Mince Meat & Vegetables Stir Fry with Rice

I am always looking for new recipes to cook for my boys. I have put myself in a mission to provide them with a healthier and nutritional diet. Well, hmmm it doesn't always go as planned, nothing does the moment you have kids, right.. :-)
Well, here is a homemade recipe for the kids. Don't think its entirely healthy but I am happy I can now say that my picky eater (E) has slowly accepted to include vegetables in his meal. Well not entirely but he doesnt seem to be complaining about it so much as before and he doesnt gag when he comes across something that he doesnt like ( usually vegetables) in his meal. So, thats good progress.
This is a simple and yummy ( I can assure you as I wanted to finish it myself) recipe. So here it goes:-

Ingredients

Home rendered lard ( or you can use your preferred oil) - for those who thinks lard is not healthy check out this link for starters and you will understand the many benefits of it http://empoweredsustenance.com/lard-is-healthy/
500g Chicken mince meat  ( your choice of meat)
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 small shallot (sliced)
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
Long beans ( cut small)
Carrot ( cut in small cubes)
Tofu ( cut in small rectangles or whichever shape you like)
Salt ( optional - I didn't use any)

Marinating sauce
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
a dash of white pepper
1 tsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of sesame oil

Method

1) Marinate the mince meat with the marinating sauce for about 10 mins.
2) Heat up the pan and add/pour in some lard or oil.
3) Once its hot, add in shallot and ginger garlic paste. Stir it until slightly brown.
4) Add in the marinated mince meat, and stir it around ( breaking up all the lumps with your ladle) for about 2 mins. Close the lid and leave it to cook for about 7 mins
5) Open the lid and add the turmeric powder. Stir the mince meat for a bit then add in the carrot, long beans & tofu. Also, add in 1/2 cup of water and stir to mix all up. Close the lid and let it cook for about 15 mins ( stir every now and then so it doesn't get stuck on the pan or get burnt)
6) Finally, add some salt if needed ( I didn't use any). Switch off the stove and serve this dish with warm steamed rice.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancake

My boys' favorite Sunday breakfast - Chocolate Chip Banana Pancake. Breakfast can go on and on if this was what they are having. I won't say its the easiest breakfast to whip up in the morning but my boys don't mind waiting for it to be ready :-) (Now, please don't suggest that I should wake up much earlier and prepare this on a SUNDAY… hehehehe that will never happen unless we are going somewhere ;-) )

The best part of this recipe is that it doesn't call for any additional sugar. The banana and the semi sweet chocolate chips makes the pancakes sweet enough that you won't even need the maple syrup to go with it. :-) Plus, you can get rid of ripe bananas easily instead of throwing it away.

So here it goes:-

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 brown-spotted bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1/4-1/2 cup of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Method

1) Preheat your pan just before cooking the pancakes.

2) Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

3) Whisk milk, egg, oil, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry, add bananas, and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. (1/2 cup will be very chocolatey, so add how many you want depending on how sweet you want the pancakes to be.)

4) Spray pan or griddle with cooking spray. Drop desired amount of pancake batter onto preheated griddle or pan. Cook until small bubbles form then flip until the bottom is a light golden brown

5) Serve plain or with maple syrup.

Enjoy!! :-)

Note: You can keep the leftover pancakes in the fridge and warm it up in the toaster the next morning for breakfast or kids' lunch box. 😊

Beet Root Pasta

The recent addiction in our household has been Beetroot. I never knew this vegetable is so yummy. I have never eaten before but now I am just so hooked on and look at the color of it. Its so beautiful :-) I love it. 

This little-god-given-natural-medicine is fully packed with good stuffs ( below is an excerpt from http://enrichingyourkid.blogspot.no/2009/09/health-benefits-of-beetroot.html):-

"Nutrients- The beetroot greens are rich in calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C. The beetroots are a very good source of fibre, manganese and potassium and an excellent source of folic acid. Both the greens and roots are a good source of phosphorous, magnesium, iron and Vitamin B6.

Blood Circulation-When you think beetroot, you think red - Blood red! Yes this vegetable can do wonders for your blood circulation. The presence of iron and magnesium helps in blood production, thus proving beneficial for aneamia. Research suggests that drinking 500ml of beetroot juice a day significantly lowers blood pressure. Researches found that the blood pressure was reduced in healthy volunteers within an hour of drinking the juice.
Bowel- The high fibre content in beetroot acts as a laxative and promotes bowel movement.Cardiovascular- The fibre again has cholestrol lowering capacities and keeps the heart in good condition.
Cancer- The pigment in beetroot increases cell levels and aids cell growth, thus working well in any degenerative disease like Cancer or Alzheimer.
Liver- The bioactive agent betaine in beetroot supports healthy liver function. The fats are broken down efficiently thus preventing fatigue and nausea.
Stamina- The nitrates present have shown to increase stamina. Studies have shown that consumption of beetroot have helped in performing better in physically strenuous excesses"

So do you want to cook a simple and yummy beetroot dish for your family/kids? This might be your best bet. BEET ROOT PASTA!!! :-) My kids loved it mainly because of its taste and look. They had no idea that it was vege. I don't mean to be sneaky but you know, some kids can be very picky especially mine :-). 

See BELOW for the RECIPE.

Ingredients

Pasta ( your choice of pasta; cooked)
1 Beetroot ( cubed and boiled in water till soft(cooked in 40 mins); blend with a little water till smooth)
Small cubed bacon (optional)
Small hotdogs (optional)
Pinch of Salt
Few dashes of onion powder
Few dashes of garlic powder
1Tbsp of Oil ( I have used homemade lard oil. It gives so much flavor to the dish)

Method

1) Heat up a pan on stove and pour in the oil. Then add in the bacon and hotdogs and lightly stir them till brownish.
2) Bring to low heat and add in the cooked pasta and the beetroot paste. Stir it well.
3) Add the salt, onion powder & garlic powder ( you can add more according to your taste). Stir well for 5 mins.
4) Switch off the stove. Pasta is ready to be served.
Optional step: You can add 1/2 cup of milk and then some shredded cheesy for a Cheesy Beetroot Pasta.

Enjoy!