Baby shells with carrots, onions and golden raisins

An easy and quick but tasty dinner which is perfect to make on a busy night.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of small shells
• 2 tablespoons of sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins

Cook the small shells in boiling water with the carrots for 12 minutes and set aside. In a saucepan brown the onions with the sunflower oil for 2 minutes. Mix together with the golden raisins.

Dhal of coral lentils cooked in coconut milk and bulghur with coriander

Margaux's first Indian Meal!
I loved the idea of giving Margaux the opportunity to try new spices while making it all within the proportions that are right for a 12 months old baby.

This is a recipe from Jenny Carenco, "Mon livre de recettes pour Bébé"

Babies 12 months and up
This makes 5 dinners which you can freeze

Ingredients:

• 3dl/10 oz of coral lentils
• 5 tomatoes
• 4 carrots
• 25cl/8.5 oz coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 200g/7oz bulgur
• 5 leaves of fresh coriander, minced

- Wash the carotts and tomatoes. Peel the carrots and dice them. Cut the tomatoes in cubes.
- In a saucepan, cover the lentils with water and bring to a boil. Cook at medium heat for 10 mns then drain.
- Put the bulgur in saucepan with 14oz water, bring to a boil and let cook for 10mns at medium heat (the water will have been absorbed).
- In a pan, heat the sunflower oil and garlic, cook for a minute then add the carrots and tomatoes. Add the spices and tomato paste then mix in well.
- Add the coconut milk and let cook for 10 mns. you can mix with a blender if your abby prefers a thinner texture.
- Add the lentils
- Serve with the bulgur topped with fresh coriander leaves, thinly sliced

Tennis anyone?

Racchette Pasta with Zucchini and Parmesan

This fun shaped pasta will sure please your little one for dinner!

Good for: Baby's dinner, 9 months and up

Ingredients:

• 2 oz racchette pasta
• 3.5 oz zucchini
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Slice, dice and steam your zucchini. Cook the racchette according to package's instructions. Mix in zucchini, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

In 15 mins, here you have a dinner sure to please your baby and easy to make on busy weeknights.

Tuna with a South of France twist

As Margaux is now ONE (big girl!) I want to move on to new tastes and widen her horizons a bit. I thought a little tour of different cooking styles taken from around the world would be nice. The next series will feature some tastes from France, India, Italy, China and Spain. Bon appétit!

This is a fun and different lunch which is very easy to prepare ahead of time. The tuna is served with a ratatouille which can be made days ahead and a simple semolina couscous.

For babies 9 months and up

You will need:

• 1  1/2 tablespoon of canned tuna
• Half a zucchini
• A slice of eggplant
• 2 tomatoes
• A teaspoon of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Very easy directions:

Peel and dice all vegetables and steam for 15 minutes or until tender. Add the tuna and mix in with the tomato paste and olive oil. Serve with a bit of couscous. You can also add some thyme and a bit of garlic to this.

And why not make more and share with baby?