Iphone apps are wonderful – there’s something for everyone from ibeer where you drink a virtual beer on your handheld to Pie in the Face where you can throw a virtual pie at someone you have a photo of..Some apps are pretty controversial like the Baby Shaker – this app was withdrawn from the itunes store shortly after release. The app which encouraged you to shake your iphone to silence a crying baby was heavily criticised.
Well I have recently launched the ‘Essential Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler’ the great thing is that in addition to offering lots of new nutritious and easy recipes you can watch step by step videos that show you exactly how to cook the recipes . There are also videos showing useful cooking techniques and there are tips and advice on each stage of your child’s development from first foods and finger foods to family meals.
Special features on the App will include voice activated page turning, meal planners and the option to create your own shopping lists. You will never be stuck for ideas on what to cook – recipes can be searched for easily by age of child, allergy requirements or ingredients..
Here a sneak preview to some of the recipes on my App..
SPRING RECIPES
Baked Sweet Potato & Spinach
When introducing green vegetables it’s a good idea to combine them with sweet tasting root vegetables. Baking sweet potato in the oven caramelises the natural sugars and gives it a flavour that babies love . Steamed broccoli and butternut squash would be good too..
From 6 months
Suitable for Freezing
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato (approx 250g)
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach leaves, carefully washed
Preheat the oven to 200ºC / Gas 6. Pierce the potato several times with a fork & bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Steam the spinach for 3 minutes & keep aside the liquid in the bottom of the steamer. When cool, peel the potato & cut into chunks. Blend the sweet potato & spinach, add some of the liquid from the steamer a tablespoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
CHICKEN AND APPLE PUREE
Apple and chicken is a good combination adding a hint of sweetness that babies like.
Suitable from 6 months
Suitable for Freezing
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
100g onion finely chopped
50g apple, peeled and diced
150g carrot, peeled and grated
150g carrot, peeled and grated
150g chicken thigh diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
150 ml weak chicken stock
1 tsp tomato puree
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
Steps:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, apple and carrot and gently fry over the heat for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, garlic and tomatoes. Blend in the stock and tomato puree.
Bring up to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Blend until smooth using a hand blender. Stir in the basil.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
EASY ONE POT CHICKEN
Chicken is an ideal first meat for babies. It blends well with root vegetables like carrot and sweet potato . This would make a good first chicken puree. You can leave out the peas and if you like you could add a small chopped apple with the carrot and sweet potato.
Frozen vegetables are frozen within hours of being picked thus locking in all the nutrients so its fine to use ingredients like frozen peas when making your baby’s puree. For older babies you can finely chop rather than puree this and mix it with some cooked rice.
Suitable from 6 months
Suitable for freezing
1 tbsp olive oil
50g chopped onion
100g chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced (approx 60g)
300g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
200 ml unsalted chicken stock
60g frozen peas
Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the chicken breast and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and sweet potato, pour over the stock, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Add the peas and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Puree in a blender with enough of the cooking liquid to make the desired consistency.
MAKES 3 PORTIONS
SALMON AND CORN CHOWDER
Its difficult to find jars of baby puree with oily fish like salmon which is the best source of essential fatty acids that are vital for your baby’s brain and visual development…so its important to make your own delicious purees using salmon..
Suitable from 7 months
Suitable fro Freezing
Suitable for Freezing
1 tbsp light olive oil
40g onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (150g)
30g celery, chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped approx 150g unpeeled and 125g peeled weight
100 ml vegetable or fish stock
50 ml milk
125g fillet of salmon, cut into chunks
100g tinned sweetcorn
Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion, carrot and celery over a low hear for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the potato, pour over the stock and cook for 8 minutes. Pour in the milk, add the salmon and poach for one minute. Add the sweetcorn and continue to cook for one minute more. Puree in a blender until smooth.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS
SALMON AND BROCCOLI PUREE
Oily fish like salmon is particularly important for the development of your baby’s brain, nervous system and vision and ideally should be included in your baby’s diet twice a week.
Suitable for Freezing
Suitable from 6 months
Ingredients:
10g butter
75g leek, chopped
75g butternut squash, finely chopped
75g broccoli, chopped
100g salmon fillet, cut into cubes
200 ml milk
15g parmesan cheese, grated
∏ tsp lemon juice
Steps:
Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the leek and fry over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, broccoli, salmon and milk. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the salmon is cooked.
Blend until smooth and stir in the cheese and lemon juice.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
PLAICE , LEEK AND SWEET POTATO
This is one of the best purees for introducing your baby to fish. Plaice is a mild fish which has a soft texture and babies like the combination of sweet potato, tomatoes and cheese…
Suitable for Freezing
Suitable from 6 months
Ingredients:
A generous knob of butter
75g leek, finely diced
225g sweet potato, diced into 1 cm cubes
150 ml milk
2 tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
150g plaice fillets, cut into chunks
75g mature Cheddar, grated
Steps:
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the leek and soften for 5 to 8 minutes.
Cook the sweet potato in boiling water for 10 minutes until soft. Drain.
Add the tomatoes and milk to the leek, bring to the boil.
Add the plaice and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Add the cheese and blend until smooth.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
APPLE BLUEBERRY AND PEAR
5 portions
Suitable for freezing
Blueberries are little berries that are big on taste and nutrients – they contain more antioxidants than any other fruit. Choose a sweet eating apple like Pink Lady or Royal Gala and make sure the pear is ripe. I like the flavour of Conference pears.
Ingredients:
2 sweet eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
75g blueberries
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
Steps:
Put the apple and pear into a heavy based saucepan and cook covered for 3 minutes. Add the blueberries and cover and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove the lid and cook for one more minute. Blend to a puree. You could add some mashed banana if you like or stir in some yoghurt.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS
