Cookbook:Kids' Vegetable Puree

Kids' vegetable purée is dish of cooked vegetables blended to a creamy paste. It is common to purée entire meals (without use of salt or other additives) to be served to toddlers, babies, and those unable to chew. The vegetable purée can be can be made in a blender, a potato masher, or by forcing the food through a strainer. The vegetables must be cooked, either before or after grinding, in order to improve flavour and texture, remove toxic substances, and/or reduce their water content. Most babies are happy to eat this puree on its own, while for some you will need to add baby milk to the puree.

Vegetable purée can last for up to 48 hours if well refrigerated. To warm it, put in a bowl, cover and microwave until very hot, then leave to cool to a safe temperature. You can also warm it over a pot of hot water.

Ingredients

 * 2 carrots, peeled and diced
 * 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
 * 100 g (3.5 oz) chicken breast, cut into pieces
 * Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
 * 4 spoonfuls of olive oil
 * 1 pinch of salt
 * Water
 * Baby milk, as necessary

Equipment

 * Blender
 * Bowl
 * Spoon
 * Pot

Procedure

 * 1) Put the carrots, tomatoes, and chicken breast in a pot. Add water to the same level as the ingredients.
 * 2) Cover, and cook on medium heat until the chicken is well done and the carrots are soft.
 * 3) Add the diced cucumber, olive oil, and salt. At this point, you can top up the water to the same level as the ingredients if most of the water has dried.
 * 4) Cover the pot and leave to boil until the cucumbers are soft.
 * 5) Turn off the heat and leave to cool down completely.
 * 6) Blend into a smooth purée using a kitchen blender. No need to add more water.