Receta Making Baby Food: Rice Porridge with Carrot and Beef
Baby Naomi turned 6 months old yesterday and this means that she officially can eat solids.
I have actually started feeding her with mashed banana, pear purée and instant cereal since a couple weeks ago, but I guess it's time for me to feed her with real home-made porridge enriched with various vegetables and meat nutrients.
Today, I made her very first introductory (very soft) rice porridge/congee, cooked with some carrot bits in beef broth. I understand that we are not supposed to add any seasoning to baby food until he or she is at least 6 months old, so I sort of made Naomi's rice porridge plain.
I made too much of this porridge, so my husband and I ended up eating almost half of the porridge that I made for our baby as her little tummy surely won't be able to take so much solids at the moment. Here's how I made the rice porridge for Baby Naomi this morning and I was glad to learn that she accepts this baby food very well.
Nom-nom. You want?
Rice Porridge with Carrot and Beef
Suitable for babies aged 6 months old ++
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of (organic) rice, well rinsed
- 1 slice of (organic) carrot, cleanly washed then shredded or cut in tiny bits
- 5 small chunks of (organic) beef/diced beef, cleanly washed
- Water
Methods:
In a pan, pour rice, carrot bits and beef chunks together. Add lots of water into the pan and cook the porridge in small-medium fire for about 15 minutes. Occasionally stir the porridge and add more water. Keep cooking this porridge for another 20-30 minutes until congee's consistency is achieved (rice turns soft and breaks down) and the carrot bits become very tender.
Before serving this congee to baby, take few spoons of the congee (rice and carrot bits) and place them in a blender or run them in a strainer.
Feed the cereal-like rice porridge to baby when it's not too hot.
This recipe makes about half medium pan of porridge so if you plan to make smaller portion for your baby, reduce the amount of the above stated ingredients. I plan to change the veggie for my baby's rice porridge every day because too much beta carotenes from carrots does no good to our body. So let's keep carrot consumption moderately.
By the way, I stop feeding Baby Naomi with her porridge or any other solids once she starts playing with the food in her mouth in few continuous bites. I reckon that's how she says "Enough with the food, Mom! I am full already."