COOKED LEAFY GREENS
Many of the most nutritious veggies, especially the green leafy ones, are not available in commercial baby foods. It’s easy to make your own.
1 pound fresh greens (kale, collards, etc.)
1 Tablespoon water
3 Tablespoons fruit juice
Wash leaves thoroughly. Steam most greens 5-15 minutes, leaving the lid off for the first few minutes. Puree in blender with the water and juice.
BASIC VEGETABLE RECIPE
Do not add salt, sugar, or fat.
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen vegetables without salt (use potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash)
4-8 Tablespoons cooking liquid, formula, or water
Press vegetable chunks through a sieve or baby food mill, thinning with cooking liquid or formula to eating consistency. Or, puree vegetables and liquid in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.
Note: After trying single foods, good combinations are potatoes and carrots or carrots and peas.
FRESH FRUIT
Try different varieties of fruit in this recipe.
3/4 cup ripe fruit (uncooked peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears, apricots, apples)
1 teaspoon unsweetened fruit juice
1 teaspoon lemon-flavored water (1 teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cup water to prevent darkening)
Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree ingredients in baby food mill or blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.
FRESH ORANGE SHERBET
Babies will love this dish.
1 sweet orange, peeled, sectioned, and seeds removed
1 cup fruit juice
In a blender, liquefy the fruit. Add the juice and blend. Pour into loaf pan, cover, and freeze until fairly firm, about 1 hour. Pour back into blender, and blend at low speed until smooth. Return to pan and freeze until firm.
KNACKBROD (SWEDISH HARD BREAD)
Unlike store-bought varieties, this homemade version of “hard tack” crumbles and melts in baby’s mouth and is great for teething.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rye graham flour
2 Tablespoons sugar or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces commercial corn muffin mix
3 Tablespoons margarine
3/4 cup soy milk
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in margarine. Add soy milk. Mix well. Roll thin, cut into shapes and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until brown.
CARROT/APPLE MIX
This is a delicious dish.
1/2 medium apple, cored and peeled 1/2 carrot, washed and peeled
2 Tablespoons fruit juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Puree all ingredients in blender. Or, grate apples and carrot and mix with juice before serving.