There’s something really cool to me about going to the farmers market and finding new foods that Kenya hasn’t tried yet. I just picked up a big celery root (or celeriac as it’s also known) which is quite unusual looking. It’s often knobby and brown with it’s big green top sprouting out. The first time I looked at it, I had zero idea why you would even want to make an attempt at turning it into something you could eat. I was so wrong. Just lob off the top, peel it, and then you can do all kinds of things for baby or you. Sometimes I’ll use half of it to make a puree for Kenya and make a salad with the rest for myself. In this puree it becomes super creamy and tastes like a cross between celery and a potato. I’ve been known to serve it with a little added butter when I’m having friends over.

Celery Root & Potato Puree (12 Baby Servings)

1 Potato, peeled and cubed
1 Medium Celery Root, peeled and cubed
1/4 Cup Whole Milk (if over 10-12 months), Breast Milk or Water

1. Place ingredients in a steamer pot over boiling water.
2. Steam for 8-10 minutes or until fork tender, reserving water in pot.
3. Place celery root and potato in a food processor.
4. Puree for 30 seconds. Add the milk and continue to puree. If it’s still to thick, add water from the pot.
5. Puree until smooth.
6. Cool and serve.

*Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

This is one of those no brainer foods for baby. Steam it, throw it in the food processor and bam, you’re finished. It’s easy to freeze and can be mixed with other foods you’re planning to serve.

The carrots are packed with beta carotene which converts into Vitamin A which helps vision and healthy skin and the cauliflower is a good source of Vitamin C. I always steam a few extra vegetables and chop them into baby bite size pieces, so Kenya can work on his fine motor skills and feed himself.

Carrot & Cauliflower Puree (10 Baby Servings, freeze 1/2)

15 Baby Carrots
1 1/2 Cups Cauliflower, cut into florets

1. Wash the vegetables and put them in a steamer basket over boiling water.
2. Steam for 6 minutes or until fork tender.
3. In a food processor, puree using some of the cooking water to thin the puree.
4. Cool and serve.

*Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Some mornings when I walk downstairs bleary eyed (wait, that’s every morning), I wish there was something already made in the refrigerator that I could just pull out. I came up with this recipe for just that reason.

After staying out late while the grandparents were in town, I knew that making things easy on myself in the morning would be important. Fruit, dairy, protein and wheat germ are the perfect start to Kenya’s morning of play.

Wheat germ was one of those foods I thought only older people ate. I remember my Grandparents talking about adding it to their food and thinking it was only for “old” people. Turns out it’s delicious in everything from muffins to cereal. Wheat germ is the product left behind after the processing of refined flour. In actuality, it’s the best part containing all the nutrients that have been stripped from the final product. It’s packed with B-Vitamins, Vitamin E and Iron, and a rich antioxidant.

Truth be told, this also makes a great dessert for your wee one.

Blueberry & Mango Breakfast (8 Baby Servings)

1/4 Cup Blueberries, washed
1/4 Cup Mango, chopped
1/2 Cup Tofu
2 Tbsp Whole Milk Yogurt
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

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

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Yummy, delicious, creamy, nutritious.. All the words I think of when describing this dish. The first time I tried a cherimoya was 3 weeks ago at the Farmers Market and my “avocado lady” gave me one. In some Latin cuisine, cherimoya ice cream is popular. To me, it tastes like banana crossed with strawberries and pineapple. When Kenya isn’t in the mood to chew and I want to give him something sweet, pureed cherimoya is perfect. One night when he wasn’t in the mood for it, but was devouring his avocado, I decided to throw the two in the blender and it made this gorgeous light green mousse. Packed with vitamin B6 and potassium, this is a fruit every baby should have the opportunity to try.

Avocado & Cherimoya Mousse (makes 10 Baby Servings)

1 Avocado
1 Cherimoya

1. Wash both fruits.
2. Halve the avocado, remove the pit and scoop the light green flesh into a food processor.
3. Halve the cherimoya and remove the big black seeds. Scoop white flesh into a food processor.
4. Puree until smooth and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Super simple and sweet. Kenya is addicted to butternut squash. It’s also a great thing to keep on hand to mix into other purees. Butternut Squash was one of Kenya’s first foods. Smooth, creamy and easy for baby to get down. This is a must for all babies. Packed with Beta-Carotene to help with babies skin and vision while also giving a boost of antioxidant qualities.

Butternut Squash Puree (12-20 baby servings (depending on the size of the squash),

1 Butternut Squash

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half from top to bottom and remove seeds.
3. Place both sides of squash on a cookie sheet covered with foil (for easier cleanup).
4. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for several minutes.
5. With a spoon, scrape out soft pulp into a food preocessor.
6. Puree until smooth.
7. Cool and serve.

*Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

I came up with this recipe on a whim. We didn’t have anything green in the refrigerator and I was combing through the freezer. I always try to keep it stocked with organic fruits and vegetables when I’m in the mood for something that might be out of season or just need something quick and fresh tasting.

As I looked at bag after bag, I came upon the edamame (or Soy Beans as some like to call them)..hmmm.. What can I make that will be fast and appealing? I must have looked like a mad scientist with some of the ingredients on the counter, but it got more exciting by the moment. Edamame, curry, apricots, yogurt. It’s an Indian dish with an asian twist. Even better, soy beans are the most nutritious of all beans and contain more protein weight for weight than any other food or vegetable of animal or vegetable origin.

As I added ingredients, spoon after spoon, I kept feeling like something was missing (for me it’s usually the salt, a no no for babies). Finally I decided to leave it up to my customer. When I tell you that Kenya wouldn’t stop eating it, I mean it. Sometimes, he will get burned out fast on a taste or flavor, but this dish we could have kept eating all day.

Curried Edamame (Makes 12 Baby Serving)

1/3 Bag Frozen Edamame
3 Tbsp Whole Milk Yogurt
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
*2 Tbsp Apricot Puree
1 Tbsp Water

1. Heat water over a steamer pot with the edamame and heat beans for 3-4 minutes.
2. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until pureed.
3. Cool and serve.

*Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.

*To make puree, put a bag or dried, unsulphored apricots in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Puree in a food processor.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Blue food? I know what you’re thinking, she actually put blue dye in her baby’s food?! No, the ingredients in this delicious mash are blue potatoes and purple cauliflower. Now that I look at the picture again, does it look blue or purple. No matter how it looks, it tastes delicious. Don’t be scared of the color, the blue is an added vitamin boost. One of the first things I learned in culinary school was the brighter the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins it contains. In this case, the dish is packed with potassium and vitamin C. Pretty to look at and fantastic for baby to eat.

Blue Mash (Makes 12 Baby Servings, freeze 1/2)

2 Medium Blue Potatoes, peeled
1 Cup Purple Cauliflower Florets
2 Tbsp Water or Rice Milk (I use the water remaining under the steamer pot)

1. Add the potatoes to the steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Add the cauliflower and continue to steam 4 more minutes.
3. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.
4. Cool and serve.

*Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Kenya could eat a whole sweet potato if I handed it to him. Being that his tiny little hand couldn’t hold the whole thing up, mashed sweet potatoes seem like a better choice. In my quest to find new ingredients that will tempt his taste buds I realized that he hadn’t tried coconut milk. Sweet and creamy, it adds body and depth to the puree. Add a touch of cinnamon, yummy delicious.

Sweet Potato Coconut Puree (Makes 14- 2 Tbsp Servings)

2 Medium Yams, washed
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk (full fat or light)
1 Tsp Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Poke several holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork.
3. Bake for an hour (I put them on a piece of tin foil so they don’t drip all over the oven).
4. When sweet potatoes are cool to the touch peel off the skin and scoop insides into a food processor with remaining ingredients.
5. Puree until smooth.
6. Cool and serve.

*Place in Baby Cubes and freeze.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor