Little Veggie Eats: Easy Weaning Recipes for All the Family to Enjoy

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Rice pudding, for me, is the ultimate comfort food. This version is made with coconut milk so it is dairy-free but just as creamy and delicious as regular rice pudding. I’ve also made it with a mix of brown rice and quinoa to up the protein and fibre content. It tastes great on its own, but to make it even more decadent you could add some berry compote, apple sauce or mango chia jam. Slice several potatoes finely. Chop several onions. Chop some veggie bacon if you’re using it. Layer all of this up in a casserole dish, ending with the potato. Add the cauliflower and sweet potato, along with the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and curry powder, and cook for

Stir with a wooden spoon and you’ll end up with a great scrambled egg brunch with some added veggie goodness. Prep the wet mix: Add the lemon juice to the milk and leave to sit for around 5 minutes (you can prep the veggies while you do this). Once the milk starts to get a little lumpy, add the yogurt, eggs and butter. Whisk it all together. Iron is really important once they’re 6 months as there’s none or very little in breast milk and they have depleted their reserves they built up whilst you were pregnant (and those reserves would very much have depended on your iron intake and reserves too). Formula is fortified but again not the best form for absorption. So that’s one to focus on in terms of giving iron rich foods as much as possible.Heat 4 tbs of the oil in the pan. Stir fry the onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, vegetarian sausages and mushrooms. When nicely browning, stir in the smoked paprika, cooking a minute more. Remove to a different pan, using a slotted spoon, and keep warm. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan on a low heat until melted and then add the mustard seeds. When you hear the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onion. Cook the onion for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two minutes. Meanwhile make the dumplings. Mix the flour, suet and herbs together and gradually add just enough cold water to make a firm dough. Divide into 8 balls. Prep the dry mix: stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Oregano together in a large bowl.

Rachel sees weaning as a fun opportunity to get creative in the kitchen, and is a firm believer in one meal for all the family, meaning that each recipe in this book is designed to appeal to children of all ages, as well as to adults. If this doesn’t appeal, an omelette is another great budget meal for all the family. For omelette, don’t stir your egg mix, just fill with anything from cheese to mushrooms to mint (use plenty of mint for a taste sensation). If you don’t like coconut milk you can make this with any regular milk of your choice. It won’t be as naturally sweet so you will almost certainly want to add a topping. I’ve written the recipe using cauliflower and sweet potato but you can replace these with any other vegetables you like. You can also add some greens towards the end of cooking; spinach and/or peas are both delicious, and they only take 5 minutes to cook.

Use vegetables creatively. Brightly coloured veggies, like spinach and beetroot, can add loads of colour to dishes to make them fun and enticing for your children. Carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato can be used to add natural sweetness and flavour to dishes (as well as adding nutrients).