Baby Led Weaning Mexican Quinoa Bites

By Aileen Cox Blundell

This recipe is a yummy variation of my baby led weaning tuna quinoa bites (which you can find here). Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is so amazing for all the family. It is a complete protein meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids which most other grains lack. It is high in Vitamins B & E and is also a great source of fibre. And, if that wasn’t enough it is also a great source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. Quinoa is the least allergenic of all grains so if your little one is intolerant to grains this is a great alternative.

I think the biggest thing about quinoa for people is cooking it. I have had numerous questions from my friends alone about how to get it fluffy and with the backs of packs giving lots of conflicting instructions here’s how I cook mine.

How I cook my Quinoa

I use 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of stock. So whatever cup you have in your cupboard once you measure one part quinoa with 2 parts water/stock it should cook perfectly for you. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover the pot with a lid. The quinoa should soak up all of the water and it generally takes 12-15 minutes.

Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and fluff up with a fork. Voila …easy!

What age can my baby be to eat these?

I have been giving spices and foods like these to Oscar since he was six months old! He always had flavoursome spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin etc added to his dishes and he loved them. The flavours in these bites are super mild and are a great way to introduce spice to your little one’s meals. They are also super soft and easy to manage so perfect for baby led weaning and little hands. All you have to do is place one in front of your baby and let them get to work.

Baby Led Weaning Mexican Quinoa Bites

3.60 from 5 votes

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 25 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 Bites

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A yummy lunch for baby led weaning, these quinoa bites are packed with lots of veggies, Mexican spices all deliciously wrapped together in a yummy bite.

Ingredients

• 200 g quinoa rinsed
• 500 ml homemade chicken/veg stock or water
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 1 red pepper finely diced
• 1 medium courgette finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ½ tsp - ground cinnamon coriander, cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¼ teaspoon mild chilli powder optional
• Small bunch fresh coriander finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil

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Method

• Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
• Add the quinoa to a pot along with the stock or water and cook as per the packs instructions. Once cooked leave aside to cool.
• Heat the rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion until it becomes translucent.
• Add the pepper, courgette and cook until the vegetables are soft and cooked through, add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes, then stir in the spices and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl whisk together the eggs, tomato puree and rapeseed oil until they are fully combined then, add the cooked quinoa and vegetables to the mixture and mix well.
• Form the mixture into 24 evenly sized balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then bake for 25 minutes.
• Serve warm or cold with slices of fresh avocado and sour cream.

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Recipe Notes & Tips

Make ahead of time and freeze so you can enjoy summer days on the beach. To defrost just remove from the freezer a few hours before eating and enjoy at room temperature.

Did you make this recipe?

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