Baby Friendly Recipes

Feeding needs to be an enjoyable experience for parents and baby alike. Those who gain pleasure from food during mealtimes throughout their childhood have fewer problems keeping up a healthy diet as an adult and are less likely to develop issues around food. 

Baby Rice with Potato, Artichokes and Lamb

Ingredients

• 1 potato
• 2cm piece of leek, white only
• 2 artichokes
• 2½ cups/600ml water
• 4–5 tbsp instant baby rice
• small slice of leftover cooked lamb
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Makes One Portion
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 40 Minutes

Method

Wash, peel, and dice the potato. Wash the piece of leek thoroughly and halve. Wash the artichokes, remove the leaves and choke, leaving only the hearts, then rinse under running water. Put all the vegetables in a pan, cover with the water, partially cover with the lid, and bring to a boil over a high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer, about 30 minutes.

Strain the vegetable broth (stock). Using a hand-held immersion (stick) blender or food processor, puree the strained vegetables.

Warm ¾–1 cup/180–240ml of the vegetable broth in a pan and whisk in the rice, whisking well to keep any lumps from forming. 

Blend the cooked lamb in a food processor to a smooth puree. Stir 2 tablespoons of the pureed vegetables and the pureed meat through the cereal, mixing well. Transfer the cereal mixture to a small plate. Season with the olive oil, mix again, and serve. Do not add salt.

Any leftover pureed vegetables can be divided into small portions and then frozen or stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for subsequent meals.

Equipment needed:

Vegetable peeler, paring knife, pan with lid, hand-held immersion (stick) blender or food processor, fine-mesh strainer, small stainless-steel whisk.

Keep experimenting, but gradually:

Your baby may not immediately like the flavour of leek. Before making this new cereal, try adding a little piece of leek to a basic vegetable broth recipe to get them used to the flavour. Do not be surprised if your child refuses food at some point, even if they are healthy and normally eat well – they may be teething. At such a time, even contact with the spoon can cause discomfort and make milk more appealing.

Baby’s First “Risi e Bisi” or Risotto With Peas

Ingredients

• 2 heaped tbsp fresh shelled peas or frozen petit pois
• 2cm piece of scallion (spring onion), white only
• ¼ cup/30g diced, lean, cooked ham
• 1 cup/240ml vegetable broth (stock) 
• 2 tbsp baby rice
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Makes One Portion
Preparation Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 35 Minutes

Method

Carefully rinse the peas, if using fresh. Wash and slice the scallion (spring onion). Place the vegetables in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over a high heat and cook for 20-25 minutes. Strain the cooked vegetables and, using a hand-held immersion (stick) blender or a food processor, blend to a puree. Grind up the ham in a food processor.

Warm the vegetable broth (stock) in a pan. As it comes to the boil, add the baby rice and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon as if making risotto.

About 1 minute before the end of the cooking time, stir the pureed vegetables through the “risotto”. Remove the pan from the heat and add the ham. Transfer the risotto to a small plate. Season with the olive oil, and serve. Do not add any salt.

Equipment needed:

Paring knife, pan, fine-mesh strainer, hand-held immersion (stick) blender or food processor, wooden spoon.

Cooked ham:

From the eighth month onward, you can add cooked ham to this risotto, an ingredient that goes well with peas. Choose a natural, phosphate-free product. Remove any fat and only use the lean parts.

Radicchio risotto:

When your baby reaches 12 months, try introducing radicchio cooked in a risotto. Soften a diced onion in some oil, then finely shred a few radicchio leaves and add them to the pan. Saute the vegetables for 5 minutes and then add the baby rice and cook as usual.