Wean in 15 Read online

  Finish the frittata off in the oven for 10 minutes or until puffed and set firm enough to remove from the pan. Loosen the edges and underneath of the frittata with a palette knife, invert the frittata onto a plate and cut into 4cm squares.

  Keeps for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  TIP

  To roast the sweet potato, place it on a baking tray and pierce a few times with a fork or skewer.

  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Roast in an oven preheated to 180˚C (fan 160˚C/gas mark 4) for 40–45 minutes until perfectly soft all the way through.

  SWEETCORN AND RICOTTA FRITTERS

  Fritters are a great way of adding soft textures into your baby’s diet. I like to have these in the fridge so, while I’m cooking, Indie can have one as a starter.

  MAKES 20 FRITTERS

  V

  130g sweetcorn

  3 spring onions, finely chopped zest of 1 lime

  150g ricotta cheese

  1 egg

  3 tbsp flour

  ½ tsp baking powder

  2 tbsp milk

  20g parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, grated olive oil, for frying

  Blitz the sweetcorn for a few seconds in a food processor, then transfer to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients apart from the oil.

  Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the fritters in batches adding in 1 tablespoon of mixture per fritter. Cook for 1–2 minutes on each side or until tinged brown and cooked through.

  Keeps for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  CHEESY PEA QUINOA RISOTTO

  Risottos are awesome for adding in any veg you fancy. This one tastes yummy with the cheese. I think you and your baby will enjoy it!

  MAKES 1 ADULT AND 1 BABY PORTION | FAMILY MEAL | LONGER RECIPE

  V F GF

  1 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil

  1 small onion, finely chopped

  1 clove garlic, minced

  100g quinoa

  600ml hot homemade stock (see here) or water

  130g frozen peas, defrosted

  80g cheddar, grated a squeeze of lemon and a handful of chopped herbs, to finish – optional

  Melt the butter or heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and gently fry until soft and translucent.

  Add the quinoa, stirring to coat it in the mixture.

  Add in the hot stock, a ladle at a time, waiting for each ladleful to evaporate before adding in the next.

  When you have roughly one ladle of stock left, add in the peas and cheese along with the remaining ladle of stock. Stir until creamy and the cheese has melted into the stock. Remove from the heat and add the optional lemon juice and herbs now if you like.

  Keeps for 2–3 days covered in the fridge.

  INDIAN-SPICED SPINACH, CHICKPEA AND POTATO CURRY WITH YOGHURT

  Life gets easier when you can start to cook meals like this for enjoying together. It means less time in the kitchen and less washing up too.

  MAKES 1 ADULT AND 1 BABY PORTION | FAMILY MEAL

  V F GF

  2 tsp coconut oil

  1 small onion, finely chopped

  ½ tsp grated ginger or shop-bought ginger puree

  1 tsp garam masala

  1 medium potato, peeled and sliced into small pieces

  120ml water, plus 2 tbsp

  1 × 227g or ½ × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

  70g chickpeas, rinsed and drained, squashed – but not mashed – with a fork

  small handful of spinach, roughly chopped

  70g natural yoghurt

  Melt the coconut oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, ginger and garam masala and sauté for 2–3 minutes over a medium heat until soft, translucent and aromatic.

  Add the potato to a bowl along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave for 6–7 minutes or until tender.

  Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach and the 120ml water to the onion and spices. Cook until the spinach has wilted down and the sauce has reduced a little.

  Add the cooked potato and stir in the yoghurt to finish.

  Keeps for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  BROCCOLI, BASIL AND CASHEW PESTO WITH CHOPPED SPAGHETTI

  This homemade pesto tastes better than any shop-bought one.

  It’s good to have in the fridge to throw on some pasta and leftover veg.

  MAKES 1 ADULT AND 1 BABY PORTION | FAMILY MEAL

  V F PESTO ONLY

  150g broccoli florets, excluding any woody stems

  40g cashews (or other nut such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts), toasted if you have time

  ¼ clove garlic or generous pinch of garlic granules

  zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tbsp lemon juice

  25g cheddar, finely grated

  handful of basil

  3 tbsp olive oil

  spaghetti, to serve (around 30g per baby portion)

  Cook the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold running water to cool the broccoli down and stop it from cooking further.

  Place the cashews in a processor or mini chopper and process for 1 minute. Add in the broccoli and remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

  Cook the pasta in the same pan as the broccoli as per packet instructions. When cooked, snip into shorter lengths with a pair of kitchen scissors for your baby.

  Serve the cooked spaghetti with the pesto.

  The pesto keeps for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  RED PEPPER PESTO, GREEN BEANS AND PASTA

  Another amazing homemade pesto. You can use any pasta type here and just chop it all super fine to suit your baby.

  MAKES 2 PORTIONS

  V F

  1 red pepper

  15g blanched almonds

  ½ clove garlic or a generous pinch of garlic granules

  4 basil leaves

  1 tbsp olive oil

  1 tbsp water

  60g dried spaghetti, cut into short lengths

  40g green beans, cut into short lengths

  Preheat the grill to its hottest setting. Place the red pepper under the hot grill for around 10–12 minutes, rotating the pepper every few minutes until blackened and blistered on all sides. Remove the blistered skin of the pepper and discard. Cut the pepper in half and scrape out the seeds and stem.

  Add the pepper, almonds, garlic, basil, olive oil and water to a mini blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use a stick blender.

  Cook the pasta as per packet instructions, adding in the green beans 4 minutes before the end of the cooking time. When cooked, snip the pasta into shorter lengths with a pair of kitchen scissors.

  Drain the pasta and beans and stir through the pesto to serve.

  Keeps for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  TIP

  You can keep the green beans whole if you want to use as a finger food. If you have the time you could toast the almonds.

  FAMILY MEALTIMES

  Continue to offer your baby plenty of variety and a good balance of food groups at this stage. It’s all about really getting your little ones on ‘family foods’, joining in at mealtimes and eating similar foods to the rest of the family (but still with no added sugar and salt).

  We really liked this stage as we could now start to enjoy recipes and food as a family as opposed to having to make separate ‘baby food’ for Indie. I would make things like pea and courgette risotto or mild vegetable curry. This is the time where prepping like a boss and batch cooking really come to good use. Any leftovers we could just reheat for Indie the next day.

  Hopefully your baby will have moved through the textures and now be able to take foods that are more minced and chopped, rather than mashed. Think chopped spag bol or lasagne.

  Some people like to include a pudding after a main meal at this stage too. Fruit or milk-based puddings, without any added sugars, are best for your baby and can help them top up on nutrient intakes too.<
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  Remember there are no guidelines regarding portions, so go with your baby’s appetite cues and try to listen to their signals that they want more, or that they’ve had enough. Their appetites are likely to change from day to day and meal to meal so try to let them take the lead.

  At this stage you might find that your baby’s milk intake is starting to decrease as their intake of food steadily increases and they get more confident and competent with eating. This is perfectly normal and at this stage a baby on formula milk might be having around 400ml of milk throughout the day, as a very rough guide. Breast milk will usually adjust based on your baby’s needs and how much food they are having. If you’re at all unsure, it’s worth having a chat with your health visitor about how much milk or food your little one is eating.

  APRICOT CHIA SEED JAM

  This is a great jam to have in the fridge. I spread it on Indie’s toast in the morning or stir some into her Greek yoghurt.

  MAKES 10 SMALL TBSP

  V F

  200g fresh apricots or plums, de-stoned and roughly chopped

  4 tbsp water

  2 tbsp chia seeds

  brown toast fingers, natural yoghurt, sliced apple, to serve

  Add the apricots and 2 tablespoons of water to a small lidded saucepan over a low heat and slowly heat through with the lid on. Cook until the apricots break down, this should take around 5 minutes.

  Remove the lid and add the chia seeds and another 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Stir and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool and thicken.

  Use to top brown toast fingers, stir into yoghurt, or serve with sliced apple. Keeps for up to 1 week covered in the fridge.

  BANANA OATY PANCAKES WITH COCONUT AND BLUEBERRIES

  Pancakes are such a quick and easy win in the morning. They are perfect for babies to pull apart and try to feed themselves.

  MAKES ABOUT 10 SMALL 6–7CM PANCAKES

  V F

  1 banana, peeled and sliced

  2 eggs

  40g porridge oats

  30g desiccated coconut, plus extra to serve if you wish

  ½ tsp baking powder

  ½ tbsp coconut oil or butter

  40g blueberries, large ones cut into quarters, smaller ones cut into halves

  Blend together the banana, eggs, oats, desiccated coconut and baking powder until perfectly smooth.

  Melt the coconut oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. To cook the pancakes add tablespoonfuls of the batter to the pan and dot the top of each pancake with a few of the chopped blueberries. Cook for 1–2 minutes before flipping to cook the reverse side. Repeat until all the batter is used.

  Leave the pancakes to cool a little after cooking to prevent the blueberries from burning your baby’s mouth. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut to serve, if you like.

  The pancakes keep for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  TIP

  The pancakes can also be chopped into fingers.

  CAULIFLOWER RED PEPPER EGG MUFFINS

  These little muffins are great for baby-led weaning and on-the-go mealtimes. On warm days we like to take Indie to the park for an outdoor breakfast.

  MAKES 16–18 SMALL MUFFINS | LONGER RECIPE

  V F

  240g cauliflower, broken into small florets

  2 tbsp water

  80g cheddar, finely grated

  zest of 1 lemon

  handful of chopped parsley

  1 jarred red pepper, roughly chopped

  55g plain flour

  55g polenta

  1½ tsp baking powder

  6 eggs, whisked butter, for greasing

  Special equipment

  18-hole silicone mini muffin tray

  Preheat the oven to 180˚C (fan 160˚C/gas mark 4).

  Place the cauliflower in a bowl with the water, cover and microwave on full power for 4 minutes.

  Mix together the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the cauliflower florets. Grease the mini muffin tray.

  Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and cooked through.

  Keep for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  ASIAN-STYLE SCRAMBLED EGGS

  Eggs don’t have to be plain and boring for your baby. Adding spices and spring onion gives more flavour and makes them way more enjoyable.

  MAKES 1 PORTION

  V

  1 tsp sesame oil

  1 spring onion, finely chopped

  15g (1 tbsp) frozen peas, defrosted pinch of Chinese five spice powder (I use Bart’s as it has no added salt or sugar)

  1 egg, whisked

  toast fingers, to serve

  Add the sesame oil and spring onion to a small non-stick frying pan and sauté for 1–2 minutes or until soft. Add the peas, five spice and egg, moving everything around in the pan until the egg is cooked and nicely scrambled.

  Serve with a couple of toast fingers.

  BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER TOTS

  This is one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever shared on Instagram. You will probably want to eat them all yourself as they taste incredible.

  MAKES ABOUT 24 TOTS

  V F

  200g broccoli florets

  200g cauliflower florets

  1 tsp dried oregano

  1 tsp garlic granules

  1 tsp onion granules

  80g cheddar, finely grated

  2 eggs, whisked

  50g breadcrumbs

  olive oil, for greasing

  Preheat the oven to 200˚C (fan 180˚C /gas mark 6). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

  Steam the broccoli and cauliflower in a little water for 2 minutes. Drain in a sieve or colander, then rinse under cold running water to stop them from going too soft. Roughly chop the vegetables and place in a large mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients apart from the olive oil.

  Work the mixture together with your hands and roll up into little tots. Grease the lined tray with a little olive oil, place the tots on the tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until tinged golden brown round the edges.

  Keeps for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

  TOFU, SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND MANGO SESAME NOODLES

  Who said babies have to eat baby food? This is a proper tasty meal and one I love to eat with Indie.

  MAKES 1 ADULT AND 1 BABY PORTION | FAMILY MEAL

  VE GF

  150g firm tofu, cut into small cubes

  ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder (I use Bart’s as it has no added salt or sugar)

  1 tsp sesame oil

  ½ red pepper, sliced thin

  70g sweetcorn

  50g sugar snap peas, sliced thin lengthways

  150g cooked rice noodles

  100g mango, cut into matchsticks

  2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

  For the dressing

  ½ tbsp lime juice

  1½ tbsp sesame oil

  Toss the tofu in the Chinese five spice to coat.

  Heat the sesame oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tofu and cook until tinged brown on all sides then remove it from the pan.

  Add the pepper strips, corn and sugar snap peas to the pan and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Add the cooked noodles and tofu back to the pan and warm through for 1 minute.

  Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

  Add the mango, sesame seeds and dressing to the noodles and toss everything together to combine.

  Keeps for 2 days covered in the fridge.

  TIP

  Add some chopped mint and coriander for extra flavour.

  PARSLEY AND MINT CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS

  When I first offered Indie some plain steamed cauliflower she tasted it and threw it on the floor. Rather than give up, I decided to make this instead and she loved it.

  MAKES 1 ADULT AND 1 BABY PORTION | FAMILY MEAL

  VE GF

/>   1 small head of cauliflower (around 500g), broken into florets

  2 tsp ground cumin

  ¼ tsp garlic granules

  1 tbsp olive oil small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

  small bunch of mint, finely chopped

  25g toasted flaked or ground almonds, very finely chopped if flaked

  ½ lemon

  Preheat the oven to 200˚C (fan 180˚C/gas mark 6). Line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

  Place the cauliflower in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. In a large mixing bowl mix the cauliflower with the cumin, garlic granules and olive oil.

  Tip the cauliflower onto the prepared baking tray, spreading it out into an even layer. Place in the oven and cook for 12 minutes, giving the cauliflower a little turn with a fish slice halfway through cooking.

  Fold the sides of the parchment paper up and funnel the cauliflower into a serving bowl. Add the chopped herbs and almonds. Add a little squeeze of lemon and toss everything together.

  Keeps for 2 days covered in the fridge.

  TIP

  This is good served with cooked chicken fingers and cucumber and mint yoghurt dip.

  MUSHROOM AND TURKEY BOLOGNESE

  This is the perfect family meal. You can easily adapt it to suit your baby by chopping, blending or mashing it to the desired texture.

  MAKES 2 ADULT AND 2 BABY PORTIONS | FAMILY MEAL | LONGER RECIPE

  F BOLOGNESE ONLY

  250g mushrooms, finely chopped by hand or in a food processor

  2 tbsp olive oil

  1 red onion, finely chopped

  1 carrot, peeled and grated

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1 bay leaf

  sprig of thyme, finely chopped

  sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

  1 star anise