Delicious and healthy meals for
4 months and up
Bébé Gourmet 100 French-Inspired Baby Food Recipes for Raising an Adventurous Eater
Jenny Carenco with contributions by Dr. Jean Lalau Keraly
“Bébé Gourmet puts the ‘food’ back in baby food.” —Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
For every parent eager to continue to learn how the French raise their children, here is the cookbook on how they can feed their own petits—the French way
M
ove over mashed carrots and peas: It’s time to put the “food” back in baby food. From Pumpkin Purée with Cumin to Carrot Zucchini Galettes, mother and French baby food entrepreneur Jenny Carenco delivers 100 enticing recipes that will introduce baby to new flavors, ingredients, and textures from the first spoonful. The French teach their children to appreciate what many think of as “adult” flavors right from their first year. Carenco’s dishes are inspired by culinary traditions from France and abroad and are organized by age and stage, from 4 months up to 3 years. Each recipe takes under 30 minutes to prepare, and many less than 15—perfect for today’s busy parents who want to awaken their baby’s taste buds and encourage healthy eating habits. Along with “Yummy Tips” on simple substitutions and how to adapt recipes for the whole family, Bébé Gourmet offers satisfying, homemade meals while giving parents peace of mind about nutrition. By gradually introducing natural ingredients and seasonings, they’ll be taking the first step in raising adventurous eaters for life.
5 r eas o n s t o c o o k f o r b é b é
It’s just too good when it’s homemade 2. With 10,000 awakening taste buds, bébé will quickly become bored with boiled squash 3. Eating natural makes life more beautiful 4. Oh, how it pleases my wallet 5. One, two, three, and it’s ready in a snap 1.
About the Author Cartier Women’s Initiative Award winner Jenny Carenco is the founder of Les Menus Bébé, the leading French brand of tasteful, high quality, and 100% natural frozen baby food. Her baby food cookbooks have collectively been translated into five languages. She is a mother of two and graduate of the prestigious MBA program at HEC, France’s premier business school.
4 months+ F i r st P u r é es
French Green Bean Purée (purée de haricots verts)
1. Trim the ends of the green beans if you are using fresh 10m 15m
Makes five 3.5-ounce (100 g) servings
ones.
2. In a saucepan, cover the beans halfway with water, bring
to a boil, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. There should be just under 2 tablespoons of water left in the pan. 3. Blend the green beans with the remaining cooking water and the olive oil.
1 pound (500 g) French green beans, fresh or frozen 1 teaspoon olive oil
Yummy Tips
You can also make this purée by replacing half the green beans with green peas. The result will be slightly creamier and sweeter than the original recipe. For a taste of summer, add two fresh basil leaves before blending either version of this recipe.
page 4
6 months+ F i r st L u n ches
Mashed Pumpkin and Apple (purée de potiron et de pommes)
Makes five 3.5-ounce (100 g) servings 10m 15m
1 pound (500 g) pumpkin 2 tart-sweet apples (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith) 1 large fingerling potato 2 drops lemon juice 2/3 tablespoon butter
1. Wash and peel the pumpkin, apples, and
potato, deseed the pumpkin, and cut them all into small cubes. 2. In a saucepan, cover the cubes with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Drain. 3. Mix with the butter and lemon juice for a smooth purée.
F i r st L u n ches
Pumpkin Purée with Cumin (purée de potiron au cumin)
Makes five 3.5-ounce (100 g) servings 10m 15m
1½ pounds (750 g) pumpkin 1 large fingerling potato (or similar variety) 2/3 tablespoon butter 2 to 3 drops of lemon juice ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
1. Wash and peel the pumpkin and potato,
deseed the pumpkin, and cut them both into small cubes. 2. In a saucepan, cover the cubes with water, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain. 3. Blend the vegetables with the butter, lemon juice, and cumin for a smooth purée.
page 5
9 months+ F i r st D i n n e r s
Ratatouille 1. Wash the vegetables and cut them into medium-sized 10m 15m
Makes five 3.5-ounce (100 g) servings 3 small zucchini, about ½ pound (180 g) 6 large tomatoes, about ½ pound (200 g) ½ pound (200 g) eggplant, cut in medium slices and then chopped 2 teaspoons shallot, finely chopped ½ clove garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 small pinch of dried thyme
cubes.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and
shallots until golden. Add the vegetables, tomato paste, and thyme. Add ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. 3. Remove from the heat and blend to obtain a coarse texture. Yummy Tips
If you want a luxurious take on this recipe, try using cherry tomatoes. Add them whole so they release their juices slowly and don’t overcook.
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12 months+ “ B ig Kid ” L u n ches
Baby Beef Bourguignon (bœuf bourguignon spécial bébé)
1. Wash the vegetables and peel the carrots. Cut the 10m 15m
Makes five 4-ounce (120 g) servings 3 ounces (100 g) rump/chuck roast or other slow-cooking beef ½ onion, finely chopped 4 carrots 2 zucchini 4 large tomatoes 2 slices of bacon or dry ham 1 tablespoon tomato paste ½ teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf Pepper to taste
carrots and zucchini into rounds and the tomatoes into quarters. Cut the beef into small pieces. 2. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil. Brown the beef pieces on all sides. Add the onions and bacon (or ham) and continue to cook for 1 minute without browning too much. 3. Add the vegetables, tomato paste, thyme, and pepper and cover halfway with water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. 4. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and blend until coarsely chopped. Serving Suggestion:
This bourguignon is delicious served with oldfashioned mashed potatoes.
Yummy Tips
To top off this dish, I serve it with caramelized chestnuts (my daughter Maya’s favorite). Super easy to prepare! Buy vacuum-packed chestnuts. In a skillet, melt a pat of butter over low heat and gently sauté the chestnuts with a bit more than a pinch of cane sugar (or white sugar if that’s all you have). Turn the chestnuts constantly, until the sugar melts and the chestnuts are good and hot.
page 7
Say “miam-miam”!*
*that’s French for “yummy”
frederic lucano
Publication Date
Specifications
Librarians & Teachers
February 12, 2013
Trade Paperback Original with plastic slip case Color photographs throughout by Fréderic Lucano 978-1-61519-070-6 | No. 779070 7 5/8” x 9 5/8” | 192 pages $18.95 U.S. | $22.55 Can.
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