Legumes are one of the foods that we can begin to introduce in the infant diet from six months, and that provide great nutritional benefits.
Lentils, chickpeas, beans or beans, broad beans… are foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, fiber and micronutrients such as potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus , and B vitamins, especially folic acid .
Today marks World Pulses Day, a date declared by the United Nations General Assembly with the purpose of raising awareness about the multiple benefits of consuming these foods.
In Babies and More we join this day and with the collaboration of ColorBaby , specialist and reference in the distribution of toys, we share 11 recipes made with legumes to encourage their consumption among children .
chickpea burger
What little one is able to resist a delicious hamburger? You will surely be delighted with this chickpea burger recipe.
To prepare it we will need :
- Half a kilo of cooked chickpeas (they can be from a jar or natural and cook them ourselves)
- An onion
- A handful of chopped or ground almonds, if we are going to offer it to children under six years of age .
- Egg
- Bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- First, mash the chickpeas until you get a homogeneous mass.
- Chop the onion, brown it in oil and add the chopped almonds. Then salt and pepper.
- Add the onion and almond mixture to the chickpea dough and stir well until all the ingredients are integrated.
- Separate the dough into four parts and shape them into hamburgers.
- Pass each hamburger through beaten egg and breadcrumbs and brown them in a pan with a splash of oil for about 5 minutes.
white bean cream
One of my children’s favorite dishes, even now that they are older, is white bean puree . It is a cream with a smooth texture and flavor that we can combine with bread croutons, chopped almonds or vegetable crudités to taste.
To prepare it we will need :
- A quarter of a kilo of cooked white beans
- a large carrot
- An onion
- olive oil and salt
Its preparation is so quick and easy that it only consists of two steps:
- Peel the carrot and onion, chop them into small pieces and fry in oil until soft. Then season.
- Crush the white beans and mix them with the sofrito.
Red bean dumplings
Let’s go with another highly original vegetarian recipe with an irresistible flavor.
To prepare it we will need :
- A jar of cooked red beans.
- Half an onion
- Parsley
- homemade vegetable broth
- sweet paprika
- Flour
- Shall
- Olive oil
Its preparation is somewhat more complex than the two previous recipes, but the final result is well worth it:
- First, rinse the beans and mash them.
- Heat a saucepan with a little oil and then add a pinch of paprika.
- Add this preparation to the beans and stir.
- Next, chop the onion, fry it in oil and season. Also mix it with the beans until you get a compact mass and adjust the salt.
- Separate the dough into small portions and give them the classic rounded shape of meatballs. If the dough is too soft, add a little more breadcrumbs until it becomes manageable.
- Coat the meatballs in flour and fry them in oil.
- Once they are all fried, place them in a pan and add a little vegetable broth and cook for a few minutes until slightly reduced.
lentil croquettes
With ham, cod, chicken… and also lentils ! Croquettes are a very versatile food that can be cooked in multiple ways and are always liked by the little ones .
To prepare this recipe we will need :
- Half a kilo of cooked lentils
- An onion
- Chopped parsley
- Bread crumbs
- Flour
- Egg
- Shall
Elaboration:
- Puree the lentils until you have a compact puree and add a pinch of salt. If you see that it is very liquid, add a little breadcrumbs to get a more homogeneous dough.
- Chop the onion, brown it in oil, remove and mix with chopped parsley. Add this preparation to the lentil puree and stir.
- Distribute the dough into small portions and shape them into croquettes. Coat them in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fry them in batches in very hot oil. Remove them with a slotted spoon, let them drain the excess oil.
white bean hummus
It is possible that you have not thought about preparing a hummus with beans, but we encourage you to try it, because the result is truly exquisite.
To prepare this recipe we will need :
- A jar of cooked white beans
- half a clove of garlic
- The juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of tahini
- Salt and pepper
- A handful of chopped almonds
Its preparation is very simple and the result is delicious:
- Crush the beans, and then mix with the garlic, lemon juice, tahini sauce and olive oil.
- We grind again until we get a homogeneous paste of the desired texture.
We can serve it with a splash of olive oil on top, or it also goes very well with a handful of chopped or ground almonds.
Red lentil cream with pumpkin
Pumpkin is one of the vegetables that is most successful among children due to its mild and sweet flavor. For this reason, we suggest you use it in this original recipe for lentil cream .
To prepare this recipe we will need :
- A pot of cooked red lentils (we can also cook them ourselves, because being a type of lentil that does not have skin, they cook in a very short time)
- One pumpkin, peeled and sliced
- 100 grams of carrots
- vegetable broth
- 100 ml of white wine
- A dash of lemon juice
- Two small spring onions and a clove of garlic
- olive oil, salt and pepper
What does its preparation consist of:
- Chop the spring onions and the garlic cloves and brown them in a pan with oil.
- Dice the carrots and pumpkin, and add it to the pan.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients well.
- Next, sprinkle with a splash of white wine and cook over high heat for a couple of minutes.
- Add the red lentils, stirring well, and add a little vegetable broth until the mixture is covered. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Beat the mixture until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream of the desired texture (add more broth if you want it to be more liquid).
Chickpea salad
Vegetable salads are a classic when spring and summer arrive, as they are an exquisite, fresh and original way to consume this precious food.
The best thing about this type of salad is that it allows for as many combinations as there are tastes , since beans, lentils or chickpeas go very well with a multitude of ingredients.
Here are five possible chickpea salads , each one more exquisite:
- Chickpea salad with brown rice, cherry tomatoes, red pepper and corn.
- Chickpea salad with arugula, avocado, tomare and cubes of fresh cheese.
- Chickpea salad, tuna and diced courgette previously cooked.
- Chickpea salad with cubes of previously baked pumpkin, arugula and raisins.
- Chickpea vinaigrette with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion and red or green paprika.
All of them are very easy and quick to prepare, especially if you use previously cooked canned chickpeas. As for the dressing , you can opt for the classic oil and vinegar, or dare with other flavors such as honey and mustard sauce, mustard vinaigrette, lemon or simply sprinkle with aromatic herbs.