recipes with infinite (or almost infinite) combinations . . .

Nothing’s better than diversity for expanding Bébé’s palate. For this reason, I’ve separated the main dishes from their accompaniments (listed under avec . . . ) so you can change up the recipes on a whim. Try them with my suggestions or try out your own recipe combinations. Bébé will discover, to his delight, that he can enjoy Risotto Milanese avec Crushed Tomatoes ou Creamy Spinach. You can choose what to serve when, according to the season, the mood of the chef, or the suggestions of your petit gourmet!

risotto milanese

risotto milanais

5	20	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots

¾ cup (150 g) round rice (Arborio is perfect)

¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable stock

2 cups (500 ml) water

Just under ½ cup (100 g) grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon crème fraîche

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the shallots.
2. Add the rice. Stir and cook for several minutes, until the rice is mostly translucent.
3. Add the vegetable stock and half of the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 7 minutes, stirring regularly.
4. Gradually add the rest of the water and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add the Parmesan and the crème fraîche, and stir. The risotto should be smooth and creamy. If it is dry, add a few tablespoons of hot water and stir until you reach desired consistency.

yummy tips

To entertain Bébé, empty out a beefsteak tomato and serve the risotto inside it. Guaranteed success! This is how Maya learned to appreciate fresh tomatoes, since she loved eating her “bowl!”

This risotto is just as good for grown-ups as it is for kids. When I eat with my children, I simply add a pinch of salt and serve it alongside a roasted chicken breast with lemon.

avec . . . crushed tomatoes and carrots

concassé de tomates et carottes

10	15	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

3 tomatoes, about 14 ounces (400 g)

4 carrots, about ½ pound (250 g)

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ garlic clove, finely chopped

4 to 5 basil leaves

1. Wash the vegetables. Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Peel the carrots and cut them into thin rounds.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the garlic. Add the vegetables, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not add water: The tomatoes should provide enough liquid, as long as the heat is kept low. Add the basil leaves and cook for 3 more minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and blend the mixture until you have a texture that’s somewhere between chopped and mashed, depending on Bébé’s preference.

yummy tips

Though I prefer to serve the risotto and the crushed tomatoes and carrots side by side (to better appreciate their flavors), they also happen to taste great combined.

avec . . . butternut squash with sage

potimarron et à la sauge

10	15	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

1 large slice butternut squash, just over 1 pound (500 g)

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 to 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Remove the squash skin and seeds, and dice the flesh into small cubes.
3. Spread the squash cubes on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and coat the cubes with the olive oil.
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, until the squash is tender and begins to brown.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the sage. Lightly crush the squash pieces with a fork before serving.

yummy tips

Can’t find butternut squash? If you’re looking for an alternative, carrots are better than pumpkin, since the latter contains too much water for this recipe. When using carrots, cut them into small cubes and boil them in water for 15 minutes instead of baking. When Maya was a bit older, she loved this mixed with Risotto Milanese using half carrots, half corn, and lots of sage.

fine semolina with orange

semoule fine à l’orange

1	5	24h	0°

Makes one 3½-ounce (100 g) serving

Just under ⅓ cup (70 ml) orange juice

3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon (50 g) fine semolina

1. In a saucepan, bring the orange juice to a boil.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the semolina, and stir. Cover and let the semolina expand for 5 minutes.
3. Fluff the semolina with a fork before serving.

yummy tips

Is the semolina too dry on its own? If so, after the semolina expands, mix in more orange juice (up to just under ½ cup [100 ml] total) and 2 heaping tablespoons of Carrot Purée to moisten it. If you serve it this way, you can easily prepare several servings in advance and freeze them.

avec . . . vegetable tagine

un tajine de légumes

10	20	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

2 zucchini, about ¼ pound (120 g)

2 carrots, just under ¼ pound (100 g)

2 tomatoes, just under ½ pound (200 g)

4 slices eggplant, about 2 ounces (60 g)

4 dried apricots

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ garlic clove, chopped

Pinch of ground ginger

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Just under ½ cup (100 ml) water

1. Wash the vegetables. Peel the carrots and cut all the vegetables into cubes. Chop the dried apricots.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the garlic. Add the spices and cilantro and the apricots. Cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly. Add the vegetables, tomato paste, and water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from heat and blend the mixture until smooth.

yummy tips

You can start small and increase the quantity of spices in this recipe bit by bit until Bébé gets used to them. The first time you make this tagine, replace the ginger with 2 to 3 drops of lemon juice and add just a touch of cumin.

avec . . . ratatouille

une ratatouille

10	15	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

3 zucchini, about ⅓ pound (180 g)

2 tomatoes, just under ½ pound (250 g)

½ pound eggplant (250 g)

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ garlic clove, chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Pinch of dried thyme

Just under ½ cup (100 ml) water

1. Wash the vegetables and cut them into medium-size cubes.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic and shallots until golden. Add the vegetables, tomato paste, and thyme. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and blend to obtain a coarse texture.

yummy tips

For a luxurious take on this recipe, use cherry tomatoes instead of large ones. Add them whole so they release their juices slowly and don’t overcook. If you freeze one portion of this recipe, you’ll be one step ahead when you want to make Tuna Niçoise with Thyme Semolina.

pasta shapes with soft cheese and basil

petites pâtes au fromage à tartiner et au basilic

1	8	24h	0°

Makes one 3½-ounce (100 g) serving

A heaping ⅓ cup (100 g) small pasta shapes (such as mini-macaroni or alphabet shapes)

1 wedge or rounded teaspoon soft cheese, such as Laughing Cow

4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, with a pinch of salt.
2. Drain and return to the pan.
3. Add the cheese and basil, and stir. Remove from the heat as soon as the cheese has melted.

yummy tips

Choose whole wheat or spelt pasta, both which have a high nutritional value and a pleasant nutty taste. Richer in fiber than traditional pasta, they also aid in digestion.

avec . . . primavera sauce

une sauce primavera

10	15	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

2 zucchini, about ¼ pound (120 g)

1½ cups (100 g) broccoli florets

⅔ cup (100 g) green beans

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots

A heaping ½ cup (100 g) peas, fresh or frozen

½ cup (120 ml) vegetable stock

3 tablespoons crème fraîche

1. Wash the zucchini and broccoli and cut them into small pieces. Trim the ends of the green beans and cut them into quarters.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the shallots until golden. Add the zucchini, broccoli, green beans, peas, vegetable stock, and if necessary, enough water to cover the vegetables halfway. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the vegetables, setting aside about 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Return the vegetables to the pan, add the crème fraîche, and reheat the mixture with some of the reserved liquid.
4. Blend to a coarse purée. Adjust the texture with the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary.

yummy tips

You can speed up this recipe by using frozen vegetables, since they are precut and washed. If you decide to serve this sauce over Pasta Shapes with Soft Cheese and Basil, opt for light crème fraîche so the sauce doesn’t turn out too rich.

avec . . . fresh tomato sauce

une sauce aux tomates fraîches

5	20	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

5 tomatoes, about 1⅓ pounds (600 g)

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ garlic clove, finely chopped

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the garlic until golden.
3. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat, cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size of the tomatoes).
4. Remove from the heat and blend to a coarse purée.

yummy tips

I like to make this recipe with cherry tomatoes, which are slightly sweeter than their larger counterparts. (It may be decadent, but hey, we’ll tell Dr. Lalau Keraly not to read this tip!) If you find the tomatoes too acidic, add 1 tablespoon of ketchup to the sauce.

avec . . . creamy spinach

épinards à la crème

5	12	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

3⅓ cups (500 g) frozen spinach

½ cup (120 ml) vegetable stock

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

1. Put the frozen spinach into a saucepan. Add the vegetable stock and, if necessary, enough water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Drain thoroughly: Spinach retains plenty of water. Add the crème fraîche and return to the saucepan to heat through.
4. Blend until you have a coarse purée.

yummy tips

Served with pasta, this recipe may at first seem like an unusual combination. But trust me, it’s simply delicious. The slightly acidic notes in both the spinach and the crème fraîche are marvelous with all kinds of pasta. When I eat with the kids, I roast a salmon fillet in the oven to go along with this dish.

avec . . . fava beans, ricotta and basil

fèves à la ricotta et au basilic

5	15	24h	0°

Makes five 3½-ounce (100 g) servings

1 zucchini, about 2 ounces (60 g)

About 4 cups (400 g) fava beans, frozen

½ cup (120 ml) vegetable stock

2 tablespoons ricotta

4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1. Wash the zucchini and cut it into small pieces.
2. Put the fava beans into a saucepan, add the vegetable stock and enough water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Drain, leaving about 3 tablespoons of cooking liquid in the pan.
4. Mix the vegetables with the remaining liquid, the ricotta, and the basil.

yummy tips

If you can’t find ricotta, use fresh goat cheese. This recipe pairs well with Pasta Shapes with Soft Cheese and Basil, but then you should omit the soft cheese.

braised green lentils and spinach

étuvée de lentilles vertes et épinards

5	30	24h	0°

Makes five 5-ounce (150 g) servings

1 cup (200 g) green lentils

2 cups (300 g) frozen spinach

½ cup (120 ml) vegetable stock

1. Rinse the lentils, picking over them and discarding any stones or debris.
2. Put the lentils into a saucepan and cover them with twice their volume of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
3. While the lentils are cooking, cook the spinach in the vegetable stock in another saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the spinach from heat, drain, and give it a quick stir.
5. Drain the lentils and mix in the spinach.

accompaniments

Serve with basmati rice or bread topped with fresh soft cheese.

yummy tips

When the grown-ups sit down to dinner with the kids, I serve this dish along with a roasted cod fillet enhanced with a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

pumpkin, sweet potato, and vanilla soup

velouté de potiron et de patates douces à la vanille

10	20	24h	0°

Makes five 7-ounce (200 g) servings

1 large slice pumpkin, about ⅔ pound (300 g)

2 sweet potatoes, about 1 pound (450 g)

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock

Just under 3 cups (700 ml) water

1 vanilla bean

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Peel and deseed the pumpkin and cut the flesh into pieces.
2. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into cubes.
3. Put the vegetables into a large saucepan. Add the vegetable stock and the water. With a knife, open the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan. Add the bean to the pan.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean.
6. Add the crème fraîche and lemon juice and blend until smooth.
7. The soup should be creamy. If it is too thick, simply add some water. If it is too wet, boil some additional sweet potato or potato, add to the mixture, and blend again.

yummy tips

The flavors in this soup offer an excellent opportunity to introduce Bébé to mushrooms. When Maya was little, I used to chop some mushrooms and sauté them in a bit of butter before placing them on top of the soup. She loved them! Nowadays, she happily chomps on raw mushrooms.

broccoli and cheese soup

soupe aux brocolis et au fromage à tartiner

5	10	24h	0°

Makes five 7-ounce (200 g) servings

6 cups (400 g) broccoli florets

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock

Just under 3 cups (700 ml) water

4 wedges or rounded teaspoons soft cheese, such as Laughing Cow

1. Wash the broccoli and cut into small pieces.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the shallots for 1 minute, or until translucent. Add the vegetable stock, water, and broccoli and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, add the soft cheese, and blend until smooth.
4. The soup should be creamy. If it is too thick, add a little water. If it is too wet, boil some broccoli florets, add them to the soup, and blend again.

accompaniments

Serve with a bit of fresh bread, if Bébé likes it.

yummy tips

For babies over twelve months, liven up this soup with a bit of ground nutmeg. You can also try leaving a few whole broccoli florets in the middle of the soup, to give those new teeth something to crunch on!

cream of corn and tomatoes

crème de maïs et tomates

5	15	24h	0°

Makes five 7-ounce (200 g) servings

2 tomatoes, about ½ pound (250 g)

1¾ cups (300 g) corn, frozen or canned

4 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock

Just under 3 cups (700 ml) water

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters.
2. Put the corn, tomatoes, and sage into a big saucepan, add the vegetable stock and water, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, add the crème fraîche, and blend until smooth.
4. The soup should be creamy. If it is too thick, add a little water. If it is too wet, add some corn directly to the mixture, cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, and blend again.

yummy tips

Your “big baby” will probably be delighted to crunch on a few whole corn kernels, so leave a few in the soup!