Baby Food Recipes

Here are some of the recipes for what I have fed Eliana so far. I will try to post at least one recipe a week. 
A few notes about my recipes and cooking:

• I give Eliana as much seasonal, organic produce as possible. My friend Dawn brings up a good point about buying local, in season produce because other countries might not necessarily have the same rules about pesticides as we do.  If I were super clever, I would have thought to freeze the yummy organic fruit that was available in the summer. But, over the summer I had a newborn, so cleverness was not my strong point! 
• Organic fruits and vegetables that are flash frozen are still very nutritious so I will use them sometimes.
• Whenever I steam her food, I use the Beaba Babycook my brother and his family gave me last month. Typically, I blend it in there too, since it is BPA-free plastic. 
• "Puree" is a bit of a misnomer. I leave a few small, soft lumps as advised by our pediatrician.

Having said all that, here are some recipes. If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask! 

Roasted Butternut Squash
-1 organic butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped
-1 small organic yellow onion- chopped
-Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Toss squash and onion with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 40-50 minutes until tender at 400°. Mash with a fork or blend in food processor.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby. 

Carrot Puree

-2-3 organic carrots peeled and chopped

-¼ small organic onion chopped

-½ tablespoon cooked farro and some reserved cooking liquid

-Olive oil, chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Cook farro according to directions on package and reserve some of the liquid. Heat olive oil in pan on low-medium heat and add onion, garlic and salt. Cook until golden - around 4 minutes and set aside.  Steam carrots.  Combine carrots, farro, about a tablespoon of reserved cooking liquid and onion mixture and blend. Add more liquid as needed.

Let cool slightly before serving to baby. 

Applesauce

- 2 apples peeled and chopped (if apples are organic, can leave peel on)

- About ¼ cup of water

- Cinnamon to taste

Put ingredients into a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes or until apples are soft. Mash with a fork or in blender, adding cooking liquid as needed.

Let cool before serving.

Variations: Combine with plain oatmeal, Fage Total Greek yogurt, or both.

Pear Puree

-  Follow same instructions as for applesauce.

- Variations: Add ginger instead of cinnamon. Combine with plain oatmeal, Fage Total Greek yogurt or both.

Happy Cooking!