This is a family-friendly recipe that includes a puree for babies in Stages Two and Three.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 medium-sized zucchini, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ears fresh sweet corn or 1-1/2 cups of frozen corn or canned corn, rinsed & drained
- 1 can black beans
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sprinkle of chili powder, optional
- Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
Directions: Pour black beans in colander and rinse for 1 minute under cold water. Remove husks from corn and cut kernels off the cobs. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, corn and zucchini and sauté until zucchini and onion is softened, about 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gently stir in black beans and continue cooking to heat the black beans about 1-2 minutes. Remove a portion of the mixture from the pan to puree for your baby (see below). To the remaining mixture (for the rest of the family), add salt and pepper to taste; sprinkle lightly with chili powder and spread cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Cover pan to melt cheese about 1 minute. Serve immediately and can be frozen into small portions for future meals.
Using the set aside mixture for toddlers/babies: The ingredients in this recipe are diced, so it’s a great finger food for a toddler. It can also be blended to a lumpy (stage 3) or smooth texture (stage 2) depending on the type of the foods your baby is eating. Simply add water to develop the appropriate texture. Note: the set-aside mixture for Baby does not include cheese, chili powder or salt and pepper.
**Stage 2: mixed food purees (2 or 3 food purees mixed together); Stage 3: A combo of pureed foods and textured foods such a mashed rice, pastina, meats (ground or shredded, etc…).
About the author: Cheryl Tallman is the co-founder of Fresh Baby, creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit, and author of the So Easy Baby Food Basics: Homemade Baby Food in Less Than 30 Minutes Per Week and So Easy Toddler Food: Survival Tips and Simple Recipes for the Toddler Years. Visit Cheryl online at www.FreshBaby.com for more delicious tips.
Interesting that two of the ingredients call for ‘canned’ when almost all canned food is chock-full of BPA..
Good point Nav! As always, fresh, organic ingredients are best!
This recipe was great! I made it for my baby and he loved it! I did throw a little extra something in there though – chickpeas. I bought a bag of pre-seasoned, ready-made chickpeas from the brand Tasty Bite, and they were great. I tried the puree myself and the extra flavor was great. I trust the brand because their products are preservative-free, all natural, low salt/fat/calorie, and use very simple ingredients. I eat a lot of their products and puree a lot of their food for my baby, which he loves. Thanks for the great recipe and bon appetit!
Nav, Great point about my use of the word “canned”. To avoid BP-A and still get the quick convenience of ready-made, look for the ingredient foods available in jars.