Avocado mash with 6 mix-ins

• ½ripe avocadosoft enough to squash easily with a fork
• 2 tbspripe bananamix-in 1: yellow with brown speckles, no cooking needed
• 2 tbspcooked sweet potatomix-in 2: peeled and steamed or baked until very soft, with no salt
• 2 tbspcooked pearmix-in 3: peeled, cored and steamed until soft
• 2 tbspcooked red lentilsmix-in 4: cooked without salt. Offer lentils on their own first. First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward
• 2 tbsp (about 20 g)cooked salmon, flakedmix-in 5: boneless and skinless. Fish is a common allergen: use it only once your baby has had fish on its own without a reaction. First time? Pick a day your baby is well and at home, so you can stay nearby for several hours afterward, because fish can cause a delayed reaction
• 2 tbspplain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurtmix-in 6: made from pasteurized milk, with no added sugar or sweeteners. Contains milk: use it only once your baby has had dairy on its own without a reaction. First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward. Most reactions happen within minutes to 2 hours, but with cow's milk allergy symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear
• 1–2 tspbreast milk or formulaoptional, to thin your baby's portion just before serving

Steps

1. 1Wash your hands. Rinse the avocado skin under running water, so the knife doesn't carry dirt into the flesh. Rinse the fruit or vegetable for your mix-in too, even if you'll peel it.
2. 2Get your mix-in ready. Banana: peel it. Sweet potato: scrub it with a clean vegetable brush, peel it, cut it into chunks and steam for about 10 to 15 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance. For wedges to dip, cut a few pieces about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), and steam them with the chunks. Squash a wedge between your thumb and finger: it should flatten easily. If you have to press hard, cook it longer. Pear: peel it, cut out the core and all the seeds, cut it into chunks and steam for a few minutes, until a piece squashes easily between your thumb and finger. Red lentils: pick out any small stones, rinse them, and simmer in fresh water without salt for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they fall apart. Let cooked mix-ins cool.
3. 3Salmon: bake a skinless fillet at 200°C (390°F) for about 12 to 15 minutes, or poach it, until it's opaque, flakes easily and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Wash your hands and anything that touched the raw fish. Let it cool, then pull it apart with your fingers, feeling every flake for bones, and remove any skin.
4. 4Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash it with a fork until smooth.
5. 5Mash your mix-in separately until smooth, with no firm lentils, lumps of pear or bones left, then stir it into the avocado. Start with about equal amounts. Spoon yogurt into the bowl rather than dipping into the pot. Don't add salt, sugar or honey. If it's too thick, thin only your baby's portion with a little breast milk or formula, just before serving.
6. 6Check it's cool or only just warm, and serve straight away: cut avocado turns brown quickly. Brown avocado is still fine to eat, but you can scrape off the brown layer.