Baby food, gourmet style

My son is now of the age where he can eat different foods and start exploring the world through taste. There is just one catch ... it all has to be pureed!

We didn’t have any problems offering him different jarred baby foods, but I had a problem when I tasted them. They tasted awful! I couldn’t see how eating such bland food would help him transition into a good eater when he grows up, so I started adding ginger into his carrots, cinnamon and vanilla into his fruits, and garlic into his veggies. He LOVED it!

Can baby food be gourmet? And easy? I researched the topic a little bit on various blogs and in books, but so many of the options showed pictures of mothers peeling and coring apples and doing various other tasks that I knew I didn’t have time for.

There had to be an easier, more convenient, and budget-friendly way to get my guy homemade goodness.

I decided that frozen veggies would be a great time-saver. Another thing I wanted to do was to make sure that the prepared food was easy to use, so I chose to use an ice cube tray to freeze the baby food into 1-ounce portions. I simply spread the puree into an ice cube tray, covered it with plastic wrap and put the tray into the freezer for the night.

In the morning, I popped the peas out of the tray, put the cubes into a labeled Ziploc bag, and pull the food out of the freezer one cube at a time. It was soooo easy and VERY budget-friendly!

Below is the recipe for the creamed peas as well as recipes for a roasted carrot and applesauce dish and an apricot cherry cobbler. Enjoy!

Creamed Peas Baby Food

1 16-ounce bag frozen peas

3 wedges Laughing Cow garlic and herb cheese

pinch of salt

pinch of garlic powder

Open the bag of bags and place the peas in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until peas are hot. Place peas, cheese, garlic powder and salt in food processor. Puree for 30 seconds. Serve. (Both baby and parents will find this tasty!)

Roasted Carrot and Apple Sauce

2.5 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch circles

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups apple sauce, no sugar added

2 tsp. brown sugar

3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine carrots, olive oil, ginger and salt in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake until the carrots are evenly coated with oil and seasoning. Empty contents of bag onto foil-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Place carrots in food processor with apple sauce, brown sugar, water and puree for 30 seconds or until desired consistency. (If you need to thin out the mixture, use water, carrot or apple juice). Serve or freeze in ice cube tray or desired storage container for later use. Makes 34 1-ounce cubes.

Apricot Cherry Cobbler

2 cans halved apricots in fruit juice

1 can pitted tart cherries in water

2 tbsp. brown sugar (a banana would be an excellent option)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup infant oatmeal

Combine all ingredients in food processor and puree for 45 seconds until smooth. Makes 16 ounces. Freeze in cubes, break apart and store in Ziploc bags until ready to use. Another way to make this recipe your own would be to add more or less oatmeal, depending on the texture your child feels comfortable eating.

Jessica Sevald writes the “Everyday Gourmet” blog at http://everydaygourmet.areavoices.com

Tags: homemade baby food, baby food, everyday gourmet, food, moms, family, areavoices, life