Baby Weaning – The Food Wife

Apple and Blueberry Muffins (BLW)

14th January 202114th January 2021
by thefoodwife

Makes 12 small muffins

Low-sugar apple and blueberry muffins (easily made dairy free) for my little people to enjoy. Austin (3) and I made them together this morning and he and his 9 month old brother enjoyed them at lunchtime.

They are great to make with little ones as all it requires is a little mixing. Whilst they arenâ€™t too sweet (if you want these for a more adult sweet tooth you can always up the sugar by 50g) they are packed full of sweet juicy fruit.

These are not big muffins, the recipe makes 12 in normal cupcake cases.

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
60ml oil
120ml (dairy free if required) milk
200g plain flour
100g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eating apples (or one large), peeled and cored then cut in to a medium dice
120g (frozen is fine) blueberries

Step 1: Simply mix all the ingredients together (donâ€™t over mix! It’s the secret to a light muffin) and then equally fill 12 cup cake cases in a muffin tin.

Step 2: Bake in a preheated oven (200c fan) for 22 minutes and then allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

These can be frozen. Ensure they are suitably wrapped before hand.

Fruity Porridge Baby Bars

15th September 202015th September 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 20

Iâ€™m now weaning Food Baby number two and am adjusting back to cooking recipes suitable for little mouths and tummies!

Packed full of fruit (and veg!) these oaty bars are firm enough to hold for little hands but soft and squishy making them perfect to eat too!

If you are avoiding gluten then ensure the oats are certified gluten-free. Otherwise this recipe is suitable for most dietary requirements, and perfect for baby weaning.

Ingredients:
200g (gluten-free if required) oats
4 bananas, mashed with a fork
2 eating apples, peeled and grated
1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180c and line a baking tray (I used a rectangular tray approx 11×5 inches) with parchment.

Step 2: Combine the five ingredients in a bowl.

Step 3: Tip the mixture on to the lined tray and use the back of the spoon to flatten and even out the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully in the tin, before cutting into approximately 20 bars.

Store in the fridge for a few days or freeze. For smaller hands slice each bar in half length ways to make them easier to hold.

Whatâ€™s Cooking?

21st May 201923rd May 2019
by thefoodwife

If youâ€™re looking for some culinary inspiration hereâ€™s a round up of some of the recipes from The Food Wife that weâ€™re having this week.

Pizza, The Food Husbandâ€™s favourite, has been off the menu for a while as he’s eliminating gluten from his diet, but I made up a batch of sourdough pizza bases with the addition of two teaspoons each of garlic powder and dried oregano to the dough. I had a go at a potato base for a gluten-free version, which was a big hit (think giant gnocchi base). Watch this space for the recipe as I try to recreate it next time pizza is on the menu.Â Â

Weâ€™re still working our way through the jars of wild garlic pesto I made recently, and tomorrow weâ€™ll be enjoying it simply with pasta and green beans for a light and summery meal.Â Â Iâ€™ll also be adding it as a topping to a salmon fillet before roasting it in the oven another evening this week.

The Food Baby has not been forgotten either. Still in the quest to smuggle more vegetables into his diet (he can spot a pea from the other side of the room) Iâ€™ve batch-cooked a tomato and carrot pasta sauce and a three bean chilli along with a double batch of cheese and vegetable scones for the freezer. This time using grated parsnip, carrot and broccoli along with chopped spinach and sundried tomatoes, he devours them without the knowledge that Iâ€™m getting sneaky veg inside him!

And finally if, like me, you love rhubarb, then youâ€™ll be loving the abundance of it at the moment. Why not give my rhubarb crumble traybake a go, or if you can wait a while, have a go at my rhubarb gin. Itâ€™s worth the wait!

Whatâ€™s For Dinner?

15th April 201919th May 2019
by thefoodwife

The week ahead is sure to contain a fair amount of chocolate but I thought Iâ€™d share some of the recipes weâ€™ll be having over the next week to give you some inspiration too.

Since I posted my recipe for Chinese Lemon Chicken a couple of weeks ago, Iâ€™d been thinking about when I can have it again. I probably mentioned it a couple of times a day to The Food Husband, So I decided it was back on the menu this week and it made an excellent accompaniment to the new series of Game of Thrones!

Weâ€™ve also been using up previous batch cooking stores from the freezer and have had an easy meal of bolognese, simply defrosted and reheated and stirred through freshly cooked pasta.

As the freezer supplies need replacing Iâ€™m planning to make a new batch of my Moroccan-inspired chickpea and preserved lemon tagine later this week. I love the zingyness and potent flavour from the preserved lemons and it makes a cheap yet hearty meatless meal.

And of course Easter Sunday: we will be having lamb. Last year we had the glorious Mechoui leg of lamb. This year we are having a roasted shoulder with the classic garlic and rosemary. But on Monday we will be turning the leftovers into lamb rissoles to have with salad.

And for the Food Baby? Iâ€™ve just restocked his cheesy vegetable fritters in the freezer; this time a combination of carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, potato and sweetcorn with cheddar and smoked paprika instead of curry spices. And Iâ€™m replenishing the successful cheese and vegetable scones, switching the courgette for grated broccoli. A couple of veg-filled winners!

Hopefully thatâ€™s given you some inspiration for your meals ahead. If you are still in need of inspiration then head over to www.thefoodwife.co.uk and if you havenâ€™t already, why not sign up to the newsletter, sending you recipe inspiration each week. Wishing you all a happy Easter, The Food Wife.

Cheese and Vegetable Scones

26th March 201926th March 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 10

Whilst these started as a recipe to get more vegetables into the Food Baby, they are so delicious that I found myself eating just as many as him!

These are easy to make and can be frozen too, making them a super convenient lunch or snack; simply get them out in the morning to defrost and they are good to go in an hour or two.

Despite squeezing the excess water out of the vegetables, they still add extra moisture to the dough, so you will need to have more flour on standby to add to the dough as needed.

Ingredients:
225g self raising flour (plus extra)
Pinch of salt
55g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 small carrot, grated and squeezed of its excess water
1 small courgette, grated and squeezed of its excess water
50g hard cheese, grated
1 tbsp pesto (I used a sundried tomato one, but use whatever type you fancy)
Large pinch of smoked paprika
150ml milk

Step 1: In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and butter by rubbing between your fingers (cold hands are best) until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 2: Next stir through the grated cheese and squeezed vegetables along with the pesto and paprika.

Step 3: Finally gently stir in the milk (I like to use a table knife for this, and you want to mix the minimum amount to avoid the dough becoming tough). Itâ€™s at this stage that you may need to add a little more flour, until the mix is no longer sticky.

Step 4: Roll out until an inch thick and cut out into your shape of choice. Don’t twist the cutter though as this will stop them rising evenly. Transfer to a lined baking sheet (if you want you can brush the top with a little beaten egg or milk for a glaze, or dust with a little flour for a soft finish).

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven at 220c (fan) for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden.