201 Organic Baby Purees (11 page)

3.   Peel banana, removing any brown spots. Fork-mash until completely creamed.

4.   Stir the applesauce and banana into the cooled cereal.

 
Banana Colada Ice

SUPERFOOD/INSTANT/PARENTS

Pure coconut milk combined with organic bananas is a refreshing drink on a hot summer day. The coconut milk is lactose- and dairy-free and has more calcium than milk. So while you're out on the beach sipping on your colada, make sure your baby has hers too! Aaahhh! So healthy and refreshing.

1 CHILD AND 1 ADULT SERVING

1 cup unsweetened organic coconut milk

1 large banana

1 cup ice

1.   Blend all ingredients together in a blender.

2.   Serve in your baby's bottle or sippy cup.

 
Chicken Fontina with Blueberry Sauce

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD

This jewel-toned blueberry purée turns ordinary chicken into a delightful warm holiday meal for babies. This recipe can be made in advance and frozen. Or, you can easily blend this meal on the spot using unseasoned portions of the chicken or turkey you may already be having with blueberries.

2 SERVINGS

¼ cup frozen blueberries, thawed

½ cup cooked chicken, cubed

1 teaspoon fontina cheese (optional)

1.   Add blueberries to blender and purée to a thin consistency.

2.   Gradually add warm chicken, blending after each addition for a smooth consistency. For a chunkier purée, use the pulse function on your blender and pulse a couple of times. Sprinkle fontina cheese on top. Warm until melted. Stir and serve. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Sautéed Broccoli Purée with Parmesan Cheese

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Broccoli is high in fiber and vitamin C, so serve up this meal as a side dish to your baby's main course a few times per week. Double this recipe and combine all ingredients in a skillet and cook until broccoli is tender for the rest of the family.

4 SERVINGS

2 cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Water

1.   Steam broccoli until tender in a double boiler.

2.   Turn stovetop to medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Add broccoli, unsalted butter, and Parmesan cheese and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3.   Transfer sautéed broccoli and Parmesan cheese to blender. Purée. Gradually add water to reach a semi­smooth consistency.

 
Puréed Brown Rice

BASIC/FREEZER/SUPERFOOD

Hooray! After two months of simple rice cereal, do you think it's time for rice with more texture? Then make this recipe using brown rice. Your baby will get to enjoy mashing this with his gums. Feel free to serve this any time of day.

2 SERVINGS

¼ cup brown rice

½ cup water

Water or breast milk for thinning as needed

1.   Combine the rice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil.

2.   Cover the pot, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 35 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed.

3.   Allow the rice to cool; then place into food processor or blender. Pulse for 30 seconds.

4.   Add water or breast milk to thin if necessary.

 
Carrots and Brown Rice Medley

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD

Baby will love the tender-sweet taste of carrots in this healthy recipe.

3 SERVINGS

½ cup fresh carrots (1 medium-sized carrot)

2 tablespoons brown rice

¾ cup water

1.   Wash and peel the carrot. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

2.   Wash the rice to remove any dirt. Place into a medium saucepan, along with the carrots.

3.   Add just enough water to cover the rice and carrots. Bring to a boil.

4.   Reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan and simmer until most of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

5.   Place into a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. Add more water if necessary.

 
Turnip and Sweet Potato Mash

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Turnips come in purple, white, and green. It doesn't matter which one you choose, they are all white on the inside!

1 SERVING

1 small turnip

¹
⁄
₈
cup water

4 tablespoons Simply Sweet Potato (
Chapter 4
)

1.   Peel turnip and chop into small chunks.

2.   In a small saucepan, combine turnip and water.

3.   Bring to a boil and cook until the turnip is tender, approximately 10 minutes depending on the size of the chunks.

4.   Transfer turnip to a blender. Purée until smooth.

5.   Combine turnip purée with sweet potato purée.

 
Very Cherry-Chicken Rice Bowl

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

This family-friendly dish makes an instant meal for your baby. If you plan on making chicken and rice for dinner, pan-fry a plain extra chicken breast to make a purée with a cherry on top for baby.

8 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

½ cup pitted cherries

1 cup cooked brown rice

1.   Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to a skillet.

2.   Pan-fry chicken breast on both sides until insides are no longer pink, approximately 10 minutes.

3.   Cut into small pieces and allow to cool.

4.   Combine chicken, cherries, and brown rice.

5.   Purée in a blender while gradually adding just enough water until desired consistency is reached. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Mango Chicken Feast

FREEZER

Save time by using frozen organic mangoes. They are equally nutritious as fresh.

8 SERVINGS

6 cups water

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

½ cup fresh mango, chopped

1.   Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot.

2.   Place chicken breast in pot and boil until done, approximately 10 minutes.

3.   Cut chicken breast into small pieces and allow to cool.

4.   Purée in a blender with the mango; add just enough broth from cooking the chicken until desired consistency is reached. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Caribbean Chicken Dinner

SUPERFOOD

Bring on island flavor with this yummy delight. Make adult portions separately with Caribbean jerk seasoning, diced onions, curry powder, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy over brown rice and turn on some reggae music!

8 SERVINGS

6 cups water

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 small banana or ½ large banana

1 teaspoon organic coconut milk

1.   Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot.

2.   Place chicken breast in pot and boil until done, approximately 10 minutes.

3.   Cut chicken breast into small pieces and allow to cool.

4.   Combine chicken, banana, and organic coconut milk.

5.   Purée in a blender while gradually adding just enough broth from cooking the chicken until desired consistency is reached. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Papaya Chicken with Spice

FREEZER

Make sure the papaya you use is ripe enough. Otherwise, cut it into cubes and steam it until tender before puréeing.

8 SERVINGS

6 cups water

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

½ cup ripe papaya

Dash of nutmeg

1.   Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot.

2.   Place chicken breast in pot and boil until done, approximately 10 minutes.

3.   Cut chicken breast into small pieces and allow to cool.

4.   Combine chicken, papaya, and nutmeg.

5.   Purée in a blender while gradually adding just enough broth from cooking the chicken until desired consistency is reached. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Chicken-Parsnip Purée

FREEZER

The earthy flavor of parsnips pairs well with the chicken in this recipe. Add a little spice such as ginger or nutmeg for more flavor.

8 SERVINGS

1 medium-sized parsnip

1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast

3 tablespoons water

1.   Peel and dice parsnip.

2.   Bring 1 cup water to a boil and cook parsnip until tender, about 15 minutes.

3.   Cut cooked chicken into small pieces.

4.   Combine chicken and parsnip.

5.   Purée in a blender while gradually adding just enough water to achieve a semismooth consistency. Freeze remaining portions.

 
Chicken and Veggie Dinner

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD

The sweet onions introduce a savory flavor to this dish, making it a family favorite. This purée goes wonderfully with garlic mashed potatoes.

4 SERVINGS

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped

1 small sweet onion, chopped

½ cup frozen peas

2 small carrots, chopped

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1.   Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2.   Add chicken, onion, peas, carrots, and olive oil to an 8" x 8" baking dish.

3.   Bake for 15–20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

4.   Transfer baked ingredients, including broth to blender.

5.   Purée until semismooth. Add water if necessary to thin.

 
Beef and Barley Blend

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

While you're making beef and barley soup, take out these ingredients for baby.

2 SERVINGS

¼ cup ground beef, cooked

3 tablespoons cooked pearl barley

1 tablespoon yellow onion, chopped

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground thyme

Organic vegetable broth

1.   Combine cooked beef, barley, onion, and thyme together.

2.   Purée in a blender while gradually adding just enough vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached. Serve warm.

 
Classic Pork Chop with Apples Purée

FREEZER/PARENTS

Apples and pork chop make an award-winning combination. If you don't have any frozen apple purée, use fresh cooked apples instead.

4 SERVINGS

1 boneless pork chop, cooked

1 cup Enchanting Apple
(
Chapter 4
)

1.   Cut pork chop into small pieces.

2.   Combine pork and apple purée together.

3.   Purée in a blender. Gradually add water to thin if necessary to reach an age-appropriate consistency.

 
Poached Tilapia and Peaches

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD

Bake or sauté a cup of fresh peach slices if you don't have any frozen purée to use for this recipe.

4 SERVINGS

4 (7-ounce) tilapia fillets (domestically farmed)

1 cup Just Peachy Purée
(
Chapter 4
)

1.   Fill sauté pan with 1–2 inches water and bring to a boil.

2.   Add fish fillets, cover, turn heat down to low, and allow to poach for 5–10 minutes.

3.   Drain fish, saving small amount of liquid, and chop. Ensure no bones remain in fish.

4.   Combine fish and peach purée.

5.   Purée in a blender. Use broth from cooking the fish to reach an age-appropriate consistency.

 
Baby Gyro

FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Now your baby can have a taste of that wonderful Greek gyro dinner you love. Incorporate soft, little bites of pita bread into this purée for a full effect!

2 SERVINGS

2 ounces ground lamb

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, plain

1.   Brown lamb in a medium saucepan with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Browning the lamb should take about 5 minutes for this small amount.

2.   Remove lamb from pan and combine with the cucumber.

3.   Purée in a blender to desired consistency. Add water to thin, if necessary.

4.   Add mixture to a small dish and stir in yogurt. Add small pieces of soft pita bread if desired. Serve.

 
Heavenly Ham Purée

BASIC/FREEZER/PARENTS

Use some of that heavenly ham from your holiday meal to make a purée. It's already cooked, so there's not much work involved! This purée goes great with mashed potatoes and even mashed corn muffins!

1 SERVING

½ cup cooked ham

3 tablespoons water

1.   Chop precooked ham into small pieces.

2.   Transfer to blender.

3.   Purée while gradually adding just enough water to reach a smooth consistency.

 
“Where's the Beef?” Meal

BASIC/FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

You can tear off parts of the beef from the pot roast you already made instead of cooking the beef in this recipe. There's no need to buy extra beef for baby. It's more fun to share!

2 SERVINGS

4 ounces lean beef (rib roast or short loin)

3 tablespoons water or beef broth

1.   Brown the beef in a pan until completely cooked through, typically 4–5 minutes per side for a thin steak. For a thicker piece, grill or roast until the interior temperature reaches 170°F.

2.   Cut into small pieces and place in a blender.

3.   Purée while gradually adding just enough broth or water to reach a smooth consistency.

 
Pilgrim's Feast Turkey Purée

BASIC/FREEZER/PARENTS

Use the leftover turkey from your holiday feast to whip up a nice turkey purée for baby. It's okay to purée even if the turkey is seasoned with mild spices or herbs. However, be careful of added salt.

1 SERVING

½ cup cooked, unseasoned skinless turkey meat

3 tablespoons water