Chicken and Rice with Apricots
Try this yummy "1 pot" baby meal. It may be either pureed or served as a great finger food meal!
1/2 cup (Brown/or Jasmine) Rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup apricots - sliced into small dices or slivers
1 boneless chicken breast
pinch of ginger and nutmeg if desired
1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until rice is soft, fragrant and a bit soupy.
3. Take out the chicken breast and cut into small pieces, transfer back to saucepan
3. Add more water if needed and stir frequently to stop sticking to the pot and add more milk or water if necessary.
4. Cook an additional 15 minutes
Once the mixture is fully cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree or chop as needed for your baby's age and texture requirements. This makes a great finger food meal for older babies and toddlers alike!
Yummy Apple Breakfast
Try this yummy nutritious apple & grains breakfast "salad". This will make a great self-feeding food and finger food. Feel free to use all rice instead of bulgar and if your baby is under 12 months of age, you may want to skip the orange and use the peach! We much prefer the peach anyway!
Apple Grain Breakfast Salad
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if needed)
3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice
3/4 cup bulgur
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Red Delicious apple
1 orange or 1 large peach
1 cup raisins
1 container (8-ounce) low fat vanilla or plain yogurt
1.) In large pot, heat water and salt to boiling over high heat. Add rice and bulgur; reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, covered 2 minutes. Spread hot grains on baking sheet to cool (this will make them fluffier). Grains can be prepared the night before and kept refrigerated.
2.) Just before serving, prepare fruit: Core and chop apples; peel orange or peach and cut into sections. Add apples, orange or peach, and raisins to grain mixture. Stir in yogurt to coat grains and fruit. Sprinkle with wheat germ. Ensure that you use soft ripe fruits when serving to babies 10 months of age + and be sure the texture is manageable for baby!
3.) Our own variation for those between 8 months +
Cook grains for 30 minutes then add diced apples, diced peach and chopped raisins. Return to cooking for another 15 minutes or until everything is soggy and cereal-like. Keep a close watch on the pot as you may need to add more water. Stir often!
Just before serving, stir in yogurt of an amount you desire. Sprinkle with wheat germ.
Our Favorite Summer Squash Apple Simmer
3 Medium sized Yellow/Crooked Neck Squashes
1 Large Macintosh Apple
Peel, Core and Dice Apple
Peel (unless baby can handle skins) and de-seed Squash and Dice
Place a Steamer Basket in a Pot; add water until the water just peeks through the holes of the steamer basket.
Add Squash and Apple and a dash of cinnamon or ginger.
Steam until tender.
Mash as needed for your baby's stage or serve cooked dices as finger food.
Baked Apples with Blueberries & Muesli
(we recommend this for 9 months + providing all foods have been introduced!)
Ingredients
2 large apples, peeled and remove seeds - cut into small wedges
1 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup mixed fruit muesli (crush if needed for older babies)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
vanilla yogurt to serve (optional)
vanilla ice cream or frozen vanilla yogurt if you want to indulge your toddler
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Lay apple wedges on baking tray and top with blueberries. Sprinkle muesli over, then drizzle with maple syrup and butter. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden and fruit tender. Check after 10 minutes and sprinkle on water if needed. Serve apple warm with vanilla yogurt.
Baby Mango Tango
(we recommend this for 6 months + providing all foods have been introduced!)
Ingredients
1 ripe mango
1 ripe banana
1 ripe peach
**1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt**
Peel and de-seed the mango
Peel the banana
Peel the peach
Cut fruits into dices
Add fruits to a blender or food processor and process to your baby's desired texture
Add yogurt and blend some more
Variation: Dice fruits into small dices appropriate for serving as finger foods to your baby. Arrange fruits in baby's bowl and drizzle yogurt over fruits
Use puree as a dipping sauce for your older toddler's snack time - Yummy for dipping in apple slices or multi-grain crackers!
If you make this Mango Tango a bit thick, your baby may be able to use a spoon to try self- feeding!
Avocado Peach Yogurt Treat
(we recommend this for 6-8 months + providing all foods have been introduced and your baby has been given the OK for yogurt!)
1/4 cup peach puree
1/2 mashed avocado
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
Sprinkles of wheat germ(for those over 8-9 months old)
A wee dash of vanilla
Combine all of the above ingredients and blend or puree to a texture your baby will tolerate.
Because the avocado is more dense, this mixture should cling to a spoon; try to let baby feed herself! This also makes a great dipping sauce for small toast points, soft cooked veggie or fruit chunks or for bagels cut in half!
**Bagels cut in half make for great gnawing foods! Ensure that you watch your baby carefully to ensure no large chunks are bit or gnawed off**
Apples, Cottage Cheese, Zing and Sprinkle
(we recommend this for 8 months + providing all foods have been introduced!)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cottage cheese
a "zing" of cinnamon
a sprinkle of wheat germ
Combine all ingredients and serve to baby in her own bowl, with her own spoon. This is great for practicing self-feeding with a spoon! Caution, this mix has been known to cause babies to hurl handfuls about the room and to rub the mix into the hair and the tray as well! :-)
Tropical Sweet Potato Mash
(we recommend this for 6 months + providing all foods have been introduced!)
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup mashed mango
Combine all ingredients and serve. Alternatively, you can roll this mixture into tiny ball shapes and serve as a finger food!
Carrot and Oatmeal Custard
(we recommend this for 8months +)
Due to the egg yolk ingredient, this recipe would be good for those 8 months or older. If your 6-8 month old baby has been given the OK to eat egg yolks, feel free to serve this up!
2 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup mashed carrots (you can also add 1/2 cup banana or peach purées)
3-4 egg yolks (enough to cover the oatmeal/carrot mix)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
spices as desired - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
Using a small square cake pan, "grease" with a light coating of olive oil. Spread the cooked oatmeal in the pan then add the mashed carrots (and peaches if desired) on top.
Whisk the egg yolks until very thin and frothy; pour egg yolks over mixture in the pan.
Bake on 350F for 15 minutes or until egg yolks have thoroughly cooked. Let cool and then cut into small squares for finger food. Warm if needed. Alternatively, serve warm after blending or chopping as needed for those who do not like textures. Drizzle with yogurt and sprinkle with wheat germ for extra yum!
Please keep in mind that this "custard" will not resemble what adults are used to seeing as "custard". This nifty mix is straight from our kitchen when our toddlers asked for carrots and oatmeal one morning for breakfast!
Fastest Banana Rice Pudding
(we recommend this for 8 months +)
Try this easy-peasy Banana Rice Pudding for baby. While this recipe would be good for those 8 months or older, if your 6-8 month old baby has already had yogurt, then give it a go!
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 banana purée
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of cinnamon and/or ginger
Combine ingredients and warm gently in a sauce pan. Stir frequently.
Remove warmed pudding to a food processor or blender and blend as needed for a texture your baby will enjoy. Do not blend if serving to an older baby who can handle texture. Save some for yourself too! Yum!
Overnight Crock-Pot Oatmeal Breakfast
(we recommend this for 8 months +)
We were reminded of this yummy breakfast today. You can prepare this before you go to bed and wake up to a yummy warm and hearty breakfast!
1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried figs
(1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup apples - our own additions to this yummy recipe!)
4 cups water
1/2 cup half-and-half (you can use plain yogurt if you wish)
In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.
Stir and serve. Courtesy of Alton Brown (with Maggie's adaptations)
Fast Veggie Pancakes (9 months +) - LOVE LOVE THESE
Hodgson Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix (http://www.hodgsonmill.com/) WE LOVE Hodgson Mills grain and mixes!!
Grated carrots
Grated zucchini
Grated cheese (cheddar, jack, colby - your choice)
Prepare buckwheat pancake mix as directed on the box and add 1/4 cup grated carrots and 1/4 cup grated zucchini and toss in some cheese
Fry gently in olive oil until done. Freezes and warms well!
SERVE WITH: Morning Yogurt Soup or a hearty chowder.
Morning Yogurt Soup (7-8 months +) -
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
banana puree (or mashed bananas)
peach puree (or mashed peaches)i
mango puree (or mashed mango)
Combine all ingredients and serve.
