Now that my one year old has joined us in the eating solid foods experience, I find myself wanting to get more creative with what I offer both him and myself when it comes to trying new foods.
I will often find recipes and then have to tweak them in order to reduce some ingredients that are not so baby-friendly. So, you can be SURE that any recipe in this blog will be not only delicious for YOU but also for your littles!
It’s a personal choice to use all organic ingredients as MUCH as possible. When organic is NOT possible, I always opt for conventional – never GMO. Conventional ingredients in which you digest the skin are not ideal because pesticides can easily penetrate the plant creating toxicity in you when you eat them. Therefore, as a rule of thumb if it has a hard peel or exterior I will NOT eat, I am fine with conventional. But, if I will be eating the WHOLE plant, I choose organic.
Average Prep Time: 10 minutes
Average Cook Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2 Adults (2 meals each) and 1 Infant (2 meals)
INGREDIENTS:
2 TBS of organic olive oil
1 large can -28 oz- of organic diced tomatos (with juice!)
2 cans of organic Black Beans (drained)
1 can of organic Pinto Beans (drained)
2 cups of organic Veggie Broth (low sodium)
1 small organic onion
1 organic red bell pepper
2 medium organic carrots (or about 7 small ones)
2 ribs of organic celery
1/2 tsp of Himalayan Sea Salt
3 cloves of organic garlic
3 tsp. of chili powder
2 tsp. of cumin
1 tsp. of paprika
Garnish: shredded organic cheddar cheese
PREPPING:
1.) Place bell pepper, onion, celery, and carrots in food processor and mince. This will be best especially for a little one to have smaller pieces.
2.) With olive oil in large pot, add the minced veggies and cook for about 7 minutes on medium heat until onions appear translucent.
3.) Add garlic (minced by hand), chili, cumin, and paprika. Stir for about a minute.
4.) Add diced tomatoes (with juices) and all the beans (drained), along with the veggie broth. Stir to combine and allow to simmer. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer gentle for about 30 minutes. Then, remove chili from heat.
5.) Add half mixture to blender (or use immersion blender) and blend until smooth and then pour it back into original pot. Stir to combine for thickened texture.
6.) Serve and add garnish! Enjoy!
For my son, I separated a bit of the chili and did NOT add cheese. I warmed it just to about lukewarm and he LOVED it; ate several ounces of it very quickly.
This recipe also freezes well! So feel free to batch it UP and store it!
Sincerely,
Shakti