Baby's Mexican Chicken with Mango and Black Beans

Adult’s bowl ~ Adapted from Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

As promised this is part of my series of recipes for babies. The main idea of this series of recipes are foods which are baby friendly, which can be prepared alongside the family meal. This makes preparing it easy, and it’s a two birds with one stone kind of approach. This recipe was inspired by an old recipe of mine Chicken Burrito bowls with Mango Salsa.

If you’re making this as I did with the adults meal alongside baby’s then the first ingredient list is the total ingredients you need. The second list is the parts which go into baby’s pot. So if you only want to make this for baby, just look at the second list. However, if you’re going to be making some for baby, you may as well make yourself some dinner while you’re at it! I always do four adult servings. This means that there is leftovers for lunch the next day too!

Total ingredients (serves 4 adults and 6-10 serves for baby):

• 600 grams chicken
• 1 tin of black beans
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• juice of lemon
• salad greens, avocado sour cream and cooked brown rice to serve

In a small 1L capacity pot place the following ingredients (from the list above, not in addition to) cover and simmer for 40 minutes till very soft. Keep an eye on it during cooking and add more water if necessary.

Baby's Portion

• 100 grams of diced chicken
• 1/2 a cup of black beans
• 1/2 a cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 a cup of diced mango
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• enough water to cover
• optional: 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice added to baby's pot at the end of cooking

Meanwhile prepare the adult meal. Chop the chicken into 2 cm cubes and marinate in a bowl with sliced onion, oil, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper for 20 minutes.

While this is marinating put the rice on the stove (I find 1 1/2 cups of uncooked brown rice, with 3 cups of water is sufficient for four adults, but cook as much as your appetite needs).

Prepare the mango salsa with the remaining mango, finely dice and stir through chilli flakes and lemon juice. Set aside till serving.

Finally heat a frying pan and cook the marinated chicken and onion for 5 - 10 mins on a medium-high heat, turning frequently. Add the remaining tomato and black beans, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for another 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked through.

Divide cooked brown rice into bowls and top with chicken, mango salsa, sliced avocado, sour cream and salad greens.

To complete baby's meal, cool and pulse in a food processor or blender until you reach the desired consistency. If it is too runny, you can add in the 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice, I keep enough in the fridge for the next two days, then freeze the rest into ice trays (or you can get these Closer to Nature Freezer Pots), which when frozen I store in a dated and labelled zip lock bag. I find 4-6 cubes is enough to satisfy Master 7 months, but each baby is different.  

  

Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

Burrito bowls seem to be all the craze now, they are low G.I. and provide a gluten free option, plus the brown rice adds extra nutrition. I also find that bowl food is sometimes easier to eat than a wrap, which can get a bit messy!

Even though this is spicy, there is a subtle sweetness added by the mango. Feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to taste, this amount provides a medium spice level. Serving the creamy avocado alongside with the shredded lettuce and tomato makes this a perfectly balanced meal, which also makes fantastic leftovers hot or cold. Also, if you can, use lime juice rather than lemon, it adds a much more authentic zing. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 cups of brown rice
• 500g chicken thigh, trimmed and diced
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• oil for cooking
• 1 mango
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) 
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

to serve

• tomato, diced
• iceberg lettuce, shredded

Cook rice according to packet directions. 

Meanwhile, toss the diced chicken in the paprika, cumin, cayenne and 2 tbsp of oil. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the salsa and avocado. 

Peel and slice half of the red onion into rings. Slice the capsicum into strips. Set both aside. 

Prepare the salsa, dice the flesh of the mango cheeks (skin removed). 

Dice the remaining half onion, and stir with mango and chilli flakes. Add lime/lemon juice and set aside in the fridge. 

Prepare the avocado by mashing the flesh and stirring in lime/lemon juice with the salt and pepper. Set aside to chill while you cook the chicken.  

Heat a little more oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken, stirring, for 5 minutes, if necessary add a little more oil to the pan before adding the sliced onion and capsicum, cook, stirring for another 5 minutes till onion is softened and chicken is cooked through. 

Dish warm rice up into four bowls. Serve topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, chicken, mango salsa, and a generous dollop of avocado. Provecho!!