Double-Boiled One Pot Beef Quinoa

My initial plan was to cook quinoa to be served with dishes. However, my boy is going through a phase whereby he is becoming more 'demanding'. For eg, he'll pull me to my armchair & ask me to "Sit, sit!" & then bring me a book to read to him. Thus, I'm always torn between spending more time in the kitchen or spending more quality time with him. Well, I guess I just have to try to be even more efficient in the kitchen & cook more "single pot" kinda meals moving forward. This actually only took me about 30 minutes to transform the raw ingredients into a cooked meal.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler + 1 adult):

5 tbsps of organic quinoa

100ml of water

100g of organic minced beef (may substitute with chicken or pork)

4 organic baby corns, diced

1 purple onion, diced

1/2 of an organic zucchini, diced

1/4 of an organic red capsicum, diced

1 tbsp of organic extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO)

Directions:

1. Soak the quinoa in water within a ceramic pot overnight to remove the phytic acid. Pour away the soaked water & rinse a couple of times before adding 100ml of water.

2. 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.

3. Bring water to boil, then let it simmer for 30 minutes (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).

4. While waiting for water to boil, I started dicing the ingredients & adding them to the ceramic pot when each individual ingredient is prepared. Corns, followed by onion & zucchini, with the capsicum last.

5. After 15 minutes, add the beef & capsicum into the ceramic pot & give it a good stir together with the rest of the ingredients.

6. Once the time is up (my induction cooker has a timer), pour the EVCO into the ceramic pot & mix well. Serve warm.

Omg! This was a real satisfying bowl of piping hot quinoa! Yes, I like mine piping hot..shiok ttm! Lots of sweetness from the beef & various vegetables as well as a light fragrant from the EVCO..definitely worth a thumbs up (^.~)b My boy finished his portion & even topped up 3 tbsps more. 

Beneficial Combinations:

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

Corn + Onion = Promote the production of body fluid & saliva to relieve thirst as well as lower lipids (fats in blood)

Pork + Zuchhini = Improve the immune system

Creamy Organic Beefy Pumpkin Baked Pasta with Asparagus

I remember one of the fave dishes which I liked to cook when we first moved in to our place was baked rice & pasta. However, it has never reappeared from my kitchen since then. Oh ya! The reason being that I had a bad encounter which kind of discouraged me from preparing it again. Due to wear & tear, my oven glove 'gave way'. As I was removing a casserole from my oven, I felt a sudden sharp stinging pain. The 'thinned' glove wasn't protecting me from the scalding hot casserole. Instanteously, my fingers succuumbed to the heat & I dropped it, only missing the oven door by inches. There it was, our dinner & my fave casserole shattered, on the floor. Somehow, from then on, I stopped making them. Today's the day to conquer my phobia & I am glad I did.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler + 1 adult):

100g of organic beef

100g of organic pumpkin, diced into big chunks

3 small purple onions

1 clove of garlic

3 stalks of thick asparagus, sliced

100g of organic pasta

1 tbsp of shredded organic cheddar cheese (exclude toppings for the pasta)

1 tbsp of shredded Parmesan cheese (exclude toppings for the pasta)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a pot of simmering water till just tender. Drain & leave aside.

2. Steam all the remaining ingredients, excluding the asparagus & cheeses, for 15 minutes (I'm using my Avent Combined Steamer & Blender).

3. Preheat oven to 200°C.

4. Once the 15 minutes is up, add the cheeses & blend to desired consistency. 

5. Pour over cooked pasta, add in the asparagus & mix well.

6. Transfer to ramekins then top generously with more of both cheeses (ratio of cheddar to parmesan is 1:4 as cheddar tends to be saltier).

7. Bake for 15 minutes or until top is golden. Scoop out & serve warm.

There's always a fail-proof way of knowing if my boy likes a particular dish - he'll ask for it the moment he has swallowed the previous mouthful. &, this beyond any doubt was one that he certainly enjoys..lolz! The sweet pumpkin sauce & the roasty fragrance from both the dual salty cheeses complemented each other well. Given a choice, I would have used mozzarella instead of cheddar but since it was an impromptu decision & I only had these 2 cheeses in my freezer, I just had to make do with them. Mmmm, imagine the cheese oozing in every mouthful...oooooh, NICE! Well, the mission during my next trip to the supermarket will definitely be to search for a healthy mozzarella ~.^

Beneficial Combinations:

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

Garlic + Onion = Detoxification & anti-cancer effects

My 3rd Variation of Mushroom Cheesy Sauce with Corn Fed Minced Pork

My mushroom cheesy sauce has indeed come a long way . . . evolving from the 2 main basic ingredients to 3, & now to this latest version which actually includes 4. I guess in this case, more is indeed better..lolz!

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

100g of Australian corn fed minced pork

2 big portobello mushrooms, torn into smaller chunks

50g of enoki mushrooms

1 medium-sized yellow onion, cut into quarters

1 clove of garlic

3 tbsps of organic cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing

10 stalks of organic French beans, diced

100g of edamame

1 cup of Alce Nero's Organic Vehicle Shapes Pasta

Directions:

1. Boil water then pour enough to cover the washed edamames to warm them up for 3 minutes. Cook pasta in the remaining simmering water till al dente. Drain & leave aside.

2. Steam the remaining ingredients, except French beans & cheeses, for 10 minutes (I'm using my Avent Combined Steamer & Blender).

3. Add in the French beans & steam for another 5 minutes. Remove the French beans, add in the cheddar cheese then blend to desired consistency. Pour over cooked pasta, top with Parmesan cheese & serve warm.

My boy was kinda excited as he ate his pasta today. Other than the improved taste, he was pretty fascinated with the new "Alce Nero's Organic Vehicle Shapes Pasta" as they're shaped as different vehicles which include cars, motorcycles, trucks, trains & aeroplanes. The added bonus was that it also came with a much lower price tag. NTUC outlets are selling 2 packs (250g per pack) for only $4.05. The Organic Dinos / Farm / Safari Kids Pastas which I used to buy cost $6.40 for a pack of 300g. I don't think I need to do the Math here for you to see that this is so much cheaper in comparison. One thing to note is that it's stated on the packaging that it's recommended for toddlers 24 months & above. Since I've even fed adults' organic fusiili to BB & he had no problem chewing those, I knew he would be able to chomp these down without difficulties too.

The other packet I bought was "Alce Nero's Organic Vegetable Alphabet Pasta" which comes in plain, spinach & tomato flavours. Similarly, it costs only a fraction of "Bellamy's Organic Vege Macaroni" ($6.95 for 175g) which I had been using. The only apparent "advantage" Bellamy has over Alce Nero is that it includes a beetroot flavour too.

Beneficial Combinations:

Garlic + Pork = Eliminate fatigue, improve attention & help enhance immunity

Garlic + Onion = Detoxication & anti-cancer effects

French Beans + Garlic = Sterilise & detoxify as well as improve the taste

Banana Organic Rolled Oats Porridge with Strawberries

Similar ingredients as yesterday's breakfast but just let your creative juice flow & it'll turn out differently ~.^

Ingredients (serve 2 adults + 1 toddler):

1/2 cup of organic rolled oats

2 cups of fresh milk / water

3 big bananas, slightly mashed

9 strawberries, sliced

1/4 tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Bring the milk / water to boil then add the oats in & cook for 3 minutes.

2. Add bananas & cinnamon in & cook for another 2 minutes. Top with strawberries & serve warm.

Yums!

Beneficial Combinations:

Banana + Milk = Improve the absorption of vitamin B12

Banana + Oats = Increase the levels of serotonin & improve sleep

Milk + Strawberry = Refreshing & thirst quenching

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

First Experience of Eating Rice with Dishes & Soup On-The-Go for BB

Till date, I usually prepare one dish meals for BB whenever we dine out. As I still had some leftover Organic Pumpkin & Red Dates Soup with Organic Beef Balls from luncheon, I decided to try packing a complete meal with rice, dishes & soup.

The following were cooked simultaneously in my Techno 3-Tiers Electric Steamer.

Organic 10 multi-grains: 3 level tbsps soak for more than 7 hours. Pour away the water, rinse the grains a couple of times then add in 50ml of water. Steam for 35 minutes.

Steamed probiotics fed minced chicken with portobello mushroom & organic French beans: Marinate 50g of chicken with 1/2 tsp of sesame oil & 1/2 tsp of Bob's Red Mill All Natural Cornstarch for at least 30 minutes. Dice 1 medium-sized portobello & 3 stalks of organic French beans & mix evenly into the chicken. Steam for 20 minutes.

Steamed threadfin with wolfberries: Marinate threadfin with some organic extra virgin coconut oil. Top with 1 tbsp of wolfberries & steam for 15 minutes.

To my parents-in-law surprise, BB finished all the rice, dishes & even ate up the beef balls & pumpkin in the soup. Yet, he still managed to drink up the entire bowl of soup after that (^.~)v

Organic Vege Macaroni in Organic Pumpkin & Red Dates Soup with Organic Beef Balls

Yet another addition of a simplicious soup recipe. I realised that one of the key factors to achieving a pot of good soup is, time. My mum has been following a Hong Kong cooking program recently & thus shared with me that time is of the essence, literally: it is recommended that double-boiled soups be brewed for 4 hours & 2 hours for brewing normal soups. I've put that to test & am pleased with the results so far. For working mummies who do not have the luxury of time, I'll strongly recommend that you invest in a slow cooker where you can throw in the ingredients before you go to work in the morning & come home to a pot of comforting soup. Alternatively, you can opt for a pressure cooker which will significantly reduce your cooking time (you may want to check out another mummy blogger's post on Buffalo Pressure Cooker Review).

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

200g organic pumpkin, cut into 1-inch chunks

10 red dates, seeds removed

1 litre of water

100g of organic minced beef

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of Bob's Red Mill All Natural Cornstarch

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup of Bellamy's Organic Vege Macaroni

Directions:

1. Marinate beef with sesame oil, cornstarch & pepper for at least 30 minutes.

2. Place pumpkin & dates into a big pot filled with water, bring to boil & simmer for 2 hours.

3. After 1 hour & 40 minutes, roll the beef into small balls & put into the soup.

4. Cook pasta in a pot of simmering water till al dente. Drain & leave aside.

5. Once the time is up, pour the soup over the pasta & serve warm.

This soup has a more subtle sweetness to it & a slight peppery taste from the marinated beef. But overall I still enjoy it. As for BB, he finished almost 2/3 of the macaroni, requested for more beef balls & red dates as well as his usual top up of another bowl of soup upon finishing his meal.

On a seperate note, while feeding him the dates from the papaya soup previously, I also taught him how to articulate the name of the fruit (as per our usually practice during mealtimes) which he mastered almost immediately. &, he actually still remembered it & kept saying dates to ask for more. 

His list of vocabulary now includes the following:

Papa, Mama (which means me & all his grandparents), GorGor, JieJie, DiDi, MeiMei, Uncle, Aunty, apple, nana = banana, tar tar = star, bird, ball, bus (corrected from butt & collectively means all vehicles to him), eyes, onion, girara = giraffe, an-mal = elephant, toup toup = soup, sit, bear, buckle, date, up & ABs = ABC.

Not only is he picking up more & more words recently, he seems to be able to pronounce after us in a much shorter time. Thus, don't despair if your lil' ones can't seem to do what you're teaching them now. Just keep repeating to them & you'll never know when they'll give you a pleasant surprise ~.^

Beneficial Combinations:

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

Pumpkin + Red date = Invigorating spleen & replenishing qi as well as restraining & inhibiting qi of lungs

Steamed Sweet Potatoes with Pear Puree

Due to the recent contamination of apples from US, some mummies have expressed their concerns & refrained from buying apples for now eventhough the AVA has commented that Singapore did not import the affected batches. Since I had just ran out of apples and there were some nice juicy pears sitting in my fridge, I decided to substitute the apples with pears for BB's fave puree.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult)

2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed

1 Asian pear, cubed

Directions:

1. Steam the sweet potatoes (I'm using my Avent Combined Steamer & Blender) for 10 minutes.

2. Add the pear & steam for another 5 minutes.

3. Blend & serve warm.

This combination is just as good as the apple version, if not, better! As pears tend to be juicier than apples, this purée has more moisture in it & is very sweet-tasting too.