Weaning recipes

Ingredients for four portions:

• 50 g (4 dessertspoons) red lentils
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced into small pieces

Method:

1. Place lentils in a pan. Add 300 mls water and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add potatoes to same pan and cook for a further 15 minutes. Cook until mixture is soft, adding more water if mixture begins to stick to the pan.
3. Drain the mix using a sieve but reserve the liquid to add later.
4. Mash the mix with a splash of the cooking liquid. Add more liquid if the mixture is too stiff.

Dietary information: Gluten-free • Egg-free • Vegetarian

Ingredients for two portions:

• 1 eating apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 5 canned apricots (natural juice, not syrup), chopped into pieces
• 2 tablespoons water

Method:

1. Place apple and apricots in a saucepan with the water and gently simmer until the fruit is tender. Add a little more water if necessary during cooking to prevent drying out.
2. Mash well.

Makes eight portions of sauce and could be served with pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 a red pepper, washed, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 a courgette, washed and finely chopped
• 400 g can chopped tomatoes in juice

Method:

1. Heat oil and gently soften onion for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring continually.
2. Add pepper and courgette and cook on a low heat for a further 5 minutes. Keep stirring.
3. Heat oil and gently soften onion for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring continually.
4. Add tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Makes seven portions of sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, scrubbed, grated or finely chopped
• 100 g (8 dessertspoons) split red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder (not paste)
• 200 mls water
• 1 small carton pasteurised full-fat natural yogurt

Method:

1. Heat oil and gently soften onion for five minutes.
2. Stir in carrot, lentils and curry powder.
3. Add water, stir and bring to boil. Cover with a pot lid, reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Stir continually (as this sticks to the pot very easily) and add a little more water if necessary. The mixture should be quite thick but not dry.
4. When the lentils are soft, remove from heat and stir in natural yogurt.
5. Mash as required and serve with boiled white rice.

Makes six portions

Ingredients:

• 100 g minced beef or minced lamb, chicken, pork or quorn
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, scrubbed and grated
• 1 tablespoon of frozen peas
• 4 medium ordinary or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into four equal pieces
• 1–2 tablespoons pasteurised full-fat milk

Method:

1. Place mince and chopped onion in a small pan and cook gently until the mince has browned.
2. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water and the grated carrot. Cover and allow to cook gently for 15–20 minutes.
3. Add peas five minutes before the end of cooking time.
4. Stir occasionally, adding more water as required.
5. Cover potatoes with water in a pan and put a lid on the pan. Cook until soft. Add more water if needed. Then drain and mash together with 1–2 tablespoons of milk.
6. When mince is cooked, serve with the mashed potato.