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?

Fall Dinner: Risotto with butternut squash

Fall is upon us and butternut squash feels just right. I made this for Margaux who was a big fan: looks like another Annabel Karmel's favorite!

From Annabel Karmel's Top 100 Baby Purees
Who is it for?: Babies 9-12 months
Ideal for: a Fall dinner
Makes 4 portions
Suitable for freezing

Risotto with butternut squash

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 cups boiling water
1/2 medium butternut squash (6 oz) peeled and chopped
2 medium tomatoes (8 oz), peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Sauté the onion in half the butter until softened. Stir in the rice until well coated. Pour in the boiling water, cover the pan, and cook for 8 minutes over high heat. Stir in the butternut squash, reduce the heat, and cook, covered, for about 12 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan, add the tomatoes, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted, then stir the tomato and cheese mixture into the cooked rice.

Orzo for dinner

I've been reading a lot from French books that the first 6-12 months are crucial for a baby's palate: this is the time during which you have to introduce as much as possible (without giving any risky foods obviously) in order to have a baby who loves diverse, healthy food and not a picky eater who eats nothing outside of starch and junk food (which I could not deal with). I've been searching what Margaux has not tried yet, which is actually a challenge as she has had about everything possible. Then I found two things: orzo and oatmeal.
She's very active and at 10 months is taking lots of steps, everywhere she can hold on to. She is also very tall and wears 2 years old size in clothing (despite quite a bit of room in the midsection!). The combination of being very active and tall means she needs food which is a bit more filling. Orzo was a great idea for that and she loved this dinner. It's definitely going to be a staple of her evenings.

This is a recipe from a book offered to me by Margaux's godmother when we just arrived in Mahattan, having moved from Paris and I was introducing more solids to Margaux. I must say, she seems very pleased with the recipes I've tried from it. It is also very quick to make without much kitchen mess. A breeze!

Pasta Risotto from Annabel Karmel's " Top 100 Baby Purees".

Who is it for?: Babies 9-12 months
Ideal for: a healthy dinner which holds baby through the night
Makes 4 portions
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orzo
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put the pasta in a saucepan together with the carrot, cover generously with boiling water, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and broccoli and continue to cook for about 7 minutes. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in drained pasta and vegetables, and toss with the butter and Cheddar until the cheese has melted.

If you make more, it really is perfect for the whole family, which saves you precious time to unwind. What's not to love?

3 course meal, baby's way

Margaux has definitely left the "baby" stage and now wants everything like a big girl. She's standing up, holds her spoon on her own, plays peekaboo with her towel and said her first two words.
Time to upgrade her meals, I say.

3 courses, Margaux's way:

Italian beef stew served with baby guacamole, followed by a yogurt topped with apple, cherry & vanilla compote.

For babies 6 months and up

Italian beef stew recipe: from the amazing Jenny Carenco's book "Recettes pour bébé".

I just changed the cooking method to work with my Babycook.

For 5 portions:
100g/3.5 oz beef (I used sirloin but you can use a cheaper cut, something good for stews)
3 carrots
6 tomatoes
2 zucchinis
1 celery stalk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme


Wash and peel all vegetables. Cut them and the beef into cubes.
Put everything in your steamer basket (water level 3 if using the Babycook). When steamed, add the cooking water and olive oil and mix.


Baby guacamole:
Half an avocado mashed up with a fork and a few drops of lemon juice.


Yogurt with apple-cherry compote:
I used an organic plain yogurt for babies and topped it with a compote using half apples, half cherries.
Peel and cut into cubes the apples, put them in a saucepan and sprinkle with water.
Add cherries (I used frozen cherries which saves you time as you don't have to remove the pits this way) and cook slowly until very tender.
Scrape the inside of an inch of vanilla pod, add a teaspoon of agave and mix to a smooth purée.


I used the same ingredients to make a stew for ourselves and cooked it with a bit of water on medium heat in a Le Creuset Doufeu©. Served it with a Parmesan polenta.
Who said baby food cannot be fancy?
Margaux was thrilled, ate just like an adult and we saved time as groceries were the same for everyone. Everyone's happy.

Saturday lunch: Fricassée of chicken, broccolette & zucchini

Weekends allow me to have more time to cook for Margaux and try something new for her. It's a good opportunity to make a big batch and freeze some portions for some days when you have little time and allows you to diversify the baby's meals.
Try it for yourself as well, I promise you'll want some too.

For babies: 6 months and up

Note: double or triple the proportions to make some ahead for the week, cool and freeze. You can make smaller portions and serve with a vegetable purée.

20g/1 tablespoon of chicken
100g/3.5 oz of zucchini
100g/3.5 oz of broccolette
1 Laughing Cow©
1/4 teaspoon of Spanish onion, minced
1 teaspoon of olive oil

Wash and peel the zucchinis, cut into cubes. Wash the broccolette and cut the florets, removing the stems.
Cut up the chicken into cubes.
Put the chicken, vegetables and onion in a steamer basket (if using the Babycook this is water level 3). Using the Babycook, it takes only 15-20 minutes but of course adapt this timing to your own food processor.
Once cooked, keep a tablespoon of the cooking water and add a teaspoon of olive oil, the Laughing Cow© and mix.

Watch your baby eat in delight.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A La Maud.

Potato and cod purée with vanilla - recipe from Laura Annaert

This has to be the simplest and tastiest way to make your baby try fish. Cod has a very subtle taste, is quite firm and pairs perfectly with vanilla, making it an easy fish treat for Bébé.

Margaux's plate before it completely disappeared.

This is a recipe from Laura Annaert, Mamanchef, which I got from Babymoov and PARENTS Magazine.

For babies 6 to 9 months (introduce after you have introduced baby to white and red meat. Makes an ideal first fish meal).

Ingredients:
One potato
10g / 1/3 oz. of fresh cod
1 teaspoon of butter
1cm / 0.5 inches of vanilla pod
4 tablespoons of milk

Peel the potato and cut it into cubes. Steam it for about 20 minutes.
Open your vanilla pod in half and scrape half an inch of it.
Add the butter and vanilla to the cod and cook it on low temperature in a pan for 7 minutes on each side. Add the milk. Mix everything together.

Note: this is the original recipe from Laura Annaert but when cooking it for Margaux I changed it a bit: I steamed the cod and potato together, then added the milk and mixed. I found that was quicker, easier, healthier.

There you have it: a fish loving bébé.

At Peter Luger's restaurant - Lamb chop, lunch like a champion

When you're Margaux, you eat like a champ. That means when grandpa Mike and Mimi visit New York and we take a trip to Peter Luger's restaurant, Margaux doesn't get left behind.
Ready to go in her cooler bag: her first lamb chop. Considering she ate a bit over 8 oz of it and left a very clean looking bowl, we can say it got her seal of approval.

For babies: 7 months and up
Note: This comes after you have introduced your baby to poultry as white meat comes before red meat. Baby needs to eat lean and less fatty types of meat before being able to digest a more fancy one.

Reproduce it:
20g/70 oz of lamb chop
One big new potato
120g/4 oz of tomato medley (mix of small cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, black cherry tomatoes)
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 teaspoon of sunflower oil

Wash and peel the potato and tomatoes. Cut thin slices of the potato and the tomatoes in two.
Cut up the rosemary sprigs.
Put everything in a steamer basket (if using the Babycook this is water level 3). Using the Babycook, it takes only 15-20 minutes but of course adapt this timing to your own food processor.
Once cooked, keep a teaspoon of the cooking water and add a teaspoon of sunflower oil and mix.

Taste to check the temperature before giving it to your baby. Wish you had some for yourself. Change the quantities to adult's size portions. Be as happy as your baby.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A La Maud.

Margaux's first salmon

For babies: 6-8 months
Note: You should introduce fish once you have introduced meat, starting with white meat, then red meat and finally fish (white fish, salmon and tuna - shellfish comes later).

This is a bit more sophisticated than cod and helps to widen your baby's horizons.

What's in it for bébé:
Salmon is what I call a miracle food: lots of omega 3, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A which is baby's friend for growth, good eyesight and boosting the immune system and last but not least, vitamin D for strong teeth and bones. It's a winner!
Fennel is filled with vitamins A and E and helps baby's digestion

You will need :
0.5 oz/10g of salmon
6 oz/170g of a mix of eggplant, fennel and tomato
1 teaspoon of olive oil

As easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Peel all the vegetables and cut them into cubes, along with thin slices of salmon.
2. Put everything in a steamer basket and steam for about 15 minutes (If you are using Béaba Babycook, this is water level 3 and only use 1 teaspoon of the cooking liquid when mixing) 
3. Add the olive oil* and mix to a smooth purée.

Who says there's no time to cook for baby? Save even more time by cooking it for yourselves: we used the same ingredients for us, grilling everything on the barbecue. Summer cooking made simple, healthy and tasty.

This makes one balanced lunch for bébé. Follow with a plain yogurt for dessert and you've just covered all of your baby's needs.

*I use ZOE for Kids olive oil, specially formulated for babies, it's organic, extra virgin olive oil with a fresh  fruity flavor and comes in an aluminium tin which helps to protect it from light and heat.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A la Maud.

Taste of Summer: Peach, nectarine and vanilla compote

What better way to kick off baby's summer taste buds than with peaches and nectarines? Add a little vanilla and you've got one happy, healthy baby.

For babies: 6 months and up
Note: this is after baby has been introduced to solids and can start mixing fruits. For more information read my page Starting solids

What's in it for bébé:
Peach is full of vitamin C and has lots of water and little sugar, making it ideal for hot summer days.  It's also very easy to digest for fragile babies' intestines.
Nectarine is not only filled with vitamins B3, C and E but also phosphorus, which helps baby's growing bones.
Vanilla helps babies to relax and prepare them for a good night's sleep.

You will need:
3 peaches
3 nectarines
1 vanilla pod (do NOT use vanilla essence as it contains alcohol, and you want your baby to taste pure vanilla. If you don't have vanilla pod, just skip it.)

Peel all the fruits and cut them into pieces. Scrape off the vanilla from the vanilla pod, using a sharp knife to cut it lengthwise. Put everything in a steamer basket and steam (If you are using Béaba Babycook, this is water level 1 and only use 1 teaspoon of the cooking liquid when mixing) then mix to a smooth purée.

This makes about 3x 3.5 oz/100g jars. One jar along with 4oz/120ml of milk (breast milk or your usual baby formula)  makes a balance afternoon meal for bébé.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A la Maud.