1. Shepherd’s Pie

This is a tasty, wholesome and nutritious meal, and can be frozen for future use.

Ingredients for 8 portions:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1lb lean minced beef
• 10 fl oz beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2lbs potatoes
• 1 ½ oz butter
• 4 tablespoons milk

1. Heat the oil and add the onion, garlic and red pepper.
2. After 4 minutes add the meat and brown.
3. Transfer the mix to a saucepan and add the stock, tomato puree and mushrooms.
4. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes.
5. In a separate saucepan, boil the potatoes, then drain, add the butter and mash.
6. Pour the meat into the bottom of a baking dish and cover with the mashed potato.
7. Cook in a preheated oven (170° C / 350° F / Gas Mark 4) for 20 minutes.

2. Pasta Salad with Tuna and Sweetcorn.

Bow-tie pasta is a good shape pasta for young children. And don’t be too concerned if they treat it as finger food – manners will come with time!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

• 2 oz bow-tie pasta
• 3 oz tinned tuna
• 1 ½ oz sweetcorn
• 3 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Cook the pasta as per the pack instructions.
2. Mix together the ingredients for the dressing.
3. Once the pasta is cooked, cool under cold water and then drain fully.
4. Mix the cooked pasta with all the ingredients and toss in the dressing.

3. Simple Chicken Stir-fry

This is the type of dish that will get ensure your baby not only gets a fine balance of nutrition, but also begins to develop the kind of tastes that will soon have her eating much the same foods as you do.

Ingredients for 3 portions:

• 1 chicken breast fillet, skinned and boned cut into very small pieces
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 25g (1oz) button mushrooms chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 1 tsp soy sauce
  

1. Chop the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and coat with the flour.
2. Sprinkle the coated chicken with the soy sauce and leave for 20 minutes
3. Heat the oil and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for 3- 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the chicken and continue to stir-fry for a further 3-4 minutes.
5. Then add the mushrooms and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes – until all ingredients are tender.
6. Serve with pasta, and make sure that all the chicken pieces are cut into small enough sizes for your baby to chew. For younger babies you can puree this dish using a blender.

4. Pasta with Tuna and Tomato

This is tasty, wholesome and nutritious and by following the method below you'll have enough for both you and your baby. Remember though, this meal is not suitable for freezing.

Ingredients to make enough for you and baby!:

• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 75g (3oz) of pasta shapes
• 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 100ml (3fl oz) water
• 200g (7oz) canned tuna in oil
• 3 tbsp natural yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil 

1. Cook the pasta as per the pack instructions. 
2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion. Cook until tender. 
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, water and tuna to the onion and cook over a medium heat for a further five minutes, stirring often. 
4. Stir in enough yogurt to make a creamy sauce.
5. Add the drained pasta and mix well.
6. The dish can be mashed or chopped to a consistency suitable for your baby's stage. 
7. This dish is not suitable for freezing.