This super-quick video shows you all angles of what my smoked aubergine bharta curry recipe should look like when cooked. Definitely one of the more interesting ways to cook an aubergine! Cooked on an open flame on top of the stove, this aubergine bharta has a unique smokey taste. Packed with nutrients, aubergines are a great source of fibre, B vitamins and potassium - excellent for heart health, making this vegetarian (and vegan) curry a great meal for the family. I’ve cooked aubergine bharta for my little one in the past as a baby-led weaning finger food which she absolutely loved - the reci ..read more

As a British Asian mum, I had certain goals when it came to weaning my baby girl: 1. Top-notch nutrition 2. Yummy flavours 3. Culinary heritage 4. Variety of meals Readily-available baby food recipes covered my first goal - #1 nutrition. But they lacked in #2 flavour, and more specifically, #3 my culinary heritage. Honestly speaking, my little one would mainly be eating a South Asian based diet - so why wean her with tastes and flavours that were entirely different to our palate at home? Boggles the mind! That said, I LOVE different cuisines - Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Turkish… the list goes ..read more

**Sponsored Post** Today feels like a paella day. The weather this summer has been simply marvellous! Best summer ever! I always cook my paellas with basmati rice. I love the texture of basmati, I find it really easy to cook and the fluffy texture is simply divine. I must admit, I'm far from brand loyal when it comes to rice. I always choose the rice on special offer in a bag big enough to last me a good few months. So when I was approached by Uncle Ben's to cook up a recipe using their Classic Basmati Rice (ready in just 2 minutes), I jumped at the chance having never tried Uncle Ben's ..read more

Due to popular demand I'm adding this healthy, low fat delicious fakeaway recipe to my blog. Complete with a homemade spice mix, this super-easy, quick Turkish Chicken Shish recipe is suitable for the whole family. Great for a lazy dinner, this family meal can be prepped in no time at all. Simply marinate cubes of chicken in yogurt and a few spices, let them work their magic, and grill for a few minutes until tender and juicy - in the kitchen, or on the BBQ.  The chicken shish cubes, bell peppers, potato wedges and salad are all perfect for baby-led weaning. So a family meal and baby-le ..read more

Yummy, sweet puree with a hint of ginger for baby. Taken from my Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook, this recipe is excellent for combating coughs, settling nausea and for tasting simply delicious! Watch the video to see more potential health benefits of this simple puree.    Makes 10 ice-cubes. Total prep and cooking time – less than 10 minutes Ingredients 2 sweet Gala apples (or any other sweet variety) – washed, peeled, cored, cubed ¼ tsp minced ginger Method Place the apples, 4-5 tablespoons of water and ginger in a saucepan and stir. Simmer (covered) on low heat for 6–8 minutes unti ..read more

Before your little one’s exciting flavour-led weaning adventure begins, there are a number of foods you should be aware of that will need to be avoided or introduced later as a precaution, as some can be harmful to healthy growth and development.  Have a quick read of the 12 harmful foods and ingredients to avoid when weaning your baby, all of which are supported by nutritionists.   1. Added Salt: Salt and high-salt foods (like stock-cube) should be avoided as it can damage a baby’s immature kidneys. Babies under 1 year old need less than 1g of salt per day, which they usually get f ..read more

A balanced diet is essential. It provides your little one with vital vitamins and minerals required for his or her tiny body to grow, develop and function effectively – maintaining and repairing muscles, blood vessels, bones and internal organs. A diet lacking in the right balance can lead to growth and developmental problems.  To help achieve a balanced diet for your baby, I’ve outlined some ‘must-know’ information below about food groups and vitamins and minerals. Don’t worry about how you can incorporate all of these vitamins and minerals into your little one’s diet. As well as creatin ..read more

Herbs and spices are wonderful! As well as being 100% natural, there are loads of yummy and unique herbs and spices suitable for weaning. Available in fresh, ground or dried varieties, most are safe to use as long as your little one isn’t allergic to them. The key is to start with just a little and build up from there.  Pinning down the flavours of herbs and spices can be tricky – there are many levels of depth (for example, cinnamon tastes sweet, but has woody and warm undertones), making just one herb or spice a culinary adventure for your baby. Without wanting to overwhelm tiny taste ..read more

Everyone at some point will have incorporated aromatic herbs and spices into their homecooked meals – from herbs such as garlic, basil, chives and rosemary to spices - turmeric, coriander and cinnamon. These natural flavours simply make food taste better, so weaning your baby to slowly accept these flavours is a fantastic idea! It will certainly make transition onto family meals much smoother as your baby grows, since I’m guessing you already cook with some of these flavours in your everyday meals.    In my experience, this was life-enhancing for my baby. Life-enhancing given that t ..read more

Is your little one ready for new and exciting flavours? Before you and baby jump into the flavoursome world of weaning with herbs and spices, also known as flavour-led weaning, I’d recommend following my one-week feeding plan below as a guide to safe introduction. Weaving herbs and spices into the weaning journey is exceptionally easy! But it’s always a good idea to tread on the side of caution. I did exactly that when weaning my little one to ensure she was safe and suffered no allergic reactions. Whilst unlikely, it may happen so my feeding plan can help you keep an eye out for allergies and ..read more