana Carrot orc arr otor mashed banana

44 NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER



Week 3 Early mo rni ng Breakfast Lunch Tea Bed time

'

Day1 Breastlbottle Breastlbo ttle . Diluted uice Breastlbo ttle BreastlbottleBanana orwater /

Sweet VegetableMedley

Da y 2 Breastlbottle Breastlbo ttie Diluted uice Breastlbo ttle Breastlbo ttleA P P ~ ~ o r w a t e r

Sweetvegetable

MedleyBreastlbottle Breastlbo ttle Dilutedjuice Breastlbo ttie Breastlbo ttle

Peaches,Apples orwaterand Pears BroccollTrio

Breastlbottle Breastlbo ttle Dilutedjuice Breastlbo ttle Breastlbo ttieCream of Fruit orw ate r

Butternu t Squashand Pear

. Breastlbottle Breastlbo ttle Diluted uice Breastlbo ttle Breastlbo ttleCream of Fruit orw ate r

But tern ut Squashand Pear

Breastlbottle Breastlbo ttle Diluted uice Breastlbo ttle Breastlbo ttleBanana or papaya or wa ter

Potatoncourgetteand Broccoli

Breastlbottle Breastlbo ttle Dilutedjuice Breastlbo ttle Breastlbo ttlePear or baby rice or wa ter

Carrot an d PeaPuree

Therechartsare intendedon lyasa guideand will dependon many Fruitjuicerhould bed iluted at ieastthree parts wate rtoon e partfactors inciudingweight.Same babies may only wan t one mlid feed juice.orsubstituted completely with moied boiled water.aday and same may preferto havea second meal atteatime.Bald

type indicates recipesshown int he book.


Afte r f i r s t ta s t e s accep ted m ea l p lanner



Afte r f i r s t ta s t e s accep ted m ea l p lanner.

~

E a k f i e

Day l

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day S

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Day 6 Breastlbott le

Day 7'

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott leThree-Fruit Puree

Breastlbott leThree-Fruit Puree

Breastlbott lePearandbabycereal

Breastlbott leApp leandCinnamon

Breastlbott leMang o and babycereal

Leek, Swee tPota toandPea PureeBreastlbott le

Leek, SweetPota toandPea PureeBreastlbott le

Broccoli TrioBreastlbott le

Baby CerealandvegetablesBreastlbott le

Avocado andBananaBreastlbott le

Carrot andCauliflowerWaterorjulce '

I Sweet VegetableMedleyWate r o r d~ lu t e djuice

,; Sweet potato, Waterorjuice '

[l

Sweet pota toI ; Waterordi lu ted

juice

Carrot andI: Pea Puree: Waterorjuice '

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

Breastlbott le

BraccoliTrio ': Breastlbott lereastlbott le :, Watercress,Banana , Pota toand Waterordi lu ted 4:

I CourgettePur6e juice

/ Breastlbott le ! '

Thesechartrareintended anlyaraguideandwilldependon many 'Fruitjuicerhould bedilutedat iear t threepar t rwater toonefad orr includingweight .Some babies wil l managetoeatsome fruit partjuice,orrubrtituted completely wit h cooled bailedwater.after lunch and tea.

46 NEWCOMPLETE BABY& TO D D L E REA L PLANNER

Breakfast M id-mo rning Lunch Mid-afternoon Tea Bedtime



Day

Da yz

Days

Da y6

Day7

Breakfast M id-mo rning Lunch Mid-afternoon Tea Bedtime

BreastlbottleBaby cereal

Mashed banana

B r e a ~ t l b o t t l eBaby cerealApple andRaisin Com pote

BreastlbattleBaby cereaiMangoandbanana

BreastlbottleBaby cerealFromagefrais

BreastYbottleBaby cerealPeache~Applesand Pearr

BreastlbottleBaby cereaiPeache~Applesand Pears

BreastlbottieBaby cerealApricot andPear

Breas tlbattle Leek,Sweet Breas tlbattiePotato and Pea

PureeWaterorjuice'

Breastlbattle Avocadoand BreastlbottleBananaWaterorjuice'

Breastlbottle Sweet Potato Breastlbottlewi th CinnamonWaterarjuice'

Brea rtlbottle BrocroliTrio BreastlbattleWater orjuice'

Breastlbottle BroccoliTria Brear tlbattleWaterorjuice'

Brea stlbottle Watercress, Bre artlb ottl ePotato andCourgette PureeWaterorjuice'

Breastlbottle Carrotand BreastlbottiePea PureeWater orjuice'

Carrat,Mango Breastlbottleo r Peach, Rusk

Water orjuice'

Carrot and Pea Brea stlbottlePureeCantaloupemelonWaterorjuice'

Potato, BreastlbottieCourgetteand BroccoliYogurtWaterarjuice*

SweetVegetable BreastlbottieMedleyMangoor papayaWaterorjuice'

Sweetvegetable BreastlbottieMedleyFingers oftoas tYoghurtWater orjuice'

Leek, Sweet Br$as tlbottlePota toand PeaPureeBananaWater orjuice'

Watercress, Breastlbottiepo ta toandCourgette PureePeach and

BananaWater orjuice'

FIRST-STAGEWEANING 47



Its besttoo nly putformula, breast milk oraby.Aseven-month- wa ter in to you r baby's bottle.Comfort-suckingon

sweetened drinks is the m ain cause of to ot h decayinyoungchildren,and babiesare morevulnerablet o decay tha n children oradults.You should start

pou t and easy-to-holdbiesof eight handlesonceyour baby is sixmonthsold.Thereare

trainingcupsavailable toguid eyo ur baby fromods like a soft spout t o open d rink ing cup i n easy stages.

Let your baby's appetite determ ine ho w mu chhe eats and never force him t o eat som ething heactu ally dislikes.DonZ offerit or a while, b utreintroduceit afewweeks later.You mayfind tha tsecond ti m e around he loves it.

Remember,atthisage it s normal for ba biestobe quitechubby.As soon as you r baby star tscr awli ngand walking, he w ill osethisexcess weight.

gh a low-fat diet isfineforadults, i t is not



The Foods t o Chooseyour baby can no w eat pro tein foods likeeggs,cheese,pulses,chicken and fish. Lim it somefoodswhich m igh t be indigestible-such as spinach,ientils,cheese, berry or citrus fru it -an d don't w orr yif omefoods,like pulses,peasand raisins,passthrough yourchild undigested:until they areabou ttwoy ears old, babies cannot com pletely digest

husked vegetables and th e skins of fruits. Peeling,mashing and pur eein gfruit and vegetables wi llof course aid digestio n.With foods like bread,flour,pasta and rice,tryto choo se wholegrain,rathe rthan refined,as it s more nutritious.

Onceyour baby has passed th e six-monthstage and is happily eatin g bread and otherfo odscon taining gluten,there is no longer any needto gi ve hi m special baby cereals.You can use adu ltcereals like Ready Brek,instant porr idge andWeetabix,which are just as nutritious and m uchcheaper.Choose a cereal th a t isn't high ly refined andwhich is low n sugar and salt.Many people continuet o usecommercial babyfoods because hey think,du eto the ong l is t of vitaminsand minerals on the

packet, tha t they are more nutritio us. However,babieswh oeat a good balanced diet of fresh foodsget a perfectly adequate qu antity ofvita min s andminerals. Also, baby foods in general are h eavilyprocessed,and the ir finertexture and bland flavourswill hinderthed evelopm ent ofyou r baby'stastes.

Beware,too,of som eo f the rusks you can buywhich aresupposedly the 'ide alfo od for you r baby:Many arefull of sugar(som econtain more sugar

than a doughnut).Give your baby sometoast t ochew on or fo llo wt he simple recipefor rusks in<he nine-to-tweive-mon th fingerfoodsection

(see page 95).Ordinary cow's milkisn'tsuitabieasyourbab y's

main dr inkf0r th ef i r s tyear.a~t doesn't containenough iron or other nutrients for proper growth.However,wholecow's mil kca n be used in cooking

or w it h cereal.

It sve ryd ifficu ltto giv e p ortion sizes as th equa ntities th at babies eat vary enormously.Theamount offo od one baby needsto ea t to maintainthe samegrowth ratecan beverydifferentto hene xt baby,even if hey are the samea ge and weight.They have different metabo lic rates and differentactivity levels and the food t h at the ir p arents makecan vary i n calorie content significantiy.The am oun ta babyeatscanalsovaryfrom weektowee kand thisis perfectly normal. By seven mon ths babiessho uldideally be having thr ee sol id mea lsa day.It'sa goodidea to akeyou rchild t o be weighed regulally byyour hea lth visitor. If she is growingalongon ecentile

lineo n her gro wth chart and not crossing up ordown lines,then she iseating the right am oun t-this is because babies can dro pa cou pleo f linesth engrow a long a lower one, leading to abnormal grow thand failu ret ofu lfil theirgenetic potential.

SECOND-STAGEWEANING 51



Fruit VegetablesYour baby should no w bea ble to e a ta ll fruits, Your baby is no wa ble to e a t all vegetables, bu tand bo th resh and dried fruits make a great snack. if certain flavo urs-li keth at of spinach or broccoli-Differentf ruitscontain di ff ere ntv i tam ins , ~~nclude are toostrong,try mixingth em togethe rwith aas mu chva riety as possible.Driedfruits are also a cheese sauce or w it h roo t vegetables like sweetgood sourceof other nutr ient san d energy.Takecare potato,carrot or potato.Combinations ofvegetablest o remove any stones before givingfruit,and don't and fru it are also go od -try but tern ut squash and

give who legr ape sto you ng babies as they may apple,or spinach and pear.Steamedvegetables,likechoke on them . carrot sticksor small florets o f cauliflower, make

VitaminC boosts iron absorption so it's imp orta nt good fingerfood .to in clud evita min C-rich fruits iikecitrus or berry - --

fruits i nyourchild'sdiet.lt'sgood t o give cereal wi th <~roze nve~ etablesarefrozen with in ho ursofldiluted orangejuice in the morning.Orangejuice [ being picked,thus sealingin all the nutrients,soalsocombines we ll wi th savouryfoods likecarrot. 1 it'sabsolutelyfineto us eth em o make your baby'sfish an d liver.To begin with,give berry and citrus i purees.Whilstyou c an no tth aw and refreezefrozenfruits in small qu antities as the y can be indigestible, / foods,e.g. baby purees.th1sdoes no ta p p ly to frozenand some babies can have an adverse reaction to / vegetables;you can use thes eto make baby pureesthem.Combine th em wit h oth er fruits like apple, \ and th en refreeze them.

\.banana,pear or pe ach .Kiw ifruit can also cause an L _ . . _ -allergic reaction i n some you ng children.This is rare, Eggsbu t do wat ch yo ur baby closely,especiallyif here Eggsare an excellent sourceo f protein and alsois afa mi ly history of allergiesor conditions suc$ contain iron and zinc.They can be givenfrom sixas eczema or asthma. I months, b ut don't serve raw or lig htl y cooked eggs

1



t o babies under one year as there is a risk ofsalmonella.The whit e and yolkshou ld becookedun til solid. Hard-bo iled eggs,omelettes andwell-cooked scrambled eggsa requ ickto coo kand nutritious.

-~

< : . . , .-

Avege tarian die t can be fin e for babies and smallchildren as lo ng as it iscarefully balanced and doesnot contain too muchfibre.Unlikeadults,a bulkyhigh-fibrediet is unsuitab leforchildren asit i s toolow in caloriesand essential fatsand hind ersth eirabsorption of iron.The nutrients th at you wil l needt o pay extra atten tion t o are protein,iron,zincandthe6 vltam ins-th ese are usually provided by meat,Below isa list offoo dsth atyo u should includein

a vegetarian baby's diet:

Dairyproducts,eggs, b eans,lentils,fortifiedbreakfast cereals, beans an d pulses e.g. lentils, soyae.g.tofu,greenvegetables e.g.spinach and broccoli,driedfruit

FishMany children gro wu p dislikingfisha s they findit bland and boring,so! try to mixit w ith strongertastes,like salmon w it h carrots,tomatoa ndgratedCheddar or my tasty combina tion offille tsof codw it h grated cheese,orange juice and crushedcornflakes (believe me, it's yummy). Ifyo ur childgets excited at th e prospect off ish for dinner,then you deserve to be a very proud parent indeed.

Iffis h isovercookedit becomestough andtasteless. It is cooked when it ju st flakes wi th afork bu t is stil l firm. Always checkvery carefullyfor bones before serving.

It 's hard t o indjars of pureecontainingfish;howe ver,oiiyfish like salmon,trou t,fresh tu na

and sardines are particularly importa nt for th edevelop ment o f a baby's brain, nervous systemandvision and ideally should be included in thediet tw icea week.Fats area major componentof th e brain-forthis reason,50 percent of th ecaloriesof breast milkarecom posed of fat.



M e a t Iron s impor tant for yo ur baby's brain development.Chicken isa n deal first m eat.lt blendsw eli w ith especially between six mo nths and tw o years.Theroo t vegetables like carrot and swe et potato, whichgivechicken pureea smoothertexture.Chicken alsoworks well w ith fr uits like applea nd grape.Home- th ef irs t year and a deficiency in iron can have amade chicken stock forms th e basis o f ma ny recipesso I recommend h a t you make large batches.lt w il l

keep n he fridge for 3-4days. However,do no tusefrozen sto ckto make pureesand then refreezeit.You can buy unsalted, ready-m ade stock.

. .~ .. ~ .~ ~

Iso usingthe thigh children.lt'sa good sou rceo f carbohy drateand .me at-th eda rk meat o f chicken containstwice i add ingtin y pastashapes t o purees when your baby

isabou t eight mon ths isa good waytoencouragechewing. M any vegetable purees make good pasta

Iron deficiency anaemia is th e m ost com mon sauces, t o wh ich yo u could adda lit tle grated cheese.nutr itiona l problem d uring early childhood,the Buy tiny pasta shapes like stars or shells (see pagesymptomsof which can be hardtodetecky our zoS).Also trycouscous, which has a soft tex tur ebaby ma yjus t betire d and pale and m ore proneto perfectfor babies.lt i sq uic kto cook and combinesinfection,or his gr ow th and development m ay seem we il w it h diced chicken orvegetables.t o slow dow n. Red meat provides the best source ofiron,particularly liver,which is ideal for b abies$ithas a soft texture and is easy t o digest. Babies 'fte nPreject red meats, n ot because of the tas te bu t the w ho arefed exclusively on ars often have a reallychew ytexture. It's a good idea t o combineit w i t hrootvegetabies or pasta,as the y h ei pt o produceatexture th at is muc h smoother and easie rto swallow.

NEW C O M P L ET E B A B Y & TO D D L E RMEALPLANNER



Fruit G oing Bananas o o



gBabies love bananasand this recipe makesthem tas tet rul y scrumptious.It s delicious with van illa icecream.Try t o use bananas w it h brow n spotson theskin,asthisshow sthey are ripe.

M A K E S 1 PORTION

a knob of bu tte rI ma ll banana, peeled andslicedapinch of ground cinnamon2 tablespoonsfreshlysqueezedorangejuice

M el tt he butter In a sma llfryln g pan,stir i n he sliced banana,sprinkle w it ha llttlecinn am on and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in heorange juiceand continuet o cookfor anothe r2 minutes.Mash wi th a fork.

Banana and Blueberry o o

Bananas combine we ll w it h lots o f different fruits.Try also peach,mango,dried apricot or prune.You can also mix banana and fru it combinationsw it h somefull-fat natural yoghurt.Serve straigh t away, before th e bananaturns brown.

M A K E S 1 PORTION

q g / i oz blueberriesI ablespoon water

lI ma ll ripe banana,peeledand sliced1

11. .Put the blueberries Into a saucepan w it h the water and cookfor about 2 minutesor unti l he fru it ju st starts to burst open.Whiz wi th a hand blendectogetherw it h th e sliced banana, unt il smooth.



Peach, Ap ple and



Stra wb erry Puree C.: G;) ii,

You could also makeA pple,Straw berryand Blueberry Puree using25 g11 ozblueberries instead o f peach.

MAKES2 PORTIONS

7 large apple, peeled, cored an d choppedr.

I arge rip e peach, peeled, stone d an d chopped759/3 ozstrawberries, halve di tablespoon baby rice

Steam theapple forabout4 minute s.Add the peach and strawberries to hesteamer and continue tocook fora bou t 3 minutes. Blend th efr ui tst oa smooth

A puree and stir in he baby rice.

Y--" r/ Apple,Apricot an d TofuQ o

Tofu is soya bean curd ma defro m soya milk.It'sa really good source o f prote inify ou w ant t o b ring you r child up on avegetarian diet. It's alsoan excellentsource of calcium,so ad ding tofu t o ru it orvege table purees is a good wayt o boostthecalcium intakeof babies whoa re ai lergictocow's milk.

M A K E S2 PORTIONS

2 ea ting apples! peeled, cored an d chopped6

dr ied apricots, chopped75 94 ozsof t tofu1

Place the apples and apricots in a pan and cover with wa ter.B ring tothe boil,reduce the heat,coverand sim me rfora bou t 5 minutes.Puree thefr uit in a handbiender,togetherwith the tofu.

Apricot,App le a nd Peach PureeDried apricots are a concentrated sou rceof nutrients they are rich in ron



Dried apricots are a concentrated sou rceof nutrients,they are rich in ron,potassium and betacarotene, and babies tend to like the ir sweet flavour.


759/3 oz ready-to-eat d ried apricotsz apples, peeled, cored and chopped1 large ripe peach, skinned, stoned a nd chopped,

or i ipe pear, peeled, cored an d chopped

put theapricots in to a sma ll saucepan and cover wit h water. Cook over a lo wheat for 5 minutes.Add thechopped apples and con tinue toco okfo r 5 minutes.

Pureetoge therwith th e peach or pear.

Yoghurt and FruitIt's im po rta nt to ma kesu retha t as well as frui t and vegetables,your babygets eno ug hfa t i n hisd iet. Recipes likevegetables in cheese sauceand fru itmixes w it h yoghurt arevery good for babies.

MAKES 1 PORTION - - -

fresh fruit, e.g. i fp epeach, small mango a r a combination V

like m ang oan d banana c2 tablespoons ull-fat na tur aly og hu rta lit tle ma plesy rup (optional)

\1

Peel thefruit,removeany stones,mash thefle sh and m ix w it h he yoghurt.

Stir in a little m aple syruptosweeten if necessary.

Vegetables Lovely Lentils :I+ o

Lentils are a good cheap sou rceo f protein The y vide iron whic h isvery



Lentils are a good cheap sou rceo f protein.The y vide iron, whic h is veryim po rta nt for brain development particularly b th e ages of six mon ths

and twoyea rs. Lentiiscan be difficu lt for yo un g babiestodige st and shouldbe combined wi th plenty offr es h vegetables as in his recipe.Thistasty puree

p alsomak esadelicioussoupforthe family by simplyaddingmorestockandsome seasoning.

MAKES8 PORTIONS

% sm al l onlon,finely choppedioog/4 oz carrot, chopped15g/% az celery, choppedi ablespoon vegetable oi l50 g/2 o zsp lit red entils2 00 g/7 oz sweet potato, peeled an d chopped400 m l/ iq p o r vegetable or chicken stock (seepage38 or 76) or water

Sautetheonion,carrot and celery in heveg etable oil for about 5 minutes orun til softened.Add th e lentils and sweet pota toan d pouro verthes tockorw ater. i

Br ing tot he bo il,turn down th e heat and simmer covered for2 0 minutes . Pureein a blender. f



Tomatoes an d Carrots w i t h Basil *o o

Ifyo u ntroduceyour ba byt o new flavours at an early age, he wi ll end to gr ow



Ifyo u ntroduceyour ba byt o new flavours at an early age, he wi ll end to gr owup a less fussy eater.

MAKES4 PORTIONS

125g/4% oz carrots, peeled andsliced~ o o g / ! z cauliflower, cut ntoflorets25g/1 oz bu tte r200 9/70 z ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseeded an d roughl y chopped2-3 resh basil eaves50 g/2 oz Cheddar cheese,grated

Putthe carrots i n a small saucepan,coverwith boi ling wa tera nd simmer,covere d,forio minutes.Add thec aul iflow era nd cook,covered,for7-8 minutes,adding extra wate r if necessary.Meanwhile, m el t he butter,add th e toma toesand saute un ti i mushy.Stir i n he basil and cheese un tii meited.Pureethecarrots and cau liflow erw ith abou t3 tablesp oons ofthe cooking liquid andthe tom ato sauce.

Baked Sweet Potato w i t h Orange +%::o o

Sweet potatoes are delicious baked like acket potatoes either i n he ovenor microwaveand then combined wit h fru it likeapp leor peach pur&e.Theyare a good source o f carbohydrate,vitaminsand minerals.

MAKES8 PORTIONSl

7 mediumsweet potato, scrubbed2 table~poon~fre~hly~queezedorangejuice2 tablespoons m ilk

1

Cookthesweet potato on a bakingsheet in an oven preheated o2 00°CI4o0°F/Gas 6 fo r about 1 ho ur or un ti l ender.Cool a little,then scoop ou ttheflesh. PurGeor mash wi th th e orangejuiceand milk un til smooth.



Sweet Potato w i t h Spinachand Peas : o o



This puree makesa tasty intro duc tion o spinach for yo ur baby.

MAKES5 PORTIONS2 0 9/3/4 02 buffer50 9/2 02 leek,finely slicedi swee t po ta to (about 375 9/13 OZ), peeled an d chopped2 0 0 ml/7floz water5o g/ z oz rozen peas75g/3 ozfresh baby spinach, wash eda nda ny to ug h stalks removed

M el tt h e butter in a saucepan and saute the leekfor 2-3 minutesor unt i lsoftened.Add thesw eet potato. Pour ove rthe water, b rin gto t he boil,thencover and sim me rfor7 -8 minutes.Add th e peasand spinach and cookfor3 minutes.Pureethevegetables in a baby food grinder or blend erto m akea sm ooth consistency.



ca ulif lo w er Cheese % ::a

his is a g reatfa vourite w it h babies.Try using different cheeses or combinationsof cheese un til you fin d yo ur baby's preferred taste Thecheese sauce can be



of cheese un til you fin d yo ur baby's preferred taste.Thecheese sauce can beused overa mixture o fvegetables as well.


~75g/60zcauliflower

CHEESE SAUC E

15gP/2 oz butter7 tablespoon pla in lour150 rnl/5J oz m il k

p g / . oz Cheddar, Edam or Gruyere cheese,gratedWash th e cauliflowe r carefully,divide it into small florets and steam un til ender(about 10 minutes). Meanwhile,forthe sauce, me lt the bu tterov era low heat ina heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the flo ur to make a smooth paste.Whiskin he m iikand st irun til thickened.Take thesaucepan of ft he he atand stir i nth e grated cheese.Keepstirring un til all the cheese has me lted and th e sauceis smooth.

Add thec aul iflow ert oth e sauceand pur6e in a blend erforyounger babies.For older babies, mash wi th a fork or chop in to it tl e pieces.

- . - SECOND-STAGEWEANING7

Courge t t e Gra t i nThiscreamy puree is alsog ood using broccoli.



MAKES6 PORTIONS

i edium potat o [about io og /4 oz),peeledond choppedi75g/6 m courgettes, sliceda knob of but ter4 0 917% oz Cheddar or Gruyere cheese4 tablespoons m ilk

Boil the potato un til soft.Steam thecou rgettesfo r 6-7 minutes. Drain th e

potatoes,add t he b utte r and cheese and stir un ti l melted. pureethe po tatomixture,courgettesand mi lk w it h an electric hand blenderor m ash forolder babies.

Leek a n d Pota to Puree -.::,. : ::;

This was Lara's favo ur ite vegetable puree. It also makes a delicious soupfor adults if y o u add seasoning.

MAKES4 PORTIONS

25g/i m butter125g/4% oz leeks,fine!vslicedz5og/g ozpotatoes, peeled an d chopped30 0 m l/io fl oz chicken or vegetable stock (see page 76 or38)2

tablespoons ~ j e e k ~ o g h u r tHe atth e bu tt el in a saucepan.Add th e leeksand cookovera l ow heat fo r5minutes,stirringoccasionally.Add th e pota toesan d pour overth e stock.Coverand cookforabout 12 minu tesor un til ender.Strain thevegetablesand pureein a mo uli or blender,addingas m uch ofthecooking l iquid a necessarytomakea sm ooth consistency.Stir in heyog hurt.



Mines t roneThevegetables in minestronesoup add texture bu t are niceand soft for

b b h H f b bi ld bl d hi



your baby to chew. However,foryounger babiesyou could blend this soup

t o hedesired texture.Add a little seasoning and someextra stocktomake this in to a delicious so up fo rth e rest ofthefamily.

MAKES4 ADULT PORTIONS OR12 BABY PORTIONS

I ablespoon vegetable o il% sm al l onion,finely chopped%leek, wh ite pa rt only, washed andfinely choppedr medi um carrot,peeled an d diced%cele ry stalk, dicedl o og/4 oz French beans, cu tin to I m/% inch lengths1 potato, peeled an d dicedI ablespoon resh p arsl ejfin ely chopped2 teaspoons to m ato pu rie1.2 litres/z pin ts chicken o r vegetable stock (seepages 76 and38)

3 tablespoons rozen peas50 g/2 oz ver ysm allp asta shapes (see m y own range of pas ta

shells, pagezo8)

Heat the oil i n a saucepan and fry th eon ion and leekfo r 2 minutes,thenadd thecarrot,ceiery,French beans, pota to and parsley and saute for4 minutes.Stir i n he toma to puree and coo kfo ri minute. Pour overthechicken orvegeta blestock and simmer,coverid,for 2 0 minutes.Add thefrozen peasand pasta and cook for 5 minutesj(checkthe packetinstructions fo rt he cooking time o f pasta). ,

70 NEW COMPLETE BAB Y &TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R



Salmon w i th Carrots and TomatoThis make sa good,creamy-texturedfish puree



MAKES4 PORTIONS

225 g/8 oz carrots, peeled and sliced750 g/5 oz salmonfillet%tablespoon milk(ore nough to cover thesolmon,see me tho d below)3og/7 02 buffer2 rip e tomatoes, skinned, deseededond chopped4og/1% oz Cheddar cheese,groted

Pu tthe car rots i n a steamer set over a pan of bo iling wa ter and cookfor 15-20mi nut eso r unti l tender.Meanwhiie,place th e fish in a microwavedish,add th emilk,dot w it h h alf th e but tera nd cover,leaving an airvent.Microwaveon Highfor 1 5 2 minutes.Alternatively,put the salmon in a pan,pour over enough milkto jus t cover,and simm erforab out4m inutes or unti l cooked.

M el t the remaining butter i n a saucepan,add the tom atoes and saute u ntilsoftened and slightly mushy.Removefrom th e heat and stir in thecheese un tilmelted. Blend thecooked carrots with the to m ato mixture. Drain thecoo kingliq uo rfr om thefish,rem ovethe skin and check there are no bones. Flakethe fishand mix it w it h thecarrots and tomatoes. Foryounger babiesyou can blend th efish togetherw ith the carrotsand tom ato for a smoothertexture.

source of essential fat ty acids,which a reve ry impo rta nt

for brain develo pm ent- a baby's brain triples in size in he f i r s t

year.Adiet rich in EFArra n helpchildre n wh o havedyslexia,ADHD

and dy5praxia.A lot of foodsare no w enriched wit h amega-3; however,

mostof thereareplant-der ived ra ther th an f i sh o i i -der ivedand are

in quanti t ies tha t provide l i t t le benefi t .It s much be t te r to

concentra tean natural sources.

.

72 NEW C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER



Plaice w i t h S p i n ac h a n d Cheese4

Frozenvegetables are a good alterna tivet ofres h,an d can ofte n be morenu trit iou sth an vegetables th at have been in he kitchen for several daysIt also rneansyou can m ake this wh en fresh spinach is n ot available.

MAKES 8 PORTIONS

225 g/8 ozplaicefillets, skinnedi ablespoon mi lki ay eafa ewpeppercornsa knob of butter1759/6 oz resh or 75 g/3 oz rozen spinach

CHEESE SAUCE

25 gR oz butte r2 ab le~poan~pla in f lour

175 m1/6fl

z milki

50g/2 oz Gruyere cheese

Put the plaice in a suitable dish wi th t he milk, b i y eaf,peppercorns a&butter and rnicrowaveforabout 3 rnin utes on High.Or,poach in a saucebanfor 5 rninutes.Meanwhile,cookthe spinach in a saucepan wit hj us t a l ittle waterclinging t ot he leavesforabout 3 minutesorcookfrozen spinachfollowingthe packet instructions.Squeezeoutthe excess water.Make thechees e sauce

(see page 67). Discard the bay leaf and peppercorns, flake t he fish carefu llyand puree wi th thesp inach and cheesesauce tothedesired consistency.

74 NEW C O M P L E T E BABY&TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

Fille t o f Cod w i t h Sweet Pota toTheorange-fleshed sweet p otato is an excellent source of betacarotene,whichmay help t o prevent certain types o f cancer.



MAKES8 PORTIONS2259/8 oz sweet potato, peeled75 g/3 oz cod, skin nedandfille ted2 tablespoons mil ka knob of bu ffe rjuice o 7 orange (about 720 ml/qfl oz)

Putt hes we et pota toi nto a saucepan,just coverwith water, br ing to the boil,then cover and simm erfor 20 minuteso r un til soft.Putthefish in a suitabledish,add th e milk,d otw ith butter,cover and microwaveo n High for2 minutesor unt i lthef i sh iscooked.Alternatively,poach the f ish in a saucepan with the milk andbutte r for 6-7 min utes or unt il us t cooked through.Put the cooked sweet potato,drainedfish and orangejuice into a blender and puree un til smooth.

Fillet o f Fish i n a n Oran ge SauceOve rthe lastig yea rsthis has been averypopular recipe-it hasa lovely rich taste. IMAKES5 PORTIONS

225g/8 ozfille t offih,skinned, e.g. cod, haddock orhakejuice of 7 orange (about 720 ml/4fl z)4og/7% oz Cheddarcheese, gra tedr dessertspoon resh parsle%finely chopped25 917 oz crushedcornflakes79/54 oz margarine

Pu tth e had dockin a greased dish,coverwith theorangejuice,cheese,parsleyand cornflakes and dot w it h the m argarine.Coverwith foil and bake in a n ovenpreheated t o 80°C13500FIGasqfo r about 2 0 minutes. Alternatively,cover w it ha lid and cookin a microwaveon High for4minutes.

Flak ethe fish carefully,removingany bones,and mash eve rythin gtoge therw ith th e liquid in which the fish was cooked.

S E C O N D - S TA G E W E A N I N G 75 I



C hi ck en w i t h C o t t a g e C hee seBabies of th is age area little too y ou ng to eat piece sof chicken asfingerfoodThisand thefollow ing three recipesshowyou simple ways of transformingcold chicken int ota sty foodfor yo ur baby.



cold chicken int ota sty foodfor yo ur baby.

MAKES 2 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz cooked boneless chicken, choppedi abiespoon natu ralyo ghu rt1% tab lespoons cottage cheese w ith pinea pple

Mixto gethe rthech icken,y oghu rt and cottage cheese. Blend t o hedesired consistency.

Chic ken Salad PureeWh at could be simpler? Fortoddlers,sim ply chop th e ingredients,leave o utthe yog hurt and m ix wi th mayonnaise or salad cream.

MAKES 1 PORTION

q g / i ozcooked boneless chickeni lice cucumber, peeled an d choppedi mall tomato, skinned, deseeded an d chopped50 g/2 oz avocado, peeled an d choppedi abiespoon mild natu ralyo ghu rt

Put all th e ingred ients in to a blend eran d puree un til th e desired con!istency.Serve immediately.

SECOND-STAGEWEANING

Chicken w i t h S weet Pota toa nd AppleThis combination gives a smooth texture and sweet taste th at babies like.



g

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

i5g/% oz butter40 g/i% oz onion, choppedio og /4 oz chicken breast, chopped% ea tin g apple, peeled and choppediswe etp otat o (about3oo g/li oz),peeledandchopped2 0 0 ml/7flozch icken stock (seepage 76)

M el t th e butt er in a saucepan,add the on ion and sautef or 2-3 minutes.Add thechicken and saute un til it urns opaque.Add theapple,sweet potatoand stock. Bring to th e boi1,coverand simmerfor15 minutes. Pu rie o hedesired consistency.

Easy One-P ot Chicken 7 , .This isan ideal puree for intro duc ingy oun g babies tochicken.

MAKES 12 PORTIONS

% sm all onion, peeled and chopped15g/% oz butt erioo g/4 oz chicken breast, cut i nt o chunks

i edium carrot, peeled an d sliced

1

j o o m l /iofl z chicken stock (seepage 76)275g/io m weet potato, peeled an d chopped

Saute the on ion in he butt er unt il softened.Add the chicken breast and sautefor 3-4minutes.Add thevegetables, pour ove rthe stock, brin g to th e boil andsimmer,covered,forabout 30 minutes or un til hec hicke n is cooked thr ou ghand theve geta bles are tender. Purge in a ble nd ert o the desired consistency.



Chicken in Tomato S a u c e 'X o o

MAKES12 PORTIONS

z5g/1 oz chopped onion



ioog /4 ozcarrot, thinlysliced1% tablespoons vegetable oi l~sm ailch icke n reast, cu t nt o chunksio o g /' ozpotato, peeled and choppedzoo g/7 oz canned chopped omatoes150 ml/s j? oz chicken stock (seepage 76)

Saute th e onion and carrot in heveg etable o il unt il softened,then add th echicken and po tatoand continue toc oo kfo r3 m inutes. Pouroverthechoppedtom ato est oge the rwit h hechicken stock. Brin gto he boil and cookover alow heat for about 30 minutes or until he p otato isquite soft . Put the m ixturethro ugh a mo uli or,for babies of nine mo nths and older,chop i n a blender.You could also add a litt le m il k to make a smoother texture f you wish.



Fruity Chicken w i t h Apricots: o o

Babies ikethecombination ofchicken andfruit.Dried apricotsareoneofnature's great he alth foods.They are a good source of betacarotene, iron and

potassium and th e dr ying process increases the ir concentration.They also makegreatfingerfood.This isgood by itself or you can mixit with4tablespoons ofcooked rice or pasta.


2 teaspoons ligh t olive oil% smailonion, chopped (approx. 5og/z oz]i mailgarlicciove, crushed75g/3 ozchicken breast, cut in to pieces3 dr ied apricots, chopped750 m1/5flozpassata (sieved tom atoes)150 ml/s fl z chicken stock (seepage 76) or water

He att he oil n a pan and saute theo nion for about 5 minu tesor unt il softened.Add thega riicand co okfor i minute.Add thechicken and sautefor273 minutesun til sealed. Add the apricots, passata and stock or water. Bring o he.boil thencover and sim me rfor about 5 minutes.

~~ ~ ~- ~-l SECOND-STAGEWEANING 81'

Red meats Braised Beef w i t h Sweet PotatoBoth this and the recipe below mak egood introductions t o red meat.

MAKES6 PORTIONS



20g/3/4 oz butterormargariner leek, washed ondsliced (approx. 150 g/5 oz)i25g/4% oz braising steak, c ut in to cubesi ablespoon lourl o og/4 oz bu tt on mushrooms, sliced275g/ro ozsweetpotato, peeledandchopped250 m1/8fi oz chicken stock (seepage 76)

juiceof i range (about 120 ml/4 floz)M el tt h e butte r or margarine in a flamepro of casserole and saute the leekforabout 4 minutes un til softened. Roll th e meat i n heflour,add to th e leekandsaute u nti l browned.Add th e mushrooms and and saute for1 m inute.Add th esweet potato,stockand orangejuice.Bring to th e boil and tra ns fer toa n ovenpreheated toi80°C13500WGasqfor~' /4 ours or u nti l he meat is tender. Blendtot he de sir ed consistency usingas m uch o f th e cooking liquid as necessary.

Liver Special +$+ ::,:. :

MAKES6 PORTIONS

75g/3 oz calf's liver, or2 chicken livers120 ml/4fi oz chicben stock (see page 76)

25g/r oz leek, wh' te par t only, choppedh25g/r m mushrooms, chopped..

50g/2 oz carrot, P eeledand choppedr potato, peeled and choppeda knob of butter%tablespoon milk

Trim and cho pthe liver and cook in the stock w it h the leek,mushrooms and

carrot fora bou t 8 minutes over a low heat.Boil the potato un til ender and mashwi th th e bu tter and milk.Puree the liver andvegetablesand mix w ith the potato.



Pasta Tomato and C ourge t tePasta Stars % o o

This tasty pasta sauce takes only abo ut 10 minutes t o prepare



MAKES 3PORTIONS

25 g/i ozpa sta stars, uncooked75 913 oz courgette, trim me d and dicedz5g/' oz butter3 me diu m tomatoes (about 2oog/7oz), skinned, deseededand chopped25 g/ l oz Cheddar cheese,grated

Cook th e pasta according t o he packet instructions, or longer for you ng babies.Sautethecourgettein the butterfor about 5 minutes.Add the tomatoesandcookover a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir i n he cheeseun til melted.Pur6e in a blender and stir in the pasta.

Vegetable and CheesePasta Sauce % 3:MAKES3 PORTIONS OF SAUCE

659/2% oz carrot, peeled andslice d40 g/'% oz broccoliflorets25g/i oz butt er2 tablespoonsplain flour175 ml/6fl oz m il d

l40 g/'% ozgra teq Cheddar cheese

Steam th e c arrot'forio minutes,then add the broccolifioretsand cookfor7 minutes more.Meanwhile,melt the butte r in a small saucepan and stir inthe flo urt o makea thick paste.Gradualiy add the m ilk, bri ng to th e boil andstir continuously until hesaucethickens.5immerfori minute.Removefromthe heat and stir in he grated cheese.Add the cooked veg etab lesto the

cheese sauce and blend t o a [email protected] it h ti ny cooked pasta shapes.



My First Bolognese Sauce ': l .,

M A K E S 3 P O RT I O N S



To m ato a nd Basil Pasta Sauce

M A K E S 2 PORTIONS OF S A U C E

N E W C O MP L ET E B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R



Breakfast Mid-morning Lunch Mid-af ternoon Tea Bedtime

Day S Weeta bix Milk Pasta wi th Milk My First Milk



ywith milk

Peach,Appleand Strawberry

PurCeMilk

Day 6 Babycereal Milk

with milk

Peach,Appleand Strawberry

PureeMilk

Day 7 Ready Brek Milkwith milk

Yoghurtand Fruit

Milk

vege<able and

Cheese Pasta

SauceGoing Bananas

Juice

Tomatoes and Milk

Carrots wi th

BasilFruitJuice

Sweet Potato Milk

wi th Spinachand Peas

Apricot,Appleand Peach

PurCe

Juice

yBolognese

SaucePear puree

Water orjuice

Fillet of Fish in Milkan Orange

SauceFruit

Water

Easy One-Pot MilkChicken

Apricot.Apple

and PeachPurCe

Waterorjuice

C H A P T E R F O U R



C H A P T E R F O U R

Nine t o tw e lve months



becauseshewants more milk, but often babies ofthisagearegiven too much m ilka nd not enough solidfood.ifyoufill your baby's stomach w it h m ilk wh en she reallywants'



fill your babys stomach w it h m ilk wh en she really wantssome solidfood,you wi ll n ot ge t avery satisfied baby.

Whilst it sa good idea to switch offtheT Vand t ry toprovide a calm atmosphere-there s no doubt th att he reare some babies wh o will eat much be tter with he

ntle distraction o f a simple (washable) toy a tt he high-

air.Some babies are much ea sier tofe ed if heir handsyour baby a spo onlo hold is also

Ifyo u havea uice extractor,you can ma kea ll sortsof wonderful frui t andvegetable drinks foryou r baby-

tr y combinations like apple,strawberryand banana.

Your baby should now b edr inki ng hap pily from a cup,the bottle keptfor her bedtime drink ofw arm milk.Your baby wi ll be tee th ing at thi s age and very often soregums can put he ro ffe ati ng fo ra while.Don't worry,asshe will make up forthis latertha t day ort he n ext day.(Rubbinga teethi ng gel on your baby's gums,org ivingher som ethingv erycold t o chew,can help relievesoreness and res toreappetite.)

it is a good idea toe at s om eth ingw ith your babyat mealtimes.Therearesome mothers who sit oppositetheir babies and tr yt o spoon food in toth eir mouthswh ilst eating no thingthem selves. Babies are greatmimics and w il l be much more likely toenjo y eatingif they see you tuc kin gin as well.

When iear nin gto fee d hemselves, babies should

be allowed tosm ea rfo od and generally make a mess.- NINE TOTWELVE M O N T H S 93



ake mealtimesa positive experience.Many babie Oily fish like salmon,sardinesandfresh tu na shouldbe included i nyou r baby's diet as'they containessential fatty acids and iron th at are im por tan t for

th e brain andvisua l development. Fish isq uit e simpletoc ook an d if yo u use m y recipes it is easyto makeit app ealin gtoy our baby.All fish mu st obviouslybe veryfresh .

When po ssible,tryto make your baby'sfoodTh e Foods t o Choose lookattra ctiveon th e plate.Choose colourful fru itNow you can bea l i t t le moreadventurous wi th the and veg etab lesa nd make shapes like littlefaces.

food th at you m akeforyour baby.lt isa good idea t o Don't piletoo much food onto the plateand usedevelop hertas tes forg arlic and herbs, bot h of which mini-ramekin dishesto make individual portions o farevery healthy.Children ten d t o be less fussy eaters shepherd's pie or fi sh pie (you can alsofreeze them).if they are Introduced to a wide rangeoffoodsearly.Again,ifyour baby dislikes certainfoods,neverforce Me athertoe atthem ;just leaveout thosefoods and Red meat is good fo ryo un g children as it provides th eperhaps reintroducethem in a couple of days'tjme. best source o f ron.lf usingfres h mince choosegood-Try also tov ar y thefo ods as mu ch as possible,asthis quality m eat and ask your b utcherto mince it foryou

1wi ll lead t o a m ore balanced diet.lfyou giveyo vrchild ratherth an bu yin git ready prepared.Aftercookinga favouritefood to o of te ni t is possibleshe will go off mincefor-young babies,Ifind tha tif I chop it in afoodit altogether. process orfo r 30 seconds, it becomes softer and easier

Your baby can no w eat be rry fru its (these can be t o chew.At th is age it i sgood t o m ix mea t wi th t inysieved to g e t ri d of t he indigestible seeds). Fruitjellies pasta shapes or rice.lt is best no t t o give sausages orwi ll be interestin gforyou r bab yto lookat,feel and other processed meats t o children, like p it e o r meateat.Your baby should also like fr ui t andve getables pies.The cocktail mea tbal lson page180 wou ld maketh a t have been grated. excellen tfingerfood .

94 NEW COMPLETE BABV&TODDLER MEAL PLANNER- ~ ~ ----



Textures and quantitiesIt iseasy to ge t into th e hab it of only giving yourbaby soft foods, bu t you should t ry to varytheconsistency ofth ef oo d y ou offer.There is no need

t o puree all foods. Babies do not need teeth t o beab1etochew;gums do a gre atjo bo n foods th at areno t too hard.Give somefoo d mashed (fish),somegrated (cheese),some diced (carrots) and somewho le (pieces of chicken,slices of to as t and pieceso f rawfru it ) .

As far a squa ntities are concerned,you m ust letyour baby'sappe tiie beyourguide.Yo u can start

tofree zefo od in arger plasticcontainers and freezeindividu al portions like m ini shepherd's pies in sma llramekin dishes.Many meals in hischapter can beenjoyed by the wholefamily,in which casead ult-sized po rtions are given.

Finger foodsBy the ag eo f nine months,your ba byw ill probablywant t o s tar t feeding herself It s a good idea,therefore,to start giving her some foods th at areeasy to ea t wi th herfingers. Fingerfoods aregreatforoc cup yingy ourc hild while you prepare her meal-or you could make a whole meal o f ingerfoods.

Never leave you r child unatte nde d whils t eating.

It isvery easy for a baby to choke on even very sma llpiecesof food.Avoid giving you r baby whole nuts,fruits th a t contain stones, whoiegrapes, ice cubes,oiivesor any other foods th at mig ht get stuc kin

herthroat .

Wh atT o D o If Your Baby ChokesIfyou r baby chokes,lay her fac ed ow n on yourforearm or lap with her head lowe rthan herchestSupport h er head and give her five lig ht slapsbetween her shoulders w it h yourfree hand.

Fruit and Ice LolliesWhen givingy our b abyf ruit, make sureany pipsor stones have been removed.lf she finds it difficultto chew,givesof+fruits tha t m elt in he m outh suchas bananas,peaches or gratedfruits .Berry and citrusfruitss hou id only be given in small qu an titie stost ar tw it h. Remove as m uch p ith as possible.

Many babies who are teething really enjoy bitinginto som ething cold asthissoothes soregums.Try ma kin gfr es h fru it ice lol1ies:fili lolly mouldsw it h tasty combinations of pureedfruit,fruitjuices,smoothies and yog hurt (see page 208 for my ow nrange of lolly moulds).

NINETOTWELVE MONTHS 95

Dried Fruits

These are a good so urce offib re,iro n and energy.Choose rea dy-t o-e atfru itsth at are soft Some dried

thesesticks,she wi ll enjoy chew ingon th em a san

aid totee thing.In fact,st ickso f rawvegetables suchascarrots and cucumber arevery soot hing for sore



Choose rea dy t o e atfru itsth at are soft.Some driedapricots are treated wi th s ulphurd ioxide t o preservethe ir brig ht orangecolour;theseshould be avoidedasthey can trigger an asthma attack i n susceptiblebabies.Don't give your baby lots o f dried fru it asit can be difficult to dig es t-a nd laxative.

Fruity ideasApple,apricot,avocado, banana, blueberries,cherries,clementine,grapes, kiwifruit,mango,melon, nectarine,orange,papaya, peach,pear,plum,raspberries,strawberries,tomato

Mo refrui ty deasApple rings,dried apricots, banana chips,dates,dried pears, prunes, raisins,suitanas

VegetablesTo begin with,give your baby softcookedvegetablescut into p iecesth atareea syfor h er to hold,a(nd

Iencourage he rt o bi teo ff lit tle pieces.(lt is be stt osteam vegetablesasthiswill he lpt o preservevitaminC.) Graduallycookthevegetablesforless t imesotha t your baby gets used to hav ing to chew harder.Once your baby has good coordination,she wi ll enjoypicking u p li ttl e vegetables like peas and sweetcorn.

When your baby has mastered the art offe edingherself cooked vegetables,you can int rodu ce rawvegetables. Even if yo ur baby is una ble to bit e int o

ascarrots and cucumber arevery soot hing for soregums if hey are chilled in th e freezer or i n iced waterfor a few minute s. Large pieces o f raw vegetables aresaferthan small pieces asa ba bywill ni bbl eof fwh atshecan manage,whereas a small piece pu t in to hermou th wholecould cause hertocho ke if she tried

to swallowit .

Once your baby can chewweli,try giving hercorn on theco b.Cutth e corn in half or intoth reepieces or lo ok ou t for litt le mini-sized corn cobsin somesuperm arkets-just righ tfor babies.Comis fun to e a t and babies love t o hold and chew it.

Vegetables are also very good w hen dipped i ntosaucesand purees.Try usin gs om eo fth e recipesforvege table purees asdipp ing sauces.

Keepa supply o f pureedvegetables in th e freezer,stored i n ce cube trays.lnclude favourites likebu tte rn ut squash,sweet potato and carrot and peaand so m eth at your child may no t be so keen on likecourgette,spinach or brocco1i.Defrost th e am ou ntyou need and add th em t o popular dishes.% M ix th em w it h pasta sauce and tiny pasta shapes

Hide in cheesy mashed po tat o$J Useas a spread in toa sted cheese sandwiches.

Breads and Rusks

Piecesoftoast ,rusksandfirm bread, like pit ta breadan d bagels,ma kegoodfingerfood and can be

96 NE W C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER M E A LP L A N N E R

dipped i nt o purees and sauces. Rice cakes comein lots of different flavours and are excellent forteething,as they seem t o hold togetherwell.You

l k ill d h d

be1ow:useyour im agina tion o come up w it horigina1,tasty combinations.



can also make grilled cheeseon toa st or spreadto as tw ith no-sugar conserves.

Ma ny baby rusks on th e m arket contain asmu ch sugar as a sweet biscuit and even so-calledlow-sugar ruskscan contain more tha n 15 per centsugar. I t isvery easy to make your o wn sugar-free

alterna tivefrom wholemea l bread (see below).

Broccoli,carrots,cauliflower,celery,corn on th e cob,courgettes,mushrooms,new potatoes,sweet potato

For home-m adesavoury rusks,simply c ut a thick

(1 cml'/z inch) slice of who lem eal (granary or rye)bread into three strips. Melt hteaspoon Mar mitein i easpoon boiling water,and brush thisev enlyov er th e bread strips.Bake in an oven preheatedt o 8o'C135o'F/Cas 4for15 minute s. Leave ou t th eMarmiteif our baby prefers and add a lit tle gratedcheese.You can prepare a st or eo f rusks in advanceand keep he m n an airtight containerfor3-4days

Minia ture sandwichesLittle sandwiches cu t int o ingers, squares,smalltriangles or even anima l shapes us ing a biscuitcutter arevery po pu larw ith babies.Somesugg estion sfor sandwich filling s are given

mashed banana andlor peanut butter,tuna w it hsweetcorn and mayonnaise, humm us,cottagecheese w it h pineapple,cream cheese w it hstrawberry ja m or chopped dried apricots,gratedcheese and omato, mashed sardines w it h tom atoketchup, egg m ayonnaise and salad cress

Break fast CerealsBabies love to pick u p and ea t li ttl e pieces o fbreakfast cereal like Cheerios.Try t o choose cerealstha t are fortified wit h iron andvitamins and whichdo no t have added sugar. Again, some suggestions

are given below.

CheeseStart by giv ingy our baby grated cheese orcutwafer-t h in slices.Once she has mastered chewing,you canmove on t o chunks and strips of cheese:l have foundth at t he fo llow ing cheeses are especially popular:Cheddar, mozzarella, Edam,Gouda, Emmenthal andCruyere.Cream cheese and co ttage cheeses are alsofavourites. Keep away fr om stro ng cheeses like bluecheese,Brie and Camem bert.Always make sure tha tthec hees eyou give your baby is pasteurised.

NINETOTWELVE MONTHS 97

Pasta

Pasta comes in a ll shapesand sizes, inc lud ing tin ystars, mi ni shells,and an ima l and alphab et shapes

Breakfast

Thefirst meal oft he da y is importantfor all of usafter a night'sfasting, particularly so fore nerg etic



, , p p(see m y own rangeo n page 208). i havegiven somerecipesfor pasta sauces but m ost o f he vegetablepureescan also be served wi th pasta.You can trytossing pasta in melted butt er and sprinkling wi thgrate d cheese.This is usually a grea t favourite,

even wi th the fussy eaters.

ChickenSlicesorchu nksofcoo ked chicken (orturkey) makegreatfingerfo od.Give the dark meat as well asth ewhit e as it contains tw icea s much zincand iron. BangBang Chicken and Chicken w it h Cornflakes (see page124) are particularly good g iven as fingerfo od.

FishPieces of flaked w hit efi sh areg ood as they are lo win at, high i n protein and easyfor your child tochew.You can give the m to yo ur baby either plain or m ixedwi th a sauce.Makeyourownfishfingers bycutt ingwh it ef is h fillets int o strips,coating in flour, bedtenegg and crushed cornflakes,and then f ryi ng u nti lgolden.You could also tr y th e Salmon Footballsonpageizo . Dotakeextra care when servingfish t oyour baby in any recipe t o check the fish tho roughlyfor bones before you co ok it and when flakin git .

Makesureyou includesomeoilyfish l ikesalmonorsardines i n yourchild's diet, preferably twice a week.

g g, p y gbabies and toddlers!

Fo rth is age group recipes can now containmore interes ting and more healthy grains.Wheat-germ is particularly g ood and can be sprinkled ontocereals oryoghu rt.Mixingcere als and fr ui t makes

a deliciousand nutritious start t o he day.Many o fth e hom e-made cereals can be mixed w it h applejuice instead of milk.

Cheese Is impor tant for strong bonesand tee th.You can offer cheese on toas t or litt le stri ps for yo urbaby t o hold. Eggs are an excellent source of protein.vitam insa nd iron.Giveyour baby scrambled eggsoran omelette bu t make sure tha t th ew hi te and yolkare cooked u nt il solid. Fresh fru it providesvitam ins,minerals and substancescalled phytochemicalswhich help preventcancer.Givefruitasfingerfoods,m ak efr uit salads or offer stewedfruit,such as appleor rhubarb.

High ly refined,sugar-coa ted cereals shouldbe avoided. Do no t be fooled by th e list of addedvitam inso n the s ide oft he packet-unprocessedcerealsaremuch healthierforyourchild.Wholegraincereals arealso a good source of iron, but you w il lneed t o nclude som evita min C such as dilute dorangeju iceor strawberries in order fory our babytoabsorb the iron.

98 N E W C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER M E A L P L A NN E R

Breakfast Fruity Swiss Muesli o o

MAKES 4 CHILD OR 2 ADULT PORTIONS



Fruity Yoghurt o o

MAKES 2 PORTIONS

NlNETOTWELVE MONTHS

."

,!/7 .-._ ' '

MyF avourite P a n c a k e ~ : : ~ : : ; aPancakes for breakfast are a treat, an d th is simple recipe isfoolproof.Pancakescan be made in advance,refrigerated and reheated.Tofreeze, interleave wi th

,non-stick baking paper.Serve wit h maple syrupand fresh fru it.

M A K E S l 2 PANCAKES



l o og/4 oz plain flourgenerous pinch of sal t2 eggsj o o ml/iofl oz milk50g/2 oz melted bu t te ~

Siftth e flour and salt in to a m ixing bowl, makea well in the centre and add theeggs.Use a balloon wh is kt o incorporateth e eggs int o th ef lo ur and graduallywhisk in the milk u nti l ju st smooth.

Brush a heavy-based 15-18 cm16-7 inch fr yi ng pan wi th t he me lted b utt erand whe n hot,pour in about ztablespoons o f the batter.Quickly tilt the pan fromside t o side t o orm a th in laye rof batter and coo kfo ri minute. Flip the pancakeov erw ith a spatula and cook unt il the underside is slightly golden.C ontinuew ith

th e rest of the batter, brushingthe pan wi th melted butt erw hen necessary.

.

. .

100 NEW C O M P L E TE B A B Y& TO D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R



Summer Fruit Muesli o o

Simply soak theoa tsove rnight an dstir in extra fresh fruits like peachesorstraw berriesth e next day for a tasty n utritio us muesii.If your babyi s too youngfor lump y food,this can be blended to af in e puree.

M A K E S 4 A D U LT PORTIONS

lo o g/4 ozporridge oats



z tablespoons sultana s or raisins300 m i/i op oz apple and mangojuice2 eating apples, peeled, cored andgra ted4-6 tablespoons m ilka litt le m aple syrup or honey t o r babies over iyear)

Mixtheoats,sultanas and appleand mangojuice in a bowl,coverand leaveto soakovernight in thefridge.in the morning stir in he remainingingredientsand any extra fru it and drizzleover a little maple syrup or hon ey (If using).

Banana and Prune Fool oo

Thisonly takes a coup leof m inu tes to prepare and it svery tasty.lt i s also a good

recipe totry ifyour babyi s a little bi t constipated.

M A K E S 1 P O RT I O N

5 canned prunes n ruitjuice, stonedi ma ll ripe banana,peeledi ablespoon naturalyo ghur tI tablespoon cream cheese

W hizt he prunes, bananasyoghurt and creamcheese togethe rina biend erw ithI-2tablespoons o fthe juice from theca nned fruit.

N l N E TO T W E LV E MONTHS 103

Th eT hre e Bears lBreakfast o o

This makes avery nut ritiou s breakfast, bu t make sure your child gobblesit up before Goldilockscomes to he front door!

MAKES2 ADULT PORTIONS300 ml/io fl oz m ilk40 9/75 oz porridge oats



40 9/75 oz porridge oats25g/1 ozread y-to-eat driedpeaches orapricots, choppedi easpoon chopped raisins

Pour the mi lk in toa saucepan and bring to th e b o i l . ~ i xn heoets and bringbackto the boil,stirring.Add thechopped driedfru it,lowerth e heat and

simmer for about 4 minu tes or u ntil thickened.

M a tz o Brei o o

For those of you w ho have never heard of matzo, it s a large square ofunleavened bread sim ila rto crispbread.When u ncooked, it isvery brittle

and m y son Nicholas loved to sn ap it nt o pieces and strew it all over the floor.This is wh y I prefer t o serve it cooked!

MAKES ZADU LT PORTIONS

2 matzosi gg, beaten25 g/ i oz but tera l i t t lecastersuga~(optionalJ

Break the matzos Int o bite-sized pieces and soak fora couple of minute s in coldwater.Squeeze out theexcess water,then add th e matzos t o he beaten egg.M elt the butter i n a frying pan u ntil sizzling and fry t he matzos on bo th sides.Sprinkle w it h sugar ifwished.

104 NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y &TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R

lFrench Toast Cut-Outs o

1 It'sfu n sometimes to cut th e bread in to a variety of anima l shapes using

l biscuit cutters. For a treat,serve w it h map le syrup orja m.

MAKES2 PORTIONS

1 2 tablespoons mil ki h f d i ( i l)



I a pinch ofgroundcinnamon (optional)2 slices wh ite o r raisin brea d25 g/' oz butter

Beat the egg lightly w ith th e milk an d cinnamon,if using,and pour into ashallow dish. Dip th e bread in his m ixture,coatingeach side.M eltthe butter

and fry theslices o ran ima l shapes until golden on bo th sides.

Cheese Scram ble o o

Un til your child is one year,scrambled egg should becooked u nt ilit is qui tefirm and n ot runny.You could us ecottag e cheese instead o f Cheddar.

MAKES1 PORTION'

eggi tablespoon mil k15 g/% oz bu tterI tablespoon Cheddar cheese,finelygratedi tomato, skinnedanddeseeded

Bea ttheeg g wi th the m ilk.Melt the but ter over a low heatsthenadd the

egg mixture.Cook slowly,stirringall th e time.When the mixture has thickenedand looks soft and creamily set,add th e cheeseand chopped tomato.Serve imme diately.

l NINETOTWELVE MONTHS 10 5



Apple and Blackberry :X+ o

Blackberries and apples make a deiiciouscombination,and th e blackberries(which are rich in vi ta m in C) tur n the apples a wonderful purple colour.lnsteadof blackberries you could use othe r berry fruits like strawberries or blueberries,ora mixture.


2 cooking apples,peeled, cored and chopped



cooking apples,peeled, cored and chopped7oo g/' oz blackberries50g/2 ozs oft bmw n sugar

Cook the ap ples and blackberries in a saucepan wit h t he sugar and 2 tablespoonswater.Cook un til th e apples are soft (15-20 minutes). Put th ef ru it t hro ug h a

mou li t o m ake in to a smooth puree.

Stra wb erry Rice Pudding o o

Pudding rice has a soft consistency,which is goo d for intro ducing so mete xtureint o your baby's diet.lt is great m ixed w it h fru it puree like stewed apples andpears,or add som echopped dried fru it likeapricots when you are cooking therice.You could alsos tir in a lit tle strawberry am orgo lden syrup.


50 g/2 ozp udd ing rice600 ml / ip in t mi lk1-2 tablespoons castersugar%te aspoon van illa essence

Put th e rice,milkand sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Brin gt o he boil,then reduce th e heat,cov erwith a lid and simmer for 30-35 minute s,stirringoccasionally.Mixin y ourfavou rite flavo uring to serve.You can also make ricepudding in heove n. Put all the ingredients int oa suitable greased dish,dot th etop w it h but ter and bake in an oven preheated to15o"C/3oo"F/Gas 2 fo r abo ut2 hours,stirringoccasionaliy.

N I N E TO T W E LV E MONTHS 107

Fresh Fru it Ice LolliesYour baby w ill be teethin g at this ageand very o ften soregums can put her offeati ngfo r a while.Suck ingon some thing cold soothes soregums so a good ideais t o makefresh fruit ice lollies using pureedfruit,which you can mi xw it h ru it

juice oryogh urt.You can even pou rfruit smoo thiesorfreshjuice s straight intololly moulds.I have brought o ut a rang eof ice lolly moulds perfect for litt le

( g 208)



ones (see page 208).

Raspberry and Wate rmelon

Lolliesw o oM A K E S8 LOLLIES

'/4 watermelon6 0 g raspberries40-50 gR%-2 oz icing sugar

Cut the fle sh from th e watermelon and remove the seeds.Blend the watermelonand raspberries ogether.Strain thro ugh a sieve and stir in th e icingsug ar totaste.Pour in to lolly mou lds and freeze.

M A K E S8 LOLLIESi

1 arge m ango, pe el and stone removed, diced (at1prox.350 g/rz ozflesh)180 m1/6% floz trop icalfru itjuice3 tablespoons c ing sugar1 tablespoon lemon juice

Blend the ingredients together unti l smooth.Pour int o ice lolly mouldsand freeze.

708 N E W C O M P L E T EB A B Y&TODDLER MEAL PLANNER



Fresh Fruit w i t h Yoghurt Dipo o

As hand-to-eye coordination improve sfingerfood s becomea m ore impor tan tpar t ofyourchild's diet.Start w it h soft fruit s like banana, peach, pear orstrawberr1es.You can alsot ry d riedf ruits likeapricotsorapple.Yourchi1dwil l

have fun picking up the pieces of fruit and dippingthem int ot his astyyoghurt.MAKES1 PORTION

l i ff i i l h



aselection offruit cu t nt o pieces largeenou ghforyour baby to holdeasily

3 tablespoons Cree kyogh urti easpoon m ilki easpoon icing sugari ablespoon lemon c urd

Mixtheyoghurt,milk,icingsugarandlemon curd toge the rto make the dip.

Dried Apricots w i t h Papayaa nd P e a r $ + o oDried apricots are rich in betacarotene and iron and they com bine well w ithavariety offreshfruits.This isalsogoo d mixed w ith yoghurt.lfoun d t ha t mychildren also liked che win gon semi-dried apple rings which areeasy to holdbecauseofthe hole in the middle.

MAKES4 PORTIONS

50 9/2 oz eady-to-e at dried apricotsl

1/2ripe papaya, peeled, deseeded and choppedi ipe juic y pear. peeled, cored an d chopped

Put th e apricots into a small saucepan and ust cov erw ith water.Bring to th e boiland simmer un til softened (about8 minutes).Chop th e apricots and mix w iththechop ped papaya and pear,orpuree for babies wh o prefera sm ootherte xture.

110 NEW C O M P L E T EB A B Y &TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R



Vegetables Risotto with B uttern ut Squash $ o


NINETOTWELVE MONTHS



Lentils area good,cheap source of protein.They also provide iron wh ich is veryimp orta nt for brain development, particularly between theag es o f six months

and t w o years. Passata is simply sieved tom ato es-y ou can buy it n bottles inthe supermarket.

Aveg etarian baby'sfirst tastes offoo d is th es am e as for other babies(baby rice,fruit andve getab le purees etc.).But,from around seven month swh en proteins are bein g introduced,instead of m eat give foods like lentils,eggso r dairy products.

It s no t as easy t o absorb iro n from non-a nimal sources,so it's a good idea

tog ivev itam in C-rich fru it o rfru itjuic es as this helps t o boost iron absorption.M A K E S6 PORTIONS

i ablespoon vegetable oi l50 g (2 02) chopped onion or eekl o og (4 02) carrots, pe eled an d chopped159 (% oz) celery. chopped50 g (2 oz) split re) lent ils

250 g (8 z) sweet potato, pee led an d chopped2 0 0 m1 7floz) passata50 g (2 02) ma ture Cheddar cheese,grated

Heat theveg etable oil and sautetheo nion,ca rrots and celeryfor5 minutes.Rinse the lentils and add to th e pan.Add thes wee t potato and sautefor1 minute . Pour in he passata and 1 tablespoon o f water.Cover and cookforabout 30 minutes. Rem ovefrom th e heat and stir in th e cheese until melted.Puree in a blender.

M ultic olo ur ed Casserole K?GIG

Babies ove the bri gh t colours and miniatures ize ofthesevegetabies. It makeseating fun,an d is a good lesson in inger control.

M A K E S4 PORTIONS

i ablespoon olive oi l ,

r shallot, peeied and jine ly chopped40 gh % oz r edpepper, diced



l o og/4 oz rozen peas1oog/4 ozjroze n sweetcorn120 ml/4 ji o z vegetable stock (seepagej8) or water

He atth e oil in a saucepan,add thesh allot and red pepper and cookfor3 minutes.

Add th e peas and sweetcorn,pouroverthevegetable tockand br in g to the bo il .Cover and simme r for 3-4 minutes.

Tasty Brown Rice ;:: Q o

Ricedishesare good for in troducin g mo rete xtur e into your baby'sfood.You could also makethis w it h w hi te rice.

MAKES6 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz brow n ricei ablespoon vegetable oi l75g/3 oz carrots, peeied an dg rat ed75g/3 m omatoes, skinned, deseeded an d chopped40g/1% az Cheddar cheese,grated

Cookthe rice in wateraccordingto th e packet instructions un til quite soft(about 3 0 minutes).Meanwhile, he at the oil in a pan,add thecarrots and sautefor 3 minutes.Add the tomatoesand cookfor 2 more minutes.Drain t he rice andmix wit h the carrot andtomatoes.Stir in heg rate d cheeseand cookoveragentle heat for1 minu te unt il melted.

N I N E TO T W E LV E MONTHS 113

Vegetables in Cheese Sauce K: o o

MAKES6 PORTIONS

l o og/4 oz cauliflower, broken ntofloretsi arrot, peeled an d hin ly sliced

50 g/2 oz rozen peasl o og/4 oz courgettes, sliced

CHEESE SAUCE



CHEESE SAUCE

25gR oz margarine2 tablespoons plain lour250 m1/8floz milk50 g/2 oz Cheddar cheese,grated

Steam theca uliflower and carrot for6 minutes,then add th e peasandcourgettesand cookfora fu r the rqminu tes .Fora young baby,cookthevegetables un til they aresoft.

Mea nwhile m ake th e cheesesauce n he usual way (see page 67).Mash,chopor purbeth evege tables wi th the sauce.

Sweet Potato and Spinach M as h oo

MAKES3-4 PORTIONS

i arge sweet po ta to (approx.375g/i3 OZ)

i arge po ta to (approx. 200g/70z)i ediu m ca rro t (approx. 7591302)

6 0 9 /2 5 oz spinach leaves, washedi

agenerous knob of bu tt eri ablespoon mil k40 9/15 oz Cheddarcheese,grated

Peel and cho pth esw eet potato, p otat oan d carrot.Put th em in a saucepan andjust cover w it h b oilin g water.Cook un til heveg etabies are tender (around15

minutes).Alternativelyyou can steam thevege tables. D rain thevegetables,add

thespinach to he pan and cookfor 2 minutes.Mash thevegetablestogetherwi th the butter,milkand cheese.

114 NEW C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER M E A LPLANNER



*



Salmon and Broccoli P a s t a *Q

This recipe was sen tt o me by Kate Hanke,who lives in 0xford.she entered acom petition th at I ran togetherwithTumbletots,'Eat Fit, Keep Fit',to devise a

recipeth atwou ld temptfus sy eaters.Kate'stip is tos tay positive,try n ot tosh owconcern abouty ourchild'se ating habits,ord escribey ourchild asa'fussy eater'infront of him. Ifth ey believe they are good at eating a wideva riety of healthy foods.the y m ay well becom egood anyway. Ifo un d his recipe was quick,easy and verytasty. N.B. Unliketinn ed tun a,tinned salmon does contain essential fat ty acids.

MAKES5 PORTIONS

250g/12 ozanimalpasta shapes

50g/2 oz onion,flnely choppedig ar li c clove, crusheda l i t t le but tero roi l225g/8 oz broccoli, cut i nt o smallfloretslo o g/4 oz wild tinned redsalmon, drained an d mashed142 ml/5 fl z carto n single cream50g/2 oz parmesa; cheese,finelygrated

a littlefreshlygrou'nd blackpepperCook the pasta according t o t h e packet instructions. In a large pan sfr yth eonion and garlic in the b utte r or oil until so fi (about 3-4minutes).Steamthe broccoli unt il ender(about 6 minutes).Add the cooke d pasta t o heonion.Add the salmon,cream and broccoli and season wi th a lit tle blackpepper.Add the Parmesan cheeseand m ix we ll so thatth ech ees e m eitsin to th e cream. Serve immediately.



Fillets o f sole wi th grapes makes a delicious combination.This recipe is quickand easyto prepareand one tha tthe wh ole fam ily can enjoy.

IxEk3:3 5vn9m P&JZflrntf38 single soleflletsi ablespoon seasoned lour2 0 g a z butter75g/3 oz bu tto n mushrooms, th inly slicedlo o ml/j% f ozfsh stockl o o ml/3%f o r double creamI teaspoon lemon uice2 teaspoons resh parsley, chopped20 seedless whitegrapes, halve dsalt andpe pper from oneyear)

Coat thefish w ith seasonedflour,melt ha lfthe b utte rin a largefrying panan dfry the fish overa medium heat forab out 2jminuteson each side untillightly goiden.Transfertoa platea nd keep war .

A dd t h e b u t t e r t o t h epan and c o ~ t h e ~ u s h r o o m s f o r 3inutes.Add thes tock an d sim me rforz minutes.Stirin thecream and lemo njuiceandthe n sim me rfor z minutes.Add t he parsley and grapes,then season w ith saltand pepper (if using)and pour overthefish.

Ss.lmon wit11 a CreamyChive S a u c e

Salmon iseasy toc ook .lt can becookedvery quickly in the microwave bu t herei have wrapped it in aiu min ium foil w ith somevegetables and herbs and cooked

it more slowly t o bring out the flavour.

MA K E S 5 PORTIONS

2 00 g/8 oz fiiiet of salmon ori mall salmon c utlet



i essertspoon em on uice%s ma ll onion, peeled and sliced% ba y leaf1 sma ll tomato, c ut int o chunksi prig offresh parsle ya l i t t le butter

CHIVE SAUCE

i5g/% oz butterr tablespoon plainflou r150 m i/ ~ f l z milkcooking iiquidfroni thefishi essertspoon resh chives, snipped

Wrap thesalm on i n aluminium foil wi th th e rest of the ingredients and bakein an oven preheated toi80°C135 00FIC as4for 15 minutes.Meanwhile,makea white sauce,using the buttersflou rand milk in the usual way (see page 67).

On ceth e salmon is cooked,remove it from thefoi1,strain offthe cookingliquid and add th is to th e whit e sauce. Finally,stirthe chives into the sauce.Flake the salmon and p our thec hive sauceover it .

Salmon Footballs $2 o o

When your child refuses oe at a nyth ing from a spoon,these make nut ritiou sfing erfo ods .Om itthe salt and pepperfor babies under oneyear.

M A K E S 10 SMALL FOOTBALLS

7 me dium potato, skin on (approx. 75og/5 oz)70 9/23/4 oz salmonfilleta squeeze of lem on uice



a knob of bu tt er2 spring onions, chopped7 teaspoon sweet chillisauce (optional)2 tablespoons o ma to ketchup%tablespoon mayonnaisei ablespoon seasonedflour7 egg, ligh tly beaten5og/2 oz breadcrumbssunflower o il orfryingsalt andfresh lyground blackpepper from oneyear)

Boil the potato in salted water for 25-30 minutes un til ten der whe n piercedw ith a table knife.Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel and mash.Cook the salmon in he m icrowave on High for2- 3 minutes w it h a squeeze

o f emon uice and a knob of butter. Flakethefles h onto a plate and leave t ocool slightly.Mix th e pota to w it h the springonions,chilli sauce (if using),tomatoketchup,mayonnaise,and salt and pe ppe rto taste. Fold in thefla ked salmon,being careful n o tt o break up thefish too much.1

Take 1% tablespoons of th e m ixtu re and form, nt o a ball. Repeat unt il youhave used up a ll th e m ixture. Dust each ball in th e seasoned flour,dip in the eggand the n ro ll In he breadcrumbs.

Heat somesun flower oi l in a non-stick pan and deep-fry the footballs for2-3 minutes.You can sha llow fry thef oot ball s in2 tablespoons of oil bu t theywon't kee pth eir roun d shape so well.

120 NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y & T O D D L E RM E A L P L A N N E R



Chicken Chicken a n d Ap ple Balls$1: o o

This is a greatfav ourite w it h my famiiy.Grated apple adds a delicious flavourtot he se chicken balls,which make sthemappealingtoyoungchildren,andthey are delicious h ot or cold.These little balls make perfect fingerfood.

M A K E S 20 CHICKEN BALLS

2 teaspoons lig ht alive a ili onion,finely chopped

l C S ith l l d d t d



i large Cranny Sm ith apple, peeled and grate d2 large chicken breasts, cu t in to chunks5 ablespoon resh parsley, choppedi tablespoon resh thym e orsage, chopped, or a pinch mixeddried herbsi chicken stock cube, cru mb led fiom oneyear)50g/2 ozfresh wh ite breadcrumbssalt andfreshlygroundpepper tramoneyear)pla in lourfor coatingvegetable o il orfrying

Heat theo live oil in a pan and saute half the o nion for about3 minutes.Usin gyo ur hands,squeeze out a litt le excess liquid from th e grated apple.M ix th e apple w ith the chicken,cooked and re maining raw onion, herbs,stockcube (from one year) and breadcrumbs and roughly chop i n a food processorfor a few seconds.Season wi th a lit tle salt and pepper (from one year).

With your hands,form into about2 0 iittle balis,roil in loura nd fry in shallowoil for aboutS minutes u ntil ligh tly golden and cooked through.

122 NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y & TO D D L E RMEAL P L A N N E R



Chicken w ith Winter Vegeta bles :X+o

This is quick and easy t o prepa reand has a delicious richchicken flavour.

MAKES6 PORTIONSi hicken breast, o n th e bone ands kinneda littleflourvegetable oi li eek, white p a rt only, wash edan d slicedi ma ll onion peeled andflnely chopped



ma ll onion, peeled andflnely chopped3 carrots, peeled an d slicedi elerystalk, trimm ed an d sliced4 0 0 m l/i 4f l oz chicken stock (see page 76)

Cut the chicken breast in half, roil each ha lf in fioura nd brow n in a li ttle oil for3-4minutes.lnanotherfrying pan,sautPtheleekandonion i n a l i t t l eo i l fo r5minutes un til soft and golden. Put thechicken in to a casseroletogetherwith allthevegetables a nd th e stock.Cook in an oven preheatedtoi8o"C/35o0F/Gas4for1 hour,stirring halfway through.

Takethe chicken of ft he bone and chop it into lit tle pieces w it h th evegetables or pu reeit tog eth erw ith th e cooking liquid In a m ou ii or blender.

Chicken with Couscous $3 o o

MAKES4 PORTIONS

15g/% oz bu tter25g /ioz chopped onion

z5 g/ i ozfrozen peas (cooked)175 m1/6fl oz chicken stock (seepage 76)65g/2% oz quick-cooking couscousgo g/z oz diced cooked chicken

Me l t the but ter ina saucepan and saute the o nion u nt il softened b ut n o tcoloured.Stirin th e peas, pour overthestock, b ri ng to th e boil and cookfor3 minutes.Stir in thecouscous,removefrom th e heat,coverand set asidefor 6 minutes.Fiuffthe couscous w ith af or ka nd m ix in the diced chicken.


Red meats Beef Casserole w i t h Carrots 4 o o



l~

ll NINE TOTWELVE MONTHS

Tasty [LiverCasse io ieLiver isve rygo od for ch ildre mit is easy to digest,a good source o f ron andisveryeasy t o cook.1 mus t adm it th at I dislike the taste having beenforcedt o eat liver at school, bu t,to my great surprise,my one-year-old son adored

it.This recipe is good served w it h mashed po tato.MAKES4 PORTIONS

ro o g/4 oz calf's liver, trim me d an d sliced2 tablespoons vegetable oi l



r smallonion, peeled andchoppedI arge o r2 me diu m carrots (approx. r259/4% oz), peeled and chopped2 0 0 ml/7fl oz chicken o r vegetablestock (seepages 76 and38)2 me diu m tom atoe s (approx. zo o g/7oz), skinned, desee dedandchoppedI essertspoon resh parsley, chopp ed

Saute th e liver in 1 tablespoon ofth eo il un til browned,then set aside.Heatth e rem ain ing oil in a saucepan and saute the o nion for 2-3 minutes.Addth e chopped carrot and sau tefor 2 minutes,then pour overth e stock, brin gto th e boil ,coverand simmerovera low hea tfora bo utis minutes.Choptheliver into pieces and add to he pan to get he rwith th e tomatoes and parsley,and cookfor abo ut 3 minutes.You can either serve w it h mashed p ota toa sit so r blend th e m ixturefor a few seconds to make a rough puree.

Savoury Veal Casserole !

Adeliciouscasseroleofveal,vegetables and frlsh herbs-just increasethe

qua ntitie sfor a meal the who le family can enjoy.MAKES3 PORTIONS

I mallonion,peeledandfinely choppedr carrot, scraped an d sliced%cele ry stalk,slicedvegetable oi ll o og/4 oz lean vealforstewing

I sprig offresh rosemaryi prig offresh pars ley120 ml/4fl oz wa ter

Frvtheonion.carrot and celery in a little oil for3 minutes.Cut the vea l intochunksand pu t it in to a saucepan w ith thevegetables, herbs and th e water.Simmerslowly,coveredfor~ hour(stirringon ce). Remove the he rbsandrough ly chop thev ea l andvegetables i n afood processor.

Special S'rza k



pThis recipe makes avery good introd uction t o red me at for your baby.

M A KE S4 PORTIONS

ip o ta to (about 2259/8 oz),peeled andch oppe dI shallot or 25g/1 oz onion,peeledandfinely choppedi ablespoon vegetableoilioog/' ozfillet steak50g/2 oz bu tto n mushrooms, washedand choppedi5g/% oz bufferI tomato , skinned, deseeded an d chopped2 tablespoons mil k

Boil the potato unt il tender,then drain.Meanwhile,sautethe shallot intheveg etableo il u nti l softened.Spoon half theshallots on to a piece ofaluminiumfoil .Cut the s teakintosl ices1 cm/ l /~in ch hickand place on topofthesh allots.Sprea d th e remaining shallots ove rthe steak.Cook undera preheated gril l for 3 minutes each sideor un til cooked.Saut6 the bu ttonmushrooms in h alf of the butter for 2 minutes,add thechopped to ma toand continue t o cookfor i minute.Mash th e potato wi th the milka nd heremaining butter un til smooth.Chopor puree the stea ktog eth erw iththe shallots, mushrooms and tom ato an d m ix with the mashed potato.

M in i Cot tage Pie :;: o

Cottage pie was always popular as'comfort food'on a winter's evening whe nI was a child.To ma ke it suitable for babies I ave chopped th e me at i n a foodprocessorto make it softer.For babies overone you can season wi th a litt le

salt and pepper.Try m akin g ndividu al portions i n ramekin dishes.You can popthe extra portions in he freezer for days when you don't have tim e t o cook.

M A K E S3 PORTIONS

l o og/4 oz carrot, peeled a nd chopped22 g /8 t t l d d h d



22 5 g /8 oz potatoes, peeled a nd choppedi ablespoon olive o ili mall onion, peeled an d chopped

25g/i oz edpeppe rcored, deseeded a nd d icedi ma llga rllc clove, peeled an d crushed1759/6 oz lea n mince d beefi ablespoon reshlychoppedparsley2 teaspoons to m at op ur ielo o m1/3%f/oz chicken stock (seepage 76)isgfl/Zoz butteri

ablespoon mi lkiegg, beaten

Put theca rrot into a saucepan,cover wi th boiling water and cookfor5 minutes.Add the potatoes and cookfor a fu rth er ig minutes.

Meanwhile, hea tth eo il in afryin g pan and sautethe onion and redpepperfor 3 t o q minutes. Add the garlic and s? ut ef or i minute.Add theminced beef and saute u ntil brow ned .Atthis stage it is a good idea to ch op

the m eat in af oo d processorfor afewseconds tog ive it a smoothertexture.Return to th e pan,add th e parsley,tomato pureeand chicken stock, brin gt othe b oi l t he n cover and s imme rforabout 5 minutes.When th e pota to andcarrot arecooked,drain and mash wi th th e bu tter an d milk.

Spoon the meat into 3 ramekinsabout i o cm14 inches in diameter.Topwit h thema shed po tatoandcarrot . Brush wi th a l i t t le beatenegg, then heatthrou gh in an oven preheated oi80"C13so"FIGas4,then place under a

preheated g rill u ntil lightly golden.

130 NEW C O M P L E T E BABY &TOD DLER M E A LP L A N N E R



Tasty Rice w i t h M e a ta n d Veg e ta b l e s 24 o o

M A K E S 8 P O RT I O N S

%onion, peeled andfinely chopped

65g/2% ozcarrot,finely choppedr tablespoon vegetable oi lr sm ollga rlic clove, crushed225g/8 oz lean minced beef4o og /r4 oz canned chopped tomatoes



4o og /r4 oz canned chopped tomatoeso ew drops of Worcestershiresauce

RICE

50g/2 oz basmatirice30 0 ml/ro flozchicken stock (seepage 76)%sm al l redpepper, deseeded and finely choppedg o g h oz rozen peas

Rinse th e rice and place in a saucepan w it h th e chicken stock. Bring to t h e boil,then cover and sim m er fo ri o minutes.Add th e red pepper and cook,uncovered,

for 5 minutes.Add t he peas and continue t o cook for 2 minutes,or unt il the riceis tender and there is no liquid left.

Meanwhile saute the oni on and carrot in theveg etableo il for5 minutes.Add thega rlica nd sa utefor1 minute.Add the minced meat and cook,stirring,un til browned.Transferthe m eat in to a food processor and chop for 30 secondsto make it easier!oryour baby t o chew. Return th e m ea tt o th e pan and add th etom ato es and Wo!cestershire sauce.Cook overa l ow h e a t f o r i o rninutes.Stir

in the rice withvegetables and cookfor3-4

minutes.

Pas ta She l l Co n f e t t i x:



M A K E S 2-3 PORTIONS

Bolognese Sauce w i t h Aube rgine $3 o o

M A K E S 12 PORTIONS OF SAUCE

1 medium onion,peeledandchopped%garlic clove, peeled an d choppedvegetable oilforfrying45 og /i Ib ean minced beef or lam b



45 og /i Ib ean minced beef or lam b2 tablespoons omatopurie4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded an d chopped

'/4 teaspoon mix edd ried herbs2 tablespoon~plainflour450 m1/16 fl oz chicken stock (seepage 76)i ubergine,peeled andslicedl o og/4 oz mushrooms, washed and slic ed

Saute the onion and garlic i n oil unt il soft.Add the meat and cook un til browned.Chop in a food processor. Return to th e pan,add t he t om ato puree,tomatoes,herbs,flouran d stock. Bri ng to he boil and sim me rfor4 5 rninutes.Frytheaubergine in o il u nti l golden. Pat dry wi th kitchen paper.Chop in af oo d processor.Sautethe mushrooms in oil and add to th e sauce wit h th e aubergine.



P a s t a Shells with Chickenand Broccoli+Ex:o o

M A K E S2 PORTIONS

40 g/ i% oz broccoli lorets15 g f h oz butt er1 5 g f hoz lour150 ml/5J oz milk30 gh '/4 oz Gruyere cheese,grated3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese,grated3 tablespoons masca rpone cheese40 g/i% ozpasta shells30 gh '/4 oz cookedchicken, diced

Steam th e broccolifor4-5 minute sor un til tender.Melt the butter,stir inthe flour and cookf orl rninute.Craduaily add the milk,then continue to stirfor 5 minutes over a low heat un til hesaucethickens.Takeoff the heat,stirin heGruyl.re and Parmesan un til melted,then stir in he rnascarpone.

Mea nwhile,coo kthe pasta accord ingto the packet instructions.Drain andtoss w it h t he broccoli,chicken and cheese sauce.

NINE TOTWELVE MONT HS 137

Pas ta S ta rs w i t h Veggie Sauce % o o

This fresh to ma to sauce isvery tasty and, because it hasvegetables andcheese blended in to it,it is more nutri t iou sthan an ordinarytomato sauce

M A K E S2 PORTIONS

I ed ium carrot, p eeled and sliced1oog/4 ozcauliflowerflorets



3 tablespoonspasta stars oroth er tiny pastashapes25g/1 oz butter

3 o o g /v az ripe tomatoes,skinned, deseededa ndchopped50 g/2 oz grated Cheddar cheese

Put the sliced carrot in to th e b otto m o f a steamer.Cover w ith boiling waterand cookovera m edium h ea tf o ri o rninutes.Put th e caulif lowerflorets in hesteamer basket,place overthecarrots,coverand coo kfor s minutes or un tiltheve getab les are tender.Cook th e pasta stars in bo iling water acco rdingtoth e packet instructions.Meanwhile, melt th e b utter and saute the tom atoesfo rabou t 3 min ute sor un til mushy.Stir in the Cheddar cheese unt il melted.Blend thecooked carrotsand caulif low ertog ethe rwith he tomatoes andcheese.Mix w ith th e pasta stars.

138 NE W C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER MEAL P L A N N E R



N in e t o tw e l v e m o n t h m e a l pla nn er

Day i

Breakfast

Fruity Swiss

MuesliDried Apricotswith Papaya

and Pear servedwi th yoghurt

Miik

Mid-morning Lunch

Milk Chickenand

Apple Bails

Fingervegetables

StrawberryRice Pudding

Water

Mid-afternoon Dinner Bedtime

Milk Finger Mil ksandwiches

Finger

vegetablesJuiceor water



Day 2

Miik

Weetabix

Cheeseon toast

Fruit

Miik

Scrambled eggwit h toast

Fruit with

cottagecheeseMiik

My Favourite

Pancakes

FruitMiik

Water

Milk Special Steak

Fresh frui t andyoghurt dip

Water

Milk Salmon

FootballsFresh Fruit Ice

LolliesWater

Milk Mi ni CottagePie

Fruit

lWater

d

Milk Pasta Stars Milkwithveggie

SauceFromage

fraislyoghurtJuiceorwater

Milk Tasty Brown MilkRice

Fruit

Juiceorwater

Milk Vegetablesin MilkCheese Sauce

Apple andBlackberry

Juiceorwater

140 NEW COMPLETE BABV&TODDLER MEAL P L A N N E R

Breakfast

Day 5 FrenchToastcut-out5

Apricot, Apple

and PearCustardMilk

6 S F i

Mid-morning Lunch

Mil k Bang BangChilken

Tasty Brown

RiceFresh fru it wi th

yoghurt dipWater

i lk Sh ll

Mid-afternoon Dinner Bedtime

Milk Risottoand MilkButternut

SquashFruit

Juice orwa ter

il k i f S l il k



Day 6 Summer FruitMuesli

Yoghurt wi thdriedfruit

Milk

Day 7 CheeseScramble

Toast FingersYoghurt

Miik

Milk Pasta Shellswi th Hidden

VegetableBolognere

Appleand

BlackberlyWater

Milk Chickenwith

Couscous

Fresh r ui t wi thyoghurt dip

Water

Milk Fingers o f Sole MilkFinger

vegetablesFresh Fruit Ice

Lollies

Juiceorwater

Milk Lentil and Milk

Vegetable

PureeSticksof cheese

Baked Appleswi th Raisins

Juice or water

N I N E TO TWELVE MONTHS 141

-

C H A P T E R F I V E

Toddlers



I fin d tha t, beyond the ageof one,toddlers prefertoex ercis ethe ir independence and feed themselves.

The more you rtodd ler experiments using a spoonandfork,the quicker he wi ll mas terthe art offeeding himself-you never know,some food mi gh tfind itsw ay nto his mouth ! A'pelican'bib-a strongplastic bib which has a tray at th e b otto m t o catchstray food -is alsogood Ifyourto ddle r has difficulty

Many toddlers enjoy eating much m ore sophisticatedfood than we would imagine.My daughter at tw o

loved olives,for example. Ethnic recipes like stir friesw it h noodles or egg-fried rice wi th chicken ten d t obe popular and you can buy child-fr iend ly chopsticksth at arejoined at the top and make eatingfun .Du m pt he chicken dinosaurs covered in breadcrumbsand marina te chickento make recipes like myTha i-



stray food -is alsogood. Ifyourto ddle r has difficultyeati ngw ith a spoon,try giving him fingerfoods like

goujons of fish or raw vegetables wi th a dip.Youm us t sti ll be careful,though,to keepfood like olives,nuts orfresh lychees out o ft h e reach of youngchildren.Toddlers love to put everything inth ei rmouthsand i two uld besoeasyfor themtochokeon such foods.

Enjoying mealtimes toge therToddlers only have small tum mi es and o ften can'teat enough at m ealtimes t o uel their high energyr e q u i r e m e n t s , ~ ~hey should beoffered three mealsand snacks at regu lartim es. It's a good idea t o haveashelf in you rfrid ge wi th some healthy snacks like

!raw vegetables and a dip e.g. hummus,sticks o f

!cheese and a variety off res h frui t. For more ide asforhealthy snacks,takea l oo ka t my bookAfter-SchoolMe al Planner.Toddlers wh o ge t used to ea tin ghealthy snacksaremore likelytocontinuethesamehabits later on in life.However,it wou ld also bew ro ng to make sweets and chocolate biscuits theforbidd enfruit,a syourto ddler would crave th emall the more and gorge him self on the m wheneverhe could.

and marina te chickento make recipes like myTha i-style Chicken and N oodles or Chicken Satay (see

pages 170 an d 172). Even if yo u don't feel like maki ngyour ow n marinade,there are lo ts of deliciousmarinade5 in he supermarket th at wi ll spice upyour child'sfood. Let your child try food f rom yourplate and you may bevery surprised by th e tasteshe enjoys. Ofcourse ,foodfrom Mum my's orDaddyfsplate is much more interestingthan hiso wn meal

and you can sometimesentice yourchild to ea t i fy ouput his meal on your plate. But the point atth issta geis th at th e toddlercan now eat,toa large extent,wh at you a dults are eating. l am a great believer ingivingtoddlers'grown-up'foodsas soon as poss ibleand almos t all th e recipes th at follo w are suitable forthe wholefamily.Doeat wit h your child ratherthanjust sittingthere shovellingfood into his mouth.He'll eat much more happily w it h you -afte r all,wh o enjoys eatingalone ?

Try and reform yo ur ow n eating habits by addinglesssalt and sug arto you rfoo d and get your childt o help plan,shop forand cooka meal.Obviouslyyou can't do this everyday but ifyo u d o it everysooften,it's a good way of ntroducing new mealstoyo ur child.

14 4 NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y& T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R

M yChild Won't Eat!Anyone with afussy child will k no wth at it's easyto ose heart when your child turns his nose up at

.anythingwith visibleonionsortomatosauce wi thgreen bits in it.1 hi nk th e key t o success is no tt oget int o a tizz if yo ur child doesn't ea t-ju st say'fine',but don't offer anything else until the next meal.Refusingfood loses its appea l if you don't react andit'samazing h ow mu ch lessfussyyour child w il l

juiceor smoothies th at a re io o per centjuice insteado f rui tjui ce drinks,which o ften contain less tha n10 per cen tjuicea ndc an contain artificial sweeteners,flavourings and colourlngs,as we ll as added sugar-some wi th more than sixteaspoonsof sugar in aglass.Tap water ist he best wa yto qu en ch yourthirst,and it's safe,cheap and calorie-free.

Ag ift wrapped in bright paper with a beautiful



it samazing h ow mu ch lessfussyyour child w il lbecome if he is rea lly hungry. I wou ld ignore any

negative behaviourand pile on th e praise when yourchild does tr y something-even ifth etin ies t morselpasses his lips,gooverboard w it h praise.Astarchartmi gh t bea good idea,whereyour child gets a starfor any new food or recipe th a t he tries.When hecollects a certa in nu m be ro f stars he gets a reward.

Rest assured ha t if yo u have a fussy toddlery ouare no t alone.Toddlers can thrive very we ll onremarkably littlefood.They arealso unpredictable-oneda ythey can likesomething and the next daythey refuse t o eat it.Some daysthey wi ll be ravenousand othe rday sthey w ill eat practically nothing.Ifyou mon itoryourchild'sfood intakeover a wholeweek,you w on't wor ry as much if oned ay he refusest o eat anything.

Often it's snacks between meals th at spoilyourchild's appetite.Try t o resist buyingchocolatebiscuits and crisps and instead offe r healthyalternatives like mini-sandwiches,driedfruit orevena b owl o f healthy cereal.

Check your child isn 'tfillin g up on drinks.Whathedrinkscan havea huge effect on hisappetite.Cive

Ag ift wrapped in bright paper with a beautifulribbon inspires more enthusiasm than onegiven in

a brown cardboard box,and thesa me goe sforfo odtha twe se rve ou r kids.Youcan transform a plain-Jane peanut b utte r sandwich in to an irresistible kids'treat wh en it's cut i nto a h eart or a teddy bear shape.Instead of whole fru it in a fru it b owl,thread bite-sized pieces o ff r u it on to a skewer or straw,or pureefru it and freeze it in icelolly moulds.

Don't pu tt o o much food on a plate-much bettertha tyo urc hlld should askfo r more.Toddlers loveindividual p ortion soffo od and it's good t o makemi ni po rtions of larger pies.

Getting children to tr y something new is n ot easy-o f m y three childre n t w o were quitef;ssy so I'vetried all thetric ks m yself.lnvitinga ch ild ove rfortea

w ho is a good eater is an excellent ruse.At a ll costsavoid confrontation-it 's much be tter to turn'weird'food in to a game by blindfoldingyour child and thenasking him t o ry a selection of oods,somefamiliarand some new,and t he n guess wha t they are ...

Ifyo u enjoy the recipes in thischapter lo oko utfor my sequel to th is book,FavouriteFamilyRecipes.

TODDLERS 145

The Foods t o ChooseChildren under five need more dietary fa tt h a n adults

in proportion to th ei r body weigh t so unlessyourchild is overweight,don't give him foo dsth at arelow-fat.Fats like cheese or ful l fa t yog hu rt are a richsource of energy which yourt odd ler needs to fu el hisgrowth.T here are,of course,exceptions t o he rule,and an over weightto ddler should have his fat intake

give semi-skimmed milk before the age of tw oa sit is low in calories,which your child needs t o grow.

Skimmed milks hould n ot beintroduced beforefiveyears.Children ov eroney ear need 4 00 mIl14fl ozofw hol e m ilk a day.Forchildren wh oar eve ry picky,there may beadvantages tocontinuing w ith afollow-on formula (which is fortified w it h vitaminsand iron) unti l two yea rs of age.



grestricted by cut tin gd ow n on processed and fatty

foodsa nd switching t o low-fat dairy products.High-fibre foodsin arge amounts arealso

unsuita bleasth ey are bulky and filling and do no tsupply enough caloriesfor a rapidly grow ing toddler.Aiso,a high -fibr edie t can hind erth eab sorp tionof vi tal minerals like iron. Provided you rchi ld eatsplenty offru it andvegetables he will get all the

fibre he needs.Once your child is twelve mon ths old you canswitch from formula t o wholecow's m ilk, but don't

) y gAlthough more and more people seem to be

turn ing away from red meat in favour of fish andchicken, bear in min d th at red m eat provides moreiron and zin ctha neit her fish or poultry.Try mak ingtasty meals wi th lean minced mea t-a good ti p istoc ook the meat and then chop it in a food processorso tha t it is no t lumpy,and t here are some lovelyrecipesfor Beefburgers,Meatballs and Mi ni Mi nu te

steaks (see pagesi78-81) t ha t m ake excellentfam ilymeals.Try t o avo id processed meats like sausages,salami and corned beef.

Iron deficiency and anaemia can cause difficultbehaviour and poor concen tration in oddlers.

Ify ou are bringingy ourchild up o n a vegetariandiet or if he simply dislikes eatin g meat,make sureth at you include nutrient-dense foods like cheeseand eggs in hisdiet.Avoid giv ingto o m any high-fibre foods like wholegrain cereals and pulsesastum mie sfill up quickly and your child may not get

Pasta remains a great favourite w it h toddlers andyou can com bin eitw ith other healthy foodssuch asvegetablesand tu na. Individual pieces of pasta likepenne orfusilli tend t o be easiest fortoddlers t o eat(Although, when my son,Nicholas,was 20 monthsold he invented h isow n m ethod of eatingspaghetti-he held it out in ront of him by the twoends andsucked in from th e middle! N ot the heigh t of goodmanners perhaps, but certainly very efficient.)



p q y y y genough energy and p rotein to grow. Providedyour

toddler is eatinga good variety off oo d types,avegetarian diet can provide all th e nutrients heneeds. It isvery im po rta ntt o includevegetariansourceso f iron such asg reen vegetables,pulses,for tifie d breakfast cerealsand dr ie df ru it every day,and make sure you givefood s or drinksco ntainingVitaminC at the same meal asthis helps t o boostthe iron absorption fro m non-m eat sources.

p p , y y )

Junk food subs t i t u t e sThree quarters of th e salt and saturatedfat th atchildren consume comes fr om processedfoods andready meals.Mos t children eat twice as much saltas they should.lt's muc h be tte rto make your ow nhea1thy 'junkfood'-try m y delicious recipesforAnnabel'sTasty Beefburgers or H ome-made FastFood Pizza (see pages178 and 158).

Here are some subs t i tu tes for ' jun l ( food ' :

Sugar-coated breakfast cereals Porridge,Weetabixor mues liChicken nuggets Chicken on th e G riddle (pagei74) or Bar-B-QChicken (page 171)Fish finge rs Fish Pie (page 164) or Salm on Fishcakes (page 160)Spaghe tti Hoops Pasta w it h Hidden-VegetableTom ato Sauce (page 156)Sausages Cocktail Meatba lls (page 180) or M in i M in ut e Steaks (page 181)Crisps Popcorn



Juicedrinks Pure fru itju ice

Fruit and DessertsThere are many recipes i n his c hap terfo r delicioushot and cold dessertsthat aree asyto prepareandcan beenjoyed by the whoiefamily.However,thereis still nothing moredelicious or bet terfo ryou tha n

fresh ripefruit,so make sureyou rchild has plentyof it everyday. None o f he vitamins o r nutrientsare destroyed thr ou gh cooking,and fruit makesgreat finger food for yourtod dler.

Fruits are packed w it h pow erfu l antioxidantsand na tura i compounds called phytochemicals,which help boost imm unit y and pr otec tthe dady

Ifrom he art diseaseand cancer.The incidence,ofcancer is increasing. Approxim ately one thi rd o fcancercases are related t o w ha t w e eat andresearchers estimatetha t a diet filled wi th fruitand vegetables inste ad of fats an d processed oods,al on gw it h exercise, could reducethe incidenceo f cancer by at least 30 per cent.

Who lefruit in afr ui t bowl sn' t that appealingt o a hungry child, b ut if you have a selection of fresh

fruit cut up and placedon a low shelf in hefridge,or bite-sized fru it o n a skewer,this w il l help stop yourchild from snacking on crisps or chocolate biscuits.

Driedfruits,especially apricots,arevery nutritiousas th e dryin g process concentrates the n utrients.

However,takecare not togiv e dried fruit tooo ftenin between meals, as they stick t o he teet h andeven natura i sugars cause to ot h decay.

Kiw i rui t and citrus and berryfruits are rich inVita min C,which he lps to boost iron absorption,so tr y t o make sure you include these i n your child'sdiet.You can add fresh or dri ed fru its to breakfastcereals. it's also wort h buying a uice rsoy ou canmake your own fresh-fruitsmoothies.Purefruitjuiceand smoothies are alsogood, b ut be wa ryo f fru itjuice drinks as they o fte n contain as litt le as 10 percent juice so always read the label.Juices are a greatsource of vitamins bu t rem em bert hat only by eatingthe whole f ru i twi l lyourchild be gettingfibre.

As different fruits provide diffe rent nutrients,include as much varie ty as possible in your child's

ne kiwi fruit contains rnorethan the daily adult



Stuffed potatoes make an excellent m eal fortoddlers and thereareendlessvariationson t he fillin gs yo u can make. Prick me dium potatoes all over and brushw it h oil. Bake in an oven preh eate d toigo'C137~ 'F/Cas s fo r 11/4-1% hours or unt iltender.Alternatively,to speed up thecooking,prick th e potatoes,wrap them

in absorbent kitchen paper and pu t the m in the microwaveon high for7-8minutes. Brush the potatoes with oil and then t rans ferto t he oven and cookfor abou t 45-50 minutes or unt il tender.

Carefully spoon thes oft flesh o ut o fth e skins, leaving enough round thesidesfo rth e skins to keep their shape.You are no w ready t o make thevariou sfillings.



Steam the broccoli and cauliflower florets u nti l hey are tender (about6 minutes),then chopfinely.Meanwhile, mash the p otatoflesh wi th th e bu tter and milkun til smooth and creamy.Mix in he cheese,tomatoes,cooked choppedvegetables and salt,and scoop th e m ixtur e back into the potatoskins.Sprinklea littlee xtra grated cheese on top and bro wn under a preheated grill.

Vege'ra ble and CheesePotato F i l lingM A K E S4 A D U LT PORTIONS

q g / r ozeach broccoliandcauliflower, broken into smallflorets4 m edium o r2 arge bakedpotatoes1 5 g f h oz butter120 ml/4fl oz m ilk50 g/2 oz Cheddar cheese, grated2 med ium tomatoes, skinned andc ut int o smallpieces%teaspoon saltCheddar cheese,grated, tofin ish

Tuna an d S \ ~ e e t c o r i i



Tuna an d S \ ~ e e t c o r i iStuff ed Pota-toIfy ou don't have tim e tooven-bake th e potatoes you can bake the mi n a microwa ve,although they wo n't have crispy skins.

MAKES2 ADULT PORTIONS

2 medium bakedpotatoes2 0 0 g/7 oz canned tun a i n oil, drained

75g/3 oz canned orcooked rozen sweetcorn2 tablespoons mayonnaise. 2 tablespoons m ilk2 spr ing onions,finely sliced (optional)75g/3 oz grated Cheddar cheesesalt a nd pepper 1

7 tablespoon olive oi l

Cut the baked potatoes i n half and scoop out theflesh,lea vingenou gh roundthe sidesforthe skins to keep their shape.Mixthe potato wi th theflaked tuna,sweetcorn,mayonnaise, mil k,sp ringo nion (if using) and 50 g12 o zo f the gratedcheese,and season wi th a litt le salt and pepper.Spoon the fi lling back in to th epota to skins,top w it h th e remainingcheese,place on a bak ingtr ay and drizzleove rthe olive oil.C ook forio minutes i n an oven preheated to180'C1350DFIGas4 unt il golden on top.

152 NEW COMPLETE B A B Y& T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N ER

Nu tsan d tof u are great for vegetarians as they contain many of th e nutrientsusually found in an ima l sources.Tofu and cashew nu ts are bot h excellent sourcesof p rotein and iron.

M A K E S10 RISSOLES

15og/5 ozgra ted carroti ediu m courgette (approx. 125g/4% OZ), topped, taile d and grat ed65912% oz leek,finely choppedI arli c clove, crushedzo o g/7 oz chopped bu tto n mushrooms25g/1 m butter2 0 0 g/7 o firm tof chopped nto pieces



2 0 0 g/7 ozfirm tofu, chopped nto pieces

lo og/ 4 oz unsalted cashew nuts,finely choppedlo og /4 ozfresh wh ite breadcrumbs (made rom sliced bread)I ablespoon soy sauceI ablespoon runn y honeysalt a nd pepperflourfor coatingvegetable oil o rfw ng

Prepare thev ege tab les and, usingy our h ands,s queez eout any excess liquidfrom th egrated carrot and courgette.Melt the butter in a frying pan and sautethe leek,garlic,carrot and courgettefor 2 minutes.Add t he mushrooms and cook,stirringoccasionally,for 2-3 minutes.

Add th e tofu,cash ew nuts, breadcrumbs,soy sauce, honey and seasoning,m ix well and for m in to1 0 rissoles.Coat in lour and saute in the o il for a bout2 minute s on each side,until golden.

TODDLERS 153

Couscous isv er yta sty and you can make this in less th an 10 minutes.

M A K E S1 PORTION

45g/1% m o ~ ~ c o ~ s

125 ml/4 floz h o t vegetable stock2 0 g h oz red pepper, diced5 med ium carrot, peeled an d diced2 spring onions, slicedi ablespoon raisins1% tablespoonspine nuts, toasted



DRESSING

i ablespoon oliveo il1% teaspoons lemon uice%teaspoon honeysalt andpepper

Put the couscous in a b owl. Pour over the ho t vegetable stocka nd leave t ostand for about 5 minutes.

Fluff up thecouscous wit h afork.Stir in thed iced vegetables, raisins andpine nuts.W hisk toge ther the ingredien tsfor the dressing and stir into the couscous.

Season t o aste.

This isgo od served cold and cut in to wedges th e nex t day.1 give suggestionson the righ tfo r additions t o he basicomelette.

M A K E S 4 A D U LT P O RT IO N S

3 tablespoons olive o il

1759/6 ozpotatoes,peeledandcut in to i m/% inch cubesi nion, pee led andfinely chopped% small redpepper, deseeded an d chopped50 g/2 az rozen peas

4 eggs2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese,gratedsalt andpepper



p pp

SUGGESTED VARIA TIONS

2 tablespoons Gruyere ns tea d of Parmesan cheesei arge chopped om atoor50g/2 oz mushrooms, slicedi tablespoon resh chives,snippedor

io og /4 oz cooked ha m or bacon, cubed50g/2 ozsweetcorn insteadofpeas

Heat the oil in a non-stick18 cm17 inch fry ing pan. Fry the potato and onion fo r5 minutes,then add the pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes.Add th e peasand cook for a furth er 5 minutes. Beat theegg s toge ther with 1 tablespoon waterand th e Parmesan,and season wi th salt and pepper. Pourthis mix tur eo ve rth evegetables and cook for 5 minutes or un til heo me lette isalm ost set.Tofinish,

brown he to p under a preheated grill for about3

minutes or u nti l golden.(You can wrap the handle ofth efr yin g pan w ith silver foil to preventit burningif necessary.) Cut i nt o wedges and serve w it h salad.

T O D D L E R S 15 5

An na bel's Hidde n-Ve geta bleTo ma to SauceThis is th e perfect recipefor children w ho wo n't eat their vegetables,as allthevegetablesare blended into th e tom ato sauce sothey can't be identified

or picked out.This tas ty sauce can be used as a to pp in gf or pizzasor as a saucefo r chicken and rice.

M A K E S 4 ADULT PORTIONS

2 tablespoons ight olive oi li arlic clove, crushedi edium onion,peeledandfinely choppedio og /4 oz carrots peeledandgrated



io og /4 oz carrots,peeledandgrated

50 g/2 oz courgette, grated5og/2 oz but to n mushrooms,slicedi easpoon balsamic vinegar40 0 9/74 oz passota (ready-sievedtomatoes)i easpoon soft brow n sugar7 vegetablestock cube dissolvedin 4 0 0 m l/% pi nt boilin g watera handful fresh basilleaves, to rn

salt andfreshlyground blackpepperH ea tth eo il n a saucepan,add th e crushed garlicand sa utefo ra f ew seconds,then add the onion and saute fo ra fu rthe r2 minutes.Add th e carrots, courgetteand mushroo ms and saute for 4 minutes,stirring occasionally.Add the balsamicvinegar and cookfor i min ute.S tir i n he passaTa and sugar,cover and simmer for8 minutes.Add thevegetablestock and cookfor 2 minutes,stirringcontinuously.Add the basil and season to aste.Transfer t o a blender and blitz un til smooth.

156 NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N ER



H o m e - m a d e Fast F o o d P i z z a o oThesedelicious easy-to-make pizzas are always popular.Ifyou prefe ryou canuse crumpets, halved small baguettes or split pi tta brea dsgrilled for a m inu teor tw oa sth e baseofthe pizzas.

M A K E S 2 I N D I V I D U A L P I ZZ A S

E gli h fl lit i h lf



i English mufln, split in halfI ablespoon good-qua lity toma to sauce7 teaspoon re d pestoi tablespoon olive oi l% sm all r ed onion, peeled an d chopped2 bu tto n mushrooms,slicedsmallc courgette (approx.5og/z oz), thinlysliced

I lice ha m orsalami, cut in to pieces (optional)

509 /2 ozg rated Cheddar or m ozzarella cheesesalt andfreshlyground black pepper

Toast the muffin un til golden and leave tocool.Preheat the g rill to h igh.M ixthepassata ort om ato sauce and p estoand spread over the muffins. Heat the oliveoil in afryingpa nand cooktheonionforzmjnutes , then addthemushroomsand courgette and cook un til softened and golden.~eason o taste .

Divide the vegetable mix ture between th e m uff in bases and spread overevenly.Sprinkle ove rthe ham or salami (i f using) and to p w it h thecheese.Place und ert he preheated grill and cookfor about 4 minutes or un til goldenand bubbling.



Salmon isa good source of om ega -3fatty acids,which are Imp orta ntfo r brainand visual development. Doctors recomm end nclud ing a t easttwooil-richfish dishes a week to keep the heart in good shape.Thesefishcakestaste goodho t or cold.

MAKES8 F I S H C A K E S

joog/77 ozpotatoes, peeledand cut in to chunks15g/% 02 butter400 9/14 oz cann edred salm on, drained!h sm all onion, peeled andfinely chopped2 spring onions, inely chopped2 t blespoons tom to ketch p



2 tablespoons tom ato ketchupsalt a nd pepperflourfor coatingr egg, lightly beaten75g/3 ozm atzo m ea lor breadcrumbsoi l orfrylng

Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of ligh tly salted water. D rain and mash wi th

th e butter. Flake the s almon and carefully remove any bones .Mixw ith th emashed potato,onion,spring onions,tomato ketchup and seasoning. Forminto about Sfishcakes,coat inflou r,dip in he egg and then coat in matzomeal or breadcrumbs. Heat the o il in a large frying pan and fry the fishcakeson b oth sides un til golden.



Giraindlma'bTa&y Fiislh Pie .:-This is oneof my mother's recipesand isa greatfav ouritew ith all thefamily.Thereis neverany leftthe next day.

IWK@S b tW9&TRBZN@YXX

45 og /i lb cod or haddockfillets, skinned

i gg, lig htl y beatenioog /4 ozfine breadcrumbs

I nion, peeleda ndfinely chopped1% tablespoons olive oi l75g/3 ozgre en pepper cored deseededand chopped



75g/3 ozgre en pepper, cored, deseededand chopped150 g/5 oz redpepper, cored, deseededond chopped40og/14 oz canned tomatoes

tablespoons om ato pureeteaspoon soft b row n sugar

i ablespoon pla in lour250 m1/8fl oz m ilk75g/3 oz Cheddarcheese,grated40 9/15 oz Parmesan cheese,grated

Preheattheoven do i8o"C13~o'F/Gas4.Cutthefishfiilets into abo ut12 pieces,dip in seasonedfl ur,then in to th e ightly beaten egg,andfinally coat in

breadcrumbs.Sau C in heveg etableo il unt il goldenon both sides. Drain onkitchen paper. t

Saute he onion i n he olive oil for3 -4 minutes. Add th e peppers and cook for5 minutes. Drain half of th e uice from th e tomatoes-then add the tomatoes andth e re ma inin gjui cet oth e peppers wit h the to m at o puree and sugar.Season

tota ste and cookfor about 5 minutes.Mixthecooked f ish w ith t he tom ato sauceandtran sfertoan ovenproof dish.

Make a cheese sauce w it h the butter,flour and milk,stirringover a lo w heatun til smooth and thick (see page 67). Rem ovefrom th e heat and stir in wo -third softh ech edd ar and Parmesan.

Pourthecheese sauce ove rthe fish fillets.Sp rinklewith th e remaining grated

cheeseand bake in the preheated oven for about z o minutes.Brown und eraho t grill.

Fish in Creamy Mushroom Sauce $2 o o

For older children,cook22 5g/8 ozfr esh spinach, lay each wh ole fille t on a bedof spinach and pour ov ert he sauce.



MAKES4 A D U LTPORTIONS

i m al l onion, peeled andfinely chopped40 g/i% oz butt er225g/8oz bu tt on mushrooms, washedandfinely chopped2 tablespoons lem on uice2 tablespoons resb parsley, chopped2 tablespoonsplain lour

300 ml / io p oz mi lki ole orplaice,filleted

Frythe onion in h alfth e b utter un til ransparent.Add th e mushrooms, lemonjuiceand parsley and cookfor2 minutes.Add the flour and cookfo ra minutes,stirringcontinuously.Add th e milkgradually andcook,stirringcontinuously,un til the sauce isthic k and smooth.

Fry the sole fillets i n he rest o ft h e butterf orz- 3 min ute son each side.

Cut orflake the fish into small piecesand mix w it h he mushroom sauce.Alternatively,coverthe uncooked fish wit h the m ushroom sauceand bakein the oven preheated toi8o"C/35 o0W Gas4 forabou t 1 5 minutes or un tilthefishjustflakes.

M um m y's Favourite Fish Pie :x: o o

Ifyou w ant your child to grow up likingfish th en you should try this deliciousfish pie. It's good t o reeze indi vidu al portions in ramekin dishesfor days whe nyou don't w an tt o cook.

MAKES4MlNlFISH PIES

500 g/i Ib2 ozpotatoes, peeled and diced4 tablespoons m ilk75 g/3 oz butter1 sm al l onion,finely chopped2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded an d chopped1% tablespoons lour2 0 0 ml/7fl oz milk



225g/8oz codfillets, skin ned and cut in to airlylarge cubes225g/8ozsalmonfi l lets ,skinnedandcut in to airlylarge cubesi ablespoon choppedparsleyi ay eaf50g/2 ozg rate d Cheddar cheesei gg, lig htl y beatena li tt le salt a nd reshly grou nd black pepper For children over one)

Cook th e potatoes in a pan of lig ht ly salted water u nt il end er (about 15 minutes),then d rainand mash t oge the rwi th the4 tab lespoonsof milkand ha l fo f t hebut ter and season totas te.

M el t the rema ining bu tter in a heavy-based saucepan and saute th e onionfor3 minutes.Add thechopped toma toesan dsaute forz-3 minutes.Stir in theflouran d coo kfo ri minute.Add the milk, brin,gto the boil and coo kfo ri minute.Stir in th e cod,salmon, parsley and bay leaf and s imm erfo r 3-4minutes.Remove th e bay leaf,stir in the gra ted Cheddar un til m elted and season t o aste.

Prehe attheove n toi8o"C135o"FICas4. Divide the fish between 4 ramekindishes (about 8-io cm I4 inches in diameter) and to p wit h the mashed potato.Brush th e pota to w it h ligh tly beaten egg and bake in heo ven for 15-20 minutes.You can brown the m under a preheated grill for a few minutes at th ee nd if

you wish.

164 N E W C O M P L E T EBABY & T O DD L ER M E A L P L A N N E R



Kids' Kedgeree :z o o

This really scrummy kedgeree makes a great family meal tha t is po pu lar wi thkids.It'sthe kind of food you could eat for breakfast or supper. Ify ou w an tt o makea smalleramount,simply halvethequantities.

M A K E S 6 A D U LT P O RT IO NS

350 g/iz oz undyedsmoked haddocklo o ml/3%fl z double creamz5g/i oz bufferi nion, peeled an d choppedi easpoon mi ldcu rry poste2009/70z basmatirice, cookedi easpoon lemon u ice



2 tablespoon s resh parsley, chopped2 hard-bo iled eggs, choppedsalt andpepper

Placethe haddock in a microwave-proof dish and pour o vert he cream.Coverw it h clingfilm,piercea few tim es w it h the tip o f a sharp knifeand place in themicrowave on High for5-6 minutes.Meanwhile,in a fryin g pan orw ok, me ltthebutter and sautetheo nion fo r8 minutes un til soft.Stirin thecurry paste andrice and co ok for iminute,stirringcontinuously.Flake in the haddockand addth e cook ing liquor, lemon uice, parsley and chopped eggs.Season wi th saltand pepper i f necessary.



Tuiia TagliatelleMAKES 6 ADULT PORTIONS

5 onion, peeledandfinely chopped25g/i oz butteri ablespoon cornflour120 mi/4fl oz water40 0 9/14 oz conned cream of tom at o soupa pinch of mix edd ried herbsi ablespoon reshparslej choppedzoo g/7 oz canned tuna, drained andflakedblack pepper175 g/6 ozg ree n tag liate lle

i bl d h



i ablespoo ngra ted Parmeson cheeseM U S H R O O M C H EE S E SA U C E

5 onion, pee led andfinely chopped4 0 g h 5 oz bu tt erio og /4 oz mushrooms, washe dandsliced2 tablespoons piain iour300 m i/io flozmiik

l o o g/4 oz Cheddar cheese,grated

Forthe sauce,fry the onion in the b utter u ntil transparent,then add thesliced mushroom s and saute forab ou t 3 minutes.Add the flo ur and continuestirringthe m ixture all thetime.W henit isw ell mixed,add the milkgradu allyand cook,stirring until thickened and smooth.Removefrom the heat and stirin the gra ted cheese. I

Fry the onion in he butter un til soft.Stirthe cornflour in to th e water untildissolved, rn ix wi th the tom ato soup then add t o the onion.Add the mixeddried herbs and fresh parsley and cook,stirring,overa low he at fo r5 m inutes.M ix in theflaked tuna and heat through.Season w it h a littl e black pepper.

Boil he tag liatelle in water un til al dente,then drain.Grease a serving dishand add the tuna and tom ato mixed with th e pasta and then the mushroomcheese sauce.Top w i th grated ParmesamBake in an oven preheated oi8ooC/35o"WGasq f o r 20 minutes. Brown under a ho t grill before serving.

i h P d



Tuna w i t h Pasta and TomatoesThe red onion and sunblush tom atoe sgive this pasta dish a lovely flavou rSunblush tom atoe s aresweet,sem i-dried tomatoes,and are no t as hardas norm al sun-dried tomatoes.

M A K E S4 PORTIONS

2oog/7ozpenne2 tablespoons olive oili me diu m red onion, peeled andfinely sliced4 ripe pl um tomatoes, quartered, deseed edandro ughly choppedzoog/7o zcanne d tuna i n oil, drained75g/3 ozsunblush tomatoes, choppedi teaspoon balsam icvinegara handfuloffresh basil eaves, to rnsalt andfreshlyground black pepper

Cook the penne in bo iling salted water ac cordingto th e packet instructions.Meanwhile, heat the o il in a fry ing pan,add th e onion and cookfor about6 minutes,stirringoccasionally un til softened.Stir in he fresh tomato esand cookfor2-3 minutes unt il beginning t o soften.Add the tuna,sunblushtomatoes, balsarnicvinegar, basil and seasoning and cook for 1 min ute beforestirring in to the pasta and serving.

I TODDLERS 169

L ,( l i . , q ! ~ l - > ~ i ~. ,!y,ii,,~,.gi:~,e;. ; , , ,',.~;;g!!,!ji.... i/~$jiii~ij$t:~,~:~,

Don't be afraid t o t r y out n ewt aste son your child-this recipeflavoured withm ild cu rry and coconut sauce isverypopular.Youngchlldren often surpriseus and like quitesophisticatedfood s and it's usu aliye asie rtog et children t oaccept newtasteswhiisttheyareyoung.This wou ld m akea good meal for

the wholefamily.(,"iI'~ol b . . <,.,.4J*:liiii6.

i,~,v:.'i3'i(p?vbji

i ablespoon soy saucei ablespoon sake%teaspoon sugari easpoon cornflour



1% chicken brea stscu t intas trip s125g/4% oz Chinese nood lesi ablespoon vegetableoilj spr ing onions, slicedi arlicclove, crushed!h teaspoon re d chilll, deseeded andc hopped

; Y2-2 teaspoons korma curry paste150 ml/5fl oz chicken stock (seepage 76)150 ml/5floz coconu t m ilk75913 oz baby corn cobs, c ut i n to quartersioog /4 oz beansprouts75g/3 oz rozen p<as

marina tethe chicken for

th e packet instructions,drainand rinse under cold water. He atth eve geta ble oil in a wo k or frying pan and stir-frythespringonions,garlicand chilli for abo utz minutes. Drain th e m arinadefrom thechicken,add t o he wokan d continuetostir-fryfor2 rninutes.Add thecurry paste,chicken stockand coconut mi ika nd cook for 5 minutes over a lowheat.Add t he baby corn and beansprouts and cook for 3-4 rninutes.Add t he peasand cookfor 2 minutes rnore.Add th e no odle stot he pan t o heatthrough.

Bar-B-0 ChickenAgood marinade wil l t ransform your barb e~u e~te nde rising theeat,as we llas ad din ga deliciousflavour.l use a Weber Bar-B-Q,which hasa cover,enablingme t o barbecue all year roun dse ven n England. Use go 0 g12 lb bre ast of chicken,skinned and on the bone,with these marinades-they also wo rkw ell wit hbeef or lamb.

MAKES4-5 ADULT PORTIONS

H O l S i N M A R I N A D E

2 tablespoonssoy sauce2 tablespoons ho isin sauce2 tablespoons rice wine vinegarI ablespoon honeyI ablespoon vegetable o il%t h dg li ( ti l)



%teaspo on crushedgarlic (optional)

TERIYAI(1 MARINADE

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar2 tablespoonssoy sauceI ablespoon honey% tablespoon sesame oi lI easpoongratedginger roo t (optional)i ablespoon slicedspring o nion

M ixa ll he marinade ingredientstogether.Marinatethechickenfor at least2 hours,then barbecue, ba stin ga nd ur ni ng occasionally for15-25 minutes.Dark meat takes lon gerto coo k than wh ite meat.Chicken should be cookedthrough, bu t n ot overcooked or it wi ll become dry. Ify ou are unsure abou tcooking meat thoroug hly before thesur faceis charred,cook it In an ovenprehea ted o 2oo"C/4oo"WGas 6f or 25-30 minu tes and finish it on thebarbecue for a fe w minutes t o g ivea n authen tic flavour.

Chicken SatayThese barbecued chicken skewers are fun t o eat and very pop uia rw ithtoddlers. Help your child tak eth e m eat o ff th e skewers,then rem oveth e

skewers-theycouid becomedangerous in th e hands of exuberant children



skewers theycouid becomedangerous in th e hands of exuberant children.

MAKES2 ADULT PORTIONS

2 chicken breasts, offth e boneI ma ll onion, peeledI ma ll re d pepper, deseeded

M A R I N A D E

2 tablespoonspeanut butterI ablesp oon chicken stock (seepage 76) !

I ablespoon rice wine vinegarI ablespoon honeyI ablespoon soy sauceI easpoon crushedgorlic(optiona1) t ',r teaspoon sesame seeds, to as ted (optional) : ',

Mi xto ge th er th e marinade ingredients.Soak4 bamboo skewers in water ? .

t o prevent th em g ettin g scorched.Cut th e chicken,onion and pepper in to....

'. \\chunks.Leavethe chicken in the marinade for a t least z hours.Thread w it hth eo nio n and pe ppe ronto the skewers (o rju st use chicken).Cook under ' \

a preheated grill for abo ut 5 min ute s each side, ba stingoccasionally. '\

Alternativeiy,cookon a barbecue or griddle. . i\ -9c-

172 NE W C O M P L E T E B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R

Chicken Soup with Pastaa n d Vegetables . i

This is a quickand easy chicken noodle soup th at isvery popular w ithmy threechildren.Vermice1li is fine pasta th at comes rolled up in nests

M A K E S6 PORTIONS

i itre/i3/4 pin ts chicken stocki ablespoon vegetable oili nian,peeled an d hin ly slicedi ar lic clove, crushedi25g/4% oz chicken breast, cu t in to bite-sizedpieces'/4 teaspoon chicken seasoning50g/2 ozgreen beans, topped, t aile da nd cu t int o short lengths

50 g/2oz

vermicelli or t iny p asta starsi omato skinned deseededand chopped



g y pi omato , skinned, deseeded and chopped

Make up the chicken stock in a pan us inge ither 2 chicken stock cubes and bo ilingwater, liquid stockfrom a supermarket or my recipeon page76.Meanwhile, heatthevege tableoil in another saucepan and sautethe onion and garlicfor2 minutes.Add th e chicken,sprinkle w it h chicken seasoning and saute for i ninute,stirringoccasionally,then add the green beans and saute for3 min utes .Mix thec hicke n,onion,green beansand vermicelli wit h th e chicken stock.Bringto the boi1,thenreduceth e heat and cookfor 3-4 minutes or un til he pasta is cooked and th ebeans areju st tender.Stir i n he chopped toma to and cook for 1 minute.

M a r i n a t e d C hic ke n on t h e G rid d le o o

I enjoy cooking chicken,meat or fish on a griddle,and it's a really healthy way ofcookingas it usesvery l i t t1e fat . M~hree children love thi s recipe as ma rin ati ngth e chicken gives it a lovely flav our and makesit more tender.Make sure th egriddle is reaily hot before you lay thef oo d onit.

MAKES 2 ADULT PORTIONS

2 boneless chicken breastsI ablespoon oliveoi l

MARINADE

I ablespoon lemonju iceI ablespoon soy sauceI ablespoon honeyI ma llgar lic clove peeled andsliced



I ma llgar lic clove, peeled andsliced2 sprigs offresh rosemary (opt ional)

Scorethe chicken breasts 2o r 3 times w it h a sharp knife.Season wi th saltand pepper.Mix together all the in gredien tsforthe marinadeand m arinatethechicken for a t least 2 hours. Heat thegriddle, brush w it h o il th e n removethechicken from the m arinadeand cookfor 4-5 mi nute son each side or un til

cooked through .Cut int o strips and serve w it h co lourful vegetables such ascarrots, broccoli or peas,and c hips or mashed potato.



Mulligatawny ChickenThis recipe hasa tom ato base and a mild curry fla vo urt ha t children love.lt hasbeen a family fa vouritesince Iwasa child and was invented by my mother. It isbest served w i th rice and ,for special occasions,you can serve poppadoms asan accompanirnent.They are availab lein m os t supermarkets.

MAKES8ADULT PORTIONS

i hicken, cut in to ab out iopieces,skinnedseasonedflourvegetable o il2 medium onions, peeled an d chopped6 tablespoons om ato puree2 tablespoons mildcu rry pow der

g o o ml/i% pints chicken stock (seepage 76)



i arge or 2 sma ll apples, cored an d hi nl y slicedi ma ll carrot, peeled an d thinly slice d2 lemon slices75g/3 ozsu ltanasi ay eafi essertspoon brow n sugar

salt andpepperCoat thechicken pieces w it h seasonedflour.Fry inve geta bleo il un ti l goldenbrown. Drain o n kitch en paper and place in a casseroledish.

Frytheon ion in a little oil u nti l golden,then stir in the tom ato puree.Add thecurrypowdera d con tinu etos tirfo ra couple of minutesovera low heat.Stiri n ztablespoonsofflour, then pour in 300 m lh o fl oz ofth e stock, mixingwell .

11Add the apple,carrot, lemon slices,sultanas, bay leaf and th e rest of thes tock .

Season w it h bro wn sugar,salt and pepper. Pourthes auceove rthechicken in hecasserole,cover and co o kf o ri hou r in an oven preheated o18o"C/35o"F/Gas4.Rem ovethe lemo n slices and bay 1eaf;take thech icke n of ft he bone and cut it

in to pieces.

176 NEW COMPLETE BABY& TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R

ijesaime C[hiiciken~NUIwYi[hCh[me!seSaujceThese crisp sesame-coated nuggets in a tasgood served wi th Special Fried Rice (seethese wi th chopsticks-you can buy plasticchat th e top an d areveryeasy forchildren t o use.Sesallergic reaction i n youn g children.Although this is verclosely, particularlyif he is allergic to ansuch as eczema or a sthma.

h!ZYZ$i@ TtUE@Z!B2 chicken breasts, off th e bone andskin ned



oo g/4 oz sesame seeds2 tablespoons vegetable o il

gCirmL<fz wiw3

250 m1/8fl oz unsaltedchicken stock (seepage76)2 teaspoons soy saucei teaspoon sesame oi lI ablespoon caster sugarI easpoon cider vinegarI ablespoon cornflourI pring onion,flnely sliced

Cut each chicken breast int othe mi lkand dipthe nuggets o theeg gand f inai lycoat w it h sesame seeds. F turningthechickenfrequently,untii goldeingredients for th e sauc

I

Bring toth e boil andtpringon ion and pou

TODDLERS

Red meats A n na bel's Tasty Beefburge rs :%<o o

The grated apple makes these beefburgers re ally mo ist and tasty.Serve in a bunw it h salad and ketchup,an d some oven-baked chips.They are alsogo od cookedon a barbecue In summer. If yo u wa ntto free ze burgers it's best tofre eze the muncooked on a tray lined w it h clingfilm.Then,whenfrozen,w rapeach one

individually in cling film so tha t you can remove and defrostthe m as and whenyou need them .

MAKES8 BURGERS

% red pepper, cored, deseeded an d choppedi nion, peeled andfinely choppedi ablespoon vegetable oi l45 og /i lb ean minced beef or lambi ablespoon resh pa rs le j choppedi hicken stock cube finely cru mbled



i hicken stock cube,finely cru mbledi pple,peeledandgratedi gg, ligh tly beaten25g /i ozfresh breadcrumbsi easpoon Worcestershire saucesalt andfreshlyground black pepper

a little plain lourvegetable oilfor brushing agr iddl epa n orforfrying

Frythe red pepper and ha lft he onion in thevegetable oil forabo ut 5 minutesor u nti l softened. In a mix ing bowl,combine th e sauteed onion, pepper andremaining rawpnio n wi th all the ingredients excep tfort he flour and vegetableo i l .~ i th f lo ur ed ands,form in to8 burgers. Brush a griddle pan wi th a litt le oiland,when hot,place4 burgerson the grid dle and cookfo rabou t 5 minuteseach

sideor unt il browned and cooked through. Repeat wit h the remaining burgers.Alternatively,fry in a little h ot oil in a sha llow fryin g pan.Serve th e burgers ontheir own or in a toasted hamburger bun w it h salad and ketchup.

178 NEW C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER



Cocl<taiI Me at ba l l s w i t hTo m a t o S a u c e ::: o o


T O M AT O S A UC E

1% tablespoons lig ht olive oili edium onion,peeled andc hoppe digarlicclove, crushed250 g/g oz resh ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseededandchopped4 0 0 9/14 oz canned tomatoes, choppedi teaspoo n balsamic vinegari teaspoo n castersugarsalt and reshly gro und black pepperi tablespo on resh basil, to rn



MEATBALLS

350 g/?zDZ lean minced beefi medium onion,peeledandfinely chappedi ranny Smith apple, peeled a ndg rate d50912 m resh wh ite breadcrumbsi tablespo on resh parsley, choppedi chicken stock cube,flnelycrumbled and dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling watersalt andfreshlygro und black pepperplain lourforform ing meatballsvegetab le oilforfrying

To ma keth e tqi na to sauce, he att he oi l in a saucepan and gently cook theonion and garlic until softened.Stir in th efr es h om ato esa nd cookfor 1 minute.

Add t h e canned tomatoes,vine gar,suga r and seasoning and cook for 20 minutesover a low h eat.Add t he basil and th en blend in a food processorto make asmo oth sauce.

Meanwhile,mix together th e ingredie ntsforthe meatballs .Usingflouredhands,form into a bout 2 4 balls . Heat the oil in afry ing pan and saute themeatballs ove rafa irly highheat,turningoccasionally,until browned,thenreducethe hea t and cont inu etoco okfora bout 5 minutes.Pourovertheto m a to sauceand contin ue tocook,co vered,for 10-15 minutes .

M in i M inu te Steaksoo

These min i steaks w it h a full-flavoured gravyan d sauteed potatoes areabsolu tely delicious.

M AKES2 ADULTOR 4 CHILDPORTIONS

2 tablespoons vegetable oi li

nion, peeled and thi nly slicedi easpoon castersugari ablespoon water2 0 0 ml/7floz beef stocki easpoon cornflour mix ed with1 tablespoon watera ew drops of Worcestershire saucei easpoon toma to puree

salt an d pepper350 9/72 oz peeledpotatoes



350 9/72 oz peeled potatoesq g / i oz bu tte r4 X 609/21/2 ozminu testeaks fillet or rump), abo ut5 m m P h nch thick

To make thegravy, heat i ablespoon ofthe vegeta bleoi l in a fryingpan.Addthe oni on and cook'for7-8 minutes un tilj us t turn ing golden brown.Stir in thesugar and water,increase the heat and cookfor about 1 minute un t i l he water

has evaporated.Stir i n he beefstock,cornflour mixed wit h1 ablesp oon water,Worcestershire sauce and tom at o puree.Season w it h salt and pepper.Cook,stirring,for 2-3 minute s un til thickened.

Forthe sauteed potatoes,cutthe potatoes into largechunks, b rin gt ot heboil in lightly salted water and cookfor abo utX minutes un til they arejusttender. Drain and cu t int o1 cm11/2 inch-thickslices. Heat the bu tter in a f ryin gpan and saute the potatoesfor 5-6 minutes,turningoccasionaliy un til goldenbro wn and crispy.

Heat the remain ing oil in afry ing pan,season the steaks and fry for1-2 minu teseach side.Serve w it h th e gravy and sauteed potatoes.

S h i - e d d e d Bee-Fwi-t i iBroccoliAqu ick and easy-to-prepare beef stir-fry w it h a tasty sauce.To toa st sesameseeds,stir-frythem in a dryfr yin g pan for a couple of m inutes un til golden,stirr ing to make suretha t they don't burn.

M A K E S4 A D U L T PORTIONS

175916 oz ricei ablespoon sesameoil%tablespoon sunflower oili nion, peeled an d choppedi arl ic clove, crushedi edium carrot,peeled and cut int o matchsticksl o og/4 oz broccoli lorets250g/9 oz beeffillet, cu t intofi ne stripsi ablespoo n cornflour



i ablespoo n cornflour150 ml/5 fl oz beef stock2 tablespoons dark bro wn sugar1% tablespoons soy saucei ablespoon toastedsesameseeds

Cook the riceaccording to th e packet instructions.He atthe sesame oil andsunflower oil in a woko rfry ing pan and st ir-frytheon ion and garlicfor3-4m1nutes.Add th e carrot an d broccoli and stir-fry for2 minutes.Add th e beefstrips and stir-fry for4-5 minutes.Mix the cornflo urw ithr tablespoon o f coldwater and stir in to th e beef stock.Stirthis in to th e pan,together w ith thesugar,soy sauce and toasted sesameseeds. Brin gt o a sim me ran d coo kfo rz minutes.Serve wit h t he cooked rice.

A really good home -made to m at o sauce is always popu lar- it can be sewedw it h any typ eo f pasta and maybe freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

("yyS? 4i l:ra:Kc<*,>,%

3 tablespoons olive oi li nion,peeledandchoppedr garlicclove, pee ledan d crushed4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseeded an d chopped4o og /i4 oz canned tomatoes, choppeda pinch of sugarr bay eaf2 tablespoonsfresh basil, chappedsalt a nd pepper250 g/g oz spa gheiti



250 g/g oz spa gheiti

Heat the oi l in a saucepan and saute theon ion and garlicfor 5-6 minutes untilsoftened.Add th e fresh and canned tomatoes,sugar, bay leaf and chopped basil,then season wit h salt and pepper. Bring o a simmer and cook f o r m minutes.Meanwhile,cookthespaghetti accordingto t he packet instructions. Drain th epasta and mi xw it h he sauce.

Bow-Ties with Gruyere and CherryTomatoes o o

Agreatfavourite wit hmy children,this can be eaten eitherw arm or cold.



MAKES4 PORTIONS

175g/6 oz bow-tie pastai tablespoon white wine vinegarj tablespoons olive oi l%teaspoon Dijon m ustard (optional)a pin ch of sugara little sa lt andfreshlyground blackpepperi tablespoon resh chives,snippedioog /4 ozcherry tomatoes, halvedo rquartere d50g/2 oz Gruyere cheese,grated

Cook the pasta /n lig htly salted water accord ingto the packet instructions.Make a vinaigrdtte by mixingtogetherthevinegar,oil, mustard(if using),sugar

and seasoning,then add the snipped chives.Drain the pasta and pu t in to a bowl,then m ix wi th t he cherry tomatoes and grated Gruysre cheese.Shakethevinaigrette ,pourove rthe pasta and toss wel l toco at.

Three Cheese S a u c e Q Q

This makes a really delicious,creamy cheese sauce for pasta.Ifyo u like you canadd a couple of slices of good-quality cooked ha qs hr ed de d.

MAK ES4 PORTIONS

30 g / i oz butter

30 9'1 0Zfl0uf300 ml/ i i f loz milk5og/z oz Gruyere cheese,grated40g/1v2 oz Parmesan cheese,gratedisog /5 oz mascarpone cheese

Me lt the butter,stirin t hef lou r and cook for1 minute.Cradually add th e milk,then continue tos ti rfo rs minutes overa lo w heat until the sauce thickens.

Remove from the heat, stir in th e Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses unt il melted,then stir in he mascarpone.



Spaghetti PrimaveraAsi mp le recipe for spagh etti w it h sp ringvegetables in a tasty cheese sauce.Youcould alsom aketh is wi th pastashapes.

M A K E S4 PORTIONS

75og/5 ozspaghetti1 tablespoon olive oi l



pI onion, choppedi ar lic clove, crushedi ediu m ca rrot (approx. 75913 oz) cut int o matchsticksi ediu m courgette (approx. 75g/3 oz) c ut int o matchsticksi25g/4% oz cauliflowercut intosmallflorets150 m l/5 flo zli gh t creme raiche150 m1/5f/ oz vegetable stock (seepage@)50 g/2 oz rozen peas5og/2 oz resh Parmesan cheese,grated

Cook thespagh etti accordingto the packet ir(stru ctio ns.~ the same tim ehe att he oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and saute the o nion and garlicfor 1 minute.Add t he carrot and courgette matchsticksand saute,stirringoccasionally,for 2-3 rninutes.Meanwhile, blanch the cau liflow er in li ghtl ysalted boiling wa terfo r5 minu tesor steam until tender.Add thecremefraiche,vegetablestockand peas tot he ca rro t and courgette and stirin.Cookfor2-3 minu tes beforestirring in he Parmesan.Drain the spa ghe tti and tosswi th the sauce.



Fruit Apple and Blackberry Cru m ble $3 o o

A really good crumble burs ting w it h fru it is comfort foo d at its ver y best andvery easy t o prepare. I hin kfr ui ts wit h a slightly ta rt flavour are best in acrum ble.Ago od com bination is4 00 g11 lb rhubarb,thinly sliced and mixed wi thl o o gl4ozstra wberrie s and 4tablespoons of caster sugar-th is doesn't need

any pre-cooking.You could also ma keth is in ndividua l ramekins.Sprinklingthedish w it h the ground almond sensures some of th e liquid is absorbed,so th at itdoesn't bubbleoverthetop.You don't need to do th is if using small ramekins.

MAKES6 PORTIONS

4og/1% oz buf fer750 g/' Ib11 oz eatin g apples (e.g. Gala, Pink Lady), peeled, co red and chopped2% tablespoons soft bro wn sugar

350 g/12 oz blackberries, resh orfrozen2 tablespoonsgroundalmonds ((fusing one largedish)



CRUMBLETOPPING

i ~ o g / 5zplainfloura generous pinc h of sa ltioog /4 ozcold butter, cut in to cubes85g/3% oz demerara sugar25 g / i oz porridge oats

M el tt he b utter in a large pan and saute the chopped apples w it h thesug arfor 3-4 minutes,stirringoccasionaliy.Finally,stir i n h e blackberries.

Sprinkle th e baseof a 2 0 cm18 inch round,glass ovenproof dish w it h th eground almo nds!~h ishelps t o soak up some of thejuices.Spoon th ef ru it overthe top.~i ternadvely,make individual portions and spoon th e fruit into six

1ocm/3% inch ramekin dishes.The ramekins will seem qui tef ul l bu t the f ru itwi ll reducedown as it cooks.To mak eth etop ping ,wh iz th efiour,salt, butt er and sugar in a food processor

and then stir in the porridgeoats.Alternatively,mixtogethertheflour,salt an dsugar,and th en rub in he bu tterus ingyo urfing ers;s tirin th e porridge oats.

Preheat the oven toi80°C13500FIGas4.Sprinkle the crumble topping overthe f ru it and bake in the oven for35 minutes.



Really simple and quick t o prepare,these individu al mini-cheesecakesare madein m uff in casesand don't need any baking.Everyone in m y family thinks theyareyummy.Great fora tea party or birthd ay celebration.They are also fun forchildren to make themselves.lfyou don't w a nt to make these in paper cases

you could also make the m in small glass ramekins.M A K E S 6 M I N I - C H E E S E C A K E S

6 digestive biscuits5 o g h oz but ter1xz5og/g oz tub mascarpone cheese6 tablespoons em on curdI ablespoon lemonju ice120 ml/4fl oz double creamj easpoons lemo n curd (optional)



Line a mu ffin tray w ith6 large paper cases. Put the biscuits in a bag and crushthe m into crumbs usinga rolling pin.Melt the butter and stir in the crumbs.Div idet hec rum bs between the mu ffin cases and use clean fingers t o pressfirm ly int ot he base.Chill in hefridge whilstyo u prepare the filling.

Bea ttog eth erth e mascarpone cheese, lemon curd and lemon uice in anelectric mixer.Whip th e cream unt il it ju s t holds its shape (soft peaks). Fold th ecream in to thecheese m ixture.Spoon the f illing into th e paper cases. If you likeyou can tope ach one wi th half a teaspoon of lemon curd and swirl this w it ha cocktail stick t o make a pattern.

190 NEW C O M PL E TE B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A LPLANNER



AnnabelJs Bread an dButter Pudding o o

This is th e perfect pudd ingf or when the cupboard is pretty bare. It is alsodelicious ma de w it h raisin bread,cholla or sliced panetton ecake.



M A K E S 4 A D U L T P O RTI ON S

3 o g / ~ % z butter a t room temperature,plus extra orgreasing4 slices whi te bread, crusts removed2 tablespoons apri cotja m50 912 oz raisins250 m1/8fl oz double cream250 m1/8floz milk1 easpoon vanilla extract2 large eggsplu syolkof T egg50 912 oz casteriugar

reheat the ov 2n to16o"C/3r5"F/Gas 3.Spread a th in layer of b utte r on the

bread,then spread on the apricotjam:Cut th e bread in to triangles. Lightly b u t te ~a 21 x i 6 x 6 cm(approx.i.5 litres) rectangular baking dish.Arrange th e slices ofbread in the bakingd ish and scatter overth e raisins.Whisk toge the rthe cream,milk,vanilla,eggs and sugar and po ur thi s overth e bread.The bread should n otbe completely covered but should stick up o ut o fthe cre am mixture so th at th etop becomes crisp. Put the baking dish in a large roastin gtin and pour b oilin gwa ter to halfway up thedish . Bakefor40-45 minutes.

Ice LolliesMake up you r own flavours. Experiment w it h different com binations like purhedand strained fresh or frozen berries sweetened wit h a l ittl e icingsu gar and m ixedw it h cranberry or blackcurrantjuice.You can also mix in some yog hu rt such asmini-probioticdrinkingyoghurts.Tryblendinga t in of lychees w ith a little lemonor lim eju ice and sieve fo ra refreshing ice lolly.

St raw be rry Sorbet Lollies o o

Ifth ere s one food th at no child can resist it's an ice lolly.Most shop-boughtlollies arefull o f artificial flavourin g and colouring so it's much b ett ert o makeyour ow n fromfreshfruit.Strawberries contain higher levelsof vitaminCtha n any other berries.Two-tone ice lollies arefun. H alf-fill th e m oulds wit h

,l thestraw berry sorbet,freezefora couple of hours and then pouro veranorange-coloured juice like apple and mango o rtrop ical fruitjuice.



M A K E S 4 I C E LOLLIES

j og / ]% oz castersugari 40 ml/il3/4ff oz vyater

250 g/g oz strawberries, h ulled an d cut in halfjuice of I ediu m orange (approx. 40 ml/r3Afl ozJ

Pu tthe sugar and water int oa saucepan and boil u ntil syrupy (about 3 minutes).! Allow tocool.P urhe th e strawberries w ith an electric hand blender and combine

w it h thecooled syrup and orangejuice,then po urth is mixture into ice lollymoulds. Freeze u nt il solid.

i

1

TODD LERS 193

Peach and Passion Fru it Lollies +:+ o

Choose pa ss ion fru itw ith wrinkle d skins as theseare ripe and have thesweetestflavour.

MAKES6 ICE LOLLIES

juice of 2 large oranges

strainedjuice of3passion fruit2 ripeju icy peoches, skinned, stoned ondchop pedicing sug arto taste

Combine all th e ingredients in a blender and blend un til smooth.Pour intoice lolly mould san d reeze.

Grandm a's Lolcshen Pudding c,o

Lokshen isvermicelli:veryfineeggnoodles



Lokshen isvermicelli:veryfineeggnoodles

MAKES 4A DU LT PORTIONS

225g/8 oz vermicelli7 large egg, beaten25 gh oz butter, melted250 m118fl z milk7 tablespoon vanil lasugarorcostersuga~%teas poon mixedspice75g/3 oz each sultanas a nd raisinsa ewflokedalm o~ds (optional)

Cookthevermicelsi in boilingwa terfor about 5rninutes.Drain and m ix w it h

th e rem ainin g ingredients. Place in a g@ased,shallow bakingdish,a nd bakein an oven preheated to i8 0°C1 ~~ o" Fl Ga s~ fo rbout 30 minutes.

194 NEW COMPLETE BABY& T O D D L E R M E A LP L A N N E R

Frozen Straw berry Yog hurtIce Cream o o

Adelicious easy-to-makefrozen-yoghurt ice cream usin go nly naturalingredients.You can also make a peach m elbafro zen yoghurt usingfre shraspberries,pureed and strained,and peach yoghurt.1 like to serve thisasa Knickerbocker Glory in a ta ll glass w it h fresh berries.

MAKES6 ADULTPORTIONS

1oog/4 ozcastersugarj o o ml/iofloz water350g/12 ozfresh strawberriesj o o ml/lo lozstrawberryyoghurt150 ml/5fl z double cream, whippe di gg white, whisked

Put the sugar in a saucepan with the water, brin gto the boil and continue 1

to boil for5 min ute sto make a syrup.Set aside tocool for a few minutes.P h b i d h h i h i i h h



Puree th e strawberries and press throug h a sieve, then mi x wi th th e syrupand stir in the yoghu rt and whipped cream.Churnfor10 minutes in an icecream-making m$chine,then fold in he whipped egg wh ite and churnfor another to minutes or untilfirm .

This can also be made with ou t an ice cream machine butit wi ll be moretime-consuming. Po urthe m ixture into afreezerproof plasticcontainer andfreeze. Remove and wh iskw he n sem i-frozen,then re turn othefre ezer.Whisk again afte r1 hour,fold in the whippe d egg white,freeze again andwhisktw ice more during thefree zing process.

You can use ready-roiled sheets of puf f pastry,which only need t o be unrolledand baked -so it couldn't be simp ier to make these delicious pastries.Alternatively,usea blo ck of puff pastry and rollit ou t yourself.

!<ill<!X,f$ :g !fit!$$, ijdAVp:@

30 0 g/11 oz puffpastry40g/1% oz bu ffe r4og/1% oz castersugarl gga ew drops of alm on d essence50 g/2 ozgroundalmondsq g / i oz melted buffe r

j sm all eating applescaster sugarforsprinkling2 tablespoons apricotjam, strained



I ablespoon lemon uice6 glacP cherries

Preheat the oven to2oo'C/4oo"F/Gas 6.Cut 6circ leso ut ofth e p astly usin garound pastry cutter (approx.10 cm l4inc hes )orcu t around a plate usinga sharpknife.To makethealmondfiliing,cream toge ther the b utter and sugar until soft.then beat in hee gg,a few dropsof almond essence and theg roun d almonds t omake a smooth cream. Prickthe pastry afe wt im es w ith afor kan d brush wi tha litt le melted butter.Spread som eo fth ea lm on d cream overeach ofthecircles.

Peel and c o re t~ e pples,then cut i n half and slicethinly.Arrangetheslicedfruit around th e p4strycircles.Brush wi th a little m elted butter,sprinkleoversome caster suga !and bake in th e preheated oven for about 2 0 minutesor unti l

the pastry is crispand the fruit iscooked.Transferthetartstoa wire racktocool.Warm th ej am and lemon uice in a small saucepan and then brush th ef ru it

wi th a l it tle of th e melted,strained apricotjam toglaz e the tarts.Decoratethecen treo f each tar t w it h a glace cherry.

Carrot and Pineapple MuffinsThese areabsolutely delicious,andvery hea1thytoo;the y never last longin our house!

M A K E S A B OU T 1 3 M U F F I N S

l o og/4 oz pla inp ou r1oog/4 ozp lain wholemealflouri easpoon baking powde r3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of sodai teaspoon ground cinnamoni teaspoon groundginge r%teaspoon salt175 m1/6p oz vegetable o il75 g/3 oz caster sugar

2 eggs125g/4% o zg rat ed carrots225g/8 oz canned crushedplneapple, drainedl o og4 or aisins



l o og4 or aisins

Preheat the oven t o 8o"C1350"WGas 4.Sift toge therth e flours, b aking powder,bicarb ona teof so'da,cinnamon,ginger and salt and mixweli.Beattheoil,sugarand eggs toget her un til well blended. Add the grated carrots,crushed pineappleand raisins.Gradually add theflo ur mixture, beating just enough to combineall theingredients.

Pourthe batter into mu ffin trays lined with papercases and bake forabout25 min utes or un til golden.(These can becook ed in fairy-caketrays, butyouwi ll need to reducetheco oking time.) Cool on a wire rack.

TODDLERS 197

Animal Cupcakes $3 o o

Fairycakes are always popu laran d children wi ll have fun decoratingth em t o looklike animals.To make chocolatecupcakes (for'hedgehogs'or'dogs'!) sub stitute2 5 g h oz cocoa for 25 g11 oz of th e self-raisingflour and use th e chocolate icing.

MAKES10 CAKES

i4og /5 oz softened butte r or margarine140915ozgolden castersugar

3 eggsr teaspoon pure va nilla extract125g/4% oz self-raising l o u r

GLAC E ICING

225g/8 oz icing sugar, sieved

about 2% tablespoons warm watera ew drops offood colou ring

CHOCOLATEICING



CHOCOLATEICING

60 912% oz rni lk chocolate6 0 g/2% oz softened bu tte r85913% oz ic ing sugar, sieved

DECORATIONAssor ted sweets e.g. Liquor iceAllsorts, Jelly Tots, wine gums, M&Ms, liquorice laces,chocolateflakes, black writ ing icing an d mini-marshm allows t o r sheep)

Preheat th e oven toigo'C1375'F/Gas5. Linea bun or mu ffin tr ay wit h i opapercases.Putall the ingredientsforthecakes in to a h ix in g bowl and beatfo rabo ut2 minutes u nti l smooth. Divide th e mi xture b etde en thecases so they arefilledtw o-t hir ds of the way up.Bakefor 18-20 minutes un til risen and lightly golden.

To maketheglaceicing,mixtheicingsugar withenough warm water tomakea spreadingconsistency,then divide intot hree before you stir in hevariouscolourings. Use sweets and th e black wri tin g icing to decorate.

Fort he chocolate icing, brea kthechoc olate in to piecesand microwave onhig hfo ri- 2 minutes until melted,or me lt n a bowl set over a pan o f simmeringwater.Cream th e bu tte ran d sugartogether,then beat in the chocolate andspread on th e cakes. Decorate w it h chocolate flakes t o ook like hedgehogs.

l98 NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL P L A N N E R



These are soeasy to make and are really delicious. Bake dforo nly 12 minutes,they should beq ui teso f twhe nthe y are ta keno utof th eov en sothat whentheycool down the y are lovely and moist.

MAKES20 COOKIES

roo g/4 oz unsalted butte r or margarine at roo m temperaturero o 914 oz caster suga rroog /4 oz brow n sugar7 eggr tea spoon va nilla essence7759/6 oz pla inflo ur% teaspoon baking powde r

'/q teaspoon sa ltr75g/6 oz white chocolate button s75913 ozpecans or walnuts, ch oppe d (optional)



Bea tthe butter or margarine tog eth erw ith th e sugars.With a fork, beat theegg toge therw ith thevanil la and add this t o he b utter mixture.

In a bowl,mix toge therth e flour, baking powder and salt.Add this t o th ebutte r and egg mixture and blend well.

Breakthe chocolate bu ttons into sma ller pieces w it h a rolling p in or i n a foodprocessor,and stirthes e,toge ther w ith th e nuts (i f using), into the mixture.

Line several bakingsheets wi th non-stick baking paper and roll th ed ou gh in towalnut-sized balls. Putth ese o nto th e sheets,spaced w ell apart, and bake in an

-

Yoghurt a n d Raisin Cupcalces .;.

The yog hurt and groun d almonds keep these cupcakes lovely and mo ist.Ifyoulike you could spread the top softhec akes wit h glace icing,as in he AnimalCupcakes (page198),although I preferto leave them plain.

M A K E S 12 CAKES

15oml/5flozpot naturalyoghurt3 eggs, lig ht ly beaten7 teaspoon vanilla extract



TODD LERS 20 1

175916 ozg olde n caster sugar

l 140 g/5 oz self-raising lou rlo og/4 oz grou nd almonds

!1 easpoon bakingpowde r

ago odp inch ofsalt175g/6 oz butter, melted75 913 oz raisins

P re he atth eo ve n t o 1 g o ~ C 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ F I C a s. Line a 12-hole muffin ti n w it h paper cases.Put the yoghurt,eggs andvanilla extract in a u g and mi x together.ln a large

1 bowl,combine thesugar,flour,ground almonds, baking powder and salt andmakea well in the centre.Pour in he yoghurt m ixturean d he melted butter

and quicklyfold i n he dr y ingredients.Takecarenottoovermix.Finally,tossl

the raisins in a littleflour and fold int oth e mixture.

1 Spoon the batter in to the papercases.Theywil1 be qu itefu ll. Bakefor18-20minutes or u nti l risen and springy to th e touch. Cool fora few m inutesa nd then

transfer to a wire racktoco ol completely.

L

A-> lV\y av o~ i r i te hocola-teBiscui-LSquaresThes earegre atfora children's party orteatim etreat.Y ou could u sejust milkchocolateor plain chocolate if y ou prefer,and you could use only digestivebiscuits.You can also substitutesom e min i mar shm allo wsf orth e dried apricots

M A K E S16 CHOCOLATE BISCU IT SQUARES

ro og /i oz digestive biscuitsioog/4 ozgingerbiscuitsi5og/5 oz milkchocolateioo g/4 ozplain chocolate85 g/3 ozgolde n syrup85g/3 oz unsalted bu tte r

l o og/4 oz ready-to-eat dr ied apricots, chopped50 g/2 oz raisins40 g/'% oz Rice Krispies



Lightly greaseand line a 20cm18 inch square shallowtin.Break th e biscuits,place in a plastic bag and crush wi th a rolling p in to or m coarse crumbs.

M el t the chocolate,syrup and b utte r in a heatproof b owl over a saucepano f simm ering water.Alternatively, m elt i n a microwave on High for 2%-3minutes,stirring halfway through.Stir in he biscuit crumbs until well coated.the n add the chopped aprico tsan d raisins and,finally,stir in the Rice Krispies.

Spoon the mix ture int o the prepared tin . Level th e surface,pressingdownw it h a masher,andput in the fridge to set.Cut i nt o squares beforeserving.



INDEX



INDEX

appie,apricot and 58delicious vegetable rissoles153

and basil pasta sauce 86bow-tieswith CruyL.re184and carrots with basil 61chicken in omatosauce80andcourgette parra stars 84salmon wlth carrotrand 72-3

tuna w ~ t h asta and169tropical loliiesio8, logtuna

with oasta and tomatoes169

sauce 156-7babycereal and 39and cheese pasta sauce 84,85and cheese po ta ta fi ii in gl ~~in cheese sauce 114chicken with summer?25chicken with winter126delicious rissoles153finger food 97

home-made fast food pizza158-gand lentil purGen2lovely lentils 60-1minestrone70multicoloured casseralen?

p t t a backet 167 my favour1tc5pan~sh melette155and sweetcorn stuffed potato152 pasta she ic anf ett ~i3 jtag late le 168 pastarhelirw th h~ddenvegerabletoasted muffins167 8oiognese136

pasta stars withveggieraucel38-g

spaghetti primavera 186-7svec~alfried iceiso"

vegetables 19,22,23,24,52.96 stacl38Annabe 'S nidden.vegetsb etomaro sweet medley 39

sweet puree66tastyfirh w1thcheesesauceand71tastyricewith meat and 132

vegetarian d~ et r 3~itaminsl0,ll-12

Water8,1~25,145watercress, potatoand courgette

puree40

watermelonand raspberryloll1esio8.1ogweaning8.22-5wheat intalerancei3.14.15

yoghurt9fresh fruitw ith yoghurt dipnofrozen strawberryyoghurt

ice cream i g ~and fruit59

fruityggand r a m cupcakes 20 1



,Lkdki@~~lh'Jp~iX3l a m ndebtedtothefoilowingpeoplefortheirhelpandadviceduringthe

writingofthis book.

Margaret Lawson,Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Nutrition, Ins tit ute of

Child Health; Professor Charles Brook,Consultant Paediatric ~n do cr in ol o~ is t,

Middlesex Hospital; Dr SamTucker FRCP,Consultant Paediatrician, Hill ingdon

Hospital; DrTi m Lobstein,specialist in chiidren'sf od and nut rit ion atThe

London Food Commission;Carol NockSRN FCN.M dwife. 1Thanks also to:Jacqui M0rley;MaryJones; ~li zabee h ones; Caroline Stearns

and Aureiia Stearns,mystunningcovergiri,piusall

the babiesand their

parents who helped wi th th e p hoto grap hyfo rthi s edition. Everyone at Ebury,

especially Sarah Laveile,VickyOrchard,Carey Smith an d Fiona Macintyre;

everyoneat Smith & Gilmourfortheiriovelydesign; Dave King for his beautiful

photography; Nadine Wick ende nfor the gorgeous illustrations. M y mother,

Evelyn Etkind,forai l herencourag ement n wr iti ng thi s book.David Karmei,

for his patience in eaching me h o w to use a computer. And, most impo rtan t

ofail,my husband Simon,my chiefguinea pig.fo rall hissu pport.



Annabel Karmel's

i recognise ha t how you feed your baby isone oft he most impor tan tdecisionsyou ma kefo ryou r child,soi ave deviseda n ew ran geofequipm ent and food t o heipyou.The range provides everything you

ne ed to make fresh food fo r your baby or toddler.it includes:

@BabyFood Grinder$3 Electric Hand Blender@F ood CubeTrays@Rocket ce Lolly Mou lds&Sauces and Pastas

All are availab lefrom Boots stores and fro m www.Boots.com.For delicious recipes fro m th e range,visit m y websitewww.annabelkarmel.com



It's good to be a bitfussy about w ha t you eatthe se days.That's wh yl ave created a new range of tasty,yet healthy meals made especiallyfor children.They're baianced,mouth-watering me alsfo ryou ngchildren aged 1 to4withoutthefuss.What 's more,l'm veryfussy

jabout w hat goes into them soi only use the best natura l ingredients.

1$3 Scrummy Chicken Dum plings wi th Rice, @ Mu mm y's Favou riteSalmo n and Cod Fish Pie@ Bee f Cottage Pie@YummyChicken Curry$3 Hidde nvege table Pasta@C heeky Chicken and Potato Pie@Teddy Bear Pizzas@ Meatballs wi th Spaghetti andTomato Sauce

Lookfo r Eat Fussy in he chilled section of your local supermarket:

jus t ask!



Any mo ther who does not havea t leas t oneof her books in her kitchen. . should w as te notime in putt ing t h a t r ight.

Annabel KarmeZ, the babyfood g u ru who secookery books rank second only to Delia Sm ithin the bestseller list.

The classic, bestselling cookbookfor babies and toddlers - now wi thillustrations and new recipesSince it was pub lished in igg1,An nabe l Karmel's essentialguide to feeding babies and young children has becomeestablished a sa classic.Word-of m ou th recom mendation,a thu mb s u p from the babies themselvesand terrific reviews



a thu mb s u p from the babies themselvesand terrific reviewshave ensured that the book has remained the nu mber onebestse ller in th is area ever since.

In this brand-new, llustrated edition,Annabel has bro ug hther collection o f m outhw atering recipes up to d ate,with newdishes ,up-to-the-m inute adviceand tips,and stunning colourphotographs. Plus she offers time -saving m enu charts to helpyou s hop and plan ahead,all based on her experiences asa busy mother o f three.

Keep this book in your kitchen and your babyis guaranteedthev ery best start in life.

Annabel Karmel has wr itte n fiftee n b ooksabout cooking forbabies,olderchildren and families. Shewas the children's fo odexpert on Channel 4'sRichardandludyShowand no w has herown'MakeYour Own 'rangeo f eq uipment and foods to helpparents prepa refresh baby food,as we ll as'Eat F ussy'chilledready meals.

babiesan d children and has been translated intoover 20 ianguages.This n ew edition takes i n allth e latest research in child nutritio n, includes newimproved versions of th e orig inal recipes,25 brandnew recipes and photographs th at b rin gth erecipes to life.

With g o per cent ofjunkfo od being boughtby parentsfortheir kids and mo retha n one infive under-fours in B ritain overweight we need t obring back homecooking. F orthe past 16 years I'veprobably spent more tim e in he kitchen cooking up

healthy children's meals tha n anyone i n the coun tryand a ll the recipes are tested o n a panel o f babiesand toddiers.With a little b it of help from th e book,you to o can be ma king really nu tritious food that'seasy t o prepare and plate-lickingly good. l can also



easy t o prepare and plate lickingly good. can alsopromise th at you and your kids wil l love th e resultswit ho ut spending hours in he kitchen.

I hope you e njoy thea dvice and recipes in this bookas much as I have enjoyed creating the m ...

Annabel Karmel

annabel karmel

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