Chicken livers and root vegetables
Chicken livers and root vegetables has a pleasant, mild flavour, especially good made with parsnip. Liver is an excellet source of iron and is rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for health, however too much can be harmful. NZ Beef and Lamb recommend no more than 2 teaspoons (10g) of liver per week.
1 small mashing potato, about 160grams (e.g. Agria, Rua, Ilam Hardy)
1 small parsnip, 180 to 200 grams (or piece of red-skinned kumara)
4 to 5 fresh chicken livers (about 170 grams)
About 1 1/3 cups water
- Peel and finely dice vegetables. Trim and chop chicken livers, removing any fat or sinew
- Place vegetables, chicken livers and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer gently for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender and the mixture is quite thick. Add extra water if needed during cooking
- For a very smooth texture, puree livers and vegetables in a food processor, or sieve through a baby mouli
- For a more lumpy texture for older toddlers, mash the mixture well with a potato masher
- Serve warm, along with other freshly cooked or raw vegetables (as suited to baby's age and stage)
- Place remaining mixture into small serving size dishes or ramekins.
- Cover and promptly refrigerate. Use within 2 days
- To reheat, steam in the covered dish over boiling water until thoroughly heated through
- Serve as soon as cooled to suit baby
To freeze: Put small spoonfuls of smooth, pureed liver/vegetable onto a tray
lined with clean plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of wrap. Freeze until
hard, then tip meat drops into a clean freezer bag, extract air, seal and label
with date. Refreeze.
Thaw liver/vegetable drops in the fridge, then heat over hot water, or add to
hot freshly cooked vegetables just before serving.
