Sauté Vegetables Oriental Style 脆脆炒杂菜

Some of my friends often complain that their kids do not like greens, so getting the little ones to complete his or her meal can be quite a challenge. Thank God I do not really have this problem with Ethan as he generally likes his veggies.

To spice up his liking for vegetables, I usually cook veggies that are crunchy and of contrasting colors so they are pleasant to the eyes. This tactic has worked well so far an I seldom have to force him to eat his veggies.

This is a quick dish that can be served for the entire family in under 20 minutes.

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 8 min
Serving for: 4 person

Ingredients:
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 thumsize ginger, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into long stripes
1/2 fresh carrots, cut into round shape
12 french beans, cleaned
1/2 cup fresh broccoli, cut length wise
1/2 cup cauliflower, cut length wise

For Flavoring:
1-2 table spoons of light soy sauce (reduce the usage of soy sauce if serving for young infant) 酱油
Few drops of worcestershire sauce （急汁）
Few drops of sesame oil （芝麻油）
A dash pepper (胡椒粉)


Step-by-Step Guides:

1. Heat up 1 spoonful of cooking oil in a wok, sauté the garlic and ginger till they turn light brown, add  all the veggies except french beans, stir fry the veggies for about a minute, then add light soy sauce and worcestershire sauce. 
2. Add 2 table spoon of water, spread out the veggies evenly then close the lid and let it shimmers for about 3 minutes.
3. Add french beans, mix well and shimmers the veggies with lid close for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, add a dash of pepper and a few drops of sesame oil before serving.

Useful Tips!

• French beans, broccoli and carrots are among the ideal finger food for baby to self feed, my 18 mo really enjoyed chewing these crunchy veggies and finished the entire bowl I served her. :) 
• Alternatively, you may use a kitchen scissor to cut the veggies into bite size to avoid chocking.
• Do not over cook your veggies or they will lose the crunchiness.
• You may include prawns or chicken strips (after 3rd step) into this dish for added flavor. I just like my greens, green. :)

The ingredients

Love the vibrant colors

Creamy Brocolli Bow Tie Pasta 蝴蝶结意粉

I was tempted to cook bow tie pasta for Ethan as it looks like a dish too cute to resist for little ones. Unfortunately most recipes I found are either pasta salad dish that is served cold or with thick cream which are not exactly to my liking. So I decided to try cooking it based on my style and I was glad that it turned out well. Little Ethan liked it. He gave a big "wow" when he took a first look at this pasta and he finished the entire serving without being asked. :)

Fact sharing: bow tie pasta is also known as Farfalle, which means butterflies in Italian. While it may comes in different sizes, the bow-tie shape is unmistakably adorable.

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serving for: 3 small eaters

Ingredients:
Ingredient (A):
1 1/2 cup bow tie pasta
1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredient (B):
2 clove garlics, chopped
1 cup broccolis, florets only
1 cup carrots, cut into cubes
1 cup sweet potatoes/pumpkins/bell peppers (contrasting color veggies), cut into cubes
2-4 table spoons of cream cheese, cut into cubes and leave at room temperature (adjust amount according to the level of creaminess you like)
Dash of Salt & pepper
1 table spoon of roasted pine nuts / pumpkin seeds (optional)

Ingredient (C) for pan fried dory fish:
(Skip this if you want a vegetarian version)
100gm dory fish fillet, defrost completely
Dash of Salt and pepper
1 tea spoon fresh or dried basil leaves
1 tea spoon of worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins)

Step-by-Step Guides:
1. Fill a pot with water and cook the bow tie pasta according to the suggested cooking time on the packaging (should be between 11-13min). Pour in pasta only when water boils, add a dash of salt. Once cooked, drain pasta with cold water and set aside.
2. Heat up 2 spoonful of olive oil in a frying pan, stir fry the garlic till it turns light brown, add in broccolis, carrots, sweet potatoes and 1/2 cup of water. Add dash of salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and let it shimmers for 5 minutes.
3. Toss in the cooked pasta and cream cheese, add 1/2 cup of water and stir until the pasta and cream cheese mix evenly.
4. Close the lid and let it shimmers for another 5 minutes or until the sauce thickened.

For Pan Fried Dory Fish
5. Pat dry the dory fish fillet to remove any excess water, coat the fillet evenly with all ingredient C.
6. heat up 2 table spoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan and pan fry both side of the fillet for 5 minutes each or until golden brown. Using a spatula, roughly divide the fillet into smaller cubes.
7. Toss the fillets into the pasta and roughly mix before serving. Add a few drops of lemon juice (optional).

To serve, sprinkle some pine nuts or pumpkin seeds on the pasta.

Useful Tips!
1. Run the boiled pasta under cold water so it will not be soggy when cook.
2. On normal days I would recommend adding prawns to this dish which I believe sweetness of the prawns will enhance the overall taste and appearance, however since I am allergic to crustaceans I have to give it a missed.
3. You may replace dory fillets with sausages if you are short of time. No marinating required, just cook the sausages together with the veggies in step #2.
4. If you are cooking for young toddler who doesn't have strong teeth yet, I'll suggest you to cook for a longer time till the Farfalle is really soft, it requires slightly longer cooking time compare to spaghetti or linguini.

The Farfalle Pasta

The ingredients.

This is the cream cheese I usually used for baking and cooking. Most cream cheese have a shelve life of 6 months so would recommend to buy 250gm package if you do not cook nor bake frequent. It is commonly available in most major supermarkets afterall.