A guide to homemade baby food recipes

You may like to try to make your own baby meals when weaning. Cooking for your baby need not be difficult. It is actually quite easy to produce something nutritious that your baby will enjoy. The following recipes are all suitable for babies from six to twelve months old.

Salmon and potato puree

5 medium potatoes 2 spring onions, washed and trimmed 1 tbsp of olive oil 3 salmon fillets 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves, washed 1 handful of fresh dill, chopped Juice of ½ lemon Method - Peel and dice the potatoes and cook in boiling water for around 12 minutes. - Finely dice the spring onions and fry in the olive oil over a medium heat. - Add the potatoes and fry for a further 5 to 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden all over. - Cut the salmon into small pieces and check it very carefully for bones. - Add to the pan, moving it around. Be careful not to break it into pieces. - Add the spinach, dill and lemon juice and cook for another minute or so until the spinach has wilted. - Cut into small pieces or mash slightly before feeding to your baby. - This is a great recipe for both adult and baby. For adults, season with black pepper before serving.

Mushrooms with cous cous

7 large flat mushrooms, washed 7 dots of unsalted butter 1 clove garlic, crushed A little balsamic vinegar 2 tsp of olive oil 80g Swiss Emmental cheese, finely grated 8 tarragon leaves, washed and finely chopped Method - Preheat the grill to high. Dot each mushroom with a fingernail-sized piece of butter, some of the garlic and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. - Grill for around fiveminutes. - Mix the cheese and tarragon together, divide between the mushrooms and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. - Puree a little mushroom and mix with cous cous for baby. - Adults can eat the remaining mushrooms with cous cous too.

Vegetable mash

1 baking potato, peeled and diced 1 carrot, peeled and diced ½ leek, washed and sliced Cream cheese
Method - Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the vegetables and cook for 20 minutes or until soft. - Drain and mash until smooth with the cream cheese.

Raspberry and apricot puree

400g tin apricot halves, diced 150g fresh raspberries Method - Put the apricots in a pan with the juice and cook gently for five minutes until the juice has turned syrupy. - Add the raspberries and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until warm. - Mash slightly before feeding your baby.