TherMe: Pasta with Home-made Tomato Sauce

Adapted from the Tomato Sauce recipe in 'Thermomix The Basic Cook Book'

I've cooked the original tomato sauce as a base for pizzas numerous times & its delish! Was making another batch so decided to prep extra for our pasta dinner.

Ingredients (serves 1 toddler + 2 adults):

150g onions, peeled & halved

1 clove of garlic

60g of organic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1kg of fresh cherry tomatoes

1 1/4 tsp of dried basil 

1 1/4 tsp of organic raw sugar

1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan salt

250g of minced pork

150g (pre-cooked) of desired pasta, cooked to al-dente then rinse lightly with room temp water

50g of frozen organic peas

Directions:

1. Add in onions, garlic & EVOO into Thermomix mixing bowl then chop 5s / Speed 5 followed by sauté 7mins / 120°C / Speed 1.

2. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar & salt then chop 15s / Speed 5.

3. Cook 30mins / 100°C / Speed 2. Keep half for future usage (base for pizzas, vegs etc).

4. Pour in minced pork, cooked pasta & peas then cook 3mins / 100°C / Reverse / Speed 1.

For non-Thermomix readers, you can still tweak the prepaprtions by either chopping the ingredients manually or using a normal blender. Follow the steps but simmer over low heat in a wok or pot on the stove. Stir occasionally & when sauce has thickened, stir more frequently to prevent it from getting burnt.

It's been awhile since I cooked tomato-based pasta for BB so he kinda finished his portion in record time..lolz! A keeper for sure <3 

Before having my TherMe, I used to prep the pasta sauce in my Avent Steamer & Blender. Due to size constraints, I'm unable to do larger quantities. Furthermore, this definitely tastes more fragrant due to the sautéing of ingredients as compared to just plain steaming.

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 ~.<

Organic Penne in Creamy Pork with Portobello Mushrooms Sauce

After we came home from our second trip to the library today, I needed to whip up a quick luncheon & I knew just what to cook as I've been having this craving since the bottle of Bulla cream has been siitting in my fridge...hee! I had wanted to prepare this dish much earlier, however, due to unforseen circumstances (almost an entire pack of shiitake mushrooms turned mouldy), I wasn't able to cook it last week :(

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler & 1 adult):

100g of Alce Nero Organic Penne Rigate

100g of Australia corn fed minced pork

6 medium-sized portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 medium-sized purple onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

150ml of Bulla Thickened Cream (red label as shown in picture below)

100ml of pasta water

1 big handful of frozen peas

3 tbsps (sauce) + 1 tbsp (topping) of shredded organic cheddar cheese

Some freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil for pasta & cook in simmering water till it's almost cooked.

2. Simultaneously, heat up some EVOO in a pan then add garlic. When it starts to brown, add in the onion followed by mushrooms & black pepper then sauté till the mushrooms start to shrivel & 'sweat'. 

3. Add in the pork to stirfry then pour the cream & pasta water into the pan & mix well.

4. As soon as pasta is ready, add the pasta, peas & cheese to the pan. Toss around to evenly coat the pasta with the sauce & let it simmer a while for the pasta to absorb the goodness.

5. Top with more cheese & serve immediately.

Burp! Absolutely satisfying meal but super fattening. Well, I'm sure it's alright since we don't eat cream everyday, not even once a month in fact. &, I know most people would tell me that I can afford to put on some extra kilos..lolz! This is so good that I think I'm going to tweak the recipe slightly to make a creamy mushroom soup one of these days. Thus, do stay tuned & happie grubbing!

Beneficial Combinations:

Garlic + Onion = Detoxification & anti-cancer effects

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

Peas + Pork = Diuretic (promotes the production of urine), stop diarrhoea & aid digestion

Pepper + Pork = Favorable for digestion & absorption of nutrients

Hearty ABC Soup for Luncheon!

Nothing new to most people & loved by most, it comes as no surprise that this is a soup commonly served in my kitchen. Hence, I'd like to share this recipe for the benefit of either first-time mummies or mummies who are new to the entire cooking experience.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler + 1 adult):

2 pieces of probiotics fed chicken drumsticks

2 small carrots, sliced thinly

3 small organic potatoes, sliced thinly

1 handful of frozen peas

750ml of water

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil then add in carrots & potatoes. Simmer for 1 hour.

2. Add in the chicken & cook for another 1 hour.

3. 2 minutes before time is up, add in the peas. Serve warm.

I didn't serve this with rice as i know that my boy loves all the various ingredients & they would be pretty filling on their own. True enough, he finished everything to the last drop!

Beneficial Combination:

Carrot + Chicken = Promote the absorption & utilisation of protein

Buttered Prawn Bisque Couscous

As I was removing the prawns' heads & shells to prep for a prawn omelette, I noticed how fresh the heads were with their bright red roes. It would have been such a waste to throw them away & so I decided to keep them for subsequent use as a soup base. The following day, an idea came to me! I've always loved prawn or crab bisque so maybe I could try replicating them at home. It sounds complicated, right? But it's actually pretty easy peasy to prepare.

Ingredients (serve 1 toddler):

10 prawn heads

4 peeled prawns

1/4 cup of Origins organic couscous

1 cup of water

A handful of peas

2 stalks of organic leaf lettuces

1 tbsp of unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil & add in the prawn heads to cook for 15 minutes.

2. Pour in the prawns & cook till they start to turn red. Remove the prawn heads then add in couscous followed by lettuces & peas. Simmer till the water has been absorbed by the couscous which should only take between 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, stir in the butter then serve immediately. 

I tried a mouthful & it was yums! I must make a mental note to cook more for myself the next time round. Sinful but worth every bite of it ;P'

Beneficial Combination:

Peas + Prawn = Enhance body's immunity

Apple Porky Bone Soup

BB had been asking for apples recently as we hadn't been able to buy nice ones. When we finally laid our hands on a pack of fresh ones, I made up my mind to indulge him on 2 of his faves, apple & soup!

Ingredients (serve 2 adults & 1 toddler):

3 small organic apples, core removed & diced

12 dried red dates, seeds removed

3 litres of water

1 piece of small pork bone with meat

A small handful of Chinese almonds ('nan bei xing')

Directions:

1. Blanch the pork first by placing it in a pot with enough water to cover it. Bring the water to boil then remove from heat, drain & rinse.

2. Place all the ingredients into a big pot, bring to boil & simmer for 2 hours.

For lunch, I used the soup to cook a simple salmon with peas vermicelli.

Ingredients (serve 1 adult & 1 toddler):

1 litre of apple pork soup

1/4 pack (about 100g) of Origins brown rice vermicelli, soaked in water for 15 minutes

2 pieces of salmon

1 big handful of frozen peas

Directions:

1. Transfer pork soup to a small pot. Add in salmon & cook for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the thickness). Remove to cool & flake the salmon.

2. Add in vermicelli to warm up then peas to cook for 2 minutes. Top with salmon & serve warm.

Beneficial Combination:

Peas + Pork = Diuretic (promotes the production of urine), stop diarrhoea & aid digestion

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

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 ;>

Weaning from 6MO

The list of foods you can consider giving your 6MO baby is as follow:

Cereals - barley, oats, rice

Fruits - apple, apricot, avocado, banana, mango, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, prune & pumpkin

Vegetables- acorn / butternut squash, carrot, green beans, parsnip, peas, sweet potato & yellow squash / zucchini 

Dairy - plain whole milk yogurt

There's a new school of thought when it comes to weaning known as Baby Led Weaning or in short, BLW. I first saw it in practice when a girlfriend of mine gave her then 6MO gal a slice of apple to gnaw on. As the date drew nearer to the recommended weaning of 6MO for BB, I started doing more research online & I stumbled upon it again. Upon reading more about it, I decided to give it a try but decided to adopt a two-pronged approach. I would let BB explore & 'play' with his food but would feed him some purees if he still wanted more subsequently.

2 weeks before he turned 6MO, I started spoon-feeding him some breastmilk to test if he had lost his tongue-thrust reflex as well as to let him get used to drinking from a spoon. He showed more & more signs of readiness & with advices from some experienced mummies, I decided to start him off a few days short of him reaching 6MO.

His first encounter with solid food was actually avocado mixed with breastmilk. Avocado is one of the best food for babies as it has a high nutrient content & good fats too. I'm actually blessed as my boy turned out to be a food lover just like his parents & he accepted it readily. 

Ingredients:

1/2 of a ripe (brown & slightly soft when pressed) avocado, mashed

Breastmilk (or formula milk)

Directions:

1. Mix some milk bit by bit into the avocado till you get the desired consistency (mine was quite watery for the first try & I gradually thicken it for the next 3 days).

I also followed the 4 days rule when introducing every new food to check for any allergies & it always seemed like an eternity >.< For his first month on solids, I only managed to introduce 5 foods, namely avocado, butternut pumpkin, sweet potato, peas & oats, to him (partly he was unwell during the CNY period so I stopped his food intake temporarily & instead directly latched him throughout).

Ingredient & Direction:

A small piece of organic butternut pumpkin, diced & steamed by my Avent Combined Steamer & Blender.

(Note: easily squashed)

Ingredient & Direction:

A small Japanese sweet potato, cut into long strips, steamed & half blended by my Avent.

(Note: may be a bit dry so get ready some water to feed in between)

Ingredient & Direction:

A small handful of Watties frozen peas steamed & half blended by my Avent.

(Note: add a bit of room temperature water for it to be blended more smoothly)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp of blended organic rolled oats

1/4 cup of breast / formula milk or water

1/2 avocado, 1/4 sliced & 1/4 mashed

Directions:

1. Oats cooked as per normal. 

2. Add in mashed avocado, mix & serve warm.