A guide to introducing solids

Lentil and potato puree
Makes 4-5 serves
Ingredients:
- 50g (4 dessert spoons) red lentils
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced into small pieces
Methods:
- Place lentils in a pan. Add 300ml water and bring to boil. Cover with a pot lid and simmer for 10minutes.
- Add potatoes to same pan and cook for a further 15minutes. Cook until mixture is soft, adding more water if mixture begins to stick to the pot.
- Drain the mix using a sieve but reserve the liquid to add later.
- Puree the mix with a couple of dessertspoons of the cooking liquid. Adjust consistency with more of the cooking liquid if required.
Cottage pie with mash
Makes 6 serves
Ingredients:
- 100g minced beef
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, scrubbed and grated
- 2 tablespoons frozen peas
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Methods:
- Place mince and chopped onion in a small pan and cook gently until the mince is browned.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and grated carrot. Cover and allow to cook gently for 15-20minutes.
- Add peas 5minutes before the end of cooking time. Stir occasionally, adding more water as required.
- Cover potatoes with water in a pan and put a lid on the pan. Cook until soft. Add more water if needed. Then drain and mash together with 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- When mince is cooked, serve with the mashed potato.
Egg bites with kale and feta
Makes 24 serves
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tbs butter, melted
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup (125ml) milk
- 1 cup (60g) finely chopped kale
- ½ red capsicum, diced
- 125g fetta, crumbled
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180° Celsius (160° Celsius fan-forced).
- Brush a 24-hole mini muffin pan with melted butter.
- In a large jug, whisk eggs and milk.
- Divide kale, capsicum and fetta among prepared muffin holes then evenly pour over egg mixture.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the egg mixture is just set in centre (it will rise up during cooking, then sink down on cooling).
- Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
Pumpkin, mushroom and spinach pasta
Makes 4 serves
Ingredients:
- 800g kent pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 375g rigatoni pasta
- 300g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbs plain flour
- 1 ½ cups (125ml) milk
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup (80g) parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Olive oil spray
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200°
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Arrange pumpkin on lined tray. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain.
- Spray a non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray. Place over high heat. Add the mushrooms and spring onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the mushroom is just tender.
- Add flour and cook, stirring for one minute or until grainy.
- Gradually add the milk. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the sauce boils and thickens.
- Add the pasta, pumpkin, spinach and three quarters of the parmesan to the mushroom mixture in the pan. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with remaining parmesan to serve.