Recently, I made Baked Maple Bananas for Kenya. Everyone who tried them couldn’t get over how delicious they turned out. They’re intensely sweet, creamy and have a delicious caramel note to them. I felt like there were more recipes to be mined from that one. Pears are in season and abundance at our farmer’s market, so I thought I would try roasting them together with bananas to make baby food for Chloe. There’s nothing wrong with pureeing ripe pears and bananas together, but when you roast them it just intensifies the flavors and texture even more.

Pears and bananas are a good source of fiber, so they’ll also help to get things moving when your little one gets stopped up (TMI?)

How did it come out? Amazing! I have no other words. In fact, if you don’t believe me, check out this quick video I posted here on Twitter of Chloe taking her first bites of it. Now the hard part is trying to keep this puree away from everyone else in the family! It’s so yummy, you’ll want to serve it on top of yogurt or even to spread on a bagel with almond butter. It’s funny how these days everyone in my family wants to eat Chloe’s baby food!

Roast Pear & Banana Puree (Makes 6 Servings)

2 Bananas, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Pears, peeled and cut into wedges (I used Bartlett pears)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the bananas and pears on a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet.
3. Roast for 25 minutes.
4. Puree until smooth.
5. Cool and serve.

Chloe’s had an exciting introduction to solids, trying just about every fruit and vegetable available at the farmer’s market over the past 2 months. It’s been so exciting for us to watch her very first reactions to all these new flavors. While she has obviously enjoyed a lot of what I’ve made her, it is clear that persimmons are by far her favorite. When I first pureed some for her, I wasn’t sure how she would react. Persimmon isn’t a typical first food for a baby. It would be unlikely to find a jar of it in the baby food section at any grocery and fresh persimmons are not always easy to find, depending on what part of the country you live in. But here in California, where basically all U.S. persimmons are grown, they are everywhere you turn this time of year. I was totally surprised when Chloe ate the entire first batch I made for her — in one sitting! It was the most I had ever seen her eat.

Persimmon puree is really thick and smooth, has a beautiful bright orange hue, is sweet and is perfect for one of baby’s first foods. There are 2 varieties of persimmons: Fuyus and Hachiyas. The tastes are similar though there are some big differences to note. Fuyus are rounder and can be eaten firm. They have an apple-like texture, where as Hachiyas are heart shaped and need to ripen until REALLY soft before you try eating them. I usually buy ripe Fuyus, and peel and chop them for this recipe (there is no cooking involved). You could also use Hachiyas for this, just make sure they are super soft before eating them yourself or using them for this puree.

Persimmons are a great source of vitamin A, C, beta-carotene and soluble fiber — which is very important for baby . Whenever you feel like your wee one is a bit constipated, just give her a “p” fruit (peaches, pears, plums, papaya and especially persimmons), because the “p” also stands for poop! Seriously, it works every time!

Persimmon Puree (Makes 4 Serving)

2 Persimmons

1. Peel the skin off the persimmons and cut into cubes.
2. Place the cut persimmon into a food processor and puree until smooth.
3. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Chloe’s just over 5 months old now and we’re gearing up for an exciting end of summer and fall full of baby food purees. I’ve just started freezing purees using peaches, nectarines and mangoes and we’re gearing up for butternut squash, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and so many other delicious fall fruits and veggies. I made one of Kenya’s favorites, Plum & Banana Puree, so I could freeze a batch for Chloe and put a few spoonfuls on yogurt for my little guy.

This is Chloe’s weelicious debut! I hope you like the recipe.

There are THE most beautiful Santa Rosa plums at our local Farmer’s Market right now. I have to say that of all the fruits I love, when stone fruit is in season I could not be more excited. The dark purple hue of the plums is so beautiful and the meat is sweet and when pureed, perfect for a baby. I like adding banana to this recipe because it thickens the puree, adds extra nutrients such as potassium and makes a sweet food that babies adore.

You could easily peel the skin off of ripe plums and skip the step of pushing it through a sieve, but just in case your plums aren’t super soft, my directions call for simply cutting up the fruit, tossing it in the food processor and whizzing it up.

No matter how you make it, I guarantee your baby will love it!

Plum & Banana Puree (Makes 6 Baby Servings)

2 Plums, chopped and pitted
1 Banana

1. Place the ingredients in a food processor and puree.
2. Place the puree in a sieve over a bowl and using a spoon or ladle, push it through so the puree is in the bowl and plum skins remains in the sieve.
3. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

I can’t even begin to tell you how gorgeous this dish came out — well, I don’t have to tell you. Just watch last Friday’s video and see for yourself!

When I first made this recipe for Kenya he was as fascinated by the taste as he was by the color. He kept saying “pink food!” as he ate bowl after bowl. The ingredients are almost identical to a true hummus, minus the tahini, and the addition of the beets make it a nutrient-rich dish that also provides a healthy amount of protein.

The flavor and smooth and creamy texture of this puree is so delicious I think you’ll find it to be a hit with kids of any age in your house. Kenya loves eating things he can dip, so when I put this on his plate he likes to use the hummus as a dip and everything from vegetables to chicken gets put into it. Now that I have a little girl, I can’t wait until I can make this for her birthday party. Pink food — every little girls dream!

Red Beet & White Bean Hummus (Makes 3 Cups)

1 Medium Beet
1 15 Oz Can White Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Large Garlic Clove, unpeeled
Juice of 1/2 Lemon (about 1/2 Tbsp)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2. Wash beet well and place with garlic clove on a sheet of foil. Bring up sides of foil and fold to make a packet leaving room for heat to circulate inside the packet containing the beet and garlic.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until beet is tender when poked with a knife.
4. Remove skin off of the garlic and the beet (I use a zip lock bag on my hand and slip the skin off so my hand doesn’t turn red).
5. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
6. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

I realized I haven’t done a new puree recipe for a while so I’ve been experimenting lately with a few new ideas. When Kenya was a baby, I used to love giving him all kinds of different purees like mango, kiwi and papaya. He was always game for all of them, so I find it funny that I never thought about blending them together. What a mistake! I don’t know if you could find a baby food packed with more nutrition than this tropical fruit puree. It’s great to mix with plain yogurt, oatmeal or just eat on its own.

Mangoes are considered a “super fruit” because they’re packed with vitamin C, dietary fiber and more. Kiwis are also a rich source of vitamin C, potassium (by weight, they have almost as much as bananas), vitamin A and E. Papayas, in addition to being rich in vitamins, promote good digestive health which can be incredibly important for babies little tummies.

I like to buy these fruits and cut them up for the puree when they’re soft and ripe. The day I made this puree my husband and Kenya wanted dessert after dinner, so I pulled it out. My husband looked at me like I was crazy for offering him “baby food” for dessert. That didn’t last long. He and Kenya devoured every last bite of it as if it were a bowl of ice cream.

Tropical Fruit Baby Puree (8 Baby Servings)

1 Mango, chopped
2 Kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Papaya, peeled and chopped

1. Place the ingredients into a food processor and puree.
2. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

I can’t tell you how many parents say to me that hummus is a staple dish for their families. A friend of mine’s baby has been eating hummus puree from a spoon since he was a year old, loving every bite. All she had to do was say the word “hummus” and he would start grunting in need of his fix.

Even when Kenya isn’t in the mood for vegetables, I can always get him to eat a few if I put out some of this delicious Mediterranean spread for him to dip them in. His love of hummus must be an inherited trait in our family. My father-in-law eats a container of it everyday!

These hummus pinwheels are the perfect protein-packed lunch for kids to take to school. Yes, you can buy pre-made hummus, but after you try homemade hummus, you’ll never go back. It’s super easy to make. I love making a big batch of it and keeping it in the fridge for a week or more so that any time we need a snack it’s right there.

Hummus Pinwheels (makes 2 cups of hummus)

1 15 Oz Can Garbanzo Beans
1 Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Tahini (can be found next to peanut butter at your grocery)
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Lavash, preferably whole wheat (can be found in the bread section at your grocery)

1. Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and puree.
2. Add the olive oil and continue to puree until creamy.
3. Cut one large piece of the lavash into 3 equal pieces (cutting the lavash with scissors in a good trick).
4. Spread 3 tablespoons of the hummus on a piece of lavash.
5. Roll into a pinwheel and slice into bite size wheels.
6. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

One of the best parts about living in California is the gorgeous local produce that is available year-round. I’d like to think I’ve seen it all when it comes to food, but I still find myself being surprised all of the time. I remember my amazement the first time I saw purple cauliflower at the farmer’s market. Truly something to behold as well as being incredibly nutritious. I always find that if kids are taken with the color of a food, they are more interested in trying it. And what is cooler than purple soup?!

Kenya drinks up this recipe like a smoothie. I like to sprinkle a little grated parmesan on top so even if your little one has an aversion to purple vegetables, the cheese on top may still lure them in!

Purple Cauliflower Soup (4-6 Servings)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 Head Purple Cauliflower, cut into florets (you can also use white or yellow cauliflower)
3 Cups Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, plus extra for sprinkling on top if desired

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and over medium heat and saute the onion for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
5. Pour ingredients plus parmesan cheese into a blender and puree.
6. Serve.

One of my favorite things about my son is that he will happily eat just about anything. But one of the challenges during meal time is that if there are trains, toys or anything else fun and exciting within his view (no matter what I hide before dinner there is always bound to be something in his line of site that are more exciting than eating!), he wants to be playing with them instead. For that reason, I usually have 5-10 minutes to get him to eat a nutritious, balanced dinner before he is focused on something else. I’ve also noticed that if he eats something pureed or soft and easy to chew, I can maximize the amount of food he gets down in that period of time. If I give him a dish that he loves, but takes a while for him to chew and break down, he gets tired of it and sometimes doesn’t eat nearly as much. For that reason, I love making him this soft flavorful dish.

Red lentils cook quickly and become really soft which is perfect for little mouths. By adding vegetables and spices to them, they become a vitamin-packed, delicious, Indian inspired meal. If you serve it with brown rice, it makes a complete protein which is perfect for times when you don’t want to spend extra money on meat or fish, but you want your little one to be building muscles!

Red Lentil Curry (serves 4-6)

1 Tbsp Oil
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Large Carrot, peeled and cut into a small dice
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, minced
2 Tsp Curry Powder
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Turmeric
2 Cups Water
2 Tsp Salt
1 14 oz Can Tomato Puree
1 Cups Red Lentils, rinsed well
Brown or White Basmati RIce

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Saute the onions and carrots for 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, cumin and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the lentils, water, salt and tomato puree and bring to a boil.
5. Stir, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes or until creamy and tender.
6. Serve with basmati rice.