Savoury Leek and Kale BLW Muffins

If you’re like me, you want easy, nutritious food for your baby that tastes great and exposes them to a wide variety of foods and flavours. When that food is portable for on-the-go meals, it’s even better. Mini muffins make great snacks and compliment any meal - breakfast, lunch, or dinner! This savoury leek and kale baby-led-weaning mini muffin is a recipe you will find yourself whipping up on the regular. There are some modifications listed in the recipe if you choose to make these mini muffins egg-free and/or dairy-free.

These muffins also freeze well which means you can store some for later, so your little one doesn’t tire of eating the same thing day in and day out. I hope you and your little one enjoys these muffins. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your little one enjoying them, too!

Savoury Leek and Kale BLW Mini Muffins

Author: Andrea Carpenter, RD

Recipe Type: Entrée, Sides, Snacks and Apps

Servings: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced

• 4-6 kale leaves, thinly sliced

• 1 egg or 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water)

• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese or 1/2 cup coconut cheese

• 1/2 cup whole milk or 1/2 cup pea milk or cashew milk

• 1/2 cup iron fortified infant cereal

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• Olive oil

Directions

1. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to a non stick pan. Heat on medium low. Add the leek and kale and cook for several minutes until tender. If leek starts to brown reduce heat.

2. In a bowl, combine the infant cereal and flour and stir. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg (or flax egg for egg-free variety) and add the cheese (or cheese alternative for dairy-free variety) and milk (or milk alternative for dairy-free variety). Once the leek and kale has cooked, allow it to cool then stir into the egg mixture.

4. Combine the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold until combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this will result in tough muffins. Note: if batter is too dry, add more milk. If batter is too wet add more infant cereal.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the batter into mini muffin tins (no paper lining, no cooking spray or greased tins required), filling just to the top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

6. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

Baby Bean Sliders

Baby Bean Sliders

Author: Andrea Carpenter, RD

Recipe Type: Entree (first foods)

Serving: 12 sliders

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup water

• 1 can organic black beans

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1/2 TBSP organic cumin powder

• 1/2 TBSP organic paprika powder

• 3 TBSP oil (coconut, avocado) for cooking + more for frying

• 1 TBSP organic iron-fortified infant cereal

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain and rinse the beans well until all bubbles disappear.

2. Add the oil to a medium sized pot and heat to medium high. Add the garlic and spices, stir frequently and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the beans and water to the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until most of the water has cooked down and the beans are soft.

3. Mash the beans with a potato masher and continue to cook on low heat until they become pasty. Optional to use a blender for this step if your baby enjoys smooth textures. Once blended, add back to the pot and continue to cook until pasty.

4. All the bean mixture to cool completely before forming sliders. This can be made ahead of time and left in the fridge overnight.

5. Divide the mixture into 12 portions and form into small sliders using your hands to mold them.

6. In a shallow bowl or on a plate, add the infant cereal and coat each slider in the cereal, patting them gently to ensure they are well coated. Note: if your mixture is very crumbly, add some oil or water to loosen the mixture; if your mixture is too wet, add some cereal to thicken the mixture up.

7. Heat a non-stick pan on medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Once the oil is heated, add the sliders to the pan, cooking them 1-2 minutes per side, or until crispy.

   Optional additives:

   I have also added plain cashew cheese to mixture for extra fat and flavour. The cheese can be mixed in prior to allowing the slider mixture to chill. If you are looking to add some extra veggies, try adding grated carrots, zucchini, or sweet potato into this mixture. Add the grated vegetables at the beginning so they can be cooked through and release any excess moisture.

Baby Banana Pancakes

Getting eggs into an infant starting out on solids can be tricky. Something many parents struggle with, myself included. Once babies are established on solids, it’s important to introduce the top allergen foods, but sometimes that can prove to be a challenge in itself. Whole eggs, when cooked scrambled, fried, in an omelet, etc. can have a chewy texture that makes it challenging for a baby to eat without teeth.

Using eggs as an ingredient in foods offered to your child is a much easier way to ensure they actually eat the egg, and get the exposure to this allergen. French toast is one of my favourites to offer my son, which actually inspired me to create this recipe. My Baby Banana Pancakes uses iron-fortified infant cereal which surpasses the iron content of french toast, and its softer texture makes it ideal for those who are still gumming their meals.

Author: Andrea Carpenter, RD

Recipe Type: entree (first foods)

Serving: 12 pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe organic banana

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup iron-fortified infant cereal

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

• Organic coconut oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork, add the eggs and combine.

2. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.

3. Gradually add in the iron-fortified infant cereal and mix until fully combined.

4. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat and add a drizzle of coconut oil.

5. Drop the batter into desired pancake sizes and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.