• 300 g fennel (approximately 2 large bulbs)
• 1/2 leek
• Butter
• Tarragon
• 2 1/2 cups organic chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1. Sauté the trimmed and chopped fennel and leek with 1 tablespoon of butter to soften – about 5 minutes
2. Add 2 1/2 cups stock; boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until fennel is tender – about 15 minutes
3. I used a vitamin to purée which produces a beautiful creamy soup but depending on your type of blender you may need to strain the mixture at this point
4. When cool, garnish with tarragon and serve

Adapted from NY Times – 12 Cold Soups

• 2 Kohlrabi (green & purple – they taste the same)
• 3 Apples (I used pink lady but use any)
• 3 Carrots

1. Peal all ingredients. Grate ingredients to a medium coarseness
2. For baby – Add a portion to steamer basket and steam for roughly 5 minutes – server warm or cold
3. For Mum & Dad – Add some mayonnaise and mustard – server

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• 150 g Sole Fillet (approximately 2 fillets with skin off and bones removed)
• 2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower
• 1 witlof
• a few sprigs of parsley
• zest of one lemon and a little squeeze of lemon juice

1. Add all ingredients to a steamer basket except the lemon juice and cook until the vegetables are tender and the fish is cooked through. About 15 minutes
2. Once cooked add to a blender with a squeeze of lemon juice and puree until smooth
3. Serve warm, freeze remainder

Makes approximately 8 x 60 ml portions

Take saucepan off the heat and add the cup of popcorn kernels.  Swish the popcorn around in the pan or 30 seconds off the heat to make sure they are covered in the oil.  Return to the heat and partially cover with a lid.

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• 1 bunch Kale (any sort – curly, ornamental or dinosaur)
• Olive oil
• Celtic Sea salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F)
2. Wash kale and remove the leaves from the stem. Tear large leave into medium size pieces
3. Allow to dry thoroughly (I used a salad spinner)
4. Drizzle with olive oil toss it around so it is all coated. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and bake in a single layer approximately 8 – 10 minutes (ornamental or dinosaur) or the curly variety takes a little longer approximately 10-12 minutes

Switch to Celtic Sea Salt, it retains the oceans moisture, which helps lock in many vital trace elements.

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• 4 oranges or as many as you like
• 1 block of good quality dark chocolate

1. Wash the oranges really well because we are keeping the skin on. Then slice very finely. I used a mandolin which makes easy work of this
2. If you have a food dehydrator, use according to your machines guidelines. I dried mine for approx a day and a half but this really depends on how juicy your oranges are and the thickness of the slices
3. If using the oven, preheat oven to 160 degrees C, pat oranges with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture and then lay oranges on a fine wire rack. (something like a cake cooling rack would do). Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes checking often. Like above this really depends on the thickness of the slices so check regularly

For the chocolate

1. Break the chocolate up and add to a saucepan or metal bowl. Sit this over another saucepan with water in it to create a double boiler. Heat on the stove top until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and dip the orange slices in to the chocolate and place on baking paper to set (takes about 20 minutes)

My oven instruction is a quick technique that I experimented with, but you don’t quite achieve the results you do in the dehydrator. A quick search of the web and there are longer techniques that involve drying in the oven over 8 hrs.

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• 3/4 cup of quinoa and white rice; mixed – or just use quinoa if you prefer
• 1 zucchini; halved down the centre and chopped
• 1/2 capsicum , chopped
• 3 asparagus , chopped
• 2 big handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 bunch of mint , chopped
• 1 small head of broccoli
• juice of half a lemon
• olive oil
• pinch salt

1. Cook Quinoa and rice on the stove top using the absorption method (see how to, in notes below). Alternatively cook rice your usual way and add veggies later
2. Once rice has cooked or all the water has absorbed. Add the veggies on top of the rice. Allow to steam for 5 min or until tender. The heat should be very low so the rice doesn’t catch on the bottom of the saucepan. Alternative steam veggies separately and mix together later
3. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool
4. Once cool, add mint, lemon, a few good splashes of olive oil and salt

Easily serves a family of 3Don’t be concerned about quantities, add as many or as little veggies as you like.

Absorption Method: to do this I add rice to the saucepan and add enough water so the level comes to or just below the first bend in my index finger – If your finger is poking straight down just touching the top of the rice. Place lid on saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling turn down heat as low as it will go and leave rice to cook for about 10 minutes

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• 1 egg
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp poppyseed
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup wholemeal spelt flour
• Coconut oil , for cooking

For the toppings

• Natural yoghurt
• Fresh berries or whatever fruit is in season
• Maple syrup to serve

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Heat a little oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add a 1/4 cup of the mixture and swirl around the pan to coat. Cook or a couple of minutes, flip and cook for another minutes and turn out onto a plate.
3. Cover with a tea towel until you have used up all of the mixture. Fill crepes with natural yoghurt and fresh berries, drizzle with maple and serve.

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• 3 tablespoons butter , ghee, or coconut oil
• 3 apples; chopped into baby bite sized pieces
• 3 peaches; chopped into baby bite sized pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• 2 tablespoons dried fruit (raisins, finely chopped fig or dates) optional

1. In a frying pan heat the fat on medium low. Add the fruit and sprinkle in all the spices and vanilla. Add dried fruit if using
2. Stir fruit until it softens and the desired consistency is reached

For younger babies, cook until the fruit is very soft then puree in a blender
Suitable to freeze

• 500 g tub of greek yoghurt (2 cups)
• 2 small ripe bananas; mashed
• 400 g organic frozen blackberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla-bean paste
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl excluding the blackberries and mix to combine. Place the blackberries in a separate bowl and break them up a little. If you don’t want any chunks, break them all up. Add to the yoghurt mixture and then churn in an ice-cream machine until set. Its ready to eat now as a soft serve or freeze until ready to serve.