Pre-Xmas Dinner of Roasted Chicky, Baked Kale Chips & Cheesy Pumpkin Mash for my BB

The recipe for the roasted chicken thigh has been shared previously at Basil Baked Chicken Thigh for BB.

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables but it's not commonly eaten in Singapore. One reason could be that it's not readily available. Only selected Cold Storage outlets actually carry them. My mum tried to stir fry it once with pork in Chinese style for BB but it turned out too chewy so we didn't feed it to him. It actually has quite a sweet taste to it. I recalled seeing it being baked as chips on TV once & it seemed pretty easy so I tried it out previously. However, after putting it into the oven, I had to nurse my boy to sleep. When I asked my hubby to check & remove it as the time was up, they had already turned yellowish & tasted slightly bitter so they ended up in my tummy instead. 

My "Mummies group" friend was so kind to give me some this time round, so they were being 'monitored' constantly & they turned out perfecto! Crispy with a unique fragrant aftertaste. I'll definitely be making more of them as healthy chips for the family (~.^)v

Ingredients (1 toddler meal portion):

1 stalk of organic kale

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Wash & try to dry them as much as possible (if not, the residual water will have a 'steaming' effect & they'll not become crispy).

3. Carefully tear the leaves from the thick stem into bite-sized pieces.

4. Drizzle & toss with oil & spread out as a single layer then bake for about 5 to 8 minutes till the edges are slightly brown but not burnt.

5. Let them cool for about 3 minutes to further crisp up & it's snackies time!

In addition, I also attempted on something different - cheesy roasted pumpkin mash. As expected, the toasted pumpkin has a stronger flavour then the usual steamed version. &, BB likes them both ;)

Ingredients:

Half of a wedge of organic pumpkin, cubed.

EVCO

Some organic cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Drizzle & toss with EVCO then bake (can be steamed too) for 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Mash the pumpkin then add in cheese & mix well till cheese has melted.

Beef Bolognese ala My Style for my 16M27DO BB

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

100g of organic minced beef

2 handfuls (about 20) of organic cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 small yellow onion, cut into halves

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tsp of MasterFoods Spaghetti Bolognese Blend

2 stalks of romaine lettuce, torn into halves

1 cup of organic fusilli pasta

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a pot of simmering water as per instructed till al dente. Drain & leave aside.

2. Steam the rest of the ingredients, except lettuce, for 10 minutes (I'm using my Avent Combined Steamer & Blender).

3. Add in the lettuce & steam for another 5 minutes.

4. Remove lettuce to cut into smaller pieces. Remove & discard bay leaf then blend the rest till desired consistency (I like mine a bit more chunky with bits of beef). Pour over cooked pasta & serve immediately.

Note: I usually cook the pasta & prepare the sauce concurrently to save time.

Beneficial Combinations:

Garlic + Lettuce = Prevent bleeding gums & vitamin C deficiency

Garlic + Onion = Detoxifiy & anti-cancer effect

Peanut Butter Bread with My Tesco Breadmaker

After my first successfully baked loaf of bread, followed by numerous other successful attempts, I thought that bread-making in a breadmaker was fail-proof. Never did I know I was so wrong until I encountered my first failure. I had some really nice purple sweet potatoes and so I decided to use them to bake a white bread variation using the basic white bread mix. As the steamed sweet potatoes have a high moisture content, I knew I had to reduce the amount of water called for in the recipe & did so. To my dismay, it was still too wet & the bread turned out like kueh in texture : (

After the first failed attempt, I lost motivation to bake for a while. When I found organic wheat bread flour at the Four Seasons Organic Market in Parkway Parade, which I was searching high & low for, it ignited my 'fire' again. I tried the light wholemeal bread recipe but unfortunately it led to yet another disaster. Once bitten, twice shy! Twice bitten, forever shy? No, I refused to succumb to the obstacles. Upon reflecting where I could have gone wrong this time, it struck me that it could be due to the new Fleischmann's natural yeast which I'd just bought. After doing some Googling, I realised I was right. This is an active dry yeast, not instant dry yeast, which needs to be activated. I followed the step-by-step instructions from YouTube to activate it, thinking that I would get it right finally. To my disappointment, the same problem occurred again! Being at my wits' end, I turned to shifus in the Tesco Breadmaker Recipe FB group for help. The two pieces of advice that were most apt to my situation were that I needed to increase the quantity of the active dry yeast & that some organic bread flour could be the possible root of the problem.

Thus, for today's bake, I decided to only use my usual organic hi protein bread flour. After doing some more homework online, I also discovered that I've to increase the active dry yeast by 1.25 times & the activated yeast should be added to the dry flour instead of adding it to the rest of the water with salt & sugar.

Ingredients (for a 700g loaf using the Basic Programme with Light Crust):

1.25 cups of water at room temperature

Approximate 1.875 tsp of Fleischmann's active dry yeast (or 1.5 tsp of instant dry yeast)

1/4 cup of Billington's molasses sugar

1.5 tsp of Nature's Glory unrefined Himalayas rock salt 

3 cups of Origins organic hi protein flour

1/2 cup of Adams creamy peanut butter (can use crunchy version too)

Directions:

1. Add a drop of molasses (or a pinch of sugar) to 1/4 cup of warm water (37°C to 43°C) & stir to dissolve.

2. Pour the yeast into the sugared water & stir vigorously until you can no longer discern the yeast granules then cover with a towel as yeast works better in the dark.

3. Let it proof for 10 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

4. Pour the remaining 1 cup of water into the bread pan. Add in the remaining ingredients in this order: salt & sugar (on opposite sides), peanut butter (in the middle) followed by flour.

5. Check to see if the yeast is foaming which means that they are alive & well. Pour the activated yeast water onto the top of the flour in the bread pan.

6. Choose the correct setting, start the breadmaker & wait for your loaf to be ready.

(Note: I took out mine 10 minutes before the time is up to get a softer crust.)

As I made the first slice through it, I knew this is going to be one fluffy bread. In fact, it turned out to be the softest loaf I've baked so far. This is the second time that I'm using this recipe (1st time was with instant dry yeast & another brand of peanut butter) but it's definitely better than its predecessor. The contributing factor could be the active dry yeast, the peanut butter or the fact that I took it out earlier but nonetheless, this is a keeper for sure! It tastes so good even on its own. How do I know? Hee..because hubby & I already had some for supper ~.< My little bread lover will be in for a pleasant surprise for breakfast..lolz!

On a seperate note, I would like to recommend the above-mentioned brand of peanut butter. I did consider making my own peanut butter but couldn't seem to find organic peanuts. Therefore, this will do for now as it is one of the healthiest jar of peanut butter that I've come across so far which is made from 100% peanuts without any hydrogenated oils or salt. 

Portobello Mushrooms with Onion Cheesy Pasta Sauce

We were out for lunch last weekend & I cooked a pasta sauce with onion, portobello mushrooms & spinach but I didn't add in cheese for fear that it may turn bad. BB accepted the taste but I somehow felt that it was missing something. Therefore, I decided to retry again today as Daddy-O had to work late & dinner would be just for the both of us.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler):

1 piece of cod fish

3 small portobello mushrooms

1 small yellow onion, cut into halves

1 handful of organic baby spinach

3 tbsps of organic baby pasta

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a pot of simmering water as per instructed till al dente. Drain & leave aside.

2. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth & tear them into smaller chunks.

3. Steam the cod, mushrooms & onion for 15 minutes (I'm using my Avent Combined Steamer & Blender).

4. Add in the spinach & steam for another 5 minutes. Remove cod fish & flake. Blend the mushrooms, onion & spinach to desired consistency, pour over cooked pasta & serve immediately.

The improvised recipe is shown below.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

2 pieces of corn-fed chicken thigh

3 small portobello mushrooms

1 small yellow onion, cut into halves

2 tbsps of organic cheddar cheese

1 cup of organic fusilli pasta

(Note: Cod & spinach to be omitted if you're adding cheese.)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a pot of simmering water as per instructed till al dente. Drain & leave aside.

2. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth & tear them into smaller chunks.

3. Steam the chicken, mushrooms & onion for 20 minutes.

4. Remove chicken to cut into smaller chunks. Add in the cheddar cheese to the mushrooms & onion & blend to desired consistency. Pour over cooked pasta & serve immediately.

Note: I usually cook the pasta & prepare the sauce concurrently to save time.

Yeah! This time round the taste is just right! Adding the cheese does make a significant difference to the taste. It was another satisfying meal for both BB & me ~.^ This is also the first time BB is having fusilli. I used to cook his baby pasta before cooking mine but since he's older now & can chew pretty well, I decided to let him try our adult version. The same ingredients are used for both types of pasta anyway. He ate them without any difficulty. Seems like we can stop buying the more expensive baby pasta..hee

Beneficial Combination:

Chicken + Onion = Moisturise body, warm stomach & strengthen waist

Harmful Combination:

Cheese + Cod = Cause diarrhea or abdominal pain

Cheese + Spinach = Affect the digestion & absorption of calcium

Colourful Omelette for my 16M18DO BB

Omelette, another one of our all-time favourite breakfast dishes. I love the fact that you can always change the variations of ingredients to create your own unique combinations anytime, anywhere!

Ingredients (serves 1 toddler & 1 adult):

2 eggs, beaten

8 organic cherry tomatoes, diced

1/6 organic yellow capsicum, diced

A handful of frozen peas

1 tsp of organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

A dash of dried basil

Some organic cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Heat up EVCO on a low fire then add in capsicum to stir fry for about 2 minutes followed by peas, tomatoes & basil.

2. Pour the eggs over & move the pan around to spread them out evenly. When it starts to firm up with still some raw parts on top, sprinkle the cheese.

3. Fold it into half then cook till all eggs are fully cooked. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

I'm still not quite used to my WMF after using my HCP & non-stick pans for so many years. The omelette doesn't look as good as my previous attempts but tastes just as good. The tanginess of the tomatoes, sweetness from the capsicum & peas, slight saltiness from the cheese & aroma of the basil all come together in a perfect harmony. Yums! 

I actually wanted to let BB try the Natura Organic Unsweetened Fortified Soy Milk (best tasting unsweetened one I've tried so far) but as I checked against my food 'bible' I realised it's not recommended and so I replaced it with normal fresh milk instead. He also had some organic blueberries (one of his favourite healthy snacks-on-the-go, which I'll share on how you can freeze & store them soon) an hour after his meal as I usually advocate that he has fruits either an hour before or after food to aid in better digestion.

One of my other previous attempts - carrot & broccoli omelette. Looks more presentable using a non-stick pan but I guess it's a trade-off, at least for now. Practice makes perfect so I'll continue to gambatte till I can get it right with my healthier WMF pan..fighting!

Beneficial Combinations:

Capsicum + Egg = Help in the absorption of vitamins

Egg + Milk = Improve memory skills

Tomato + Yogurt = Increase iron absorption

Harmful Combinations:

Egg + Soya Bean Milk = Reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients or may cause unwellness of the body

BB's BLTD on 8th October 2014

It was a day out with my in-laws so I prepared & brought out BB's lunch, tea break snacks, and dinner as well.

B-reakfast: 

Apple cinnamon smoothie topped with toasted wheat germ

Steam, blend & cool down an organic apple. Add 3 tbsps of Greek yogurt (I'm using Farmers Union), top it off with some toasted wheat germ & mix well.

(Note: Don't add the yogurt to the hot steamed apple purée so as not to destroy the nutrients in the yogurt.)

L-uncheon: 

Spaghetti Bolognese mixed herbs couscous with salmon, peas with organic yellow capsicum & cherry tomatoes

Let 3/4 cup of water come to a boil before adding the salmon & diced capsicums. Remove salmon and flake once it's cooked after around 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size & thickness of the meat. Add in diced tomates, peas & lastly, mixed herbs. Cook for another 2 minutes till water boils again then add in 1/4 cup of couscous. Cover the pot & wait for about 2 to 3 minutes till all the water has been absorbed by the couscous. Remove cover, fluff it up with a pair of chopsticks & mix in the flaked salmon. Serve warm.

The actual portion was double that shown in the picture below. I love the vibrant colours which reminds me that this is a nutritious meal with all the different vegetables in it. My MIL had never eaten couscous before so she tried some. I was thrilled that she finds it nice & fragrant & she likes it! BB enjoyed it too but could only finished half of it. The remaining ended up in my tummy as usual ;)

T-eabreak:

Organic blueberries

It has been quite a while since BB had the chance to enjoy this favourite of his as the season for the organic ones seem to be over. I couldn't find them in NTUC outlets & only selected Cold Storage outlets carry them. Plus, a couple of times we chanced upon them in CS, they weren't very fresh.

D-inner: 

Double-boiled 10 multi-grains with organic minced beef, pumpkin & French beans

Soak the Simple Natural Organic Ten Multi Grains in 3/4 cup of water within a ceramic pot overnight to remove phytic acid. Place the ceramic pot into a metal pot with a pot stainer (or on top of a steamer stand) & fill it with water to match the height of half the ceramic pot. Bring water to boil, then let it simmer for 1 hour (please check occasionally to ensure that there is water left in the metal pot, especially for the first few times that you are attempting this method until you're certain on the required amount of water that would be needed without steaming away completely during the cooking process). Place the diced French beans into a bowl / plate before putting it on top of the ceramic pot to steam for 10 minutes (I prefer to do this so that I can cool the vegetables down before packing them in another container so that they don't become overcooked in the thermal flask). After 20 minutes from the starting time, add the diced pumpkin into the ceramic pot & give it a good stir together with the grains. At 10 minutes left to the countdown, add in the minced beef marinated with sesame oil & stir it in too. Transfer immediately to your thermal flask once it's done. Add in the French beans before serving.

Beneficial Combinations:

Beef + Pumpkin = Tonifying spleen & replenishing qi as well as detoxify & alleviate pain

French Beans + Millet = Clear heatiness & cure for insomnia

My First Attempt at Food Art with Homemade Light Whole Wheat Bread & Edamames

So sad T.T My 2nd attempt at baking a light whole wheat bread failed again. It turned out "flatter" & tasted more like kueh especially with it's texture. I won't be sharing the recipe of my bread till i get it right. Lucky for me, I've a rather supportive hubby! He ate 2 pieces for supper & commented that he still liked it.

Since it's still edible, I gave BB a bit to try to see if he would eat it. Surprisingly, he liked it too & kept going 'Mum-mum', asking for more. It was too late for me to make any jam to accompany the bread  as my boy is not exactly the patient sort to wait for it to be ready. I opened my fridge to see what I could find & saw that I still had some cream cheese left. In the end, I decided to try a cream cheese with honey spread (slightly soften 2 tbsps of cream cheese & mix well with 1/2 tsp of organic honey). 

I also used one of my new cookie cutters to cut out some small rabbits. Come to think of it, i still have an entire bag of kitchen accessories, mainly from Diaso, waiting for me to unpack. Bread, cookies,  seaweed & vegetables cutters, rice molds, food picks, food dividers, side dishes cups, silicon cups etc, loots accumulated over the months from countless visits to Diaso. It's high time I start putting them to good use.

Recalling that I've a pack of frozen edamames, an idea struck me. I could do a simple food art! I'm not exactly the artistic sort so don't expect anything too elaborate..lolz!

I call it ''Lil' rabbits hopping through the fields". How is it for a first attempt?

BB finished everything & asked for more so i added another portion of edamames. This is the third time he's having them. In fact, edamames were the first kind of table food he had outside. We were dining at a Japenese restaurant & he was kinda cranky after waking up from his nap. Remembering that edamames are pretty nutritious, I ordered a plate of unsalted ones for him. By the second time he ate them at another Japanese restaurant, he imitated us & was able to push the peas out of the pods by himself. However, he seemed to have forgotten all about it as he put the entire pod into his mouth when I handed him a pod today..hahaha! Upon eating the rest, he pointed to the bread & asked for more but I didn't accede to his request since he had just got well & shouldn't be overeating.

Edamames are here to stay for good in BB's list of healthy snacks. They are easy to prepare, simply by adding them into a bowl of boiling water for a couple of minutes, and they're ready to be served! Furthermore, it'll also help to improve his motor skills as he tries to get the peas out of their pods & subsequently picking them up as well. Lastly, it'll keep him entertained for a while as we R&R & enjoy a cuppa..hee ~_^

Homemade Honey Orange Creamsicles

I was searching for a suitable popsicle maker for BB & bought one from Daiso. On second thoughts however, I didn't feel very comfortable using it as the sticks were a bit too long & not BPA free. I guess we can use it for ourselves now till he's older.

Some mummies recommended the Munchkin Fresh Food Freezer Pops. I searched high & low for them but to no avail. In the end, another mummy shared that she found one at Cold Storage (Note: As it's hung randomly amongst the shelves, you would have to walk aisle by aisle to search for it or asking one of the staffs may be a more efficient way). This ring pop ice molds only cost $4.50 which is less than 25% of the one from Munchkin & it's BPA free too! Anyway, stocks for the Munchkin ones arrived after I've bought this so if you don't mind splurging a bit more, you can find them in Mothercare outlets.

As BB is still having intermittent fever, we decided to stay-in today so hubby packed food back for dinner. After dinner, I set to work immediately. First & foremost, I prepped the ingredients for a light wholemeal bread. It's still baking in my breadmaker now as I'm blogging. Hopefully it'll turn out well after the previous failed attempt (will share more in another post). After starting my breadmaker, I wasted no time to search for a suitable recipe in Pinterest & I found just the perfect one. Finally got the chance to use it after it has been sitting in my kitchen cabinet for months..hee ;)

Ingredients (yield 6):

1 big orange, juiced (it gave me about 1/2 cup of juice)

1/4 cup of Greek yogurt

1/4 cup of fresh milk

1 tsp of organic honey (can use 1/4 banana to sweeten too, especially for babies less than 1yo but I ran out of them so substituted with honey instead)

1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour everything into a big bowl & lightly whisk to mix everything together (If you're using bananas, blend everything, excluding yogurt, together before stirring the yogurt in & mix well. I prefer not to blend the yogurt as the heat may destroy some of its nutrients).

2. Fill the individual molds till almost full & cover with the ring pop sticks.

3. Transfer them into the freezer & freeze till the popsicles are set (I'm leaving mine overnight).

I tried the mixture & it was good. Drooling..can't wait to eat them tomorrow ;p' Although I'm pretty strict when it comes to food for BB, I don't want him to miss out on his childhood. No commercial ice creams that're typically loaded with lots of sugar, artificial flavourings & additives. Instead, he'll get to enjoy healthy yet yummy ones homemade with loads of T.L.C.!

Sweet Couscous for Breakfast

As promised, I tried out a sweet couscous for breakfast today. However, as BB developed a fever early this morning, he didn't get to try it. I've been taught by my parents since young to 'starve a fever' thus I would usually reduce the food intake while increasing the nursing frequencies or durations. He 'buffeted' as usual in the morning, only had a couple of mouthfuls of unsweetened green beans plus 1/3 bowl of the soup at my mum's place for brunch, nursed again after he woke up from his nap & had a double boiled pear as a light dinner. As per every night, he nursed before bedtime & knocked out by 9.30pm which is pretty early by his standard.

Ingredients (2 adults serving):

1/2 cup of organic couscous

1 cup of fresh milk

1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

A generous dash of cinnamon

Organic raisins

Almonds or walnuts (chop finely for toddlers but I left them whole since they were for hubby & me)

Directions:

1. Heat up the milk, vanilla & cinnamon in a pot. Let it come to a boil before adding the couscous. Simmer till the water has been absorbed by the couscous which should only take between 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Remove from heat & top with raisins & almonds or walnuts. Serve immediately.

The initial plan was to top with fresh mango chunks but my mango was still unripe after cutting it :( Since it was sourish & parts of it were kinda hard, I changed to raisins & nuts at the very last minute. Another fast, easy & healthy breakfast option for all you busy mummies ~.^

Moroccan-Spiced Beef Couscous, My Style!

Did you know that couscous is actually a pasta and not a grain? I didn't until I was researching for a suitable recipe for the recent packet that I had bought ;p Yes, it's actually made from semolina wheat. Even though couscous is not as nutritious as whole grains, it can still be included in your diet provided it doesn't take the place of grains. Without a doubt, it's here to stay in mine at least, especially given the fact that it takes almost no time in heading from the packaging to a delectably cooked meal on the table.

The list of ingredients for most of the recipes I found was pretty long & I've only got a few of them available, so I decided to just make do with what I could find in my kitchen. Thus, although mine is a simplified version, it actually turned out delicious!

Ingredients

1/4 cup of organic couscous

40g of organic beef

1 bay leaf

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/6 organic red capsicum, diced

A handful of frozen peas

A generous dash of cinnamon

A small dash of nutmeg

1 tsp of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO)

1/2 cup of water

Directions:

1. Heat up the EVCO in a pot. Add the bay leaf & garlic & fry till the garlic starts to brown. 

2. Add both the onion & capsicum & fry till almost tender then pour in the beef. Gently break up the beef with your spatula & fry till slightly brown.

3. Pour water in & let it come to a boil before adding the couscous followed by the peas. Simmer till the water has been absorbed by the couscous which should only take between 2 to 3 minutes & it's done! Remove bay leaf & serve warm.

Yes, it's that simple! Preparation & cooking only took me 15 minutes. After trying a mouthful, I almost couldn't believe that it tasted so good. I was so excited that I asked my hubby to give it a try too. Guess what he said? He asked me if I could cook it for him some time soon (~.^) This is such a quick-to-cook single dish meal which will be very ideal for most working mummies who want to prepare a healthy meal for their children but are yet pressed for time. Hmmm..an idea just came to me! Breakfast shall be sweet couscous tomorrow. So, stay tuned ;>

Oats Porridge with Mummy's Homemade Corn Soup

Today, I had the honour of learning one of our favourite soups from the culinary master in my family, who is none other than my mummy ;) My younger brother loves the corn soup from MOS Burger so my mummy tried to replicate it at home. It has since become a regular item on our dining table.

Ingredients (yield 4 bowls of soup):

4 cobs of corn (Tip from my mummy: choose the yellowest ones you can find as they'll be the sweetest.)

4 to 5 bowls of water, depending on the consistency you prefer

Salt (omitted for BB's portion)

Directions:

1. Grate the corns.

2. Add 2 bowls of water to the corn purée, mix well with hand then sieve into a pot.

3. Repeat the process till you get your desired thickness of soup.

4. Put the pot over a fire, stirring constantly to prevent the bottom from getting burnt. Bring to a boil while keeping a close watch as once it boils over the pot, it will all be gone in an instant! Look out for the rising soup level as it means that it's boiling (you don't really see a lot of bubbles unlike boiling water). Turn down the fire immediately to a simmer while stirring constantly (this is an important step as my mummy highlighted that the corn will separate from the water if you don't do this while boiling).

5. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add salt (optional) & serve warm.

The taste differs slightly from the original one at MOS Burger but I definitely prefer this with its natural sweetness & goodness in every drop! I used it as a soup base to cook oats for BB's lunch & it kinda reminds me of a plate of Italian risotto. I'll probably cook a thicker one as a pasta sauce the next time round.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of corn soup

4 tbsps of organic rolled oats

1 piece of grouper

1 big handful of Chinese spinach, chopped

Directions:

1. Add the fish into the simmering soup & cook for 10 minutes.

2. Remove fish to cool slightly & to check for bones. Add oats into the soup & cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Add in the Chinese spinach then cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Remove from fire, add in the flaked fish & mix well. Serve warm.

My mummy actually threw the corn residue away. However, I think it can be used as a filler for pancakes or muffins, etc. Definitely something worth trying out ~.<