Tag: Weaning

Snack

Vegan Fruit Scones

These vegan fruit scones are super quick and easy to make. Until recently I’d never made scones, and then inspired by a holiday in Scotland I decided to make cheese scones for my toddler. When they came out of the oven they looked and smelled delicious, however, I was unable to eat them due to being lactose intolerant so I decided to play around and came up with these vegan fruit scones.

I tested them on my baby yoga class and at my mini retreat and they went down a treat! I served them with my heathy chia jam and some coconut cream. To make the coconut cream I simply got a can of coconut milk, placed it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then scooped the thick cream off the top of the milk.

These vegan fruit scones have no added sugar they are simply sweetened by the dried fruit and you can use whatever dried fruit you have, raisins, sultanas and apricots work well. This makes them a great snack for toddlers too.

Ingredients for Vegan Fruit Scones:

Makes 14 mini scones

  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 40g melted coconut oil
  • 140ml almond milk
  • 50g dried fruit

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
  2. Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
  3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl
  4. Melt the coconut oil and add to the flour
  5. Use a spoon to mix the coconut oil into the flour until it has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs
  6. Add the dried fruit and stir well
  7. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in a little bit of the milk
  8. Using your hands fold in the milk, keep adding the milk and folding until you have a dough, the dough will be slightly wet
  9. Place the dough on a chopping board or clean surface that has been dusted with flour
  10. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
  11. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 2cm thick
  12. Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough into scones
  13. Place the cut dough onto the baking trays, leaving enough space between the scones for them to expand
  14. If you have any dough edges left you can knead them again, roll them out and cut more scones
  15. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
  16. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe why not check out my other vegan recipes?

Snack

Cheese Scones

Until recently I’d never made cheese scones, or any scones for that matter. However, after a holiday in Scotland where cheese scones seemed to be sold in every café I thought I’d give them a go as they make a great snack for toddlers.

I was surprised by how easy they are to make and how little time they take to cook! I’m really looking forward to my daughter helping me make them when she is a tiny bit older.

I took the cheese scones to my baby yoga class and the mums and babies loved them! The texture is great for little ones to be able to hold without them breaking apart too much.

This recipe works best if you use butter at room temperature so that it is easier to mix into the flour

Ingredients for Cheese Scones:

Makes 14 mini scones

  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 150ml milk
  • 75g grated cheese

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7
  2. Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper
  3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl
  4. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour
  5. Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour until it has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs
  6. Grate the cheese and add it to the flour and butter, stirring well
  7. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in a little bit of the milk
  8. Using your hands fold in the milk, keep adding the milk and folding until you have a dough
  9. Place the dough on a chopping board or clean surface that has been dusted with flour
  10. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
  11. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 2cm thick
  12. Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough into scones
  13. Place the cut dough onto the baking trays, leaving enough space between the scones for them to expand
  14. If you have any dough edges left you can knead them again, roll them out and cut more scones
  15. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
  16. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

The cheese scones looked so good that I couldn’t resit playing around with the recipe to come up with a sugar-free fruit scone that was also dairy-free so that I could eat them! You can find the recipe here

Snack

Delicious Banana Bread

I love this delicious banana bread, it is great when I feel like I want a piece of cake but not a sugar high. It’s also great for toddlers too!

Due to my M.E. I’m very sensitive to sugar so when I eat something sugary I get a real high followed by a crash that makes me need to sleep.

This delicious banana bread is great as it is free for refined sugar, and the wholemeal flour provides slow release carbs alongside the walnuts which provide both protein and omega 3.

The original recipe came from The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley and I amended it slightly to make it dairy-free.

I first started making this recipe as my little girl would eat any vegetable, fruit, carbohydrate and even lentils that you put in front of her but she wasn’t keen on protein other than yoghurt and cheese. This recipe was a great way for me to get her to eat some egg and walnuts.

Ingredients for the Banana Bread:

Makes 12 mini loaves or one big one

  • 100g whole meal self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp ground mixed spice
  • 40g melted coconut oil
  • 50g raisins
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 50g walnuts
  • 1 egg

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4
  2. Line a loaf tin or mini tins with grease proof paper. I like to use silicone mini loaf tins as they don’t need to be lined
  3. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl
  4. Melt the coconut oil in a pan and add it to the flour, stir well
  5. Stir in the raisins
  6. In a hand blender blitz up the walnuts until they look a bit like bread crumbs
  7. In a separate bowl mash the bananas, stir in the egg, until well combined and then add the walnuts
  8. Fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients
  9. Spoon into the tin/s and bake, big loaf for 45 mins, small loaves 20 mins or until a skewer comes out clean
  10. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy

Store in an airtight container or the banana bread can be frozen. If you are making a large loaf slice it before placing it into the freezer.

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe then why not check out more of my toddler friendly snacks I’d love to hear how you get on, so add a photo and comment below.

Snack

Vegan Guacamole

This vegan guacamole recipe is super easy to make and tastes delicious. During our baby yoga sessions we talk about weaning and the importance of encouraging children to try lots of different flavours from a young age.

This guacamole is perfect as the avocado makes it nice and creamy whilst the basil and lime give it flavour. I love to add a couple of drops of tabasco sauce to mine which goes down a treat with my one year old!

However, when I made it for my baby yoga class to try I omitted the tabasco so as not too put any of the children off!

Avocados are fantastic for babies (over 6 months) and toddlers as they are very nutrient dense and have a high fat content which will help to fill them up. In addition the cream texture is usually a hit with most babies. I like my guacamole to be smooth but you can make it chunky which is a great way to encourage your baby to try new textures if you have started with purees.

You can buy guacamole from most supermarkets, however they often include preservatives and are filled out with other ingredients such as rice flour and salt. Personally I think it is so easy to make that I would never bother buying it, especially as most brands include milk based ingredients and vegan versions seem to be more expensive.

Guacamole isn’t just for babies either it works fantastically with my chicken fajitas recipe too.

Guacamole Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 lime (juice)
  • 6 cherry tomatoes
  • Small handful fresh basil
  • Few drops Tabasco sauce (optional)

Method:

  1. Remove the skin and pip of the avocado
  2. Place the avocado in a blender with the tomatoes,basil and lime juice
  3. Blend until combined

If you’ve enjoyed my guacamole recipe then why not check out more toddler friendly recipes or more of my vegan recipes.

Lunch

Cold Busting Chinese Broth

I often hear people complaining at this time of year that they are feeling more run down and getting more colds and winter bugs. Because of this I recommend this cold busting broth to my clients as it’s a fantastic way to give your immune system a boost.

It is packed full of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious! My friends often request that I make it when they come to visit.

It can be made with tofu for a vegan version or chicken, if you prefer. Alternatively, I like to make it with left over roast chicken.

The soya sauce can be replaced with tamari to make the dish gluten-free. I recently made this cold busting dish with a large pinch of grated fresh turmeric instead of powder, I love how versatile this dish is.

Cold Busting Broth Ingredients:

Serves 4

  • 900ml of vegetable stock (I use reduced salt bouillon powder)
  • 220g of firm tofu, cubed or cooked chicken
  • 1cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 chilli, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
  • 100g rice noodles
  • 1 large handful sweetcorn (frozen or canned)
  • 1 large handful frozen peas
  • 200g mix of shiitake and button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp soya sauce
  • Small handful of fresh mint or basil
  • Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Method:

  1. Put the stock, ginger, garlic, half the chilli and tofu/chicken into a pan and simmer for 5 minutes
  2. Add the sweetcorn, peas, mushrooms, 2 spring onions, rice noodles and soya sauce. Simmer until the noodles are cooked
  3. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining chilli, spring onion and mint/basil and drizzle a tiny bit of sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds to finish
Cold busting broth made with chicken or tofu

If you’d like more tailored information on who to support your immune system during the winter months then why not email me for a consultation?