One Handed Cooks

Allie Grant, Jessica Beaton and Sarah Buckle

Penguin Random House Australia

Viking

ISBN: 9780670079018

 

 

Pumpkin-Spiced Quinoa Balls

 

‘Extracted from One Handed Cooks by Allie Gaunt & Jessica Beaton with photography by Sarah Buckle, Viking, RRP$39.99

M a k e s a b o u t 4 0

P R E P T I M E 15 minutes

C O O K I N G T I M E 55 minutes

 

½ (about 550 g) butternut pumpkin (squash), seeded and cut into 8 wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup (95 g) quinoa

1 cup (80 g) finely chopped broccoli florets

1 small red onion, finely grated

Steamed vegetables, to serve

 

This simple finger food is all-natural, with a subtle hint of spice and little pops of texture to excite your baby.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Put the pumpkin into a bowl, add the olive oil and spices and toss to coat. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer on a lined tray and bake, turning halfway through cooking, for 25 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Transfer to a heavy-based saucepan, add 1 cup (250 ml) water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside, without lifting the lid, for 4 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and leave to cool.
4. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
5. Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the skin and place in a bowl. Squeeze the liquid from the grated onion and use paper towel to pat the onion dry. Add the onion, broccoli and quinoa to the pumpkin and mash together until well combined. Dollop teaspoon-sized balls of mixture onto the remaining lined tray.
6. Bake the balls, turning halfway through cooking, for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with steamed vegetables alongside.

 

N U T R I T I O N N OT E Spice doesn’t always mean ‘hot’, so don’t let the word scare you off when cooking family meals. Incorporating a range of spices into your child’s meals will help in the transition to family food and encourage positive eating behaviours.

S TO R A G E Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively, freeze the uncooked balls, on a lined tray covered with plastic film, until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Freeze, GF,WF,DF,EF,V