Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Homemade Baby Food: The Recipes

I used this book when deciding on recipes for Levi's baby food: 201 Organic Baby Purees


The iBook version is only $9.99, so I thought it was a pretty good deal since I needed some inspiration for what recipes to make for my little one. One thing I like about this book is the fact that all the recipes are divided into the appropriate age groups based on the ingredients and textures. Plus, it contains just what the title says--recipes for purees. When searching for "baby food cookbooks," I found many books that contained mostly baby-friendly finger food recipes with a few puree recipes--not exactly what I was looking for. This book was perfect!

Here is a list of the recipes I chose:
Garden Veggie and Lentil Dinner 
Chicken and Veggie Dinner (I added 1-2 cups of cooked brown rice)
Beefy Peas and Potatoes (I added 1-2 cups of cooked brown rice)
Autumn Harvest Puree (I added a can of garbanzo beans)
Summertime Peach and Raspberry Delight
Cantaloupe and Strawberry Joy
Apple and Plum Compote
Pear and Apricot Puree (I substituted the apricots for frozen blueberries)

I tried to pick a good variety of combinations, as well as some iron-rich foods, since Levi's iron was a bit low at his last doctor's visit. I quadrupled all of the recipes so that it made enough servings for 2 months worth of food (based on how many ounces Levi is currently eating). Some of the recipes required boiling the ingredients, but I baked anything that was supposed to be boiled (with the exception of the Beefy Peas and Potatoes)--I find that the ingredients are more flavorful that way, plus baking is supposed to be more nutritive than boiling. 


I'll add the recipes below, based on how I tweaked them. If you want the originals, I highly encourage you to buy the book!

Garden Veggie and Lentil Dinner (16-20 Servings)
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 quart of chicken stock
2 cups of brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
1 large tomato, chopped

1. Saute carrots, celery and onions in extra-virgin olive oil in a medium pot until onions are translucent.
2. Add stock, lentils and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently with lid tilted for 30-45 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
4. Puree to the desired consistency and serve. Freeze remaining portions up to eight weeks.


Chicken and Veggie Dinner (16 servings)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 small sweet onions, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
4 carrots, chopped
1-2 cups cooked brown rice
Olive oil to coat

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add chicken, onions, peas, carrots, and olive oil to a 9x13" baking dish.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
4. Transfer baked ingredients, including broth, to food processor.
5. Puree until semi-smooth (add water to thin if necessary).


Beefy Peas and Potatoes (15 servings)
2-3 large russet or yukon potatoes
2 cups frozen peas
1 lb lean ground beef, cooked
1-2 cups cooked brown rice

1. Wash, peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add peas to saucepan. Boil for another 5-10 minutes until peas are tender.
3. Place in food processor with cooked beef and rice. Puree, adding cooking water as necessary to thin.


Autumn Harvest Puree (14-16 servings)
4 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can pure pumpkin
1 can low sodium garbanzo beans
Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle cinnamon over apples and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.
2. Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and bake alongside apples. Remove potatoes from skin once tender.
3. Combine all ingredients in food processor and puree, adding water as necessary.


Summertime Peach and Raspberry Delight (12 servings)
10 peaches or nectarines, peeled, pitted and chopped
12 oz frozen raspberries

1. Combine raspberries and chopped peaches to food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Optional: pass puree through a fine mesh strainer to remove raspberry seeds.


Cantaloupe and Strawberry Joy (15 servings)
1 cantaloupe, chopped
1 pint of strawberries, trimmed and washed

Combine both ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.


Apple and Plum Compote (15 servings)
4 sweet apples, cored, peeled and chopped
6 small plums, peeled, pitted and chopped
Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Sprinkle apples and plums with cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.
3. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth.


Pear and Blueberry Puree (16 servings)
5 medium pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
12 oz frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Bake pears for 30 minutes or until tender.
3. Combine with blueberries in food processor and puree until smooth.

Now, on to the process... {part 3}

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