Second-Stage Weaning

Recipes for 7-9 months old.

Going Bananas
Babies love bananas and this recipe makes them taste truly scrumptious. Delicious with vanilla ice-cream. MAKES 1 PORTION.

a knob of butter
1 small banana, peeled and sliced
a pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Melt the butter in a small frying pan, stir in the sliced banana, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Mash with a fork.

Peach, Apple and Strawberry Puree
You could also make Apple, Strawberry and Blueberry Puree using 25g blueberries instead of peach. MAKES 2 PORTIONS.

1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 large ripe peach, peeled, stoned and chopped
75g strawberries, halved
1 tablespoon baby rice

Steam the apple for about 4 minutes. Add the peach and strawberries to the steamer and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Blend the fruits to a smooth puree and stir in the baby rice.


Tomatoes and Carrots with Basil
If you introduce your baby to new flavours at an early age, he will tend to grow up a less fussy eater. MAKES 4 PORTIONS.

125g carrots, peeled and sliced
100g cauliflower, cut into florets
25g butter
200g ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and roughly chopped
2-3 fresh basil leaves
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Put the carrots in a small saucepan, cover with boiling water and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-8 minutes, adding extra water if necessary. Meanwhile, melt the butter, add the tomatoes and saute until mushy. Stir in the basil and cheese until melted. Puree the carrots and cauliflower with about 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and the tomato sauce.

Cauliflower Cheese
This is a great favourite with babies. Try using different cheese or combinations of cheese until you find your baby's favourite taste. The cheese sauce can be used over a mixture of vegetables as well. MAKES 5 PORTIONS.

175g cauliflower

Cheese Sauce
15g butter
1 tbs plain flour
150ml milk
50g cheddar, edam or gruyere cheese, grated

Wash the cauliflower carefully, divide it into small florets and steam until tender (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt the butter over a low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk and stir until thickened. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Keep stirring until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Add the cauliflower to the sauce and puree in a blender for younger babies. For older babies, mash with a fork or chop into little pieces.

Minestrone
The vegetables in minestrone soup add texture but are nice and soft for your baby to chew. However, for younger babies you could blend this soup to the desired texture. Add a little seasoning and some extra stock to make this into a delicious soup for the rest of the family.
MAKES 4 ADULT PORTIONS OR 12 BABY PORTIONS.

1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 leek, white part only, washed and finely chopped
1 medium carot, peeled and diced
1/2 celery stalk, diced
100g french beans, cut into 1cm lengths
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp tomato puree
1.2 L chicken or vegetable stock
3 tbs frozen peas
50g very smal pasta shapes

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and leek for 2 minutes, then add the carrot, celery, french beans, potato and parsley and saute for 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute. Pour over the chicken or vegetable stock and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the frozen peas and pasta and cook for 5 minutes (check the packet instructions for the cooking time of pasta).