In the past, I have tried a few Quinoa recipes and to be honest, those cold quinoa salads I find very hard to eat. Am just being honest here, but that being said, a couple of days ago I was doing some research on healthy whole grain foods and came across quinoa and oh mine was I blown away with all the health benefits.
Incase you didn’t know,Quinoa is a super food, high in Protein and one of the few plant foods containing sufficient amount of all nine essential amino acids (eg. histidine, isoleucine, leucine etc.). It is also high in fibre, magnesium, vitamins B,E and so on.
So after reading all the good things that comes with eating a few bites of quinoa, of cause I was going to make myself love it, but not in a form of cold salad. Also since my recipes include being able to feed a portion to your baby, there is no way you can feed a cold quinoa salad with chunks of vegetables to your 8 month old baby. Plus most babies prefer lukewarm foods anyway and that is why I tried this baby friendly quinoa recipe. It turned out really good and it’s now my favourite quinoa recipe. To prepare this quinoa recipe, you will need;
Ingredients :
Quinoa
1 Cup (180 g) Quinoa
2 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Oil of choice
1 Bayleaf (optional)
Sauce
1/2 (70 g) Yellow Bell Pepper
1/2 (70 g) Green Bell Pepper
1/2 (90 g) Zucchini
1/2 (90 g) Eggplant
2 (160 g) Tomatoes
1/2 -1 Cup Stock (depending on how much liquid you want in your sauce)
1 Small Clove of Garlic
1/4 (20 g) Onion
1/2 (150 g) Chicken Breast
Salt/Peppe
1 Tablespoon cornstarch +2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon Oil of choice
Koriander (optional)
Process :
In a clean pot with a bit of oil on medium heat, add Quinoa, throw in the bayleaf and fry for 2 minutes. In the mean time, bring water to a boil and add to quinoa, after the 2 minutes, season with a little bit of salt and let it boil for another 2 minutes. Put the lid on and take off the heat, let Quinoa sit for 12-15 minutes for the steam to cook it through.
For the Sauce, Make sure all vegetables are washed and cut into desired chunks. In a clean pot on medium heat, add in oil, chicken, a bit of salt and pepper and sauté until it turns golden brown. Take chicken out of the pot and set aside. Add in the pot the Onions, sauté for 1 minute, throw in Tomatoes, Eggplant, Zucchini, Garlic and Bell pepper. Add Stock, your favourite spice, a pinch of salt and sautéd chicken. Give it all a stir, have a taste, put the lid on and let the sauce cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done and the eggplant doesn’t have a chewy texture.
Note : If you find your quinoa is too wet after 15 minutes, cover with a clean kitchen towel, put back on a very low heat, add pot lid and let the kitchen towel soak out the excess water. This can take up to five minutes and your quinoa will come out perfect.
Once both your sauce and quinoa are done, take out your baby’s portion from both. For the sauce, take the amount of liquid you would like depending on the consistency you are going for. Add a few Tablespoons of quinoa, make sure you take some chicken and vegetables as well and give it all a quick blend using a hand mixer or a liquidiser. Now take 2 more Tablespoons of quinoa and add to already blended portion to add a bit of texture.
For your portion, to thicken the liquid you have in your sauce, add the cornstarch and water mix and simmer for 2 extra minutes. Serve yours hot and enjoy this easy but delicious quinoa recipe with your baby. Try my Fish recipe, perfect for Christmas eve if you are looking for more cooking ideas for you and your baby.
Watch the full video of me prepare this Quinoa recipe here
Thank you for reading, I hope you give it a try and send me your feedback on my Facebook page or simply message me and I will be more than happy to read what you have to say.
Note : I am just an average mom trying to share my personal experience to help out first time mom’s searching for answers that will make feeding their baby easy, affordable and enjoyable . So make sure to consult your Paediatrician first before starting your baby on solid foods.
