When I started this blog, there were just two things in my mind – sharing kids-friendly recipes and inspiring parents to cook for their family. But never did I expect that one day it would also inspire my hubby to put on the apron. Although he has never cooked a single dish before (not even an egg), he can now easily whip up some simple and decent meals for the family by following my recipes! Finally, my man CAN COOK! Yay!

So far, my hubby has cooked many of my recipes. Amongst them, his favourite is Honey Balsamic Vinegar Chicken. Do you know it’s my favourite too? We both love cooking these baked chicken drumsticks, not only for the taste but because they are simply easy to prepare.

Today, I’m very excited to share with you another fuss-free and fail-proof baked chicken drumsticks recipe that I have cooked for many times recently.  The condiments and ingredients that I used for the marinade are commonly found in most households but when combining them together, it will surprise you with a very sophisticated taste which is neither too sweet nor too spicy, but incredibly finger lickin’ good!!

These drumsticks must be marinated in advance (preferably overnight) so that the flavour has enough time to work into the meat and add a lovely glaze. Then they will be put into the oven to bake till perfection. Voila! These juicy and tasty sticky drumsticks are yours to enjoy! The leftover sauce on the baking tray will be filtered, simmered till thicken and then poured over the drumsticks to give them a gorgeous gloss. This thickened sauce also goes well with pasta and noodles.

This dish is not just great to have as family weekend meal, but also perfect for party, potluck or outing. To all the mommies, if you want to give some bonding time for your hubby and kids in the kitchen, this dish is one meal that they will truly enjoy. (Psssst…this is how my hubby got hooked in cooking.)

>>> Get the recipe and step by step photos for STICKY CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Here’s a little update. My two recipes – Salmon Potato Fish Cakes and Chicken and Corn Patties were featured at Littlies Parenting Magazine April 2013 issue.

During school days, my son will usually have bread for breakfast. But on alternate days, he will have muesli cereals which I had bought from the supermarket. I thought this would be more convenient than making them from scratch. After all, there are so many brands to choose from. But now, I think otherwise after making my first granola.

Making your own version of granola is hassle-free, economical and most importantly nutritious. I’m sure that you will agree with me after learning how to make this basic granola adapted from Cannelle et Vanille. This recipe is very versatile. Having the same ratio for the ingredients, you can create whatever version you like. The idea is just endless. I am so happy to have discovered it as I was worried as to how to clear all the oats, nuts and seeds that I have brought back from Singapore during my recent move.

This granola is simply too nutritious, colourful and tasty for anyone to resist. It’s hardly sweet and has a blast of coconut fragrance. I used baby oats instead of rolled oats and it still turned out crisp and crunchy. If you’re an adventurous person, try to experiment by adding various spices such as cinnamon and black pepper as what Aoran of Cannelle et Vannille did. You may end up with more surprises. To enjoy this granola even more, you can serve it with fresh fruits over milk or yogurt, or even use it as topping for ice-cream. Having it as snack is a simple joy too!

–> Get the recipe and step by step photos for HOMEMADE GRANOLA at PAGE 2 BELOW.

“Kids love fast food” – that’s a common perception that I strongly disagree with. Given so many healthy choices around, do I have to introduce this unhealthy stuff to my son? No, of course I don’t. To set a good example to my son, my hubby and I have decided to stop eating fast food since we moved to Singapore five years ago. For that, my son also happily follows our footsteps. The only exception was that he had a KFC happy meal during his school field trip, which is pretty fine for him to enjoy this once-in-a-while treat. Even after that, he never requests to go to fast food restaurant. I’m really glad that he can understand and fully support our stand.

Although I dislike those deep-frying, unhealthy fast food, I do welcome the idea of creating healthy “fast food” for my family. These baked popcorn chickens are one low-in-fat “fast food” version that I can’t wait to share with you. We named it popcorn chicken because they resemble KFC popcorn chicken. How close they are to the real one, I will leave it to your own judgement.

These popcorn chickens are made of bite-sized chicken pieces. They are pounded and lightly marinated for a tender and tasty inside, and then breaded (or double-breaded) with cornflake crumbs, cheese and spices for more irresistible tasty and crispy crunch. The way to assemble them is extremely simple and straight forward, just like how I did for my oven baked fish fingers. You may get your kids to help out as this is such a fun and interesting baking activity. A great parent-and-child bonding too!

When served warm, these popcorn chickens are so moist, delicious and super crunchy. I have made them many times and they remain popular with my family. Served with dips, it makes a superb finger food for kids. They also make a good brunch for the whole family during weekends.

Get the recipe and step by step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Salmon provides us with an excellent source of omega-3. So, try using whichever cooking method you prefer to add this great brain food to your child’s diet once a week. If you have not succeeded in any of your previous attempts, perhaps give these salmon potato fish cakes a try. Who doesn’t like finger food, especially if they are BAKED not DEEP-FRIED?

In this recipe, fresh salmon is combined with mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, spring onion and onion to form 3cm cakes. These fish cakes are then flavoured with mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Egg is used as a binding agent while the crunchy panko coating adds extra textural contrast for the cakes.

Making these fish cakes is fairly simple and easy. But, cooking them is tricky and challenging, at least to me. In my first attempt, I pan-fried these fish cakes. They couldn’t hold their shapes well, and fell apart while flipping over. Prolonging the cooking time didn’t help the situation at all. Worst still, the fallen crumbs on the pan were burnt creating an oily smell in my entire kitchen. In the end, my hair and clothes smelled awful too! Agrrrrr!!! At that moment,  I felt so discouraged and almost wanted to give up. But, after a second thought, I didn’t. These fish cakes were actually very delicious and will be a pity if they were not given the little well-deserved highlight in my blog. Thus, I started to search for a rescue plan — a way that will bring more justice to their presentation before exposing them to the Internet”.

A couple of weeks later, armed with much determination, I made these fish cakes again. This time, with some twists in techniques. I chilled the mixture, shaped them into cakes and firmed them up in the freezer overnight. On the next day when cooking, I turned to the hassle-free baking method, and finished off with grilling. My cooking process went smoothly as planned. Voila! I did it! The result was very satisfactory!! The fish cakes were evenly cooked, nicely browned, crispy outside and creamy inside. Surprisingly, the crunchiness of the cakes still stayed even after an hour!

You can serve these fish cakes with dips (mayonnaise, tartar sauce, tomato ketchup, sweet chilli or any dip you prefer) alongside with some greens. Let me forewarn you. Whether adult or kid, these fish cakes are highly addictive. One can easily lose count of how many he has eaten, and it did happen to us! We just want MORE, MORE than our fair share. lol!

Since these fish cakes can be made ahead and refrigerated, they make an ideal family weekend brunch, a practical yet elegant finger food for party, or even as snack during outing. The idea is simply endless. No matter how, they surely make your bellies smile!

Go to PAGE 2 BELOW for Salmon Potato Cake Recipes and step-by-step tutorials.

One of the things I look forward to having coffee at Dome Cafe is not its coffee but the biscotti that is served together with it. This little treat compliments the coffee so well! I always wanted to grab hold of a packet to bring home. But, after seeing the price, I decided to give this homemade version a go. That’s when I realized how cheap, healthier and tastier they could be!! Moving forward, I can happily say bye-bye to all the tasteless and expensive biscotti sold at the stores.

Biscotti originates from Italy. It is baked twice; first in log shape and then as individual slices. This method will yield a dry and hard, yet crisp texture for the biscuit which allows them to be kept longer at room temperature.

Some biscotti contain oil, some not. This biscotti recipe I am sharing now is oil and butter free and uses egg as a binding agent. It’s definitely a healthier option compared to the other oil or butter rich baked goods. When mixing the ingredients, don’t be fret if you get a sticky dough. Rest assured that nothing goes wrong. Just dust your hands and the work top with more flours will make the dough more manageable.

Biscotti is as easy-to-make as other cookies. However, it may need slightly more time and extra steps to produce its unique  hard, dry and crisp texture. At the first baking, the biscotti log is baked using longer baking time to ensure it is well risen and firm but not hard. Then it is left to cool down so that it can be easily cut into thin and neat slices with the use of a serrated knife. The purpose of the second baking is to dry up the biscotti until it becomes crunchy but not overly browned. Both baking sessions are done under low baking temperature.

The biscotti is so full of flavour. Cranberry lends some natural sweetness and moisture to it. I love the combination of cranberry and pistachio as the pairing of red and green creates a cheerful and festive look for the biscotti. I think it makes a perfect gift for all occasions especially this coming Father’s Day.

Earlier on, I had tried an all-nuts combination with pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts, but i still prefer a mix of nuts and dried fruits. The latter is more moist and tastier. However, feel free to use any combination of your choice. If your child is not ready for nuts or is allergic to them, then you can opt for 100% dried fruits for this recipe. Whether dunking into hot beverage or eating it alone, this biscotti is definitely going to be my family’s favourite year round snack.

For a note, this biscotti may not be suitable for young toddlers. For older toddlers, dunk it into their milk or hot drink to soften it.

>> Get the recipe and step by step photo for Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Mini dollar pancakes are those small round pancakes with 3-4cm in diameter. My son was treated with these mini dollar pancakes by his 2nd aunt during our last trip to Penang. It was love at first bite for him. Ever since then, he kept reminding us of  his memorable food experience. Knowing that he loved these pancakes so much, I started my mini pancake experiment. After a few rounds of trial and errors, I finally found the secret to making perfect mini soft and fluffy pancakes! Yay! Regardless of  which pancake recipe you follow, place more emphasis on the technique as it helps to produce soft and fluffy pancake texture without having to add too much baking powder.

For these mini fluffy pancakes, I use a simple recipe that calls for all the basic ingredients. What makes it so unique is how the eggs are beaten. Eggs are first separated. Then the egg whites are whipped up to form peaks and folded into the batter. This method will help to create more air bubbles in the batter. When the batter is cooked, the pancakes will puff up magically. Being a person who always flunks science exams, this is indeed a great discovery for me. Hehe!

You may think making mini round or fun shaped pancakes is difficult. In actual fact, it’s not only easy but the most fun part of all in making pancakes. I learned a cool and neat trick on how to do it from this VIDEO. By pouring the batter into a refillable ketchup plastic bottle (refer to the photo in PAGE 2 BELOW), you can control the flow of your batter with ease when creating the size or shape of pancakes that you prefer. Why not get your kids involved and share the fun too? I’m sure they will be very proud to present you with their very own pancake creations. If you can’t find the ketchup bottle, you can also use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes. That’s what I did for the mini love shaped pancakes shown in the photo above.

To increase your success rates in making these mini pancakes, remember to apply the following three basic rules:

1. Use a good non-stick pan so the pancake can be loosen easily.
2. Make sure the pan is hot (but not smoking hot) before you put the batter – simply sprinkle a few drops of water onto the pan. If they sizzle away, the pan is hot and ready for use.
3. Set your heat to medium low.
4. Make sure the heat is well distributed so it will give your pancake a more even colour.

I had also included extra tips in my recipes at PAGE 2 BELOW.

These pancakes are perfect for both breakfast and tea time snack. You can serve them with your choice of topping and filling, be it sweet or savoury. I love to serve them with yogurts (sometimes sorbet or ice cream) and top with fresh fruits and roasted nuts. I hope this fun filled food experiment of mine will bring you and your kids much joy this September school holidays. Let’s get into action now!

Get the recipe and step by step tutorial for Mini Fluffy Pancakes at PAGE 2 BELOW.

What’s your favourite finger food? If I were to name one, it would be fish fingers (or fish sticks). Who doesn’t love fish fingers? Not even a picky eater.

Trust me! Making your own fish fingers from scratch is very easy and they taste absolutely delicious too. Besides, you have full control in the selection of the type of fish and seasoning. If you have 30 minutes or so to spare for cooking, then this recipe is something you shouldn’t miss. Undeniably, the classic deep-frying version offers the ultimate crispiness that neither the baking nor pan-frying versions can replace. But for my family’s overall wellness, I’m pretty satisfied with my baked/pan-fried version.

 (I love playing with food. Do you?)

I have a little confession to make here. This is one recipe that I had silently kept for the longest time (Yes, there is still a long list of other recipes as well. I blame my lazy bones for this procrastination.). Whenever I baked these fish fingers, they ended up pleasing my stomach first and made me quickly forget to share with you in my blog. Hmm! That’s so selfish of me. So, if you have tried it and liked it, I hope you would share it with others and don’t be like me.

These fish fingers, when served warm, are extremely irresistible – crunchy and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are so good that waiting for them to cool down is kind of mental torture. That’s the favourite comment my hubby loves to give before gobbling down his share (and more).

These fish fingers are perfect for the entire family. They can be eaten just about anytime and anywhere you like. For a healthy version of fast food experience, you can serve them with oven-baked potatoes wedges, peas or mixed vegetables, and don’t forget to go with some delicious dips like mayonnaise, tartar sauce, ketchup of chili sauce. Bon appetit!

A word of caution! We know that fish is a great source of lean protein but it also contains traces of mercury with varied degree.  So, pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children (under 6) must be very careful about the amount and types of fish they eat. There are four types of fish with high level of mercury that this group should not eat: sharks, swordfish, tilefish and King mackerel. For more reading references, please go through the following suggested links:

• Babycenter -  Should your kids eat fish? How they can avoid mercury and still get their omega-3s
• What to expect - Fish for toddlers
• US EPA -  What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish
• Momstatic – Wholesomebabyfood – Wholes Is Fish an Allergenic food for Babies and When Can Babies Eat Fish?
• Business Week -  Too Much Mercury in Canned Tuna – Or Is There?

It’s good to serve your toddlers with a variety of fish with low mercury contents two to three times a week, with quantity ranging from one to three ounces of fish per serving depending on your child’s age. For more info, please go to this LINK. Remember, if you are uncertain of the mercury content in any type of fish you plan to introduce to your toddlers, please consult your pediatrician beforehand. Better be safe than late!

Get the recipe and steps by steps photos for oven baked fish fingers at PAGE 2 BELOW.

The Christmas spirit is in the air! Can you feel it? I certainly do. I always enjoy the joyful atmosphere of Christmas even though I don’t celebrate the occasion. Seeing Christmas decorations, listening to Christmas songs and eating Christmas cookies really put me in a jolly holiday mood. With this festive vibe cheering everywhere, it makes me (ie this home chef) feel like cooking less and join in the fun instead. So, what could be better than cooking a simple, hassle-free recipe? One such recipe is the easy-to-make honey balsamic chicken drumsticks.

All it takes is to soak the chicken drumsticks in a spicy-sweet marinade for 20 minutes and then put them into the oven to bake. Easy-peasy, right? Honey, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar complement each other perfectly. With grated ginger and crushed garlic, it packs these drumnettes with flavour as well as adds a lovely glaze and stickiness to them, making this dish really finger-lick’g good!! I regret for not making enough to fill my bosses’ stomaches. Next time, I will definitely double the amount of drumnettes.

One thing worth mentioning about this recipe is that the basting method used which makes the chicken drumsticks extra juicy and succulent. Basting is a technique of brushing, spooning or pouring liquids over food, usually meat and poultry, as it cooks. It will keep the food moist, add colour and flavour of the food you are cooking. You can do basting with any tool you may have in your kitchen ranging from a simple spoon to a baster.

If you still have no idea what to cook for this Christmas, perhaps you can give this fail-proof recipe a try. It’s a yummy finger food for your little ones. Serving it with oven-baked fries and some fresh greens will make it a complete and wholesome meal for the family!

Let’s meet again after Christmas! Wishing you and your family a HAPPY and HEALTHY Christmas!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Honey Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks recipe………………….

Oat is among the most nutritious grain that one can introduce to a child’s diet. As it’s easily digestable, it’s good to get your child to start enjoying oats at an early age. What’s more when this grain is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, B-vitamins (thiamin), vitamin E, calcium, protein, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and phosphorus. Having a regular helping of oats can certainly bring substantial health benefits as well to both adults and children, such as

• Lowering cholesterol and helps in preventing heart disease
• Stabilising blood sugar level and lowering the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
• Reducing the risk of cancer with its phytochemicals (anti-cancer properties)
• Reducing the risk of asthma among children
• Relieving constipation
• Boosting the body’s immune system

Oats can be found in several forms, depending on the degree of processing they are subjected to.

Types of oats:

1. Whole oats – They have a harder outer hull that must be removed before it’s ready for consumption.
2. Oat groats – They are whole oat grains, with only the hard unpalatable outer hull removed, but the kernel outer bran layers are left intact. They need to be soaked, cooked a longer time (about 50 minutes) with more water.
3. Steel-cut oats – They are also known as “pinhead” oats. They are oat groats that have been chopped into small pieces through steel cutters. They are very nutritious. They take about 30 minutes to cook and require less water in preparation.
4. Rolled oats – They are steamed oat groats that have been flattened with a roller. They come in two distinct varieties. The first variety, also known as old fashioned oats (or jumbo), is made by first steaming the whole groat for a few minutes, thus partially cooking it, then passing it between rollers to flatten it out. The second variety, known as quick-cooking rolled oats, is made by putting steel-cut oats through the same process. Old fashioned oats may take approximately 15 minutes to cook whereas quick-cooking oats may take as little as 5.
5. Instant oats – They are made in a similar process to rolled quick-cooking oats, except that they are steamed longer, cut finely and rolled thinner. They are used for making “instant” porridge. They are less nutritious because they usually have sugar, salt or other flavourings added to them.
6. Oat flour – They are ground into a fine powder and available in three grades: coarse, medium and fine.

More reading references:

- The Cook’s Thesaurus
- Eat More Oats
- Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Who should avoid oats:

1. People who suffer from coeliac disease should avoid oats and other gluten grains such as wheat, rye and barley. (Note: Coeliac disease is also known as gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity.)
2. It is advisable to wait until your baby is at least 6 months of age before introducing oats as it is believed that oats may trigger off the risk of coeliac disease. Also, given that ANY food can potentially cause allergic reaction, it is wise to consult your child’s pediatrician if you want to introduce oats before your baby is 6 months old or your  family has a history of gluten intolerance.

Benefits of soaking oats

• Phytic acid is present in all wholegrains, including oats. While it is good to prevent cancer, it can also reduce mineral absorption like zinc and iron. By soaking, the amount of phytic acid is reduced so as to enable proper digestion and absorption of nutrients by the body.

How to include oats in your kid’s diet?

Althought oats are commonly used for boiling porridge and making muesli, you can also cook it in other interesting ways, like making muffins, granola bars, parfait and crumbles.

I must say I really adore this flapjack recipe very much as it is incredibly easy to make, and not to mention eggless, nut-free and wheat-free. (Note: Flapjack refers to an oat bar in British cuisine whereas it’s a thick pancake in US and Canada. Source: Wikipedia). It’s similar to ordinary granola bar except that it requires lesser ingredients and uses apple puree.

Fresh apples are cooked, pureed and then pressed through a sieve to squeeze out the excess juices. By doing so, the flapjack will not fall apart and is able to hold its shape when cooled. The pureed apple is then mixed with both oats and seeds to give it an overall chewy gooey texture. I use pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds  to provide the flapjack with extra goodness and a nutty flavour. Of course, you are free to substitute seeds with any dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries or blackberries.

Whatever variations you may come up with, the most important thing of all is that this slow energy releasing, high fiber oat bar keeps your children going on busy days. Hence, they are ideal to be packed into school lunch boxes or as snack. They taste really delish, moist, buttery and yet not overly sweet.  Kids will definitely love them. This includes my little boy. I just made some the other day and was amazed to see how fast they vanished from his lunch box.

For those who are concerned of choking hazards, serve the flapjack in a smaller bite size for younger kids.

>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Apple Flapjack Recipe……………………

My flat is a bit of mess now as it is the midst of a 10-days upgrading work to the toilets that is largely government-sponsored. For the entire period, both kitchen and toilets are off limit. So, no cooking and washing for me (Yay!), neither do I have any internet connection. As my wireless modem is obstructing the work, I can only plug on in the evening after the workers have left. What else can make things more miserable? I can’t switch on the air conditioning for the entire period, not even at night and have to rely on two portable fans to cool down and sleep. Thankfully, the weather has been kind as it rained and not overly humid so far during these few nights. We also need to share the use of common toilets with other residents. Wow!!! It has been ages since I last experienced this. This is also the time you get to know other people’s toilet training habits as well.

The first two days was absolute chaos. All the hacking and drilling works stirred up lots of dust that enveloped the entire apartment. And, not to mentioned having to endure the day-long rattling noise from the drill. I almost fainted from all the cleaning up at the end of the day. Despite all the inconveniences, I must give credit to whoever that came out with the idea of installing a mobile toilet cum bathroom (which comes with a heater as well) for the affected residents to use for “small private business” and a quick bath inside the flat. At least, it saves us the trouble of having to queue up at the temporary common toilets provided at the block void deck. You can see what I mean from the photos I posted below. It helps to ease some, only just some of the pain. We had already survived for seven days, and everything will be over soon. Even my son has been counting the days. For my readers, please bear with me if I’m slow in responding to your comments. I will get back to you whenever I get access to the internet.

(Left: Mobile toilet cum bathroom; right: common residents’ toilets)

(Construction workers start their morning routine by loosening the cement stuck to the bucket with a wooden stick. Their action created a very nice drumming rhythm.)

This post is centered on cauliflower, one of the most nutrient-rich vegetable that is said to have powerful anti-cancer properties. It is great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, potassium and dietary fiber. Unfortunately, as a child, cauliflower was the least favourite vegetable to me. So I was a bit apprehensive when I wanted to introduce this vegetable to my son. But over the years, the more I cooked cauliflower, the more I liked it. The reason being it is such a versatile vegetable in cooking. It can be pureed, steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, roasted, baked, or even eaten raw. Even though it doesn’t have much flavour when compared to broccoli, it can fit so well in most combinations, sauces or seasonings.

This casserole dish is a tasty way to introduce cauliflower to your fussy eater. The cauliflower blends perfectly with the rich and creamy cheese sauce, and comes with a crispy cheesy topping. To make this dish even more appealing to your kids, serve it in an individual portion. This dish is not only easy-to-make, but bursting with flavour and nutrients too! Your little tots will surely sink their teeth into this comforting dish.

Note:

1. Cauliflower and broccoli can cause gassy tummy. So nursing mothers and those with sensitive stomach should avoid or reduce the intake of these vegetables if you have a sensitive stomach. Cooking this vegetable reduces this effect.
2. Individuals with kidney problems or gout may want to limit or avoid intake of cauliflower as it contains purine. (Source: WHFoods)

Looking for more ideas to cook cauliflower?

- Cauliflower paratha
- Pumpkin and cauliflower skew
- Scrambled eggs with cauliflowers
- Lentil and vegetable curry

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for cauliflower cheese recipe…………..