Chicken is likely to become a staple in your baby’s diet as they get older. Aim to buy the best quality you can afford. Organic standards help to lower the risk of contamination and organic chicken tends to be nutritionally superior to non-organic chicken. Chickens that have experienced a high level of welfare contain more protein and fats that are healthier for the growth and development of your baby.
To prepare
Dice 200g of chicken breast and sprinkle with a pinch of Chinese 5 spice. Heat a drizzle of olive oil and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, steam or boil 100g of green beans.
For your baby
Chinese chicken
This dish will have small lumps of chicken and green beans and is a step on from the coarser purees he may have previously been eating. The butternut squash and sweet potato puree will help him swallow the small lumps but you may need to use a handheld blender to give the dish a quick whizz if he doesn’t like the lumps to begin with.
Remove 2 tbsp of the chicken and green beans and finely chop. Defrost 2 cubes each of butternut squash and sweet potato. Place in a small saucepan and the chicken and beans and gently heat everything through. Stir well to coat the chicken and beans in the puree.
For you
Chicken laksa
A laksa is a cross between a soup and a stew, so it’s instantly filling and satisfying and doesn’t need anything else to go with it. The glass noodles provide the carbohydrate, the chicken provides the protein and there is enough veg to count as 3 of your 5 a day.
Serves 2
Ingredients
The remaining chicken and green beans
1 tsp chilli paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1.2l hot chicken or veg stock
1 red pepper
4 spring onions
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Bunch fresh coriander
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 pack of fresh glass noodles
Juice of a lime
Method
Heat a drizzle of olive oil, add the chilli and ginger paste. Use scissors to chop in the spring onions. Slice the pepper and the green beans and add to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the spring onion and pepper are softened. Add the remaining chicken, the chicken stock, 2 large handfuls of spinach leaves and the glass noodles. Bring to the boil and soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice and then allow to simmer for 4 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of coriander leaves.
Image © [vkuslandia] /Adobe Stock
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