Annabel Karmel travels the globe to find the finest food for your little ones
From a warming chicken curry to a taste of the orient, tuck into delicious child-friendly recipes inspired by some of my favourite foodie destinations around the world. Mums and dads will love them, too!
Mediterranean Vegetable Puree
Suitable from 6 months • Makes 5 portions
Ingredients
100g red onion, peeled and chopped
150g courgette, diced
100g yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
175g aubergine, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
400g can of chopped tomatoes
200ml unsalted vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp chopped, fresh basil
30g Cheddar cheese, grated
Method
• Put all the ingredients, except the basil and cheese, into a saucepan.
• Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
• Add the basil then blend everything until smooth. Stir in the cheese until it is all melted together.
Lentil and Chicken Curry
Suitable from 9 months • Makes 4 to 6 portions
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
nion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp mild curry paste
20g red lentils
400g can of chopped tomatoes
100g chicken stock
75g butternut squash, diced
1 chicken breast, diced
sp mango chutney
Method
• Heat the oil in a saucepan.
• Add the onion and garlic, and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and lentils, then blend in the tomatoes.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, squash, chicken and mango chutney, and simmer for another 10 minutes until tender.
Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Suitable from 1 year • Makes 4 portions
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 tbsp honey
1 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 courgette, sliced into batons
250g brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
Method
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan or wok. Toss the chicken in the honey and season, then stir fry over a high heat for
3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
• Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan or wok, then add the onion and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, peppers and courgette and fry for 3 minutes, then add the cooked chicken to the pan.
• Heat a little oil in another frying pan and fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes until just cooked. Add these to the other vegetables along with the oyster sauce, soy sauce and hoisin sauce, and season to taste. Toss together and heat through.
Chicken, Squash and Pea Risotto
Suitable from 1 year • Makes 4 to 5 portions
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
125g risotto rice
450ml chicken stock
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
100g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced
1 chicken fillet, chopped
50g frozen peas
A knob of butter
40g Parmesan, grated
Method
• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Heat a tablespoon of oil in an ovenproof saucepan or casserole dish.
• Add the onion and fry for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the rice. Add the stock, thyme and squash.
• Bring to the boil, then cover and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes, adding the peas for the last 5 minutes.
• While the risotto is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan and fry the chicken until just cooked.
• Remove the risotto from the oven. Stir in the chicken, butter and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
For more dinner inspiration, try Annabel’s delicious range of chilled toddler meals. Low in salt and a tasty way to help them get their five a day, find them in the chiller aisle at Sainsbury’s and Tesco. For more recipes, visit annabelkarmel.com
