Baby Weaning – Page 3 – The Food Wife

BLW Apple and Sultana Muffins

15th September 201815th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

These are so yummy for little tummys. They are packed with fruit and gently spiced with cinnamon, and the perfect size for little hands. Cooking apples are much more tart than a normal eating apple and so the sultanas and dried apple help to sweeten the cakes. Iâ€™ve also added a little maple syrup. If you were going to make these as a regular â€˜grown-upâ€™ muffin you could omit the maple syrup and replace with 100g of caster sugar (the result will be a much sweeter product).

For the apple purÃ©e, make a large batch which you can then use for a variety of things: we enjoyed it on top of some American-style fluffy pancakes for a weekend breakfast; or try it stirred through yogurt as a dessert. Itâ€™s also pretty good as an apple sauce with roast pork!

To make the purÃ©e simply core a load of cooking apples, and roughly chop into pieces about one inch in size (leave the skin on). Place in a baking tin and bake in a preheated oven (180c) for 30-40 minutes until the flesh is soft and bursting. Scrape into a food processor and blitz, skins and all, into a smooth, thick purÃ©e. Store in the fridge – it will last a few days like this – or freeze.

Once made, the cakes will be good for a couple of days, but I like to leave a couple out and then freeze them in pairs; they donâ€™t take long to defrost and are a convenient snack or pudding.

Ingredients:
125g apple purÃ©e (see above)
200g self-raising flour
1 tbsp maple syrup
25g sultanas
25g dried apple, cut into small pieces
1 tsp ground cinnamon
120ml full fat milk (or milk alternative for dairy-free)
60ml oil
1 egg, beaten

Step 1: Lightly combine the purÃ©e, flour, maple syrup, sultanas, apple and cinnamon in a bowl.

Step 2: In a jug, mix the milk, oil and egg.

Step 3: Add the liquid to the drier ingredients and gently mix. Do not over mix it.

Step 4: Fill a muffin tray with 12 cases. Put a dessert spoon of mixture in to each case. Then spread any remaining mixture equally between the cases.

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven (200c) for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Baby Beef and Beetroot â€˜Chilliâ€™

11th September 201811th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 5 mini-portions

Packed with veg and nicely spiced, this colourful â€˜chilliâ€™ is a versatile dinner for your little one. A word of warning though, it is a deep dark pink, courtesy of the beetroot, which may also have an effect on nappies! But it tastes great and has gone down a storm in The Food Wife HQ. The Food Baby has had it with rice and as a pizza topping; soon heâ€™ll be having it with potatoes or pasta.

This contains herbs and spices, but no chilli (can it still be called a chilli then?!) but I chose to use a hot paprika to give it a little kick. I used a roasted red pepper from a jar (but you could just use a finely diced pepper). For the beans I actually used baked beans but you could use any of your choosing.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
200g beef mince
4 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 (roasted) red pepper, finely chopped
1 small raw beetroot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp cooked beans
Pinch of pepper

Step 1: Put a pan on a medium
heat and add the oil and onion and cook for five or so minutes, until the onion has softened.

Step 2: Add the garlic, spices and oregano and stir, then add the beef mince and continue to stir every now and then while the mince browns.

Step 3: Add your vegetables along with the tomatoes and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Finally, stir through the beans and season with a little ground pepper.

I made five portions out of this recipe, and froze them individually. You can adjust the vegetables you use and if you wanted to make this vegetarian/vegan just leave out the beef and up the mushrooms or replace with some cooked red lentils. Perhaps add some grated carrot and courgette to bulk it out further.

Banana and Oat Pancakes

6th September 20186th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 7-8

These are a real hit with the Food Baby and so quick to make. I served these for pudding with a dip of full fat Greek yogurt, with a spoonful of fruit compote or jam swirled through it and then for breakfast with a smear of peanut butter on top; both times very well received and demolished.

This picture shows just how well they first went down as the Food Baby first tried to lick the bowl clean and then eat the bowl!

Serve one or two of these at a time, the rest can be frozen (I did so in pairs) and defrosted when needed and re-heated in a toaster or a quick zap in the microwave.

Ingredients:
1 large banana, mashed
60g oats
60g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
Splash of full fat milk (about 50ml)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together until you have a well-combined batter.

Step 2: Heat a non-stick frying or crepe pan on a medium-high heat and add a little butter or oil (I used a spray oil).

Step 3: Spoon two tablespoons of mixture into the pan (I could cook three at once) and cook for a couple of minutes until little bubbles appear and they are golden brown on the underside and firm enough to flip over, then cook for a further couple of minutes on the other side.

Of course these aren’t just for babies! Try them with chopped fresh fruit and maple syrup or Greek yogurt for a delicious breakfast.

BLW Blackberry, Lime and Coconut Sugar-Free Muffins

1st September 20182nd September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

The carrot and coconut sugar-free muffins were such a hit with the Food Baby and his pals that Iâ€™ve been busy coming up with another sugar-free cake for them. Again these are sweetened naturally by the banana and have added texture from the oats and coconut whilst they are kept moist by the blackberries.

These take only a gently stir so can be made quickly and easily and can be frozen once baked.

Ingredients:
1 large banana, mashed (you are looking for about 125g)
120g blackberries
25g desiccated coconut
50g oats
100g plain flour
1 lime, zested
1 tsp baking powder
120ml full fat milk
60ml oil
1 egg, beaten

Step 1: Lightly combine the banana, blackberries, coconut, oats, flour, lime zest and baking powder in bowl.

Step 2: In a jug, mix the milk, oil and egg.

Step 3: Add the liquid to the drier ingredients and gently mix. Remember not to over mix it.

Step 4: Fill a muffin tray with 12 cases. Put a dessert spoon of mixture into each case. Then spread any remaining mixture equally between the cases.

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven (200c) for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

BLW Carrot and Coconut Sugar-Free Muffins

29th August 20182nd September 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

These little cakes have extra texture from the carrot, coconut and oats. They are sweetened naturally by the banana, and the fruit and vegetables help contribute to your little oneâ€™s healthy diet.

When peeled from their paper cases these are the perfect size for little hands to hold and so make a great snack.

These take only a gentle stir so can be made quickly and easily and can be frozen once baked.

Ingredients:
1 large banana, mashed with a fork
1 medium-large carrot, peeled and grated
25g desiccated coconut
50g oats
100g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
120ml full fat milk
60ml oil
1 egg, beaten

Step 1: Lightly combine the banana, carrot, coconut, oats, flour, cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl.

Step 2: In a jug, mix the milk, oil and egg.

Step 3: Add the liquid to the drier ingredients and gently mix. Do not over mix it.

Step 4: Fill a muffin tray with 12 cases. Put a dessert spoon of mixture into each case. Then spread any remaining mixture equally between the cases.

Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven (200c) for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.