Pork for Baby with Red Beans and Rice
I don’t know about you but I really enjoyed last week! Garlic lemon pork with mushy minty peas…delicious! I think it’s time for the kids to get in on the pork action! Let’s start with a simple preparation of pork tenderloin and turn that base into a tasty treat for your baby’s eyes and mouth!
Get that oven nice and hot at a balmy 400 degrees. Place your Pork Tenderloin in an aluminum foil lined roasting pan.
Drizzle the loin with the apple juice and olive oil. Then dust the surface with the nutmeg shavings, salt and pepper.
All that is left is to roast in the oven till it is opaque and no longer pink in the middle. The timing of this is roughly 20 minutes. Oven’s can vary in cooking temperature like mine…oh what I would give to have a brand new kitchenaid oven with gas stove top. Unfortunately, that has to live in dream land right now and I have to use a much cheaper option…the good ol’ meat thermometer: internal temp of the meat should be 160 degrees.
Once completely cooked let the meat rest on the cutting board then when you are able to handle with your fingers, slice the meat into bite size pieces your child can handle. Little Lew is still working on his chompers so I had to give a nice run through the food processer.
And just like that you have a beautiful, iron packed protein your little one can snack on…but wait there is more…let’s take this dish a step further to create more flavor and color in an otherwise dull looking dish. Remember- we eat with our eyes first!
So I invited some friends over to play with our little piggy. I bet you’ve met them before…say hello to my little friends- kidney bean, rice, parsley and cumin! You guessed it…we are making red beans and rice WITH PORK!
Kidney Bean and his pals are the first to dive in…so like them!
Then Rice joins the party…he tends to just follow the crowd. But it’s ok…we like it when he sticks around.
Next is Parsley…she’s that part of the crowd that adds pizzazz. You might say she’s the life of the party. The Popular one…someone’s been eating their “Vitavetavegamin.”
Finally, the friend that ties everyone together is little ol’ cumin. He’s lovable, comfortable, and he loves to give warm soulful hugs. At least that’s what I like to think of when he comes around.
Toss everyone together and you’ve got a finger food party every toddler will want an invite to. Just look at that beautiful color!
Do you have any pork recipes up your sleeve? I am always searching for inspiration for new ways to eat this meat! Let me know in the comments below. Stay tuned for a dish you can share as a whole family!
Enjoy!
Janie-Jean
- 1 small pork tenderloin, about ½ pound
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- 2 tbs of apple juice
- ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup of cooked low sodium small red beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup Pork For Baby
- 1 cup cooked Brown Rice
- ½ tsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
- Line a small roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the pork in the lined roasting pan making sure the tenderloin is trimmed of the fat or any silvery membrane.
- Drizzle the tenderloin with the olive oil and apple juice then top with the grated nutmeg.
- Bake the pork until it is opaque and no longer has pink in the middle. This will take about 20 minutes. The internal temperature of the tenderloin should be 160 degrees when tested with a meat thermometer.
- Once finished, take the tenderloin out of the oven and allow to rest on a cutting board.
- Once cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to cut the pork across the grain into thin slices. Cut the slice into very small pieces. Adjust the size of the meat based on your child’s chewing ability. You could even zap it in a food processer till the meat resembles tiny crumbs. Add water if needed to moisten.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days or spoon individual portions into ice-cube trays and freeze covered for up to 1 month.
- In a bowl stir together the beans, pork, rice, parsley, and cumin and toss to mix well.
- Adjust the texture to your baby’s chewing ability by either fork mashing or zapping in a food processer. Add water as needed.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days or spoon individual portions into ice-cube trays or other baby-food freezer containers and freeze covered for up to 1 month.
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