Moroccan Chicken Couscous by Zainab Jagot Ahmed

*Photography by Zainab Jagot Ahmed

Minced meat is always a great first meat for baby, as the meat has already been ground so is easier for baby to munch on. This meal is a good mix of carbs (for energy) and protein.

Total prep & cooking time: 25 mins

Suitable for freezing/Makes 18 ice-cubes

Stage 2 weaning – 7+ months

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion – peeled, chopped
• ¼ tsp minced garlic
• 70g lean chicken mince
• 200ml low-salt stock
• 3g Medjool date – pitted, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp Baby Spice Kitchen Moroccan blend
• 7–8 drops of lemon juice
• 50g couscous
• Flat-leaf parsley, for garnish – fresh, washed, chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft and golden, then add the mince and continue to sauté for up to 10 minutes, until cooked through, breaking up the mince with a spoon to avoid chunks from forming.

Add the stock, date, Baby Spice Kitchen Moroccan blend and lemon juice, stir and bring to the boil, then add the couscous, stir and remove from the heat. Cover and allow the couscous to absorb the stock for 5–10 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff up the couscous with a fork.  The couscous should be a squishy consistency, making it easy for baby to eat and for you to mash further with a fork if necessary. Garnish with the parsley and serve to baby warm. Yummy!

~ TIP ~ The chicken can be frozen once cooked and cooled (before adding the couscous), but be sure to defrost and reheat the meal safely.

Recipe adapted from The Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook by Zainab Jagot Ahmed (Ebury Press, £14.99). 

Biography: Zainab Jagot Ahmed

Zainab Jagot Ahmed is the UK’s flavour-led weaning expert and mum of one food-loving little girl. Following the success of her daughter’s weaning journey, Zainab realised she could help other mums raise adventurous eaters too and devised recipes and meal plans anyone can use.

Zainab writes for a number of leading parenting titles and appeared as expert speaker at The Baby Show, the UK’s leading pregnancy and parenting event. She is author of two award-winning weaning and family cookbooks - Easy Indian Super Meals and The Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook published by Ebury Press.

Zainab can be found blogging recipes on her website www.ZainabJagotAhmed.com, and positing on her social networks Instagram/ Facebook @zainabjagotahmed

Books by Zainab

Easy Indian Super Meals for Babies, Toddlers and the Family

The Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook