BLW Recipe: Homemade Fish Fingers

We’re big fish eaters at our house and especially love oily fish like mackerel and salmon.

On Saturday night I made us fish fingers out of salmon and it proved a hit so I thought I’d share the recipe.

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fats which have been shown to increase cognitive function making it a perfect choice for a growing baby. It also has many benefits such as increased joint protection and eye health meaning it’s great for the whole family.

Health note: The NHS recommend that baby boys should have no more than 4 portions of oily fish per week and baby girls should have no more than 2 portions per week. You can read more about this HERE.

Serves: 1 baby and 2 adults.

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets, boned and skinned (I cut the skin off with a sharp knife)

1 slice of bread, I used granary but any bread would work well

1 egg, whisked

Zest of half a lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°c and put in the piece of bread to dry out for a few minutes.
2. Cut a thin strip of the edge of each salmon fillet, making two thin ‘fingers’ of salmon.
3. Remove the bread and put into a blender. Blitz until it creates fine breadcrumbs. Zest the lemon and mix with the breadcrumbs.
4. Dip each piece of salmon into the whisked egg and cover in the breadcrumb mixture. Place onto a baking tray. Repeat this with the other salmon pieces.
5. Bake for around 10 minutes or until completely cooked through.
6. Serve and enjoy!

We had ours with tomato, quinoa and avocado but they would be great served with just about anything! Rice, pasta or even baked beans.

Sophia loved picking up the fingers and was making ‘mmmm’ sounds as she munched away!

BLW Recipe: Meatballs with a Twist

Sophia really loves spaghetti bolognaise, it’s her very favourite! So when I saw some meatballs on offer the other day I knew they’d be perfect for trying out a new recipe for a different take on mince and spaghetti.

The ‘twist’ to my recipe is the fruity, creamy sauce which has four hidden vegetables making it healthy for the whole family.

I used pre-made meatballs to cut down on time but you could make your own meatballs and chill in the fridge ready to add into the recipe.

Serves: 1 baby and 2 adults generously

Ingredients:

vegetable oil for brushing the pan

12 lean beef meatballs

1 medium carrot, grated

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 courgette, grated

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp curry powder

½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk

hot water from the kettle

125g wholewheat spaghetti

 

Method:

1. Brush the vegetable oil onto the frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onions and gently fry until softened and translucent.
2. Add in the carrot, pepper, courgette, paprika and curry powder and continue to cook until all the ingredients are soft.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plastic jug or bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes before adding in the coconut milk and blitzing with a hand blender. Add hot water until the sauce is the consistency that you like.
4. Brush another pan with oil and once hot place in the meatballs. Brown them all over and allow to cook for around 10 minutes.
5. Turn the hob to a low to medium heat and pour the sauce onto the meatballs. Allow to simmer gently.
6. Meanwhile, add boiling water to a saucepan and add in the spaghetti. Cook as the packet instructs.
7. Once the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling, portion off your baby’s meatballs and sauce (Sophia had two meatballs and a large spoonful of sauce).Allow this to cool.
8. Season the remaining meatballs as you wish.
9. Drain the pasta and serve along with the meatballs and sauce.
10. Enjoy!

We all really enjoyed this meal and the meatballs were the perfect size for Sophia to pick up and eat. I’ll definitely be cooking this for my family again!

Sophia finished her meal with some natural yogurt. Yum!

BLW Recipe: Fruity Cheese on Toast

I got a new recipe book yesterday. It’s the River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook. I’ve tried out quite a few of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipes and enjoy watching the River Cottage TV programmes so was very excited when it came through the letterbox.

It has lots of information on nutrition and just what a baby needs to grow healthily which I found useful to look at. It also groups the recipes by season which is great if you like to use seasonal, local produce.

This lunchtime I decided to try one of the recipe’s out and it turned out to be delicious to both baby and mummy!

I adapted the original recipe slightly by adding carrot and using Red Leicester cheese instead of cheddar.

Serves: 1 adult and 1 baby

 

Ingredients:

3 slices wholemeal bread

1 apple, grated

½ large carrot, grated

60g Red Leicester, grated

 

Method:

1. Preheat the grill and toast the bread on each side.
2. Grate the apple into the bowl. There is no need to peel the apple but just double check there are no large bits of peel. Grate in the cheese and carrot and mix.
3. Pile the mixture onto the three pieces of bread and put back under the grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
4. Leave to cool a little then serve! We had ours with a little Greek yogurt for afters.

BLW Recipe: Carrot and Cumin Muffins

These little muffins are a perfect way to gently introduce your baby to spice. The cumin and carrot marry well to create a sweet flavour and a small kick of spice. With their moist middle and crumbly top they make a tasty lunch for babies and adults alike!

Makes: 12 small muffins.

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

½ cup full fat greek yogurt

⅓ cup vegetable/sunflower oil

1½ cups self-raising flour

1 tsp ground cumin

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200^oc and line a cupcake tray with cases (you can use a muffin tin for bigger muffins).
2. In a bowl add the egg, yogurt and oil and whisk until combined. Sprinkle in the cumin and whisk again.
3. Slowly sift in the flower, mixing to combine. The dough is a soft, wet dough. Don’t be tempted to add anymore flour as this will make the muffins too dense.
4. Stir in the grated carrot until they are flecked evenly throughout the dough.
5. Spoon the mixture into the 12 cases and put into the oven for around 20 minutes or until they are cooked through and golden on top.
6. Serve! We ate ours with some juicy watermelon.

BLW Recipe: Herby Courgette and Cheese Muffins

Making these tasty, moist muffins in advance means they are great for a quick lunch and perfect for lunch boxes.

Makes 6 adult muffins and 6 baby muffins.

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 courgette, grated

50g cheddar cheese, grated

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180^oc and oil a muffin or bun tin with space for 12 muffins. Line each hole with a muffin case.
2. Add the flour and oregano into a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate jug or bowl add the water and oil and mix.
4. Add the water and oil mixture slowly to the dry ingredients, mixing all the time.        
5. Once the mixture has come together add in the courgette and cheese and stir.
6. Spoon the mixture into each of the cases, I did 6 larger muffins and 6 smaller ones.
7. Put into the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden on the top and cooked through.
8. Transfer the muffins to a baking tray to cool.
9. Serve! We had ours with tomatoes and some natural yogurt for a weekday lunch.

BLW Recipe: Hidden Veggie Sauce

This sauce is delicious served with pasta and can be used for a range of other meals too. It would be great in a lasagne or on top of chicken.

Serves 2 adults and 1 baby.

Ingredients:

• 1 tin/carton of chopped tomatoes
• 1 courgette, cut into quarters
• 1 pepper (I used red), cut into quarters
• 2 bay leaves
• a sprinkle of fresh or dried mixed herbs (basil goes really well)
• brush of oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150^oc and brush the bottom of a roasting tin with oil.
2. Place the courgette and pepper into the tin and put into the oven.
3. Once the courgette and pepper are beginning to soften (after about 15 minutes), add the carton of chopped tomatoes, the bay leaves and the herbs.Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Blend the veg and herbs all together until it is to a consistency to suit you and your baby.
5. Serve!

Notes:

• If the tomatoes are starting to become a little dry during cooking, add a tablespoon of water and mix.
• This recipe could easily be doubled up and made into batches which could be frozen for use on busy days.

BLW Recipe: Savoury Pancakes

As were are doing ‘Baby Led Weaning’ with Sophia it has been the perfect opportunity to try out new recipes to see what kind of foods she likes. I’ve decided to post some of my recipes onto my blog so I can look back at them when needed.

These savoury pancakes are full of goodness and make a lovely weekend lunch. They can be served warm or cold and are perfect for using up things in the fridge.

Serves 2 adults and 1 baby generously (we had enough batter leftover for Sophia to have another pancake for breakfast the next morning).

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg, whisked
• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 tin tuna, drained
• 1tsp cumin
• 1/4 cucumber, chopped into small chunks
• 1 tomato, chopped into chunks
• 1 handful grated cheddar cheese
• small handful of coriander, chopped
• brush of oil in the pan

Method:

1. Heat a pan over a low heat and brush on the oil (I use a pastry brush as it cuts down on the amount of oil needed).
2. In a mixing bowl add the egg and milk and mix together.
3. Add in the flour and cumin slowly while still mixing. Mix until smooth and well combined.
4. Add in the tuna, cucumber, tomato, cheese and coriander and mix gently until all ingredients are distributed evenly.
5. Spoon the mixture into the pan, making small, scotch-style pancakes. Once the underside is golden flip the pancake over.
6. Once cooked all the way through transfer onto kitchen paper to blot any excess oil. Continue this process until all the pancakes are made.
7. Serve! These are tasty on their own or with a side. They are lovely with a salad, pasta, rice or crunchy veg sticks.