Thanks to everyone for your heartfelt sweet words and kind concerns about my troubling right elbow. I promise more yummy posts to reward you after my full recovery. But meanwhile, I shouldn’t keep you waiting with an empty stomach, right? So, what’s up for lunch? I got some rather “sinful” fries ready for you today. Wanna try?

Potato is always kids’ “best friend” and among adults as well. It’s also one of the first few recommended baby foods during the early stage of weaning. So don’t be surprised if babies know how to utter “potato” first before “papa” or “mama”. Hahaha! Just kidding!  

Potato is so versatile in cooking that you can surely find a potato dish to placate your palate without much problem, even the pickiest eater. That’s the magic of potato! Although potato ia full of carbohydrates and calories, it is not totally bad for health. It does have plenty of healthy benefits if you opt for a healthy cooking option and eat it in moderation.

I have been experimenting oven baked potatoes using various recipes. It turned out that this featured recipe was given the highest rating by my two “bosses”. The original recipe has been modified to suit my family’s liking, like I didn’t add in minced garlic to toss and excluded the usage of cornstarch. This was because burnt garlic during baking gave the potato a bitter taste, while cornstarch a floury taste.

These seasoned fries are so flavourful! The garlic smell is not too overpowering (even with garlic infused oil and garlic powder) and blends so well with mild paprika powder and fresh ground black pepper. Leaving the potato skin intact gives these fries a crispy outer layer while the interior remains soft when done. When I first handed a piece to my son to try out , I was a bit worried that he would reject it as he generally dislikes food spiced with black pepper. Besides that, it’s my first attempt to include paprika in my cooking. Surprisingly, he gobbled it up immediately and kept requesting for more as the temptation for these “golden babies” was just too irresistible! (In actual fact, I ate more as I was addicted to these fries too! LOL!)

I love making these oven baked fries as I hate seeing oil splattering in my kitchen. Apart from that, they are incredibly easy to make! Don’t expect these baked fries to be a 100% substitute for the real French fries. But it’s definitely a healthier choice for those potato lovers who want to avoid deep-frying fries.

If you have to deal with picky eater who is a fan of potato, then you got to make this little treat once in a while to let him/her have a good impression about you, and from thereon slowly gain his/her acceptance to any new healthy food you want to introduce in future. This trick always works for me! Why not give it a try!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for OVEN BAKED FRIES RECIPE…………………………….

Recently, after hurting my right elbow, I was “forced” to cut down lots of my personal activities (blogging, baking and photo-shooting), except for cooking and routine housework. Felt like being handcuffed! Luckily it’s just a minor injury. Now I’m about 90% recovered and much of the inconveniences I had to put up with are nearly gone. Yay! Just can’t wait for full recovery and getting back to my regular activities.

While my readers in the northern hemisphere are enjoying their hot summer, the tropical climate in Singapore is getting unbearable of late. It’s not just hot, but highly humid as well that causes you to be sweaty and sticky. My tiny flat becomes hot and stuffy as evening approaches as sunlight beams directly into the living room. Oh gosh! My son and I felt like being “cooked” by the heat. Clearly, when it comes to cooking dinner, any dish that requires firing up the stove or heating up the oven is a no-no to me for now. I opt for steaming method instead. Less cooking, less washing and healthier too! If you browse through my “ALL RECIPES” page, you will find many healthy and delicious meals that you can easily whip up using steaming method.

Nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam) is a tuber, and a type of yam that can be cooked in ways similar to that for potato. Unlike potato, it has a very refreshing and less starchy taste. To the Japanese, it is even be eaten raw and grated, an exception to the rule that yam must be cooked before consumption. It is also referred as 淮山(huai san) or 山药(shan yao) and commonly used (in its dried form) for medical purposes in traditional Chinese medicine.

Nagaimo is low in calories, high in protein, and rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Apart from its nutritional value,  it is also known to reduce high blood pressure, regulate digestion and relieve fatigue. You can find nagaimo at the wet markets, supermarkets or Japanese specialty stores.  

When peeling or touching nagaimo, some people may experience itching due to allergic reaction. You can soothe the itching by applying lemon juice to the itching part or rinsing off the substance with diluted vinegar. To prevent itching, you can soak nagaimo in vinegar diluted water before cooking and wear a pair of kitchen gloves as further pre-caution.

Before that, I only used nagaimo to make soup such as fresh huai san soup and liu wei soup. It was a pleasant surprise to chance upon a steamed  nagaimo recipe from a cookbook. After some reseaches, I discovered that nagaimo is very versatile in its usage. It can be made into salad, entrees and even desserts. You will find the recipes from this link.

This is my first attempt pairing nagaimo with shrimp paste. Nagaimo yields a crunchy texture if steamed lightly, but turns softer and smoother when steamed over a longer period. During steaming, the juice flowing out of the marinated shrimp paste gets soaked up by nagaimo, thus adding extra flavour to its otherwise bland taste. This healthy yet tasty dish goes very well with rice. My hubby commented that it’s classy enough to be served as an entrée in a high-end restaurant or as finger food at dinner parties.  Hope your family will enjoy this dish. Happy trying!!

How to choose nagaimo:
- Choose fresh nagaimo that is thick, heavy and firm with few fibrous roots. The skin should be smooth and flawless (ie no bumps, bruises or discolouration.) (Source: click here)

Other reading references:
- Amori Nagaimo
- About Amori Nagaimo
- Nagaimo: The Wonderful Japanese Vegetable

>>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Nagaimo and shrimp paste recipe………

Have you heard of Konnyaku?

Konnyaku (蒟蒻) is also known as “konjac, konjaku, devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam”. (Can anyone tell why so many eerie nicknames? ). It is a natural food made from a type of mountain potato mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells.

It is a traditional Japanese health food and has been consumed for over 2000 years. It appears in many dishes in Japanese cuisine such as oden, sukiyaki and sashimi. Besides that, it is also widely used as a substitute for gelatin in making jelly dessert.

Konnyaku has no fat, low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Hence, it can bring us many excellent health benefits as below:
a)      normalize cholesterol level.
b)      control sugar level in blood for diabetes.
c)      prevent high blood pressure.
d)      clean toxin in the intestines and prevent intestinal cancer
e)      ideal for weight control as it expands in the digestive system and gives the feeling that the stomach is full.

Apart from its nutritional value, Konnyaku jelly yields a firmer and springier texture compared to normal jelly. Because of these two signature qualities, it caught on fast to become a popular household choice for healthy snack after it was first introduced to Singapore and Malaysia about one decade ago.

You can find Konnyaku jelly moulds of different types and shapes as shown in the photo below. As for preparing Konnyaku deserts, it’s idiot proof. You only need to follow the simple manufacturer’s instruction on the packaging of the Konnyaku powder, and adding on fresh or canned fruits of your own liking.  Properly supervised, even a kid can do it!

However, parents and caretakers should be aware that jelly products containing Konnyaku may pose choking hazards as it is extremely difficult to remove if it gets stuck down the throat. Thus, it is not suitable to serve children below 4 years old and the elderly. Even for older kids and adults alike, to prevent getting choked unnecessarily, it is recommended that the jelly be first cut or bite into smaller pieces and chewed properly before swallowing.  

I like to share this jelly desert recipe with you because it uses Konnyaku, a not-to-be missed super food. This recipe is also made mostly of fruits juice and fresh fruits. I only used a little bit of sugar for this recipe to suit my personal palate. You can adjust the amount according to your preference. It is also not necessarily to use any special Konnyaku jelly moulds to make these jellies. However, they are great for presenting attractive and cute looking jellies to your kids.

This homemade jelly may not be one of the healthiest snacks, but it is definitely a healthier version compared to those bought off the shelf in the store that comes with preservative and colouring additives. I bet this delicious jelly, when served chilled, would be a cool treat that can surely cheer your little ones up during this hot weather.

Suggested reading references for Konnyaku:
- http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html
- http://www.konnyaku.com/e_data/konnyaku.html

Konnyaku jelly cooking video clip by Phoon Huat:
- http://www.phoonhuat.com/special.htm

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Konnyaku jelly recipe………………………

Beside apples, oranges are the most common imported fruit that my mom usually used to buy for the family when I was a child. But, I disliked oranges then, as more often than not they weren’t sweet but rather sour. I thought I was the only one who had this bias against oranges until I discovered that my hubby also disliked oranges. Maybe, we might also have influenced our son who also didn’t show much interest eating this fruit. So much for parental influence! But, we knew that it’s a good source of vitamin C and need to change our mindset on oranges.

Luckily, I came to know an honest fruit seller at the nearby wet market. He would tell me if the oranges he was selling are sweet or otherwise. Not surprising, freshly cut orange has since become our number one choice as a thirst quencher. Our son, with parental influence and encouragement, has also learned to accept oranges as well. He can eat a few thinly sliced oranges without fuss, which is really a great improvement for him.

Now, getting back to this Middle Eastern inspired pilaf which I bookmarked from my son’s bi-monthly school magazine, I was intrigued by the use of orange zest and orange juice that give the dish a taste of “sunshine”. Infused with the scent of orange, the rice itself is so aromatic and flavourful. The black and golden raisins, as well as almond flakes used in the dish greatly compliment the basmathi rice. We love basmathi rice because of its fluffy and not starchy texture. All said, the combination of ingredients made the rice dish look so eye-pleasing and appetizing! Every time I cooked this orange pilaf, my husband and son would ask for an encore. In fact, I cooked it a couple of times during the recent June school holidays. My son enjoyed this rice dish so much that he didn’t mind to have it for lunch and dinner.

The recipe that you find in page 2 was modified to cater to my family’s taste buds. I substituted ground cinnamon with cinnamon stick, as well as reduced the quantity of cloves and cardamom pods used. I also didn’t crack the cardamom pods. By doing so, the smell and taste of these spices were not too overpowering and more kid-friendly. The addition of chicken meat and green peas made it a perfect one-dish meal for the family too. It can also be packed well into lunch boxes so your kids can have a delicious and healthy meal at school.

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for orange pilaf recipe ……………

My son loves a variety of fruits, be it sweet or slightly sour. Does that mean he is not picky about fruits? Not really. In fact, he can be outright picky. He clearly likes some (a lot) and dislikes many as well. One particular fruit that is near to the bottom of his preferred list is Chinese pear, especially when served as freshly cuts. He would only take one small bite and give me the standard “Mummy, I’m full” excuse. “Sweet talking” him to try a few more cuts didn’t work, and I have been scratching my head on how to entice him to like Chinese pear until I almost give up and hope for miracle.

Sometimes a better answer lies in approaching a problem indirectly, which brings me to try out this Chinese “osmanthus poached pear” sweet dessert soup. When I made it for the first time, to my surprise, my son finished an entire bowl of the soup including the poached Chinese pear!  He loved the soft and smooth texture of the poached pear just like the softened apple in his favourite apple soup. Don’t you think that kids’ taste bud is so unpredictable? Hmm! So, by thinking laterally, you don’t really need to wait for a miracle to happen. And, I was persistent enough to be answered.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, pear is capable to remove excess body heat, moisten throat and lungs, and help relieves cough and clear phlegm. Hence, you will find poaching or boiling pear soup quite common among Chinese households. But I find it interesting and unique to use dried osmanthus flowers (桂花) in poaching pears as these yellow tiny dried flowers are more commonly used to infuse tea and in making Chinese desserts (such as osmanthus jelly).

I find the overall taste of this sweet dessert soup incredibly fragrant with the infused scent of osmanthus in the poached pears and not overly sweet as well. I was totally enchanted by its sweet floral and apricot scent of osmanthus when sipping the soup. It’s very nutritious and healthy too.  You can serve it warm or chilled. Definitely a perfect choice of “cooling” dessert for this hot weather!

Apart from pear, the use of white fungus and Chinese almonds (both sweet and bitter almonds) can bring substantial benefits to our body too. White fungus can treat insomnia while Chinese almonds are good in treating cough and phlegm. If you want to know more about Chinese almonds and candied dates, please refer to this post and this post.

I had tried making it using both pot method and slow cooker method (yeah, that’s my cheater method!) as mentioned in my recipe. Both methods worked well for me. Taste-wise, the end result is the same. But I prefer the latter as it is easier and straight forward. So just let your reliable slow cooker do the job while you watch your World Cup worry-free!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for osmanthus poached pears recipe…………

My son was playfully nicknamed “Chapati” (Chapathi) by my Indian friend, Mrs R because of his chubby face. Hearing her constantly calling out for my son’s “nickname” has led me wanting to learn how to make chappati from her. After some discussions, she suggested teaching me her kid-friendly paratha instead.

So, you may ask what’s the difference between chappati and paratha. A check on Wikipedia revealed that chapati is a plain flatbread like Mexican tortilla, whereas paratha is a stuffed flatbread.

However, do not expect the paratha recipe featured here as authentic. Mrs R’s paratha is a simplified modified version created out of her 15 years of experience making her version of paratha for her family. The ingredients used in this recipe is based on Mrs R’s estimation. So you need to do some experiments when making them.

Today let me bring you to her kitchen to take a peek on how she makes her paratha. I always thought that making paratha at home would be difficult and time consuming. But after watching her making them, I realized that it is incredibly easy (and cheap) to make fresh, hot and nutritious parathas at home. All she did was mashed her cooked cauliflowers, and then kneaded it with flour before rolling them into a flat disc. According to her, this method produces paratha that has a smoother texture as compared to those original stuffed paratha without compromising the taste.

I love the way how she “sneaks” the vegetables into her parathas. It’s definitely a brilliant idea if you want your picky eaters to have some greens. The recipe is also very healthy as very little oil is used when pan-frying the paratha. Also, melted butter is used as a substitute for the greasy “ghee” commonly used in authentic paratha recipe as my Indian friend’s family members preferred the buttery taste of paratha. If you prefer a healthier choice, then you can use ghee or olive oil instead. Surprisingly, even though100% whole wheat flour (atta) is used to make the paratha, it’s texture is not hard at all, but a little bit chewy instead. As the recipe is without any Indian spices, I’m sure it will be well accepted by most toddlers. You can either eat it on its own or dip in any sauce or soup. It can even be used as a wrap like tortilla. Be creative and enjoy!

Update:
This post was featured in The Kitchn - Today’s Delicious Link (Top 4) 14 June 2010

>>> Click on PAGE 2 below for recipe and step by step photos for cauliflower paratha……………..

UPDATE:
Did you notice that Food For Tots had created a new fan page on Facebook to replace the old one? Please follow this new link if you wish to join me or reconnect with me on Facebook. Thanks for your continuing supports and hope to see you there!

Ever tried cooking a particular vegetable that your kid showed little or no interest in eating? If you did, would you give up after a few attempts? Then I urge you not to be discouraged as there is always a good chance of changing your little ones’ mind. You just have to be a bit creative in playing around with your cooking method and food presentation. That’s my little secret in tackling my son’s fussiness over certain vegetable that he dislikes initially.

By learning to cook a variety of non-Chinese cuisines, it opens up more cooking options to me. Take the example of eggplant (aubergine). When I first started cooking it using the common Chinese stir-fry method, my son only took a few bites. Then I discovered another method using Japanese seasoning. This time, he ate slightly more but didn’t give me that enthusiastic “Mommy, I want more!” look.

When I saw this Greek-inspired casserole dish (Moussaka) from Mitong’s blog (小小米桶的写食厨房), I felt confident that it was going to get my son’s taste buds excited as he never seem to ever get bored with bolognese sauce and cheese. The recipe shared a similarity to lasagna. The difference is layers of eggplants is used instead of layers of lasagna sheets. The dish is totally delicious and paired so well with pasta. You should see the speed in which my hubby and son walloped up the dish and pasta. By the time I finished my shooting, they had already cleaned up their plates. Yeah, we loved it very much. It was really a very satifying meal for my family. It looks like from hereon I will have no trouble clearing the eggplants in my fridge.

At first glance, the recipe looks complicated with its long list of steps. But, it’s a very versatile recipe. So, don’t be taken a back by it. It is actually very simple and involves only 3 basic steps: prepare ingredients (eggplants, sauce and cheese), assembly them in a casserole and bake. Get your little ones to help in the assembly process as it’s really fun and enjoyable!

This recipe guarantees zero leftover. The bolognese sauce is great for pasta dish. You can freeze any excess for later use. As for the eggplant and shredded cheese, you can turn them into a super easy side dish which is another hit in my family.

So next time if you have a little picky eater for eggplants at home, try this “never-fail” eggplant recipe. The result is definitely very rewarding. I bet your family will love it too.

>>>> Click on page 2 for recipe and step by step photo for baked eggplants with bolognese sauce….

>>>> Click on page 3 for recipe and step by step photo on how to make bolognese sauce…………..

Unlike adults, when babies and toddlers develop phlegm, it usually takes longer for them to clear it. One reason is they do not know how to split out the phlegm. Even my 5 year old son is still unable to do so even after teaching him how to do it. So far, he only managed to split out saliva, but not the phlegm. The only consolation is he knows how to clear his blocked nose.

I, like most parents, have been searching a remedy for clearing phlegm. Alas! I have yet to find the miracle remedy except to rely on medication prescribed by the pediatrician and avoid giving him certain known phlegm-inducing food like citrus fruit. I still believe the best remedy is to get adequate sleep and have a proper diet so as to boost our body’s immune system naturally. So far, I noticed this has helped my son to recover quickly.

Recently, I chanced upon this soup recipe from a Chinese soup recipe book which is said to be a remedy for those with a sore throat and lots of phlegm. It is written by Chiu Sang (赵生), a well known Hong Kong author, columnist, guest speaker and TV guest host relating to Chinese medicine.

Other benefits mentioned in the cookbook for this soup include helping in the strengthening of one’s spleen and throat, promote urination, clears excess body heat, ease mental stress, expel phlegm and stop coughing.

Below are the functions of each of the ingredients used in the soup:

• Green radish and carrot (青红萝卜) – clear heat, ease mental stress, promote urination and expel dampness.
• Bitter and sweet almonds (北南杏) – nourish the lungs, ease shortness of breath, expel phlegm and stop coughing.  (Note: These ingredients can be used in making apple soup)
• Candied dates (蜜枣) – nourish the body, cure asthenia, strengthen and energize the body

This soup is also very simple-to-made and tastes delicious. Hence, I love making this soup for my family. Just how effective this soup is in remedying cough and phlegm, I am not sure. But, no harm trying it out and judge it for yourself.

Wishing all parents in Singapore and Malaysia having a wonderful June holiday breaks!

>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for green radish and carrot soup recipe ……………

Recently, a close friend of mine asked me how I line a cake tin. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a million words. That gave me the idea of doing this tutorial post to share it with more people who are new in baking. These steps are neither new nor are any fancy tips, but just basic knowledge which I picked up from the cookbooks. So next time if you come across “grease the baking tin and line it with grease proof paper” in any recipes, you will know what to do.

Taking self-posing shots was real cool, but it was tiring too. First I had to set the self-timer on my camera and then quickly ran back to the table to pose for the shot. So this silly act was pretty comical. I looked like the Road Runner cartoon character rushing here and there, which caused me to perspire so much that my vision got blurred. I think I lost some calories as well. The good thing is I discovered the beauty of tripod and self-timer.

I hope you will enjoy reading this post even though it is not the usual recipe post in my food blog. For my faithful readers, please bear with me for this tutorial post. I will share with you more food recipes in my upcoming posts.

Updated on 22 May 2010:
If you bake your cake in any cupcake mould, muffin mould or pudding mould which does not require lining, then you can grease the mould, sieve flour on top and then dust off any excess flour. This will help you to turn the cake out easily after baking. (Tip provided by Chef Sam).

(A) HOW TO LINE A ROUND CAKE TIN

(B) HOW TO LINE A SQUARE CAKE TIN

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for detailed step by step instructions on how to line a round cake tin….

>>> Click on PAGE 3 BELOW for detailed step by step instructions on how to line a square cake tin…..

How many of you would think that good nutrition starts with a good nutritious breakfast? Definitely not me when I was staying on my own. I didn’t really put much effort to make sure I have a good breakfast. It was either getting a hefty breakfast or skipping one altogether. Back then, breakfast to me is the least important meal of the day. That was then. Ever since I became a mother and done a bit of research on child’s nutrition, I started appreciating the benefit of getting into the habit of eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast. It’s not just any breakfast it has to be a healthy and nutritious one. Nowadays I make sure my family gets a nutritious breakfast to start the day.

Like many of you, I have problem getting up early to prepare an elaborate breakfast, especially when I am still semi-conscious and my “engine” hasn’t warmed up yet. Thus, I only choose those healthy breakfast recipes that are quick and easy to prepare and still allow me ample time to enjoy the breakfast with my family. One of them is this strawberry crunch /strawberry yogurt parfait, which I will now share with you.

Photo taken by my hubby. Do you like it?

This strawberry crunch is not only super-healthy but also super-easy to make. It has the combination of nutritious ingredients such as yoghurt, fresh fruit, honey, oats and nuts, all of which are perfect selections for breakfast. Here are some healthy facts about this recipe:

• Yoghurt is a low-fat source of protein and calcium. It contains good bacteria that is good for your digestive system;
• Strawberries and orange juice are rich in vitamin C. Both are antioxidant rich fruit;
• Besides adding natural sweetness, honey is a healthy alternative to super-refined sugar.
• As for the toasted oats and seeds, it boosts the nutrient contents as well as provides a crunchy layer for this breakfast treat.

If you want to speed up your preparation in the morning, you can toast the oats and nuts over-night and store them in the fridge. Then you only need to assembly all the required ingredients during breakfast. Tada! The eye-pleasing strawberry crunch will be ready in seconds! Does this parfait look impressive enough to “wake you up”?

For a tasty twist, try swapping strawberries with any choice of your favourite fresh fruit such as kiwi fruit, bananas, mangoes, blueberries and peaches, or even a mixed combination of them. Do you know that you can also make some healthy snack bars by tweaking this recipe as what I did in my earlier post?

Strawberries from Korea. Aren’t they pretty?

On a separate note here, on 1st May 2010, Foodbuzz had launched a new section called Healthbuzz which features and promotes various health and nutrition-related content from across the community of Featured Publishers. This Health section has been sub-divided into 4 categories: diet and nutrition, fitness, recipes and specialty diet. I feel so excited that my application to become a Healthbuzz Contributing Editor has been accepted. For parents and caretakers, don’t miss out this May feature highlighting children’s health and nutrition. Hop over and check it out now!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for strawberry crunch recipe and step-by-step photos………………