Savoury Leek and Kale BLW Muffins

If you’re like me, you want easy, nutritious food for your baby that tastes great and exposes them to a wide variety of foods and flavours. When that food is portable for on-the-go meals, it’s even better. Mini muffins make great snacks and compliment any meal - breakfast, lunch, or dinner! This savoury leek and kale baby-led-weaning mini muffin is a recipe you will find yourself whipping up on the regular. There are some modifications listed in the recipe if you choose to make these mini muffins egg-free and/or dairy-free.

These muffins also freeze well which means you can store some for later, so your little one doesn’t tire of eating the same thing day in and day out. I hope you and your little one enjoys these muffins. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your little one enjoying them, too!

Savoury Leek and Kale BLW Mini Muffins

Author: Andrea Carpenter, RD

Recipe Type: Entrée, Sides, Snacks and Apps

Servings: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced

• 4-6 kale leaves, thinly sliced

• 1 egg or 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water)

• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese or 1/2 cup coconut cheese

• 1/2 cup whole milk or 1/2 cup pea milk or cashew milk

• 1/2 cup iron fortified infant cereal

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• Olive oil

Directions

1. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to a non stick pan. Heat on medium low. Add the leek and kale and cook for several minutes until tender. If leek starts to brown reduce heat.

2. In a bowl, combine the infant cereal and flour and stir. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg (or flax egg for egg-free variety) and add the cheese (or cheese alternative for dairy-free variety) and milk (or milk alternative for dairy-free variety). Once the leek and kale has cooked, allow it to cool then stir into the egg mixture.

4. Combine the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold until combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this will result in tough muffins. Note: if batter is too dry, add more milk. If batter is too wet add more infant cereal.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the batter into mini muffin tins (no paper lining, no cooking spray or greased tins required), filling just to the top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

6. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

First Hummus

Iron-rich food sources are important for baby and should be offered regularly from the start of solid food introduction. When we think of iron-rich foods, we generally think of meat, however there are many great plant-based foods, including garbanzo beans or chickpeas. Some parents would rather feed their child a plant-based diet, while others may be struggling to offer meats in a way their child will accept, so they come to me looking for alternatives. If beans and pulses haven’t been introduced into your child’s diet, now is a great time to start! Even if meats/fish/poultry have already been introduced and baby is enjoying those, pulses are an excellent addition. They are packed full of nutrition. Pulses are a great protein source containing many vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C), minerals (folate, iron, magnesium, zinc) and fibre.

When incorporating chickpeas into your little one’s diet, its best to offer them pureed, mashed, or smashed. Offering them whole poses a risk for choking because of their size, shape, and texture (even when cooked). My favourite way to add these little nutrition power houses is by making a hummus. I love making homemade hummus for myself, it has so much more flavour and a better texture than the kind at the store, and I tweak my recipe a little when making for my son.

My First Hummus is a great way to include peanut butter and ensure baby gets adequate exposure to this food (it’s important to ensure baby is exposed to the top allergenic foods to help prevent food allergy). I swap some of the tahini (sesame-seed butter) for smooth, all-natural peanut butter. You can add as much or as little as you’d like, and if your child does have a peanut allergy, you can add tree-nut or other seed butters (almond, cashew; pumpkin, sunflower) or make the whole batch with tahini. You can also add as oil (if your baby is having weight gain issues, this is a great way to get some extra healthy fats into their diet) and/or some herbs to adjust the flavour for your child’s preference. Since this recipe will make about 8 portions for your child, you could always add some herbs to a few portions while leaving some portions more plain. It’s a flexible recipe, easy and quick to prepare, and it’s so good, you’ll want baby to share with you!

FIRST HUMMUS

Author: Andrea Carpenter, RD

Recipe Type: sides, first foods

Serving: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can no salt organic chickpeas

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ cup tahini

• 1-2 tablespoons organic, all-natural smooth peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• Warm water, to desired consistency

• Olive oil, optional

• Herbs, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the chickpeas (I use these which come in a BPA-free lined can) under water until bubbles stop forming

2. Pour chickpeas into a bowl of warm water and remove outer skin by rolling chickpeas through your hand and fingers. Skins will settle to the top. Discard skins.

3. Drain water and refill with warm water and baking soda. Let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Drain and rinse the chickpeas then add to blender. Add the tahini, peanut butter, and lemon juice. Add warm water until chickpeas are covered.

5. Blend, adding more (warm) water to desired consistency. Olive oil and herbs can also be adding while blending, if desired.