Monday 31 August 2015

Dairy free grown ups: Chicken and Tomato Bake

This recipe was introduced to me by a friend, and like with all good recipes, it adapts and changes over time. This recipe originally started as this Jamie Oliver recipe, but I've worked my own version of it.

It's not the quickest of recipes, but it is one of the easiest I've come across. You just need to put all the ingredients into a dish, place it in the oven, and it can be forgotten about for the next hour or so, when you get out a mouth-watering rush of steaming aromas. This is probably a bit too salty for babies under 1 year due to the addition of the stock cubes - you could use salt free ones instead if you are planing on feeding this to your little one too.

Jamie Oliver's version
Ingredients
Chicken thighs or legs, or a mixture of both. Allow 2 portions per person, (more if hungry!)
Cherry or santorini tomatoes, chopped in half - 2 handfuls
2 chicken stock cubes
2 tins cannellini beans, drained
1 pinch chilli flakes
Couple of lugs of olive oil. 
Splash of water 
Basil leaves to serve
Salt and pepper (optional)
                                                                                                       


Method
Heat the oven to 200C. 
Place the tins of beans in the bottom of a large, oven proof dish. Crumble a the chicken stock cubes of the top of these. 
Add the sliced tomatoes and the chicken portions on the top.
Season (if desired) and then add the water (about half a mugful should be enough to get a lovely sauce going in the bottom of the dish), and the olive oil over the top. 
Place in the oven for approximately 1-2hrs, until the chicken has become crispy and the tomatoes have released their juices into the pan too. 
Arrange a few basil leaves on top once cooked. 


To serve: you can have this on its own, or with crusty bread. We also had this the other night with a side of wild rice and kale. 


My version - hopefully not too dissimilar! 



Monday 24 August 2015

How to start weaning

So congratulations! You have survived the first six months, this is a huge feat anyway, not to mention having a baby with a cow's milk protein allergy!

The WHO and the Department of Health recommend that babies are fed breast (or formula) milk exclusively for the first six months of their lives. Any decision to wean your baby earlier than this should be taken in line with your dietician or doctor. 

It's important to wait, as this gives the baby's digestive system time to mature, and can reduce the risk of allergies later in life. 





So how do you start weaning?
Admittedly, this can be quite daunting for a first time (or even second or third!) parent. The signs that your baby is ready to start include:
  1. They can sit and hold their head steady (note this does not mean that they can sit independently without support, you may end up waiting for some time in that case!)
  2. They have the coordination to bring objects to their mouths with their hands
  3. He or she can swallow food (meaning they have lost their "tongue thrust" reflex which pushes food out of their mouths).
Have a look at the NHS weaning page about more information on how to start. 


What do I need to start weaning?
Not much really. A sturdy high chair, bibs, bowls and spoons will be good enough to start with. Depending on the route you want to take, you may need a hand blender and ice-cube trays if you want to give your baby purees. 


What are my options?
There are two broad schools of thought with regards to baby weaning. Some parents start with the more traditional puree route, and some do baby led weaning. Some combine the two (this is what I did). Don't be surprised if you find you don't have much of a say in the matter. Some parents who are adamant that they are going to try one method may find that they have babies who will only ever eat off a spoon, or ones that refuse to go near any cutlery!

With puree based weaning, you blend or mash single fruits or vegetables, getting your baby used to a range of tastes and flavours. As they get older, you can progress to combinations of flavours, and thicker, more lumpier textures and introduce finger foods later on. This was often chosen as  a method of weaning before the advice not to wean before six months as many babies weren't able to manage chunky finger foods due to the lack of oral motor skills.  

Baby led weaning involves giving your infant pieces of food to lick or suck from six months onwards, which they eventually progress to eating. Some babies are ready to begin self-feeding at six months, by some may not get the hang of it till much later (7 or 8 months). The important thing is that the baby dictates the pace. Initial attempts at baby led weaning may mean that little food is actually eaten at first, so it is important that breast or formula milk is not cut back until feeding is established. 

The basic principles of baby led weaning are (taken from Wikipedia):
  • At the start of the process the baby is allowed to reject food, and it may be offered again at a later date.
  • The child is allowed to decide how much it wants to eat. No "fill-ups" are to be offered at the end of the meal with a spoon.
  • The meals should not be hurried.
  • Sips of water are offered with meals.
  • Initially, soft fruits and vegetables are given. Harder foods are lightly cooked to make them soft enough to chew on even with bare gums.
  • Foods with clear danger, such as peanuts, are not offered.
  • Non-finger-foods, such as oatmeal and yogurt, may be offered with a spoon so the baby can learn to self-feed with a spoon.

What are the advantages of choosing one method?
Puree based weaning is often less messy (as you are in control of the spoon!), and you can clearly get an idea of how much baby is eating. However, it does require forward planning and can become time-consuming to peel, chop, cook and puree different types of food. Jars and packets of baby puree can contain lots of water, so it is advisable (and often somewhat cheaper) to make purees yourself. 

Baby led weaning is certainly messier, and there is some research to suggest that it helps babies to learn to self-regulate their food intake, reducing the risk of obesity and poor eating habits later in life. Have a look at this paper if you are interested. It has the advantage that you can more or less offer food from the family plate and does not involve separate cooking or preparation. 





Do I need to avoid any types of food?
Good question. Yes is the answer. There are some foods that are not suitable, which ever method of baby weaning you choose. These are:

  • Salt - no salt should be added to baby's food 
  • Sugar - there is simply no need for it! You can place your child at higher risk of tooth decay later on if you give him or her sugary drinks, sweets or chocolate. 
  • Honey - although rare, there is the risk of botulism from giving honey to an under 1 year old.
  • Nuts and seeds - whole nuts and seeds (like peanuts) pose a choking risk. As long as there is no family history of serious allergy, it is actually not recommended to delay introducing peanuts (in the form of peanut butter or cooked with peanut oil etc) anymore. If there is any serious allergy, you should contact your dietician or doctor about what's best for your child. 
  • Unpasteurised cheeses/blue cheese
Some foods are termed "highly allergenic foods", i.e., these are the ones that cause most food allergies, so should be introduced to your child with an element of caution if they suffer from multiple food allergies, (get medical advice in these cases). 

So I want to start with purees, what do I do now?
My advice would be to start with simple vegetable tastes first. Chose a time of day when baby is relaxed  and in a familiar environment. Try a couple of teaspoons and take your time. Let baby experience the flavour and play with the spoon. Don't worry if they reject it at first, it can take several goes for baby to accept this new experience, it's also a new challenge for him or her to learn how to move food around their mouth, this will take some getting used to too.  If you're struggling to get baby to accept anything, perhaps he or she isn't ready, so try again a different day.  It's also advisable to introduce any new foods at lunchtime as you have a while to watch for any signs of a reaction during the day. 

Try these for some early weaning schedules. If you feel confident, start to introduce finger foods at or before the fourth week of the schedule. 




After week 4, try introducing breakfast as well. This can be another serving of fruit or try adding cereal or toast. Have a look at dairy free breakfast ideas here


What sort of foods should I be introducing?
Good first foods to introduce are ones that are easy for your baby to digest. Why not try starting with the following. (Either cook gently by boiling or steaming and cut into sticks, or cook until soft and puree with a hand blender).  

  • Sweet potato
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Pear
  • Apple
  • Mashed banana
  • Carrot
  • Parsnip
To store pureed food, the easiest way I found was to buy some silicon ice trays. Pour the cooled puree into the trays, cover and freeze. Once frozen, I would tip the cubes out into labelled tupperware tubs. When T started to eat a bit more at each of his meals, I would combine cubes into flavour combinations, often combining fruits and vegetables. 

Once your baby is used to different flavours try combinations - here apple, sweet potato and butternut squash cubes waiting to be defrosted.

What about milk?
From 6 months, your baby still needs a minimum of 500-600mls/day of breast or formula milk. The best way to ensure this if you are breast feeding is to continue to feed on demand. Remember that milk should continue to provide most of your baby's nutritional needs until 1 year of age. 

Unlike other children, babies with CMA can't get calcium from sources like yogurts, creamy sauces or cheese. Calcium is essential to your growing child, so have a look at these non dairy sources of calcium instead. 

Once your child starts eating more, you will notice that they will gradually cut back on their daily milk intake, or having fewer or shorter breastfeeds. As a rule of thumb, if you think that your child is taking less than 300mls milk per day, you should speak to your dietician as they may require calcium supplementation. 


When can I introduce meat and fish?
Any time after 6 months! If you have waited until 6 months to wean your child, then their digestive system should be mature enough to handle it. If you have weaned before 6 months, then it's worth waiting until then to introduce meat to his or her diet. Start with easy, well tolerated meats such as chicken or white fish and progress from there. You can also introduce egg from 6 months to your child, but it should be well cooked. 

Always chose good quality meat and fish, and avoid processed meats such as sausages, bacon and burgers which are high in salt. Likewise, gravies and meat stocks are very high in salt as well and should be avoided. 


What precautions should I take since my child has CMA?
Since your child already has a dairy allergy, they may have allergies to other foods that they haven't tried yet. Foods like soya have a cross over with CMA in some cases. I would recommend keeping a weaning diary for your child where you can document your child's intake and note any potential reactions. 


Food diary for T - invaluable! 
Introducing foods gradually is also a good idea if your child is prone to food allergies. Try to introduce one new food every 3 days or so, and introduce them at lunchtime so you can watch for any rashes or reactions in the afternoon (better than introducing new foods at dinner time and spending all night with a poorly child!). 


What ever you decide to do, good luck! You're setting your child up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. 



Meal ideas: Dairy free Pasta Dishes

Why not have a look at these easy dairy free pasta recipes for your little one? (Or even make a bigger portion for yourself?!) 

Beef Bolognese

Chicken and Broccoli pasta
Cheeky Courgette and Butternut Pasta

Tomato Pasta Stars with Tuna 

Always supervise your child eating. 
Please don't exclude food groups from you or your child's diet without seeking advice

Sunday 23 August 2015

23 Incredibly Helpful Charts for New Parents

Have a look at this Buzzfeed page of incredibly useful charts. (It's from an American website, so may not all be entirely relevant!)


Friday 21 August 2015

Dairy free grown ups: Asian Sticky salmon

If you are still breastfeeding, you know what a chore it can be to stay dairy free. Gone are all the lovely milky coffees, delicious cheeses and chocolatey desserts, but I think that this recipe more than makes up for it. It can be made as a midweek dinner if you plan ahead, or if you have a good local fishmonger, get a larger piece of salmon as a show stopping alternative Sunday roast. 



No reason baby couldn't have this too, as long as they weren't allergic to soy. 

Ingredients
1 salmon fillet per person or one whole side salmon to feed a crowd!
To marinade:
4 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 star anise
2 tsp Thai fish sauce (or pinch of fish paste)
3 garlic cloves


To serve: Sesame seeds (optional), mange tout, green beans and baby corn, soy sauce (optional) Rice. Red chillies (optional), lime wedges (optional) 


Method
Mix the marinade ingredients together, pour over the salmon and leave for as long as possible to marinate, preferably overnight. 
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 22oC and place the salmon in a roasting tin. Save the marinading sauce. 
Get a saucepan of boiling water for the rice and cook for 10-12 minutes. 
Cook in the oven for 15-20mins. 
Meanwhile, transfer the marinade to a pan and simmer until it thickens. 
Pour the marinade over the salmon for the last 5 minutes of cooking to allow it to glaze. 
Wash the vegetables and place in a frying pan or wok for 3-6minutes until stir fried. Add a splash of soy sauce to the vegetables. 
When all is cooked, sprinkle some sesame seeds over the dish and serve with roughly chopped red chilli and lime wedges on the side. 




See more of my dairy free recipes. 




Thursday 20 August 2015

Cheeky Courgette and Butternut Squash Pasta

This is another really easy recipe that you could enjoy as well.

Seasonal ingredients like courgettes are great
Ingredients
Pasta - the type you use will depend on whether you are making this dish for just baby or for you as well. I use the small pasta stars if just making this for T. 
1/2 medium butternut squash - peeled and chopped into small cubes. 
1 courgette - chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
1 knob of dairy free margarine


Methods

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. 
  2. Place the chopped courgette and butternut squash with the oregano in an oven proof roasting dish for approximately 30minutes. Drizzle over some olive oil. You will want to check on them regularly to make sure that they don't catch. 
  3. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in a pot of unsalted water as per the cooking instructions. 
  4. When the pasta is cooked, drain, and add the vegetables. 
  5. Add a knob of dairy free margarine while the pasta is still hot to allow it to melt. 
  6. When cool, serve and enjoy!




Thursday 6 August 2015

Chair project!

One of the things I never thought about maternity leave was how boring it could be at times! Now that T sleeps well and naps for about 2 hours over lunchtime, I found I needed lots of little projects to keep me occupied (not being the sort of person that can sit idly and do nothing). 

"Dear husband," I said one day, "Those battered old Ikea chairs, can I try and make them a bit better?"

"Err, well you couldn't make them any worse," replied He. 

So I began!

It took about two weeks to do these chairs, and it was a learn-on-the-job type of experience. So I hereby offer you my guide to "upcycling" (Ugh, hate that expression!) some simple chairs:



Step by step guide to chair makeover

1. Make sure that chair is clean, and remove the cushion unit by turing the chair over and unscrewing it from the chair frame. 





2. I used Annie Sloane chalk paint in Old White to cover these chairs. Thinning the paint down with water and doing two coats worked best. Each chair got a little better with each practice unfortunately! 




3. While you are waiting for the chairs to dry, you can cover the seats. You will need approx 1.5m of fabric (especially if you waste as much as me), some fabric scissors, and a staple gun. 






4. Fold the corners inwards towards the centre of the seat, then overlap each of the edges over it to make a neat corners. Staple the corners in place, then staple along the edges, pulling the material tight (but not too tight) towards the centre. The fabric I used was from John Lewis, unfortunately I can't find it on their website, but it was available in store at about £15/m. You can make the edges neater in a couple of ways - by folding them over, by stapling on tacking ribbon around the edges, or by cutting out another section of fabric to staple on over the top. Admittedly, I left mine as they were as I doubt few people will turn the chairs upside down to check!


5. Once the paint on the chairs has dried, you need to wax them to make the paint last. Do this by applying the wax with a brush all over the wood of the chair then buffing off with a cloth. 



6. When this is completed, you can attach the seats back on the chairs just by turing the chairs back over and screwing them back into place. 


7. Voila! Covered and new chairs. Just looking round the house for my next project now. (Eyes up wooden trunk in the corner of the spare bedroom...)





Have a look at my other projects here




Wednesday 5 August 2015

Easy Breakfast Ideas

Looking for ideas for quick and easy breakfasts that are dairy free for your little one, then look no further!


Cereals 
Cheerios are better for the older child, but I give these to T as a snack, often popping a few on his highchair tray when I am getting his meal ready. He's just started to use a pincer grip to pick things up, so this is a good way for him to practice it.



Lots of baby cereals seem to come with milk added, so it was a bit of a challenge going through the recipe labels in the supermarket or Boots searching for the milk-free options. The Fruity crunch cereal goes down well in our house, and I make it up with T's milk-substitute so I know he's getting plenty of calcium. 



Other dairy free products in this range include Banana and Strawberry porridge, Fruity museli, Multigrain banana porridgeWholegrain wheat flakesTropical fruit cereal and Fruit museli


For fairness, and so I can't be accused of favouring one brand, there are also some good dairy free cereals in these ranges:

Organix - multigrain porridge, raspberry and banana museli, strawberry and banana porridge. 

Ella's Kitchen - wakey wake baby cereal, Mango banana and strawberry cereal

Other products are available! This list is by no means exhaustive. 



Ready brek is another in our breakfast selection. Although this label says it is not suitable for milk allergy sufferers, it is explained in this leaflet here, as it is due to the possibility of milk contamination rather than containing milk itself. It therefore has to be up to you whether you risk this or not for your child depending on the severity of their allergy. As T does not have an immediate anaphylaxis type allergy, he has been ok with Ready brek, but you have to exercise your own discretion with this one. 




Weetabix is like a sponge for milk, so if I'm ever concerned that T isn't drinking enough of his formula, he gets Weetabix for breakfast. I often defrost some puree that I have in the freezer to mix in with this, and it always gets finished off! 




Omelettes 
Omelette is easy to do and is dairy free. Melt a small knob of dairy free spread in a saucepan and add a beaten egg. I find that the secret is to leave it until virtually cooked through before trying to turn over (stops it sticking to the base of the frying pan!) I've linked to the veggie omelette recipe, but just leave the veggies out for a breakfast omelette. 


Toast
Why not try some toast? I always check that I go for soy-flour free options (which is harder than you think!). Just put some dairy free spread and perhaps a think scraping of jam if you're feeling generous! I served this up this morning with a helping of blueberries (T's current favourite). 




Fruit Salad 
Simple and easy. Just chop up some fruit into manageable pieces for your baby. 
Ideas: Banana, kiwi, pear, apple, strawberry, blueberry, nectarine, peach, melon or anything else you can think of! Remember if you offer things like grapes that they are cut in half so that they don't provide a choking risk. Add some dairy free coconut yoghurt too?




If you have any more recipes, then please let me know! I'm always open to more ideas, especially where speed and simplicity are the key! 

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Chicken and Leek Casserole

This is a pretty easy dish to make that would suit a baby in the earlier stages of weaning if blended appropriately. I leave it lumpy for T at the moment. It's a great dish, because he's started to go through a phase of refusing green vegetables when presented as a finger food, but is quite happy to eat them when mixed in with something else.


Ingredients
1 chicken breast, diced
250mls salt free vegetable or chicken stock
1 large potato, chopped
1 medium leek, chopped, 
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 onion, diced, 
1 tbsp organic rapeseed oil





 Method

  1. In a large saucepan, soften the onion in the oil
  2. Add the chopped potato, carrot and leek and continue to soften (but not brown) in the pan.
     


  3. Add the chicken and continue to cook
  4. Once the chicken is cooked through, pour in the stock, place a lid on the pan, and simmer for about 20minutes (you want the potato to be cooked through and soft), stir occasionally. 
  5. Blend, puree or mash as appropriate to your child


Top tip - If you are feeling lazy (and aren't we all somedays), then cook the chicken, leek and potato as above, but add some mixed frozen vegetables to the saucepan with the stock to increase the veg content. 


Saturday 1 August 2015

Coconut and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

This is lovely, and would easily get eaten by me, let alone T.

I've substituted milk or cream here for coconut milk instead, which gives the dish a lovely flavour. Give it a go and see.

Apple, cinnamon and coconut rice pudding