I’m not sure who liked this recipe more, Chloe or the rest of the family. This Roast Pear & Banana Puree is naturally sweet and concentrated with fruit flavor. If you decide to prepare this for your baby, make sure to double the recipe because it’s addictive no matter how old you are!
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.
Kenya has a lot of favorite recipes. The truth is, I think everything he does is brilliant and he thinks everything I cook is delicious. That is the quid pro quo of our relationship (wink, wink). One of Kenya’s all time favorite recipes that I make for our family is Red Beet & White Bean Hummus. It has a super creamy taste, a smooth texture and is delicious to eat. Parents magazine even wrote an article about weelicious featuring this recipe and we got tons of emails from parents saying how much their kids loved it too.
Kenya and I had so much fun shooting this video that I wanted to share it with you again. It’s a really fun and easy recipe to prepare with your kids (which will hopefully make them want to eat it even more!).
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:
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:
Surprisingly, I found myself eating this puree for MY dinner. People always tell me their toddlers won’t eat purees, but Kenya chowed down on this one when I made it so maybe there’s hope for you all. This recipe is a perfect mix of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables. Most parents that I talk to seem apprehensive about giving their little ones fish because they automatically assume they won’t like it. Not at all! I think fish that has a “fishy” smell turns kids off. Kenya loved fish from day on and still eats it twice a week and I think it has a lot to do with how you prepare the fish.
Sole is a great first fish for babies because it’s very mild, doesn’t contain bones and is generally less expensive then other types of fish. Other choices could be white fish of tilapia. With the addition of sweet peas and carrots and a sprinkling of vegit, this is a sure fire hit for your little one.
Veggies and Sole Puree (6-8 Baby Servings, Freeze 1/2)
1/2 Cup Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Carrots, peeled and chopped (*I like to use baby carrots, less work and they’re so sweet)
1/3 Cup Peas (I use frozen organic)
2 Sole Fillets (about 1/3 Lb)
1/4 Tsp Vegit
1. Place the potatoes in a steamer pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and continue to cook another 2 minutes.
3. Add the peas and fish and cook another 2 minutes or until all the ingredients are cooked through and fork tender.
4. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.
5. Add water from the bottom of the steamer pot to thin puree.
6. Cool and serve.
We used these to make this recipe:
A few months ago, we got in the car and drove just outside of Palm Springs, CA to Los Rios Rancho’s beautiful u-pick farm to go apple picking. Not only does Los Rios have rows and rows of apple trees that seem to go on for miles, but they also have live music, pony rides, a petting zoo, roast corn, BBQ and more. We had a blast and we picked bags filled with several varieties of apples to take back home.
Whenever we go apple picking, I always set out with an adventurous spirit thinking I’m going to get home and crank out batches apple pies, turnovers, bread ,etc….and then I get home. I’m so exhausted from a long day of running around after Kenya that I just want to rest on the couch. Still, what to do with all those apples? Apple butter!
For all of you that are like me, this recipe for is so easy and healthy that you can make it even if you have no energy. I went to the farmer’s market the next day to ask several farmers what the difference between apple sauce and apple butter — I got many different answers. I came to the realization that it’s made simply from half sweet apples and half tart apples. Luckily, we picked tons of Golden Delicious (sweet) and Wine Sap (tart) apples, packed with vitamin C and fiber, a perfect mix for this recipe. Adding just a bit of agave nectar for sweetness and a pinch of cinnamon for zip, this apple butter recipe is perfect spread on toast, sandwiches or even used as a dip for turkey as Kenya demonstrated for us at dinner the next night.
Apple Butter (makes 1 1/2 - 2 cups)
2 Apples (1 tart such as granny smith or wine sap, 1 sweet such as golden delicious or Fuji)
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp Apple Juice, Cider or Water
1. Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat.
2. Cook for 15 minutes, covered or until apples are soft and tender.
3. Smash apples with a potato masher or back of a spoon. You want to apple butter to be slightly chunky.
4. Cool and serve.
This isn’t a recipe that I just came up with out of the blue. I’ve actually been making this for husband for ages. For many years he was a vegetarian and so I was always trying to come up with new and exciting recipes that would offer him protein and vegetables (unlike me, a total carnivore at heart). This dish is now a regular in our house. There’s almost always a bowl of it in the fridge because it’s so quick and easy to prepare, but it’s also healthy.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a fantastic grain for kids because it has more protein then other grains, contains more calcium then milk, plus it’s easy to digest. Quinoa is also full of B vitamins, vitamin E and iron which 9% of toddlers, 700,000 in the U.S. alone have shown to have to be deficiency in.
I made this for my “kids dinner party” recently and all the little ones loved it. One of my friends kept saying her daughter “hates avocado”. Being kind of sneaky (I know! I’m all against sneaking foods, but this was just an experiment, I swear!), I asked her daughter if she wanted a bite of the quinoa mexicana salad and she said yes. When I tell you she gobbled up this dish AND the avocado it proves that sometimes, even little ones can be open minded to new flavors. You just never know.
Quinoa Mexicana Salad (makes 6-8 toddler servings)
1/2 Cup Quinoa, washed and drained
1 Cup Water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen Corn, cooked
1 Avocado, chopped
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/4 Tsp Cumin
Salt to taste
1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
3. Place the quinoa in a bowl and cool.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Serve.
I’ve been making this dish for Kenya for several months but only now did I think of putting it on weelicious. Duh!! This is an amazingly quick, easy and tasty dish. I guarantee you’ll end up adding your own twist and wind up making it on a regular basis.
What could be more simple then eggs, pasta and cheese? Of course, for added flavor, color and nutrition I add the zucchini and sun dried tomatoes, but you could replace them with anything you have on hand to jazz the dish up. Even better, you can make a bunch of pasta, let it cool, add a splash of olive oil and keep it in the fridge for several days, so you can conveniently whip Pasta Wee One whenever you feel brain dead and can’t think of something warm and delicious to eat for lunch or dinner. And even better, no matter what shape of pasta you have on hand, it will work perfectly.
I made this for Kenya’s dinner and of course my husband took one sniff and asked if I would make it for him too. Luckily I had tons of leftover pasta and veggies in the fridge ready to go!
Pasta Wee One (Makes 5-6 Toddler or 4 Big Kid Servings)
1 Cup Pasta, cooked (I used mini bow ties, but whatever kind you choose is great. Just follow cooking time on package.)
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Zucchini, shredded
1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Parmesan (a cows milk cheese with a complex fruity/nutty taste) or Pecorino (a salty sheep’s milk cheese)
1. Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter.
3. When the butter is melted add the zucchini and sauté for 1 minute.
4. Add the pasta, sun dried tomatoes and then the egg mixture.
5. Stir continually for 1 minute until the egg coats the pasta.
6. Add the cheese and continue cooking another minute until the eggs coat the pasta and vegetables.
7. Cool and serve.
The inspiration for this recipe came from some gorgeous, uber-ripe Bartlett pears I found last week at the farmer’s market. At first thought I would make Kenya some pear puree or just slice them for a snack, but then I remembered I had some canned organic pumpkin at home and wondered if that combination would work.
I’ve never seen pumpkin-pear bread, but it sounded like something yummy to eat in the autumn. The pears were so ripe, all I did was peel and mash them before adding to the recipe.
QUICK TIP: if you don’t have ripe pears you could place them next to bananas in a fruit bowl and they will ripen faster.
I’m usually not a fan of any type of canned fruit or veggie, but canned pumpkin really is a life saver. It’s really a pain to make pumpkin puree, even when you roast it, the flavors never quite become as rich and sweet as the canned variety. So, this is one of those times that I give into convenience.
When Kenya woke up from his nap, the smell of fresh bread was all through the house. After it cooled we sat and tried it with all kinds of yummy spreads like pumpkin butter, apple butter, honey and just plain butter.
Mmmm… fall really is here!
Pumpkin-Pear Bread (makes 1 9×5 inch loaf or 6 small loaves)
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree, preferably organic
1 Ripe Pear, peeled and mashed (it’s ok if there are small chunks) or a little over 1/2 cup pear puree
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and agave with a standing or handheld mixer.
3. Add the pumpkin and pear purees.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a separate bowl sift the flour and remaining ingredients.
6. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time until combined. Do not overly mix or beat the mixture.
7. Place in a 6 individual greased loaf pans or in one 9×5 inch greased loaf pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes for small loaf pans or 1 hour for single loaf.
9. Cool for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the loaf pan to help release on to a cooling rack.
10. Cool and serve.
*A regular weelicious Mommy made muffins instead of the bread which cooked for 15-20 minutes and replaced maple syrup for the agave. She said they were delicious!
