First foods: 3 vegetable purees to get started

Here we go…you’re off and racing. Get your ice cube trays out and have your veggie peeler handy. Happy steaming, happy mashing!

Even if you’re happy and comfortable in the kitchen, you might be surprised about how nervous you feel the first time you have to prepare purees for your baby. Take comfort that you’re not alone; these feelings are not uncommon among new parents.

Purees are not hard. In fact, they’re nearly impossible to get wrong. The following three purees are suitable for freezing and each recipe will make about 1 cup or 10 cubes.

These cubes will become fantastic veggie bases for you to add to meals over the next couple of months, allowing you to create your own flavour combinations.

3 vegetable purees to get started

Puree

Sweet potato puree

Age: first month of eating

Suitable for freezing

Makes: about 1 cup

Ingredients

250g sweet potato (about ½ a sweet potato), peeled and diced into rough 1 cm pieces

Directions

Place the sweet potato in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and barely cover with water. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until soft. Strain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Alternatively, place the sweet potato in the top of a double steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes or until tender. If you have a microwave-safe cooking dish with a lid, place the sweet potato and 50 ml of water in the dish, cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until soft. Strain as necessary, reserving the cooking liquid.

Use a stick blender to puree the sweet potato, adding a little of the cooking water to help thin it down and make it smooth.

Set aside 2 teaspoons of pureed sweet potato for your baby’s meal and freeze the remaining puree in an ice cube tray.

Tip: Try lightly roasting cubes of sweet potato for about 20 minutes at 180℃. Add a light sprinkling of cinnamon and puree. Delicious!

Puree

Broccoli puree

Age: first month of eating

Suitable for freezing

Makes: about 1 cup

Ingredients

250 g head of broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets

Directions

Place the broccoli pieces in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and barely cover the base with water. Cover and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender and still bright green. Strain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Alternatively, place the broccoli in the top of a double steamer and steam for 10 minutes or until tender. If you have a microwave-safe cooking dish with a lid, cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until soft. Strain as necessary, reserving the cooking liquid.

Use a stick blender to puree the broccoli, adding a little of the cooking water to help thin it down and make it smooth.

Set aside 2 teaspoons of pureed broccoli for your baby’s meal and freeze the remaining puree in an ice cube tray.

Puree

Cauliflower puree

Age: first month of eating

Suitable for freezing

Makes: about 1 cup

Ingredients

250 g head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

Directions

Place the cauliflower pieces in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and barely cover the base with water. Cover and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Strain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Alternatively, place the cauliflower in the top of a double steamer and steam for 10 minutes or until tender. If you have a microwave-safe cooking dish with a lid, place the cauliflower and 20 ml of water in the dish, cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until soft. Strain as necessary, reserving the cooking liquid.

Use a stick blender to puree the cauliflower, adding a little of the cooking water to help thin it down and make it smooth.

Set aside 2 teaspoons of pureed cauliflower for your baby’s meal and freeze the remaining puree in an ice cube tray.

Tip: Broccoli and cauliflower puree are terrific on their own but perhaps even better when mixed together, as cauliflower can soften the strong flavour of broccoli. To prepare a blend, use half the quantity of each in the cooking process. Adding a Cheesy Sauce, and using this combination with Aussie Beef Casserole or Bolognaise for Little People is sure to become a firm favourite (these recipes can be found in Emily Dupuche’s book – see below).

Note: Quantities provided are just guides. Once you get underway, cook as much of each vegetable as you have on hand and use them to add to different meals. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your diced veggies.

 

This recipe was kindly contributed by Emily Dupuche, mum and author of ‘Food Babies Love: A Guide to Introducing Solids’, which contains practical baby food ideas that the whole family can enjoy. In it you’ll find 100 simple, nutritious baby first food recipes and anecdotes, designed to expose your precious little one to a wide variety of flavours, colours, and textures – the beginning of a lifelong love of good food. All the recipes are recommended by nutritionists, paediatricians, and child health professionals.

To order ‘Food Babies Love: A Guide to Introducing Solids’ head to the link here.

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