201 Organic Baby Purees (5 page)

•  Thickening: To thicken purées that are too thin, you can add more cooked food if you have more, or add infant cereal such as rice or oatmeal. However, there are other foods that can be used as thickeners such as mashed potatoes, yogurt, wheat germ, or cottage cheese. Make sure that whatever you add has already been introduced to your baby and that you do not freeze these ingredients with the purée. Use these ingredients as thickeners when you are ready to feed your baby.

It is also important to check the purée to make sure there are no unprocessed chunks. Some foods are naturally lumpy or grainy, but as long as there are no actual chunks or fibrous material, it should be safe to proceed with feeding.

With a little planning, your time shopping and in the kitchen can go to great use, and you'll be whipping up batches of nutritious organic purées with ease! Follow these five simple steps for purée success.

The best thought-out plan will result in a hassle- and stress-free chef…you! Therefore, set the time aside for grocery shopping
and
making purées for your baby each week, month, or whatever interval you choose. Don't schedule these tasks on days when you have other things to do or are pressed for time. Schedule a grocery day and a purée day separately. Shopping for the best foods will be more time-consuming than you think because you will want to find the ripest pear or the freshest bananas. Therefore, by the time you get home from shopping you may be too exhausted to prep and purée, too. But if you've got the energy and ambition, there is no point in putting off for tomorrow what you can do today!

If you have fun friends, invite them over for a purée party! Friends make the best prep and line cooks, so there's no point in doing it all by yourself. Make the time fun and dedicate the time solely for making purées for your baby.

Shopping for organic food can be a great outing for everyone to enjoy. Don't forget to take your reusable shopping bags to bring home all the wonderful food you purchase. But how much should you buy? To make a big batch that will last a month or two, start out with about two pounds of foods that can be cooked and frozen such as sweet potatoes, green beans, squash, etc. For perishable foods, such as bananas and avocado, purchase a couple initially, and plan to serve those foods fresh. Plan to replenish the perishable foods as soon as they are consumed. Once you get going, you'll be able to gauge how much your baby eats and can plan your future shopping trips accordingly.

You might want to tune in to the Food Network or gather your prep cooks for this step! Time flies when you're having fun, so preparing foods while watching Paula Deen or in harmony with your closest friends is a great way to add excitement to cooking.

Here is how you will prepare most fresh fruit and vegetables for puréeing:

1.   Wash each food thoroughly. Drain on a clean kitchen towel.

2.   Remove all peels, seeds, and cores.

3.   Trim ends and all inedible parts (such as stems).

4.   Cut into halves or quarters fruit/vegetables that will require steaming. Leave potatoes and squash in peels for baking or roasting.

Cook everything using your preferred cooking method, taking into account the tips in the Savvy Cooking Techniques section earlier in the chapter.

Purée foods one ingredient at a time in a blender. Make sure to thoroughly wash the blender between purées. Spoon purées into ice cube trays, leaving just a little room near the top for the cube to expand once frozen. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for twenty-four hours or until set. Remove cubes from ice cube trays and transfer to freezer-safe bags. Label and freeze for eight to twelve weeks.

Freezing your baby purées ensures that you'll have plenty of food for the coming months. A little time spent up front can mean a freezer well stocked with a variety of fruit, vegetables, and meats for up to twelve weeks! You won't spend hours in the kitchen each day or even each week. Just a few hours a month is all you need to prepare a couple of months' worth of baby food.

To get started, you'll need several ice cube trays, plastic wrap, freezer bags, and a permanent marker or label. When your purées have been cooked and cooled, spoon the mixture into the ice cube trays and repeat this process for each type of food. However, only freeze one type of food per tray. Otherwise, you may forget what you've added.

Recommendations for freezing times to maintain freshness:

•  Fruit purées—up to eight weeks

•  Vegetable purées—up to eight weeks

•  Meat purées—up to twelve weeks

Now that your kitchen is fully equipped, serene, and safe—and you've called all your friends and invited an Iron Chef to help out—it's time to put all of your newfound knowledge into action by experimenting with the following delicious recipes that your growing baby is sure to gobble up!

PART II

Organic Purées for Each Age

Every baby develops at his own pace, in his own unique way. Your child will undergo rapid growth and development each month. Now is the time to take out your digital camera or camcorder to capture these precious moments. Proudly display photos of the organic purées that you make to your friends on Facebook or Flickr, and let the world see how you're raising a healthy and organic baby and inspire others to do the same! In the following chapters you'll find recipes for the four stages on the developmental ladder of feeding. Your child will acquire new skills in each stage to prepare him for the next. Food purées will go from smooth and runny to diced foods your child can pick up. Pay attention to your child's developmental stages and feed according to the skills he has.

CHAPTER 4

First-Stage Meals (six to seven Months)

Smooth Purées for Beginner Explorers

At this point in your baby's development, there's a whole new world outside of breast milk or formula for him to explore. From six months old, your baby is now able to experience his first taste of solid food. This chapter introduces basic purées consisting of single ingredients for your baby to discover. At this stage, start off with smooth purées that run off the spoon and then gradually thicken to a yogurtlike consistency. Introduce foods one at a time, and wait four to seven days before introducing another one. If your baby displays any signs of an allergic reaction, such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or diarrhea, discontinue all foods in question and contact your family physician immediately for further instruction. Once your child has tolerated a food, try offering a new single-ingredient food and repeat the process. You can then combine foods that have been tolerated for additional flavor and texture.

Iron-fortified infant cereals such as rice, oatmeal, and barley are a great introduction to the new world of food. Babies need foods rich in iron and fat for healthy brain development. Alternatively, avocados, potatoes, yogurt, bananas, pears, and apples are popular hits among babies because of these foods' mild, sweet taste. This stage allows your baby to experience the true taste of nature without added spices or other ingredients—just simple goodness.

Up until six months of age, milk provides all the wholesome goodness essential for your baby's growth and development. Babies are born with enough iron stores for six months, so it's important to ensure your baby gets enough iron from baby purées and transitional food up until her second birthday. Iron deficiency runs rampant in children, and the lack of iron can cause impaired mental development. Once your baby reaches six months, she'll be eager to try solids and will probably seem interested in the foods you eat. Weaning baby from milk to solids is that first step on the developmental ladder of feeding, and a very rewarding one at that! By six months of age your baby should be able to hold her neck up and begin to sit with support. She can reach and grasp for objects, including her spoon! She's also imitating chewing by moving her jaws up and down. In addition to first-stage foods, offer your child as much breast milk as she wants or 24–32 ounces of formula per day. Here are some first foods to begin feeding your baby.

First-Stage Cuisines

•  Avocados

•  Apples (sweet varieties)

•  Bananas

•  Butternut squash

•  Infant cereals (rice, oatmeal, or barley)

•  Pears

•  Peas

•  Pumpkin

•  Sweet potatoes

•  White potatoes

•  Yogurt (baby-specific types)

If your baby doesn't seem interested in a particular food, continue to offer the food a few days later and keep repeating this process until she accepts the new taste. She may initially take a tablespoon or so before she is satisfied; however, her appetite and interest will increase over a short period of time. After your baby has accepted the first foods, try offering more variety in the first-stage purées with the recipes featured in
Chapters 4
and
5
.

 
Homemade Rice Cereal

BASIC

Rice cereal is one of the most common first foods for babies. It is easy to digest and doesn't carry the allergenic potential of other wheat-based cereals because it is gluten free. Make enough for your little one, or prepare a larger serving for the older children!

3 SERVINGS

¼ cup white or brown rice

1 cup water

Breast milk or formula for thinning as needed

1.   Grind rice into a powder, using a food processor.

2.   Pour water into a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil.

3.   Add the rice powder into the boiling water, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.

4.   Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 7–8 minutes, or until the rice is a smooth, thick consistency. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

5.   Let cool to lukewarm. Thin with breast milk or formula to desired consistency. For a baby just starting solids, the cereal should be thin and run off the spoon easily.

 
Homemade Oatmeal Cereal

BASIC

Oatmeal is a stick-to-your-ribs type of cereal. The whole grains are excellent for baby and provide sustained energy. A note on 1-cup-water quantities: ¼ cup of oats may be difficult to purée in a full-size food processor. Use a mini grinder when making small amounts, or make a larger amount of oatmeal and store the extra. Keep it tightly sealed, and it will last for 1 to 2 weeks.

3 SERVINGS

¼ cup regular oats (not quick-cooking)

1 cup wate
r

Breast milk or formula for thinning as needed

1.   Grind oats into a powder, using a food processor or blender. Alternatively, a mortar and pestle make a terrific grinder for a small amount.

2.   Bring water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan.

3.   Add the powdered oats into the boiling water, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.

4.   Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until the oats are smooth and thick. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.

5.   Let cool to lukewarm. Thin if desired.

 
Homemade Barley Cereal

BASIC

Barley has a slightly stronger flavor than rice or oatmeal. For this reason, try introducing it after your baby is already accustomed to other cereals.

3 SERVINGS

¼ cup barley

1 cup water

Breast milk or water for thinning as needed

1.   Grind barley into a powder, using either a food processor or coffee bean grinder.

2.   Pour water into a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil.

3.   Add ground barley into the boiling water, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.

4.   Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 8–10 minutes. Stir to prevent sticking.

5.   Let cool to lukewarm. Thin until smooth.

 
Enchanting Apple

BASIC/FREEZER

Golden Delicious, Braeburn, and Gala apples make particularly good apple purée, though almost any variety can be used.

10–12 SERVINGS

4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (variety of your choice)

2 tablespoons water

1.   In a medium-sized pan, combine apples and 2 tablespoons water.

2.   Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes until tender.

3.   Transfer all ingredients to blender and purée until desired consistency is reached.

 
Pretty Peas

BASIC/FREEZER/PARENTS

Sweet peas burst with flavor and add a nice touch to meat purées or other vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes. Sweet peas are a great introduction to solids foods and will have your child saying “pretty peas” for more!

4 SERVINGS

1 cup frozen or fresh sweet peas

½ cup water

1.   Put the peas into a steamer basket, or place into a saucepan covered by 1 inch of water. Steam the peas until tender, about 10–12 minutes. Reserve water.

2.   Transfer peas to blender using a slotted spoon.

3.   Purée peas while gradually adding just enough of the reserved water to reach a smooth consistency.

 
Simply Sweet Potato

BASIC/FREEZER/SUPERFOOD/PARENTS

Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants and are easy for most babies to digest. When baked, you can quickly purée by mashing with a fork instead of using a blender. Keep plenty of these carotene-rich wonders on hand; they'll last longer than fruit and other vegetables.

8–10 SERVINGS

2 large sweet potatoes

2 cups cooled, boiled water

1.   Bake sweet potatoes on a baking sheet at 350ºF for about 45 minutes or until potatoes start to pucker. Let stand for 15 minutes.

2.   Slice each potato in half and scoop out flesh into blender.

3.   Purée while gradually adding just enough water to reach a smooth consistency. Freeze extra portions for up to eight weeks.

 
Blushing Bananas

BASIC/SUPERFOOD/INSTANT/PARENTS

Use bananas that have started spotting with brown spots because they are ripe and easy to mash. Use the other half of the banana to enjoy for yourself.

1 SERVING

½ large ripe banana

1.   Cut banana in half and peel one half, removing any strings.

2.   Place banana flesh in bowl.

3.   Mash with a fork until smooth and creamy.

 
Avocado Mash

BASIC/SUPERFOOD/INSTANT/PARENTS

Avocado is a great first food and provides good health benefits for baby. It's loaded with monounsaturated fat (the good fat), folate, potassium, and fiber. Because of the fat and high-calorie content of avocado, your baby only needs about 2 tablespoons per serving.

1 SERVING

1 ripe avocado

1.   Slice avocado around the outside lengthwise.

2.   Twist both sides off the seed of the avocado.

3.   Scoop out 2 or 3 tablespoons of flesh from one side of the avocado.

4.   Mash until desired consistency is reached.

5.   Wrap remaining avocado with the seed in it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or make guacamole out of the rest.

 
Plum Delight

BASIC/FREEZER

Picking the perfect plum is the most important part of this recipe. Choose a plum that is already ripe; it should be soft when you press it. Picking plums that are not ripe enough will result in a bitter, coarse purée.

2 OR 3 SERVINGS

1 plum

¼ cup water

1.   Wash the plum thoroughly. Peel, remove the pit, and cut into quarters.

2.   Place in a steaming basket over water. Cover and steam until very tender.

3.   Place plum into blender.

4.   Purée while gradually adding just enough water to reach a smooth consistency. Freeze extra portions for up to eight weeks.

5.   If the mixture is too coarse, pass it through a fine sieve before serving and storing.

 
Amazing Apricot Purée

BASIC/FREEZER/INSTANT

Dried apricots will also work for this recipe. However, fresh is the best. Simmer dried apricots on the stove in a pot of water for about 8–10 minutes until tender and then purée.

3 SERVINGS

4 medium apricots, pitted

1–2 tablespoons water

1.   Cut apricots in half lengthwise and combine in a blender with water.

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

3.   Work the pulp through a strong strainer to remove any fibrous materials.

4.   Freeze fresh apricot purée for up to eight weeks.

 
Mango Tango

BASIC/FREEZER/INSTANT/PARENTS

Mangoes are the sweetest in the summer. However, unsweetened frozen mango slices will work just as well. Just thaw and purée according to these directions.

8 SERVINGS

2 medium ripe mangoes, peeled

1–2 tablespoons water

1.   Remove flesh from mango.

2.   Add mango to blender.

3.   Purée while gradually adding just enough water to reach a smooth consistency. Freeze extra portions for up to eight weeks.

 
Just Peachy Purée

BASIC/FREEZER/PARENTS

If peaches are not in season, buy frozen unsweetened peaches, thaw, and use to purée for your baby. Purchasing frozen fruit and vegetables is a great way to get produce out of season.

4–6 SERVINGS

4 medium peaches, skinned, pitted, and chopped

2–4 tablespoons water

1.   Put peaches in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes or until soft.

2.   Transfer peaches to blender.

3.   Purée while gradually adding just enough water to reach a smooth consistency. Freeze extra portions for up to eight weeks.

 
Split Pea Purée

BASIC/FREEZER/PARENTS

Split peas are a great source of protein, fiber, and iron. Combine this purée with mashed potatoes and add a dab of butter for a more savory meal. While you're already prepping those peas, why not make split pea soup for lunch?

2–4 SERVINGS

½ cup green split peas, picked and rinsed

1 cup water

1.   Combine split peas and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2.   Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30–45 minutes. Reserve liquid.

3.   Transfer peas to a blender and purée until smooth. Add reserved liquid if necessary.

 
Pumpkin Patch Purée

BASIC

Canned pumpkin is available all year round and is quick and easy to make—just open the can and serve. Thin with breast milk for a nutritional boost. Make sure to buy plain pumpkin with no added spices, sugars, or dairy products.

4 SERVINGS

½ can pure pumpkin (approximately 8 ounces)

Breast milk or water for thinning as needed

1.   Warm pumpkin in a small saucepan on the stovetop or in a glass dish in the microwave. Remove.

2.   Add breast milk or water to thin if desired. Refrigerate remaining portions for up to three days.