- Choose lean cuts of meat and trim as much fat as humanly possible
- Poach proteins in H2O, reserve cooking liquid for pureeing process
- Use twice as many grains as meat i.e. - 2 cups rice, cooked & 1 cup chicken, diced and poached
- To puree, start with only solids, turn on and add cooking liquid very slowly till its at a suitable consistency
- Introduce secondary vegetables like mushrooms, garlic, onions, celery & peppers via baby entrees.
- If your baby food is too loose, you can easily thicken w/rice cereal. Too thick, just add a few drops of water.
When I use the term baby entree, I am talking about protein rich foods to be introduced to your baby at around 6 months or when your doctor gives you the thumbs up. Here are a few tips to get you started on making your kids second foods. Once you understand the basics, you’ll have endless combinations for your little ones tummy.
Here are some of the combinations I have made and my son devoured.
Turkey Sausage & Barley
2.5 lbs turkey breast, diced & poached - reserve cooking liquid (remove any foam or solids)
12 oz. turkey sausage, removed from casings & poached then rinsed thoroughly
2 cups cooked barley
Add cooked turkey, sausage & barley to food processor. Attach lid and pulse 3 or 4 times - until all pieces are about the size of an uncooked grain of barley. Slowly add turkey cooking liquid while processor is in motion. You must go slow, at a drizzle, to make sure everything is smooth. This may take up to 2 cups of cooking liquid. If you run out of cooking liquid, use H2O. Portion, label & freeze. Serve this with sweet potatoes and red cabbage.
Black beans w/Cilantro & Lime
1.5 cups black beans, dry
1 small onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 tbl. Cilantro, leaves only
1 small lime, juiced & zested
After you’ve checked for small rocks, rinse the black beans, add to large sauce pot w/plenty of H2O & bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat and let sit at room temperature for one hour. Drain beans and return to sauce pot with plenty of H2O plus the diced onion & bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, adding H2O as necessary, until beans are tender & almost mushy. Remove from heat, drain the beans, remove bay leaf & transfer beans to food processor. Add cilantro & lime zest/juice. Puree till smooth. Add H2O if you need to thin the beans but it should be fine. Portion, label & freeze. This mixes well with apple sauce.
Chicken Mushroom & Rice
1 chicken, roasted, skin/bones removed then picked & torn in to 2 -3 inch pieces
1 large or 2 small packages of white button mushrooms, washed & sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 cups, dry baby rice cereal
In large skillet w/a lid, heat a scant teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat till oil is wavy & viscous. Add diced onion, stir well. In about 2 - 3 min. add chopped garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat until onions turn clear, add sliced mushrooms, stir & place lid on pot for 7 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In that time the mushrooms will have released their juices, cook until mushrooms have shrunk about 50%. Transfer chicken to food processor & pulse till chicken is in small bits. Add mushrooms & juice, puree till smooth adding more H2O if needed. Transfer to large mixing bowl and add dry cereal. Mix together with a spatula adding H2O till entree is a good consistency (about 3 cups H2O). Portion, label & freeze. Serve with peas & carrots.
Beef Stew
1 lb beef stew meat, trimmed of excess fat and cut in to small pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 small carrots, peeled & sliced 1/4” thick
1 rib celery, sliced 1/4” thick
2 small or 1 large potato, peeled and diced small
1/4 cup peas, frozen or fresh
Add stew meat, onion, bay leaf, carrots, celery & potatoes to large sauce pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Cook until meat is no longer pink and potatoes are soft, add peas & remove from heat. Drain & reserve liquid. Remove bay leaf and place meat & veggies in to food processor. Pulse until smooth adding cooking liquid as needed. Portion, label & freeze.
That should be enough to get you started.
Happy Eating!
