Chicken fajita strips

• 4boneless, skinless chicken thighsabout 400 g (14 oz)
• 2red, yellow or orange bell peppers
• 1onion
• 1 tspsweet (mild) paprikaoptional; not hot or smoked hot paprika, and not chili powder or a fajita seasoning mix
• ½ tspground cuminoptional; ground, not whole seeds. If your child has a peanut allergy, read the cumin page first
• 1 clovegarlicfinely minced, optional
• 2 tbspolive or vegetable oil
• 1 can (400 g / 14 oz)black or pinto beansno salt added
• 6 small (about 15 cm / 6 in)soft flour tortillascompare labels and choose a lower-salt one
• 1–2 tbsp per servingplain full-fat yogurtoptional, to dip; offer only once your baby has had dairy on its own without a reaction

Steps

1. 1Wash your hands. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Rinse the peppers under running water, remove the stems, seeds and white ribs, and cut them into strips about 2 cm (¾ in) wide. Rinse and peel the onion and slice it thinly. Tip the beans into a sieve and rinse them under running water.
2. 2There's no need to rinse raw chicken. Cut the thighs into strips about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), trimming off any fat or gristle. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw chicken.
3. 3In a bowl, mix the oil, paprika, cumin and garlic, and toss the chicken, peppers and onion in it until coated, with no dry clumps of spice. Don't add salt, chili or seasoning mixes.
4. 4Spread everything on a lined baking tray in one layer, cover it with foil and bake for 15 minutes, so the peppers steam soft. Remove the foil, stir, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest strip (check with a food thermometer) and the peppers squash easily between your fingers.
5. 5Meanwhile, mash the beans with a fork or masher and a splash of water until there are no whole beans left. Check the tortilla label: for a baby under 12 months, choose one with no honey (not safe under 12 months) and no whole seeds. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan for about 20 to 30 seconds on each side, until soft and pliable, not crisp.
6. 6Take your baby's portion out now, before any salt, chili or salsa goes in. Trim any dry, crisp or browned edges off the chicken and peppers. Squash a chicken strip between your thumb and finger: it should fall apart into soft shreds. If it's springy, pull it into shreds along the grain or chop it finely. Peel the skin off your baby's pepper strips. Pick the onion out of your baby's portion, or, under 9 months, mash it into the beans; from 9 months, chop it finely so there are no long, slippery strips. Spread a thin layer of mashed beans over half a tortilla, fold it over and cut it into narrow strips. Bend a strip: it should be soft and flexible, with no crisp edges. Let everything cool and check it's only just warm before serving.