appley chicken with carrot and leek

coconut rice pudding

Warm food for chilly days was clearly on everyone's minds. Our two winning recipes perfectly fit the bill; the first is great for older babies who are discovering their tastebuds, while our second recipe is a clever twist on an old favourite that will be a hit with all ages!

Rachel Harrison sent us a wonderful recipe for appley chicken with carrot and leek. It's perfect for children from late weaning until about 18 months old.

• 1 chicken breast, chopped small
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 small white potatoes, diced
• 1 sweet eating apple (e.g. Braeburn), peeled, cored and chopped

1. Melt some butter in a saucepan and fry the leek until it is well softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes (until lightly browned).
3. Add the other ingredients and just cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Drain, reserving the stock, and blend or mash, adding some of the stock to get the right consistency.

From Kelsa Rowlands-Evans comes this delicious recipe for coconut rice pudding that you can just put in the oven and leave until it's done!

• short grain rice
• full cream milk/formula
• 1/2 can coconut milk

1. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with short grain rice.
2. Pour over 1/2 can coconut milk.
3. Pour over 1 pint of milk.
4. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg.
5. Add a small knob of butter.
6. Cook for about 1.5 - 2 hours at 150 degrees celsius.

All our recipes can be prepared in advance and frozen. They are also suitable for younger children if pureed and can be frozen in Blooming Marvellous Weaning Cubes. Please remember not to refreeze any foods, once defrosted.

send us yours
Do you have a favourite recipe to share with Baby Matters readers? We're looking for simple recipes that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less and have a cooking time of around 30 minutes. If your recipe is published in our next ezine, we'll send you a £20 Blooming Marvellous voucher. Please email your recipes to feedback@bloomingmarvellous.co.uk