Super Dessert for Babies: Cranberry & Raisins Rice Pudding

The boy gobbled down today's meal so quickly that I knew I had another winner on hand.

Since he had a nice bowl for dinner shortly ago, I thought I will make him dessert instead. It smelt so nice that I tasted it myself. Pass on adult's palate too. Ha. He ate the first serving fast and asked for more, so this mother gladly fed him 10 tablespoons of this nutritionally and calories dense meal. And he had another 2 tablespoons (estimate) of raw blueberries.

Ingredients:
1. Organic cranberry: is incredibly high in phytonutrients, antioxidants, anti carcinogenic, optimises the balance of bacteria in our digestive tract. Likely blueberry, cranberry is low allergenic and suitable for babies.
2. Organic Raisins: amazingly high in calories,raisins also provide relief from constipation, electrolytes and polyphenolic antioxidants.
3. Baby Nat basic rice cereal
4. Organic raw wheat germ: should be used more often in our meals. Raw wheat germ is the most vitamin and mineral-rich part of the wheat kernel.
5. Water

Instructions:
1. Blitz raisins and cranberries till it is paste like
2. Add rice ceral, wheat gèrm and water. Add water and stir to delight.

Super Immune Pesto Chicken Pasta

My 3 year old and husband ate tonight's dinner so quickly I knew I have a winner on hand.

Ingredients:
Free range chicken breast, diced
Spinach
Garlic, one whole head
White sesame seeds (I happen to have this at home, would have loved pine nuts)
Lemon Balm (home grown, great for sore throat and cognitive development)
Lemon Thyme (home grown)
English parsley (home grown, super food, best known for its healing property)
Sage (home grown, immune booster)
Teddy bear pasta
Olive oil
Kelp powder
Sea salt
Cottage cheese (optional)

Instructions:
1. Boil pasta. Probably takes 8-10 mins.
2. Blend spinach (90%), herbs (10%), handful of sesame seeds, head of peeled garlic and olive oil.
3. Heat some olive oil in pan. Fry diced chicken breast.
4. When chicken is almost fully cooked, add in blended vegetables puree. Stir for 10 mins or till chicken is thoroughly cooked.
5. Stir in pasta. Season with organic kelp and sea salt.
6. Add cottage cheese if desired. Gives the extra calcium. My girl is a cheese monster and expects cheese with her pasta.

Total time: 20 mins

Baby friendly Ngau Nam Mein (Beef Brisket Noodles)

Are there times when you don't know what to cook for the family? I was feeling that with the baby today.

Since we are serving organic beef in school today and I thought I will give the same protein to the baby.

I have been missing life in Hong Kong and then inspiration hits me.

I whipped up this dish for the little boss - Baby Ngau Nam Mein.

Ingredients:
Radiant organic millet noodles
Organic beef
Steamed cauliflower
Puree of apple, blueberry and guava

Instructions:
1. Boil organic millet noodles which tasted like kuey teow. Cut to desired size.
2. Boil beef till well done, dice fine
3. Steam cauliflower, apple, blueberry, guava. Blend the latter three so they make a nice sweet gravy.
4. Serve all together.

The baby approved and ate about 5 oz easily. And I am a happy mommy. :)

Cannellini and Sunflower seeds Pie

Just baked this pie in school and it was satisfying to hear the children chorus 'I want more I want more'.

Today's snack is low gluten (mainly because I didnt use GF oatmeal), egg free, dairy free and highly nutritious.

Cannellini beans is high in protein and iron, boosts memory and is great for a growing young child. It is buttery in taste and great for adding a nutty creamy texture to the dish.

Sunflower seeds is rich in vitamin Bs, E, calcium and calories. So it is great for sustaining the energy of our active little ones.

Ingredients:
1 cup Tapioca flour
1 cup Potato flour
1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Cannellini beans (partially mashed to retain texture)
1/3 cup Sunflower seeds
Baking powder
1/3 cup soaked chia seeds (to replace eggs)
2/3 cup Olive oil

Instructions:
Bake at 160 degrees celsius for 25 mins.

Shredded Pork Oats Noodles with Avocado & VCO sauce

My two children are blessed with incredibly high metabolism. It's particularly apparent in my baby.

He was born as a chubby baby of 4.1 kg (96%) and 54.5 cm (100%). He shed the fat quite quickly, despite me having more than ample milk supply.

We checked in with his paed periodically and verified there was nothing really wrong. In fact, he was ahead in his milestones. I expressed once and found I could express 3 oz easily after nursing him. Milk looked normal with acceptable level of fat. He nurses direct 10-13 times daily and I think it is fair to estimate a daily milk in take of 30-39 oz, with 32 oz daily as a recommended average.

Then the only logical left is his high latent metabolism fueled by the fact he is very active.

This is where it gets contentious. Some parents would say, "my child is slim because he is active" and leaves it as that. I am of the school of thought that if a child has a higher base metabolism, then for each activitity he does, he would burn more calories. Now coupled with the fact that he is more active than the next child, doesn't this child need a higher calories count per day to survive? In order to gain weight, this child will need to consume more calories than his body daily requirement.

My objective is less of getting my children to gain weight. My objective is that I am feeding my child as much as he needs to grow optimally. I want my child to realise his potential. 

Now the usual approach to baby weaning has been the nutrition / puree approach. However, comparing like for like of an apple versus rice, the former contains less calories. The puree approach using fruits is also more likely to create sugar high and low in babies. Therefore, our mothers and grandmothers were doing something right after all with the porridge base approach to baby weaning!

The meals I designed and prepared for my own baby, babies and bigger kids in school tend to be carbohydrates and good fat based. Over 50% of a child's calories should come from carbohydrates.

Tonight's dinner for my 9 month old baby is organic oats noodles (egg free), boiled shredded pork, a chunky avocado, VCO and Singo pear puree as sauce. High in calories, fat and iron. The baby gave his stamp of approval and ate really quickly.

Dessert was Australian mango (diced) and egg free white bread (1.5 slices). Then he nursed and slept. His hearty appetite made my day in a way I guess most mommies can relate to.

Avocado, Chicken, Potato: Baby version of a club sandwich

The baby loved what I prepared for him today and so I thought, best jot it down so I can make again. Haha.

Poached and diced chicken, chunky boiled pink potato without skin, avocado, steamed pumpkin, with blended green peas and brown rice. And a dash of VCO.

High in calories, good fat, diverse range of vitamins.

He ate 10-11 tablespoons eagerly. I am a happy mommy.

15 mins Immune Boosting soup

The husband came home from work feeling under the weather. It appears to be viral, considering the symptoms came on quickly. His head feels woozy, congestion builds up quickly and I know just the thing to whip up for tonight's dinner.

Soupy stuff is great when you are under the weather and your digestive system starts slowing. Plus it hydrates the body when your body has to work harder to get you better. Loaded with crucial vitamins and anti oxidants, think of this soup as your imported soldiers to help your immune fight whatever it is fighting.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower (decongestant, thins mucus)
Red capsicum (decongestant, thins mucus)
Purple carrot (high in beta carotene, anti oxidants)
Celery (decongestant, thins mucus)
English parsley
Garlic
Onion

Instructions:
1. As with most phytonutrients, I like to use as little heat as possible. In this case, I chop up the ingredients, fill with just enough water and chicken stock to cover and blend using a hand blender. You can easily blitz up in a food processor beforing transfering to a pot.
2. Bring to boil. I boiled for 10 mins. You can probably get away with less if your chicken stock is flavourful enough. The longer you boil, the sweeter the soup is from all the vegetable. But the heat kills the nutrition.

That's it. Easy peasy dish which takes them 15 mins to make. I will be serving with brown rice as a soupy rice main course, and grilled salmon as a protein.

I keep aside some portions for the baby. I don't fill up the jars (meant for freezing) so I can add carbohydrates and protein in later. This allows me to vary the menu for the baby easily.