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Want a weaning winner for your child, then take a look at these simple recipes designed to combine flavours we enjoy as adults and make that transition easy-peasy.

Easy peasy pasta sauce

Ingredients

12 medium-sized tomatoes quartered

1 red pepper, stalk removed, de-seeded and roughly chopped

3-4 garlic cloves

1 large (or 2 smaller) courgettes, topped and tailed and thickly sliced

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1/8ths

 3 carrots, peeled and grated

1 tbsp dried basil 1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp olive oil

Method

Set the oven to 180 (fan assisted). Place the tomatoes, red pepper, courgette and red onion in a deep baking tray. Sprinkle over the herbs and add the tablespoon of olive oil and mix well. Cook for around 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and gently fry the carrots on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes then set aside. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir into cooked pasta (fusilli works best as the sauce clings so well to it). Any leftover can be frozen (try freezing in ice cube trays for perfect baby-sized portions)

Easy peasy porridge

Ingredients

100g porridge oats

300ml full-fat milk

1 banana

1 large carrot

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp peanut butter

Method

To make baby porridge place 100g porridge oats in a food processor and blend. Add 3 parts milk to 1 part porridge and gently heat. So for 100g oats use 300ml milk. Whilst the porridge heats for 5 minutes, mash the banana with a fork and peel and finely grate a carrot. Remove the porridge from the heat and stir in the mashed banana, grated carrot, chia seeds, cinnamon and peanut butter. Mix well and serve

Easy peasy omlette

Ingredients

1 knob of butter

1 tomato, deseeded and diced

1 tsp dried oregano

2-3 eggs approx

30g grated cheddar cheese

Melt half of the butter in a frying pan then add the tomato and oregano, cooking it for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate and wipe the frying pan clean. Whisk the eggs together, melt the remaining butter in the frying pan then add the eggs. Cook on a low heat, using a spatula to lift the sides up and allow the raw egg to escape out the sides (this gives you a fluffier omelette). After 2 minutes place the tomato and cheese across half of the omelette. Cook for a further minute then remove from the heat. Flip the free half of the omelette over the tomato and cheese half. Cut into fingers for baby to serve themselves a portion to baby once cooled. The rest of the porridge will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge

Easy peasy avocado and banana puree

Ingredients

 ½ small ripe avocado

 ½ small ripe banana

1 tbsp yogurt (optional)

Method

Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scoop out the centre. Put into baby’s bowl. Add the banana and mash together with the avocado. If your baby is already used to purées, you may want to keep this a chunkier consistency. If you’re introducing your baby to protein, stir through the yogurt. Serve straightaway

Easy peasy spinach muffins (makes 12)

Ingredients

200g fresh spinach

100g cheddar grated

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 eggs

5 tbsp Greek yoghurt

150g plain white flour 150g wholemeal flour

3 tsp baking powder

butter to grease

Method

Set the oven to 180 fan assisted). Place the spinach in a food processor and blitz until shredded (not pureed). Add to a bowl along with the grated cheese and dried thyme. Crack the 2 eggs into a bowl and mix along with the yoghurt. Sieve the flour and baking powder over the bowl then mix well to combine. Spoon into a muffin tray and bake for 20-25 minutes before allowing to cool.