Burgers with Homemade Beefy Patties & Portobello Mushrooms with Buttered Peas

This meal turned out totally differently from what I had planned initially..lolz! I chanced upon organic miso the day before so I bought some & had wanted to cook a soba in miso soup. However, I saw the bread buns that we had purchased supposedly for breakfast which I'd almost completely forgotten about. As usual, my lil' bread lover got so excited upon overhearing me muttered the word 'bread'. Thus, with the new turn of events, I asked if he wanted a burger to which few kids would be able to resist that temptation, right?

Ingredients (supposedly for 1 toddler but my boy couldn't finish so I ate 1 too):

50g of organic minced beef

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of Bob's Red Mill All Natural Cornstarch

1 egg, white separated

A dash of basil

A dash of oregano

2 big portobello mushrooms 

1 tsp of organic VCO

2 tbsps of freshly grated organic cheddar cheese

2 big handfuls of Watties frozen garden peas

2 tbsps of water

1 tsp of unsalted butter

2 burger buns (I used the sesame loaf from Green Pumpkin Japanese Bakery at Nex)

Directions:

1. Marinate beef with sesame oil, cornstarch, egg white, basil & oregano for at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven under Grill setting, max temperature (260°C) for 5 minutes.

3. Drizzle the underside of the mushrooms with the VCO & grill for 5 minutes. 

4. Half the beef & use a spoon to form 2 circular patties. Grill for around 10 minutes till they turn slightly brown on the surface.

5. Cut the buns into half, without seperating them. Lightly beat the egg yolk & spread it over the insides of the buns & grill for 2-3 minutes till the egg is cooked & bread lightly toasted.

6. Top the mushrooms with 1 tbsp of cheddar cheese each & bake for another 10 minutes.

7. Add 2 tbsps of water to the peas then also grill for 2-3 minutes till softened & cooked. Drain the water then melt the butter over the hot peas & mix well.

8. Assemble the burger by putting the beef patty on the bun then cap on the mushroom with cheese. Lastly, top with the bun & serve warm with the buttered peas.

I couldn't help but mention the most hilarious thing that happened while I was prepping lunch. My boy was so elated & grateful for his upcoming meal that he repeatedly thanked me for it..hahaha!! His impromptu luncheon turned out yummilicious!!! I remembered my first attempt at homemade patties weren't quite as successful as I found them too dense with oats added. Yet, this time round, I didn't even have time to do any research & simply jumped right into the preparations with just my gut feel. I was still kinda worried initially as i had pre-marinated the beef with sesame oil which is more commonly used for Chinese cuisines. To my surprise, the patty was quite tender with a faint fragrance from the herbs plus the juice from the portobello mushrooms complemented it nicely. Furthermore, the crispy toasted bread had a slight sweetness to it so all the flavours just seemed to come together in a perfect symphony in my mouth. No wonder BB devoured his in no time at all..lolz! I'm so going to replicate this again for my other 'boy' soon ~.<

DIY with Lotsa L.O.V.Es - Orange Colour Sensory Bag

The preparations for the next Toddler Busy Bags exchange have started since my activity, orange sensory bags, has been finalised. For the past few weeks, shopping for various orange coloured items has been underway & I've already purchased the bulk of them. Thus, the next step now is to get the rice & pastas dyed.

Mummies who've done this before shared that it's so much fun. After getting my hands dirty, or should i say stained in this case, I totally agree with them..lolz! After trying out 3 seperate batches, I finally achieved a satisfactory bright orange rice using the following ratio:

  Vinegar : Colour gel : Rice 

= 1 tbsp : 12 drops : 2 cups

Directions:

1. Pour the vinegar & colour gel into a big ziplock bag (I'm using Ikea's 4.5L one), fasten & then mix well.

2. Add in the rice, fasten again & mix till the rice grains are evenly dyed.

3. Pour onto a tray to dry thoroughly, stirring occasionally.

With the air-conditioner switched on, it seemed to dry pretty fast. However to play safe, I'm leaving them overnight to dry thoroughly. With 2 packs of 5kg rice, I believe I'll be spending many more nights repeating the above steps..hee ;)

To thank Grub n' Grow's supporters, I'm going to give away 2 of this busy bag.

Directions to win:

1. Like "Grub n' Grow" Facebook Page.

2. Tag at least 3 friends to this Facebook Post whom you know will be delighted to receive one of them too.

3. Share this post publicly on your timeline. 

4. Closing date is 31st December 2015, 2359hrs.

5. The winners will be randomly drawn by my boy, and his decision is final..hee ;)

Kindly note that this giveaway is limited to Singapore entries only. May the odds be ever in your favor ^.~

Healthy Bubur Chacha - Purple Sweet Potatoes in Fresh Milk

After trying out the Milky Oats With Purple Sweet Potato for Breaky previously, I've cravings for it again but preferably a more soupy version so I omitted the oats today.

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh milk

2 middle size purple sweet potatoes, skinned & cut into small chunks

Directions:

1. Bring the milk to a boil. 

2. Add in sweet potato then simmer for about 15mins. Serve warm.

Omg!! The taste of this resembles it's counterpart, the bubur chacha even more! Without adding in oats this time, it has an even more distinct milky & sweet potato taste. Yums! Even though the little boy, a milk fanatic who very much prefers his milk straight from the source or cup, initially threw a tantrum after hearing that I was cooking a sweet potato dessert with milk; finally conceded and kept repeating 'Nice nice!!'

Beneficial Combination:

Milk + Sweet Potatoes = Prevent hypertension & arteriosclerosis

Milky Oats With Purple Sweet Potato for Breaky

I was having cravings for banana oats for breakfast this morning. To my disappointment, the bananas were too ripe & had turned brownish inside so into the rubbish bin they went. Since I've a pack of purple sweet potatoes on my countertop, I decided to try something new ;>

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler):

200ml of fresh milk

1/2 cup of organic rolled oats

1 medium size purple sweet potato, skinned & cut into small chunks

Directions:

1. Bring the milk to a boil. 

2. Add in sweet potato & oats then simmer for about 15mins. Serve warm.

What's the end result of my lil' kitchen experiment? The taste is kinda like a lighter version of bubur chacha. Fresh milk definitely doesn't have the strong fragrant of coconut milk but it also doesn't contain as much saturated fats present in the latter. Therefore, it's healthier too. The purple sweet potato gives the porridge a tinge of mild natural sweetness. What surprises me the most is the natural fragrant of the oats which fill my mouth as I chew on. I believe that without the addition of seasonings in my everyday meals, my palate has become more acute to the natural flavours or maybe because there aren't too much sweetness or saltiness to mask them.

Beneficial Combinations:

Milk + Oats = Has the effect of reducing fats & losing weight

Milk + Sweet Potatoes = Prevent hypertension & arteriosclerosis

Protection against Haze - Air+Smart Mask or Vogmask?

Masks are no doubt one of the two most sought after products every year when the haze hits us! For the previous years, there wasn't any suitable N95 grade masks for the little ones. This year, on the other hand, two different brands both with kids' sizes have been introduced to the market & I was lucky to be able to lay my hands on both with the kind recommendations & help from a few of my girlfriends. A big THANKS to all of them!!! I have seen a lot of questions being raised over the past few days as the haze condition worsened. Since I have both their respective "S" sizes for my 26mo boy, I thought it would be helpful to do a comparison, especially for mummies who're trying to find suitable ones for their kids.

Personally, I prefer the Vogmask as its reusable & washable. The only thing about it is that the straps are not adjustable so getting the right size to ensure a good fit is necessary. The "S" size was actually loose for my BB. On the other hand, accordingly to the feedback of my girlfriend, this mask has the best fit among others she has tried for her 2.5yo son. Another positive feedback from a mummy friend is that it is easier for kids to put on themselves than N95 masks.

For the AIR+, the feedback from another girlfriend is that it's too loose even for her 4yo gal so I was expecting it to be very loose for my boy. On the contrary, when we first wore it for him before his Vogmask was ready for collection, it fitted well. This is most likely due to the adjustable straps & as different people have different facial contours, the fit may differ slightly too. Some mummies may also wonder if it's a must to add on the ventilator. In my opinion, if your child is just wearing it from point to point, for eg, home to car, it suffices even without the ventilator. However, if it's for more prolonged periods, I'll recommend to add on the ventilator for more comfort.

In conclusion, both masks have their individual strengths over the other. Therefore, rather than choosing a particular brand, I think choosing the mask that has a perfect fit for your child is more important. As the haze continues to descend upon us, please take the necessary precautions for the safety of your LOs & take care too!!!

Throwback of Pear with Mi Zao & Chinese Almonds Soup

Readers of my blog would most likely know that one of the earliest natural remedies I've tried was the Double-Boiled Asian Pear since it has been the most popular post till date. I would say that this is a "tweaked" recipe of that. I was quite reluctant to add mi zao when my mum first introduced it to me as the dates are soaked in a raw sugar solution during the preservation process. However, since BB is already two, a bit of sugar now & then won't hurt I guess ;) There're various reasons why this is an ideal soup for the recent haze. First & foremost, pears help to nourish our lungs. Furthermore, other than lung nourishing properties, Chinese almonds also help to relieve cough & asthma as well as to dissolve phlegm. As for the benefits of mi zao, it has already been explained in my earlier post Apple Corn & Honey Dates Soup to Combat the Hazy Skies.

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler)

1.5l of water

2 Asian pears, skinned & cut into chunks

30g of Chinese almonds (premix of sweet & bitter almonds with a higher % of sweet ones)

3 Eu Yan San mi zao

Directions:

1. Bring the ingredients in water to a boil then simmer for 2h & serve warm.

Addition of the mi zao definitely adds another layer of sweetness to this drink. My 'boys' slurped up theirs & both devoured the dates in no time at all..lolz! 

Red Bean Oats Porridge - Another Immune Boosting Recipe

Another throwback recipe! The first time I tried something like this was in Seoul. Two big pots of red beans & pumpkin porridges outside a stall in a local market captured our attentions. However, to our surprise, it was salted, not sweet. Tasted equally yummy though. As I reminisced over the happy times in Korea, I recalled that I still had a pack of adzuki beans in my cabinet. Without wasting any time, I referred to my guide book for complements of these small red beans & found exactly what I needed..oats! So, here's my sweet version ^.^

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler):

1/2 cup of organic adzuki beans, soaked overnight (or at least 8 hours)

750ml of water

1/2 cup of organic rolled oats

Optional - 1 tsp of molasses or honey (pls exclude for babies less than 1yo)

Directions:

1. Rinse the soaked beans a couple of times then add into the pot of water. 

2. Bring the water to a boil then simmer for about 1hr 15mins or till the red beans soften according to your preference.

3. Pour in the oats & cook for another 15mins.

4. Add molasses or honey (best to wait till it has cooled down significantly before adding as high heat willl destroy some of the nutrients) to taste & serve warm.

Today's actually my second attempt & we still love this simple yet nutritious bowl of warm porridge in our tummies early in the morning. 

Beneficial Combination:

Oats + Red Beans = Enhance constitution & improve immunity