Cooked or raw fruits??

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Charlotte!! Those are great ideas!! I may try it when my lo gets to eat dairy!

[~Alexa~]

Hi Mash!! I'm back for some cooking help!
My lo is starting to eat veggies.  (carrot, spinach, peas, zucchini, mirliton)
I don't know how to cook them.  Do you bake them in the oven as you do it with fruit? Or do you steam them? What tips can you give me on how to cook them?

[Mashi]

I boil some and steam others! Carrots, I boil because I find they take a long time to cook - although I don't think I have tried steaming them.  Zucchini I steam because otherwise it goes really soggy, but if I am in a hurry, I boil as it only takes about 3 minutes to boil up soft, but steaming seems to take 7 or 8 to get the skins softer. I've nto done spinach yet, I've always read that the high iron content can be hard for LOs to digest and my DS has enough trouble digesting ANYTHING so am holding off on spinach for a while.  Cauliflower, again it depends on how much time I have - boiling is faster.  Peas, I boil.  Green beans, I steam.

Generally I find if I want to use it as a finger food, I steam it because it doesn't go as mushy, but if I am going to mush or puree it, then I boil it. 

Generally, steaming takes a few minutes longer, but keeps more of the nutrition in. Boiling is faster but the veggie goes mushier.

I bake potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash.  For potatoes and sweet pots, I pierce them with a fork a few times and put in the oven until soft. Squash I do like fruits - cut in half, scoop out seeds and bake in a bit of water until soft.

Does that help - not much advice, sorry!

[~Alexa~]

That helps A LOT!! Thanks Mash! One more question...When you make the veggie puree do you add something for taste? Salt? Butter? Or just the veggies and that's it?

[Mashi]

No, I don't add anything. No salt for little ones until they are one, as their kidneys can't digest it.  I don't use butter as my LO is dairy intolerant, but I have often added some herbs for flavouring - basil, parsley, etc.   I've also used leek as a flavouring, as well as red pepper.

To do the leeks I chop the white part of the leek into 2cm sections and boil for 3-4 minutes, until soft, and then puree until it's watery.  Add a small spoonful to potato or sweet potato.  Red peppers I grill - cut and clean out the centre of a red pepper, and put under a hot grill until the skins start to blacken and bubble.  Really let them bubble as much as possible or you won't be able to get them off!  Let cool about 15 minutes and then peel the skin off.  If it's hard to get off, you didn't grill it long enough.  Chop the peppers into smaller chunks and then puree. It will go very liquidy. I've mixed it with cauliflower, scrambled egg, and avocado and it always went down well!

[~Alexa~]

Tx Mash!!!! so no salt then!! Tx for all the tips

[A pair of Charlies]

I think we need "Mashi's Guide to Cooking Fruits & Vegetables". Hard bound would be nice, but I'll settle for anything. Everytime I cook now I'm looking at things wondering 'would you be better off in the oven my little friend?' 

[Mashi]

I think we need "Mashi's Guide to Cooking Fruits & Vegetables". Hard bound would be nice, but I'll settle for anything. Everytime I cook now I'm looking at things wondering 'would you be better off in the oven my little friend?' 

LOL!  I like to think of it as "Today my little friend, Mummy is lazy, so you get to sit in the oven for an hour!" No washing, peeling, chopping, straining...just toss it in the oven until the skin is ready to peel itself off, and done!