Chicken and Spring Vegetables
This is a nutritious chicken purée for your baby, or toddler; it can also be adapted for the whole family. The chicken is lightly poached in homemade vegetable stock until tender and falling away. I add seasonal vegetables, which are locally sourced for flavour and added nutrition. This recipe has been written in conjunction with AVEENO® Baby
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Recipe makes 800ml of puree, x10 small baby potions approx. with (80ml per serving)
A wonderfully nutritious recipe, recommended from 6 months +
Suitable for freezing
# AD This week is written in conjunction with AVEENO® Baby for Allergy Awareness week and show parents that allergen-free food doesn’t need to be complicated. One of the main topics I get messaged about is allergies: from food allergies, to skin allergies, to allergy symptoms and how to spot them. I have a sense that this is increasingly on the rise, especially amongst parents who I connect with on Instagram. I wanted to work with AVEENO® Baby to start a conversation about how hard it can be managing allergies within family life. It is important to spot allergies early in your children and to adapt their diet accordingly. This simple, nutritious and low-allergen recipe has been written in conjunction with our partner paediatric dietician Bianca Parau. You can check out the AVEENO® Baby skincare range, on their website.
250g organic chicken breast, cut into strips (around 50g approx. per strip)
350ml homemade no added salt vegetable stock (see attached recipe)
200g butternut squash carrots, trimmed and diced
150g courgette (1 small courgette), trimmed and diced
50g fresh Spring peas (small handful), shelled
N.B. ensure your baby has had all of these ingredients separately to ensure tolerance – especially in atopic infants
To cook ~
Wash and prep all the vegetables, as per the above. Take a pot and add the homemade stock, then add the raw chicken pieces and butternut squash. Bring up to a boil, lower the heat and then simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Next add the courgette and spring peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, the butternut squash is tender, and the green vegetables are cooked through remove from the heat. You are now ready to serve.
To serve for babies, under 1 years ~
Blend the chicken and vegetables, with the flavourful broth to make a lovely puree. I add 150ml of boiled water to get the right consistency. Cool and serve. You can also freeze in portions: defrost and reheat (until piping hot), as needed. Do not reheat more than once.
To serve for toddlers, children and adults ~
Shred the chicken and dress with a little of the flavourful stock, serve alongside the veg, which you can also lightly mash with a fork for smaller children
Baby Vegetable Stock
Makes 1 litre, recommended 6 months (approx)
This lovely light vegetable stock takes just 1 hour to make. It is a lovely base of flavour for all your homemade purees and adds a little extra nutrition. Freeze in cube trays and then add to homemade baby purees, when you heat through (until you get the right serving consistency). Ensure your baby has had all of these ingredients separately to ensure tolerance – especially in atopic infants.
2 parsnips
2 small onions, peeled
2 stalks celery
3 medium carrots
2 sweet potato
2 litres cold water
Prep all the vegetables: wash, peel and cut into large chunks (use organic where possible). Place in a large cooking pot: cover with 2 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil, then cover with a slightly open lid and simmer over a medium-low heat for 1 hour. The stock should now be golden in colour: the vegetables cooked through and falling away. Strain the stock, discard the vegetables, and cool. The stock is now ready to be used in your cooking: add to baby purees, sauces, soups and so on. You can also freeze in portions: defrost and reheated (until piping hot), as needed.