Vegetables are good for health and should be an essential part of a well-balanced diet. Given the fact, parents should take the initiave to familiarize their children with different types of vegetables from young. Even if your children hate/ reject vegetable, do not stop offering it to them. As long as you continue trying, there is very good chance that they would eventually accept it.

Here are some tips that parents/ caregivers can use to encourage their children to eat more vegetables:

1. variation – do not restrict to only the type of vegetables that you favour or familiar with. Introduce a variety of vegetables include new vegetables from time to time.
2. colour – brighten up your meals with a combination of colourful vegetables. Vegetables of different colours are not only pleasing to the eyes but they also provide different nutrients.
3. cooking method – try different methods of cooking your vegetables such as steaming, baking, roasting, blanching or stir-frying.
4. combination – pair the vegetables with your children’s favourite food such as cheese or eggs.
5. quantity – serve vegetables in smaller portion so it looks more acceptable to those who dislike green. Once they can accept it, you can slowly increase the portion in their next meal.
6. emphasize its importance – educate your children about the health benefits of vegetables.
7. involvement – involve your children in buying, preparing and cooking vegetables.
8. set a good example – parents should eat vegetables in front of your children.
9. camouflage vegetables in food – this should only be used if all of the above mentioned methods fail.

During my generation, this long bean omelette dish was popular among kids. Most mothers or caregivers love to cook this classic dish because it’s so simple and easy to whip up. By pairing long beans with eggs, it makes a nutritious and delicious dish that can easily win over the heart of your little ones.

I had adapted and modified this recipe from Noobcook. Although this recipe may sound effortless to cook, getting a nice-looking omelette may be quite tricky for first timers. So, do hop over to PAGE 2 for more tips and step-by-steps photos.

If you have your children who are picky on greens or new to long bean, you can make it more palatable by reducing the amount of long beans used. If you do so, don’t forget to adjust the amount of seasonings accordingly. Besides serving with rice or congee, it also makes a good finger food by dipping with tomato ketchup. Another effective way to entice your child to try out this dish is to slice omelette into triangle shapes. My son was so fascinated when he first spotted it on the dining table and exclaimed, “Mama, I love your egg pizza!” With this wonderful compliment, I promised him that it would be a regular dish in our family meal.

Other omelette recipes:
- Simple omelette
- Ridge/sweet gourd with prawn omelette
- Silver fish omelette

To all the wonderful mothers (and mothers-to-be) in the world, HAVE A MEMORABLE AND ENJOYABLE  MOTHER’S DAY! KEEP UP YOUR GREAT JOB!

=> Get the recipe and step-by-step photos for Long Bean Omelette at PAGE 2 BELOW.

“Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”

Whether you are looking for a simple breakfast, a grab-n-go lunch or a light dinner, sandwich is a quick and easy solution. However, not all sandwiches are equally nutritious. Some are healthy but unappealing while some can be sinfully lip-smacking. Given the versatility in making sandwiches, parents can easily jazz them up with creative presentation and nutritious filings for their child. Here are a few creative ways I love to use:

• use cookies cutters to make sandwiches in difference shapes and sizes (eg, fancy sandwiches with sardine fillings)
• toast your bread to give it more crunchy bites.
• encourage your kid to eat wholegrain/ wholemeal bread by combining white bread with wholegrain/ wholemeal bread.
• instead of usual sandwich bread, choose from other bread variaties such as baguette, ciabatta, hot dog buns or seedy rolls. Pita and tortilla wraps are excellent choices too.

A few weeks ago, while both my son and I were browsing through a local magazine, a photo of Japanese egg salad sandwiches caught our attention instantly. They looked so appetizing and nutritious. Besides that, the preparation method sounded so unconventional as compared to those Western sandwiches we ate. So, I made some for my family’s breakfast during the recent long holiday weekend.

These Japanese-inspired sandwiches turned out to be so yummy!! I used whole-meal bread instead of white bread for more wholesome value but you can experiment with other bread varieties. Carrots and cucumbers had quite a bland taste on their own but when marinated they had a hint of sweet and sour flavour. The marinade also made both the crunchy carrots and cucumbers more tender and easy-to-chew by your little ones. By pairing with the egg-mayo mixture, these sandwiches were bursting with flavour and colour. We enjoyed these sandwiches very much. It was such a filing and satisfying breakfast to start our day.

These sandwiches are easy enough to reproduce at home so why not make it a parent-child project for this coming school holiday? I hope your kids will have great fun assembling these sandwiches. It’s also ideal for those who are looking for a meatless meal. If you make them for outings or as lunch in the office, pack the bread and other ingredients in separate containers or ziplock bags and assemble before eating. This will prevent your sandwiches from becoming soggy.

To all my readers, let me share some good news with you. Recently I was invited by Abbott Singapore to contribute my photos and recipes for their nutritional booklet and e-newsletter. Below are the two contributions I made for them:

• Mushroom soup photo featured in their Nepro “Nutritional Guide on Diet and Kidney disease” booklet which is available in selective renal clinics and dialysis centres in Singapore.

• Cherry yogurt popsicles and apple flapjacks recipes featured in Abbott Family Ties e-newsletter Nov/Dec issue.

For those who are new to my blog, you are welcome to join me at my Facebook fan page for more sharing and latest updates.

 

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Japanese egg salad sandwiches recipe……………..

Time flies. Tomorrow we bid farewell to Year 2009 and welcome Year 2010. Someone casually asked my opinion about the 2012 doomsday prediction. Well, my answer is whether it will come true or not, life still goes on. Why should I fear about it if I can choose to be presently happy. Be joyful and healthy, that’s my personal goal in life. It has been my New Year resolution for these years. What’s yours?

Since returning to Singapore a week ago, I has been busy cooking and baking in the kitchen. To occupy my son (who is still at home for the school holidays), I even got him to help out in the kitchen! We had so much fun making cheesy cookies (which will be featured in the next post) and baked potato with sausages. Do you know why my son is so keen to volunteer himself? That’s because he can act as a “food taster” and sample all my shredded cheese.

During my recent trip home to Penang, I discovered one quick and easy dish from my mother – fried eggs in tomato sauce. It was also one of my favourite dish since childhood. However, as a child, I do remember disliking the sight of chili shreds in this dish, and discard them immediately. Till now it is still a habit of mine even though eating chili itself is no longer an issue.

The simplicity of this home-cooked dish is what I like best. No secret or special method behind it’s cooking. It’s also the nostalgic feeling I get from the many fond memories the dish brings back to me. After sampling his grandma’s fried eggs in tomato sauce, my son has developed a love for it. So does my niece and nephew.

My mother learnt most of her cooking from my grandmother. That usually means no written recipe. Just from the words of mouth without any specific measurement for ingredients used. She cooks from past experiences. I’m so glad that she allowed me to “invade” her kitchen and jolt down the recipe for this dish to share with you. The ingredients and seasonings used are merely her estimation. You may need to adjust it according to your own preference. (P/S: Another recipe from my mother is grandma’s pancake.)

I must say that this is the simplest and quickest egg dish that I know so far. It’s definitely a great start-up dish for people who has never cooked before. A dish that can assure you to pass with flying colours! What else to wait? Get your ingredients and “wok” now!

>>> Click on page 2 below for recipe, more photos and steps-by-steps instructions………………………….

Some people avoid eggs because of its cholesterol content. However, one must also not forget that eggs also contain important nutritional contents like protein, iron, minerals and B vitamins. All you need to do is to plan your diet accordingly and be mindful of the cholesterol in egg and other food you eat every day. Limit your egg intake to 3-4 eggs per week. For me, it’s important to have everything in moderation for a healthy and balanced diet. Even good things can be bad if taken excessively.

On a separate note, eggs are highly allergenic food (particularly the egg whites) for baby below 1 year old. Thus, most pediatric resources recommend only egg yolk (fully cooked) for baby over 9 months old. For egg white, it can only be introduced to baby above 1 year old. If your family has a history of egg allergy,  it is best to introduce eggs in a baby’s diet until he/she turns one.

There are many different methods of cooking/baking with eggs. Omelette is certainly the most common dish served in each household. It was one of my childhood favourite dish. Whenever I smelled my mother’s freshly cooked omelette, I would secretly sneak into the kitchen and “steal” a few bites. Now, it’s also my son’s top favourite. He gets very excited when he sees omelette served during mealtime. He is adamant to his equal share of the omelette too!

This simple omelette dish I made is quite similar to the Chinese omelette we order in a Chinese restaurant called “Fu Rong Dan/ Fu Yong Tan” (芙蓉蛋). I adapted this recipe from Hawker’s Fair Simplified cookbook and modified it according to my family’s preference. Instead of shrimps and barbecue pork as the main ingredients, I had replaced it with vegetarian barbecue pork and added some capsicums to substitute the chili. Doesn’t it look colourful and appealing to whet your visual appetite?

>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW  for Simple Omelette Recipe……………….

Since we first met till we got married, I have yet to see my hubby choosing salad as the main course for his meal.  I also didn’t really put much effort to convince him to try. I blindly accept the fact that it is not so easy to change an adult’s eating habit as compared to a kid’s. Until recently. that was my perception. Well,  now he loves salad!

When I told him that I will feature my rainbow seafood pasta salad in my recipe column «亲子厨房» in Kwong Wah Yit Poh, he agreed whole-heartedly and showed his full support by raising both his hands. Mimicking his father, my son did the same (not sure he understand what he is showing support for).

But, before this, there must be a catalyst that brings about this change, as well as a story behind it.  Certainly, it was not the result of having a gun over his head. It was my homemade salad that did the trick.

It was in April, one day after a heavy breakfast, we didn’t have much appetite for lunch. The hot afternoon sun was warming up the house with debilitating heat. I was in no mood to face a steamy hot wok. So it gave me the opportunity to suggest having Chinese chicken salad for a light lunch. Much to my surprise, my hubby obliged without any complaint or grumbling. After trying out this salad, he gave me a thumb up, saying he liked it. He then agreed that eating salad is not as bad as he thinks. Besides, it also makes him feel healthier. It’s an ideal light meal on days when he had eaten too much “sinful” food. He also welcomed my idea of having more homemade salads for meals in future. I was secretly thrilled as I have always hoped he will get himself on the right track to a healthy lifestyle.

As for my son, ever since I introduced salad to him, he treats it as a “treasure chest”. The more he “digs”, the more “gems” he “finds”. He is thrilled by the find of raisins, seeds, tomato, sweet corns, cucumber, prawn, dressings…… Hehehe! It’s a joy to watch him eat his salad with such gusto!

This Chinese chicken salad recipe is adapted and modified from Steamy Kitchen. I had omitted the deep-fried wonton skins and mandarin oranges, and replaced with hard-boiled eggs, raisins, sweet corns and sunflower seeds. This appetizing salad dressing is also my all-time favourite.  Cling!!!!  Time for a healthy lunch!  Anyone interested to join me?

Servings: 2 -3 persons

Ingredients:
1 poached chicken breasts – poached according to note (1) below and shredded with your fingers
2 hard-boiled eggs - cut into small wedges
1/2 Japanese cucumber - sliced thinly
½ ear of 1 sweet corn – steamed or boiled, kernel removed from cob
Handful of snow peas (around 10) – sliced diagonally (can be eaten raw or blanched over hot water and used shocking method to retain it greenness)
A few leaves of baby butterheads (or any salad green of your preference) – leaves torn or shredded
Handful of pine nuts and sunflower seeds – raw or lightly toasted
Handful of black raisins

Salad dressing:
3 tbsp honey (I used no water added honey)
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp sesame oil
1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar/ rice vinegar （白米醋）
1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (for mixing in step 3) – optional

Methods:

1. Prepare the salad dressing. Whisk together the honey, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard until very smooth. Then whisk in the sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Cover with clip wrap and chill in the fridge.
2. Prepare all the ingredients.
3. Assemble the salad with all the ingredients. Drizzle on salad dressing. Alternatively, put all the ingredients in a salad bowl and mix with the salad dressing.

Notes:

1. How to poach chicken breast:
   Wash the chicken breast. Rinse and pat dry. In a medium pot, add the chicken breasts and fill with water or broth 1inch above the chicken. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher or sea salt to the water. Bring the pot to a boil and immediately turn the heat to low. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cover. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Save the poaching liquid for cooking or soup. Besides salad, this poached chicken breast can also use it for Chinese congee. Just add it in when the congee is ready.
2. You can also substitute poached chicken breast with store-bought roasted chicken. For vegetarians, substitute with tofu (pan-fried).
3. To make the baby butterhead/ salad green cruncier, soak it in an icy water for 5 minutes and then drain.

 

Have you tried eating brown beehoon (brown rice vermicelli) before? If this is the first time you come across it, don’t be taken aback with the word “brown” and associate it with brown rice or whole wheat noodles. The one that I tried is totally different in term of flavor and texture. It is a product of Thailand (Star Lion brand – see photo below) which I bought from my local supermarket. I stir-fried this beehoon by adapting and modifying recipes from my early post (no-frying noodles) and Hawker’s Fair – Best of all time favourites (Fried meehoon Singapore style). This one-meal noodle dish is not only healthy, it is also fantastically delicious! If you are craving for rice vermicelli next time, give this recipe a try.

Served: 4 – 5

Ingredients:
80g brown rice beehoon (rice vermicelli) – soaked with tap water until soft and drained
20g glass noodles (dong fen) – soaked with tap water until soft and drained
(The ratio for these 2 noodles is varied subject to personal preference.)
3 nos fresh mushrooms (about 50g) – julienne
(* For  fresh ones, blanch over hot water.)
(* For  dried ones, soaked with water, dash of sugar and oil; retain the water for stir-fry.)
30g carrots – julienne
80g cabbage – julienne
1 medium-sized red onion (60g) – sliced thinly
80g chicken breast meat – julienne
(* marinated with light soya sauce, sugar and cornflour for at least half an hour.)
1 egg – beaten, fried and shredded
1 lime (for garnishing) – optional

Seasonings:
2 tbsp tomato sauce/ ketchup
3 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp chili sauce (Add more if you like spicy food)
½ tsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp sugar
50ml water
Dash of pepper and sesame oil

Methods (AMC method):

1. Heat up wok with oil, sauté onion until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.
2. Heat up wok with oil, stir-fry chicken until fragrant. Set aside.
3. Heat up wok with oil, fry egg and shred thinly. Set aside.
4. Put 1 tbsp oil (preferable fried shallot or garlic oil) on the AMC wok.
5. Spread evenly cabbages, carrots, mushrooms, onion and both types of noodles (beehoon & dong fen)
6. Pour over the seasonings on the ingredients.
7. Cover the lid and cook under medium heat until the AMC timer indicates 1 o’clock.
8. Open the lid and toss the ingredients until it is well-combined.
9. Cover the lid and let it cook until the timer shows 1 o’clock again.
10. Off the heat and wait until the timer returns to 12 o’clock.
11. Add in shredded eggs and squeeze some lime juice over it.

Methods (normal method)

1. Heat up 3 tbsp oil, add in soaked and drained beehoon and pan-fry it until golden brown and aromatic. Blanched (烫一烫) it in hot water for a short while (1-2 seconds). Dish and drain.
2. Heat up 2 tbsp oil,  sauté onion until fragrant and golden brown.
3. Add in all ingredients and stir-fry until fragrant. Add in beehoon, seasonings and stir-fry until it is well mixed. Dish up.
4. Add in shredded eggs and squeeze some lime juice over it.

*Note:  Alternative, beehoon may be soaked with water till soft but the pan-fried beehoon will yield more aromatic flavour.

I am submitting this dish to Presto Pasta Night,  founded by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast, and hosted by Kitchenetta of  Got No Milk this week.

Have you seen a TVB Hong Kong cooking show called “SO FAR 苏 GOOD”? It is hosted by Susie Wong (苏施王). I love watching her show as she is straight-to-point, sprinkled with lots of typical Hong Kong humour.

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized eggs
2 medium-sized tomatoes (I replaced with 1 tomato and some canned diced tomatoes)
1 medium sized onion (chopped)

Seasonings:
Tomato ketchup
Light soya sauce
Sugar
Pepper
Cornflour (mixed with water)

Methods:
Group (A)
1) Boil water (volume should be enough to cover the tomatoes). Remove the stems of the tomatoes. Use the tip of a knife to cut a very shallow “X” on the bottom of the tomato. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water. Keeping them in for just 30 secs and taking them out quickly. Once the tomatoes get cooled, peel off the skin with your hands and dice.
2) Heat up wok with oil. Sauté onion until fragrant.
3) Add in diced tomatoes and simmer until they turn mushy.
4) Add in tomato ketchup (according to your personal preference). Start with 2 tbsp.
5) If it is too sour, add dash of sugar. If it is too sweet, add dash of light soya sauce.
6) If the tomato gravy is too dry, add dash of water.
7) Thicken with cornflour solution. Dish up and set aside.

Group B
1) Separate egg whites and egg yolks.
2) Beat egg yolks. Add in light soya sauce (salt should not be used) and pepper.
3) Mix with some cornflour solution to produce a fluffy texture. (I learnt this tip from a cookbook).
4) Combine with egg whites and stir until it is well-combined. Do not beat the egg whites.
5) Heat up wok with oil under high heat. When the oil is hot, pour in the egg mixture. (The egg mixture will not stick to the wok if the oil is hot enough). Stir quickly until the eggs are firm and set. Dish up and pour over group A. Use a spoon to mix well the scrambled eggs and tomatoes. Serve.

Since we are still in Chinese New Year celebration mood, which last for 15 days, I like to name this dish as “黄金满屋，鸿运当头”(House gets laden with gold, prosperity has arrived)! This auspicious name is derived from the colour combination of this dish. Yellow (egg) signifies gold and red (tomato) signifies prosperity. If that sounds auspicious to you, why wait? Try it out.

During our childhood days, this pancake was made from the leftover batter used for french toast or pan-fried nian gao (Chinese New Year glutinous rice cake). It was always a hit in the family. Due to the limited supply, we always walloped the pancake first even though it was still hot from the pan.

Nowadays, it has become a hit to all my nieces and nephews too. For those who are staying overseas, my mother will definitely prepare a batch of pancakes specially for them upon their arrival or departure.

Previously, my son always rejected cauliflowers but I managed to “convince & confuse” him with this recipe. Since then, he can easily accept cauliflower in other cooking methods. Sounds like “Crouching tiger, hidden dragon” as described by my foodie friend? In fact, this is the most effective way to coax a child to eat certain vegetables. This recipe is adapted and modified from Special Quick & Delicious Vegetable Cookbook.

Ingredients:
70g chicken thigh/ breast – shredded and marinated with light soya sauce, sugar and cornflour.
170g cauliflower – cut into small pieces and blanched
35g carrot – shredded
½ potato – boiled and diced (optional – This is the leftover from my pumpkin soup)
½ red onion – sliced
2 eggs – mixed with pinch of salt and pepper and beaten lightly

Note: You can subsitute chicken with fresh prawn or 2 tbsp dried shrimp .

Seasonings:
1 tbsp – oyster sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce – 1 tsp
Dash of pepper

Methods:
1) Heat up oil and stir-fry chicken until cooked. Dish up and set aside.
2) Add in onion and sauté until fragrant.
3) Add in carrot and stir-fry. Add in cauliflower, potato, cooked chicken and seasoning, and mix well. If it is too dry, add in 1-2 tbsp water.
4) Add in eggs. Stir fry until the eggs are cooked. Dish up and serve.

This dish paired well with rice and pumpkin soup. My son loved the combination so much that he can gooble up his meals super duper fast on that day. This soup recipe is slightly different from my original pumpkin soup as I used lesser water (enough to cover all the ingredients for simmering) and replaced fresh milk with thickening cream.

For dinner, I made teriyaki chicken skew. Fingers lickin’ good!

(Did u notice something is missing from the first bamboo stick? Guess who’s the culprit?………..Both my son and I! Shhhhh…….. We just couldn’t resist the temptation to grab a bite. Hehehe!)

If you are looking for recipes to coax your kid to eat vegetables, I strongly recommend these recipes:
- zucchini cakes
- simplified “kwai fa chee”
- ridge or sweet gourd with prawn omelette
- spaghetti bolognese

As mentioned in my early post, when I first made zucchini cakes, I didn’t have a large zucchini so it didn’t turn out close to the original recipe I followed. This round, with a large zucchini on hand and adding 1 extra egg, I made a revisit to this recipe. For recipe, please refer to here.

If you have a picky eater who refuses to eat vegetables, give it a try. But remember to control the amount of salt you add as the cheese is quite salty.