Quinoa veggie bowl
Soft quinoa with roasted sweet potato, steamed broccoli and mashed black beans, cooked without salt. An easy way to vary grains beyond rice, with soft pieces to grab at 6 months and a simple bowl for the whole family.
- From
- 6 months
- Time
- 45 min
- Makes
- 2 adults and 1 baby
No top allergensOptional extra contains milk
Ingredients
- 170 g (1 cup)dried quinoa
- 600 ml (2½ cups)waterfor cooking the quinoa
- 1 largesweet potatoabout 400 g (14 oz)
- 1 small headbroccoliabout 200 g (7 oz)
- 1 can (400 g / 15 oz)black beansno salt added, drained and rinsed
- 1–2 tbspolive or vegetable oil
- 4 tbspplain full-fat yogurtoptional, pasteurized and unsweetened. It contains milk: use it only once your baby has had dairy on its own
Steps
- 1Wash your hands. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Scrub the sweet potato under running water, peel it and cut it into wedges about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). Rinse the broccoli and cut it into large florets with a long stem, peeling the tough outer layer off thick stems.
- 2Toss the wedges with the oil on a lined baking tray and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
- 3Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa well in a fine sieve under running water. Put it in a pan with the water, bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, a little longer than the package says, until the water is absorbed and the grains are very soft and have split open. Don't add salt. Leave it covered for 5 minutes.
- 4Steam the broccoli for about 5 to 8 minutes, until a knife slides through the stems with no resistance.
- 5Rinse the beans again under running water and warm them in a small pan with 3 tbsp of water for about 5 minutes, until very soft. Mash your baby's share completely smooth under 9 months, or press every bean flat from 9 months. Mash about half of the rest for the family bowls.
- 6Take your baby's portion out now, before any salt or seasoning goes in. Trim any crisp edges off the wedges, and squash a wedge and a floret between your thumb and finger: they should squash easily. Spread everything on a plate to cool, and check it's only just warm before serving.
How to serve it by age
6 months+
Mash or blend a spoonful of the soft quinoa into the mashed beans or some mashed sweet potato, loosening it with water, breast milk or formula, until there are no firm grains left, and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. Offer a soft sweet potato wedge and a broccoli floret held by its stem to hold. Mash the beans smooth: never whole beans.
9 months+
Stir soft quinoa through the mashed beans or sweet potato so the grains stick together, and cut the sweet potato and broccoli into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Press every whole bean flat, or keep them mashed.
12 months+
Serve the family bowl, with vegetables in bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), beans still squashed and the quinoa kept moist. Add a spoonful of plain yogurt on top once your child has had dairy on its own.
If your baby reacts
The optional extras contain milk. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
Leftovers and the rest of the family
Storing it
Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and keep them covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The quinoa, sweet potato and beans can be frozen for 3 to 4 months (before adding any yogurt); broccoli goes watery when frozen. Reheat only the portion you need, and only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl, and any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
For the grown-ups
Take your baby's portion out first, then dress the adults' bowls with salt, lime juice, chili or salsa, and add sliced avocado or crumbled feta.
Foods in this recipe
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.