Louise Fulton Keats has joined forces with Thermomix  to launch a baby and toddler cookbook for parents, here is her wonderful chicken and pumpkin couscous recipe that makes a tasty, quick lunch that you and your baby can share.

Makes about 4 cups

By ten months, your baby should well and truly be accustomed to more texture in meals. If not, you can give this dish a little blend, but make it lumpier over the coming weeks.

• 1 brown onion, peeled, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into 1 – 2cm cubes
• 150g pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1 – 2cm pieces
• 200g Chicken stock or vegetable stock (see additional recipes)
• 100g instant couscous
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)

Place onion into mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add oil and sauté 3 min/Varoma/speed 1. Add chicken and pumpkin and cook 3 min/100°C/Reverse/speed soft.

Add stock and cook 10 min/90°C/Reverse/speed soft or until chicken and pumpkin are cooked. Add coucous and herbs (if using) and mix 5 – 10 sec/Reverse/speed 1 or until couscous is completely combined.

Allow mixture to rest in mixing bowl with mixing bowl lid on and MC in place. The warmth will allow the couscous to finish cooking. This should take about 5 – 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a ThermoServer and fluff using a fork before serving.

Chicken Stock

Makes about 1.4 litres

• 1.4 litres water
• 350 – 400g chicken wings
• ½ brown onion, peeled, quartered
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Place water into mixing bowl.

Place all remaining ingredients into TM basket and insert TM basket into mixing bowl. Cook 60 min/100°C/speed 1. Then cook for a further 60 min/100°C/speed 1.

Use the spatula to remove TM basket. Allow stock to cool and refrigerate or freeze until needed.

*Suitable for freezing

Vegetable Stock

Makes about 1.5 litres

• 1.5 litres water
• 1 brown onion, peeled, halved
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 – 2cm cube fresh ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Place water into mixing bowl.

Place all remaining ingredients into TM basket and place into position inside mixing bowl. Cook 60 min/100°C/speed 1.

Use the spatula to remove TM basket. Allow stock to cool and refrigerate or freeze until needed.

*Suitable for freezing

About Thermomix Cooking for your Baby and Toddler

Thermomix has launched a baby and toddler cookbook for parents in partnership with passionate food writer and cookbook author Louise Fulton Keats.

Thermomix Cooking for Your Baby and Toddler covers everything parents need to know about introducing their babies to solids and ensuring the development of healthy eating habits into the toddler years.

Filled with quick and easy Thermomix recipes, from simple purees to family meals, this book will assist children in developing a taste for new flavours while providing the essential nutrients critically needed in the early years.

“A Thermomix is the perfect companion for every parent. Forget packet foods. With a Thermomix, preparing healthy, nutritious baby and toddler food, as well as meals for the rest of the family, couldn’t be simpler,” said Louise Fulton Keats.

Invaluable meal planners are included for a baby’s first year as well as information on nutritional needs, potential feeding problems and solutions, and recommendations on how to understand taste preferences and avoid fussy eating.

A graduate of the prestigious culinary institute, Le Cordon Bleu, and with postgraduate nutrition qualifications from Deakin University, Louise’s passion for children’s food has led her to publishing three cookbooks. These include the baby and toddler cookbook for parents (Cooking for Y

our Baby and Toddler) and two food-related storybooks for children (My Grandma’s Kitchen and The Best Ever Birthday) – which are sold in Australia, the UK, the US and New Zealand. Louise is also a columnist with Practical Parenting magazine and a member of the Woolworths Baby and Toddler Club expert panel.

Coming from one of Australia’s foremost food families – her grandmother is Australia’s best-loved cookery expert, Margaret Fulton, and her mother is eminent food writer, Suzanne Gibbs – Louise’s family life has always centred on cooking and eating well. Louise is now continuing the family tradition and bringing her food heritage to a new generation.

Through her work, Louise hopes to encourage a love of cooking and good food in children of all ages and to open their eyes to just how wondrous and joyous the world of food can be.

To find out more visit www.louisefultonkeats.com.

Thermomix Cooking for Your Baby and Toddler is priced at $35 and will be available from www.thermomix.com.au or by speaking with a Thermomix consultant.