Kenya usually loves beans in any form, but for some reason when I gave him whole cannelini beans, he didn’t want to eat them. I tried several times, but no go and I didn’t want to throw them out so I came up with this puree.
Recently, I turned the sunny side of our yard into my own little garden.
This time of year, the herbs are growing like weeds, so I try to use them in as many of our dishes as possible. For this puree I added basil and a touch of mint. If you don’t have the mint, no worries, it will still be delicious.
Herbs have tons of vitamins and minerals and medicinal properties making them important for baby’s nutrition. They’re also great substitutes for salt and heighten your baby’s palate and taste buds. I guarantee you’ll be shocked at how a pinch of cilantro, oregano, thyme or any other herb can brighten a dish for you and your baby.

Cannelini Bean Puree (6 Baby Servings)

1 Cup Cannelini Beans, cooked
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped (you could also use orange or yellow)
1 Tsp Mint
2 Tsp Cilantro

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree.
2. Serve.

This seems like a very unlikely combination, but it’s a good lesson in working with what you have available. The results were better than I expected and even when I tried it I thought it was delicious.
I added an extra ingredient to this dish: brewer’s yeast. Most people have no idea what brewer’s yeast is, but it’s a great source of vitamin B and has a kind of toasted cheese flavor. The B complex vitamins help the body produce antibodies, provide, energy by converting carbohydrates into glucose, metabolize fats and proteins, and help regenerate red blood cells. A lot of vegetarians sprinkle brewer’s yeast on cereals, salads, or put it in soups, sauces and even baked goods. It can be purchased at health food stores.
Add in the broccoli and apricot puree, and this dish is also packed with vitamin C, iron, potassium and beta-carotene. Your baby will happily buzzing about with good energy from this delicious combination.

Broccoli, Tofu and Apricot Puree (6 Baby Servings)

1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup Soft Tofu
2 Tbsp Apricot Puree
1 Tbsp Brewers Yeast

1. Place the broccoli in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for
4 minutes or until broccoli is fork tender. Cool.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree (you can
leave it chunkier for babies with a few teeth).
3. Serve.

After coming home from the farmer’s market Sunday morning, exhausted from a long weekend, I had to cook something quick and nutritious for Kenya’s dinner. Believe it or not, my husband came up with this combination. The man loves a lemon (especially if it’s a Meyer lemon which is a little sweeter) and since he’s my best tester and loves to influence Kenya’s palate, I give him props for coming up with this delicious recipe.
It took me minutes to prepare and it makes several meals to serve and a few more to freeze. This dish represents all the delicious flavors that we found at the Sunday market.

Lemon Chicken and Vegetables (10 Baby/Toddler Servings)

1 Chicken Breast
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup Yellow Squash, chopped
1Tsp Lemon Juice
1Tsp Vegit

1. Cook the chicken breast in a steamer pot over boiling water for 4
minutes.
2. Add the broccoli and yellow squash and steam 4 more minutes or until
chicken is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender.
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse.*
4. Cool and serve.

*It’s nice to keep this dish a little chunky if you’re serving it to a
little one with a few teeth.

Growing up my mother made the most heavenly yellow squash dish that was so simple, yet mouthwateringly delicious. I still make it for myself and 
sometimes I add steamed carrots like I did in this recipe. There are only 3 ingredients, but when they’re packed with this much flavor, why 
would you need anything else?

Yellow Squash & Carrots (8 Baby Servings)

1 Cup Baby Carrots
1 Cup Yellow Squash, sliced
1 Tbsp Onion, chopped

1. Place the carrots in a steamer pot over boiling water for 2 minutes.
2. Add the onion and yellow squash and continue to cook for 4 more
minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
3. Place the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

I knew that spring had finally sprung when I started seeing fava beans
(or broad beans as they’re also known at the farmers market. They’ve been a culinary staple for countries all over the world for centuries, but now more and more Americans use them in cooking. They’re packed with iron, fiber and protein, so they make a really well rounded dish for babies.
Although it can be time consuming to shell them, I believe it’s worth the effort. If you’re really lucky, you can find them shelled at most farmers markets for a small extra charge For some parents it’s well worth the extra fee.
When I first made this recipe, it was strictly a puree. You can serve it to baby that way and then spread what’s left on a piece of baguette or toast for yourself.
I had some gorgeous yellow squash and decided to add it to the puree which made it even creamier and lighter. Mix it with quinoa, rice or another grain and you have a complete protein for your baby. Kenya gobbled this one up.

Fava Bean Puree (8 Baby Servings)

1 Cup Fava Beans, shelled (you will have a little over 1/2 cup after
they’re shelled)
1 Cup Yellow Squash, chopped
1/2 Clove Garlic
2 Tbsp Yogurt
1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice

1. Cook the fava beans in a pot of boiling water for 1 1/2 minutes.
2. While the beans are cooling, place the squash and garlic in a steamer
pot over boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
3. When the beans are cool, peel the outer layer off.
4. After the beans and squash have cooled, place all the ingredients in
a food processor and puree until smooth.
5. Serve.

*I added quinoa to the picture attached to this recipe.

My favorite avocado lady at the farmers market has been selling mangoes lately. They have a gorgeous color and smell like heaven. I let them ripen a day or two until they’re soft, but not mushy. When you cut into them the meat is almost neon yellow.
Mango is rich in the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C, which boost your little one’s immune defenses. They are perfect for toddlers to eat, cut up into small pieces or to enjoy in this mango creamsicle. For breakfast, dessert or even frozen and served like a sherbet for toddlers.
Last night my husband used it as a dip for cut up fruit. See, even the big kids like it.

1 Mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt

1. Place the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

I couldn’t resist the gorgeous pineapple I found at Trader Joes this morning. There’s nothing more fragrant then slicing a ripe and juicy pineapple. Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C and in the plant enzyme Bromelain which helps breakdown protein in the body, thereby aiding digestion.
This cooling smoothie is delicious for babies to eat with a spoon, for toddlers through a straw or as Kenya did by dipping his fingers right in a licking the smoothie off his little digits.
*When you slice the pineapple, remember to cut out the “eyes” (the little brown pieces all over the pineapple).

Pineapple, Banana Yogurt Smoothie (2 Toddler Servings or 3 Baby Servings)

1 Banana, peeled
1/2 Cup Pineapple, chopped
1/3 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

Several years ago I went to Chile. What a magical country. The food 
was so complex and interesting, yet simple and delicate. I was really 
fascinated to find that many of their dishes are inspired by Peruvian cuisine. 
I try to expand my horizons (and my son’s palette) by researching what other cultures feed their babies and toddlers. 
There’s a peruvian dish called Espesado de Lunes and it uses some of 
the ingredients listed below. The sweet from the corn and squash mixed 
with the earthy flavors of the cilantro, garlic and onion create a truly unique flavor. I’ve fed 
Kenya this dish two days in a row alongside a piece of white fish that 
I sprinkle with herbs and steam. I’m dying to try a version of this for my adult friends as well. Wouldn’t this be a gorgeous dinner 
party entree with a light piece of grilled fish on top? For now, Kenya gets to have his own baby version of a private Peruvian dinner.

Peruvian Puree (8 Baby Servings)

1/2 Butternut Squash (about 1 1/2 Cups), peeled and chopped
1/3 Cup Corn, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp Cilantro, leaves only

1. Place butternut squash in a steamer pot over boiling water for 4
minutes.
2. Add corn, onion and garlic and continue to cook another 4 minutes
or until vegetables are fork tender.
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

Parents always complain to me that they can’t get their kids to eat broccoli. Still, I try to find new ways to use it in recipes, because broccoli is not only packed with beta-carotene, folic acid and vitamin C, it’s a fun food for toddlers to pick up.
Kenya loves holding the little “trees” and munching off the tops and then making his way down the stalk. Instead of “sneaking” or “hiding” it in your kids food, let them know how good it is for them. Eat some yourself and show them how much you love it or try dipping in hummus or another spread. Or try this recipe. It is such an All-American dish. It’s one of those comfort foods that’s actually kind of healthy (minus the cream sauce in the adult version, of course).

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole (15 Baby Serving)

1 Chicken Breast
1 Potato, peeled
1 Cup Broccoli, florets
2 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese

1. Place the chicken and potatoes in a steamer pot over boiling water
and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli and continue to steam another 3 minutes or until the
chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are fork tender.
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth
(or leave chunky for toddlers). You may need to add water from the
steamer pot to make smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

Someone asked me yesterday, “How long does it really take to make baby 
food?” Honestly, it’s really fast and easy. This recipe took me 
4 minutes and Kenya was in the kitchen with me playing while I cooked.
I washed 3 sweet potatoes (2 to make puree and one to make fries). I turned on the oven, cut up one to make fries and put the other 2 in the 
oven. In less then an hour I had 14 baby servings of puree, enough fries for Kenya to snack on for 2 days and the remainder for my 
husband and me for dinner. Really, it’s that simple. And when it comes down to it, who doesn’t love French fries? Yes, they’re delicious when they’re fried up in oil, but not exactly healthy. When baked, they’re soft and perfect for babies with a few teeth (or even a bunch of teeth) to snack on. I’ve even made them in chip form for dinner parties and my guests loved them.

Sweet Potato “Fries”

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potato into 2 Inch batons which resemble french fries. You can
also cut them in long wedges so they resemble steak fries.
3. Place them on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss until
the sweet potatoes are coated with oil.
4. Place cookie sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes (Keep an eye on these little suckers. They go from golden to burnt quick!).
5. With a spatula, flip the potatoes, and continue to bake another 15
minutes or until they have a golden color.
6. Cool and serve.