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Month: June 2012

Weekend Lunch for 宝贝 – Pasta Carbonara (my own concoction)

Weekend Lunch for 宝贝 – Pasta Carbonara (my own concoction)

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The last 10 posts were all about 宝贝. For a I-can’t-stand-kids to become an obsessed mother, I just can’t help it! But then again, I’m not too keen to play with other children still.

She probably loves weekend meals – dining outside and a change from her regular Mon-Fri porridge. Dining outside = condiments!!! That’s why she loves it. She probably gets herself a 2nd helping during her school snack time. =.=” Although I don’t add condiments to her home cooked meals, she’s not a very picky eater.

Her weekend meal this round : Pasta Carbonara (mushroom and fish), grilled asparagus and tomatoes

Well Grilled asparagus and tomatoes was pretty straight forward… Just grill lar!!

As for pasta carbonara, I memorized the recipe from a cook book somewhere (hehe… yes you are right. I’m one of those cheapo people who browse cookbooks at the bookshops and memorize the recipes… *guilty look* But it’s not easy to memorize recipes ok!!) once upon a time. I just didn’t add the herbs etc. So it’s more like a simplified, watered down version.

I used home made pasta. Just boil them for 15 mins (these are rather hard… so I boiled them for 20 mins). Usually I add in a pinch of salt and oil, but not for her. Like what I mentioned, she’s not picky anyway!!

While the pasta is cooking, to save time, start cooking the sauce! I fried the fish a little, breaking it into little pieces in the pan. Next went the diced fresh mushrooms. When they were cooked, I added the fresh milk and simmered it a little. Not too long or it would start to curdle. Beat in an egg (I used a quail’s egg as the portion was pretty small). Just mix the whole stuff together. Let it cook for a little while. The pasta should be ready. Drain it and pour it into the mixture and let it cook a little. I used to just scoop out the pasta and put it in cold water to stop it from cooking itself further. Then put them on the plate and just ladle the sauce over them. But I have seen the professionals cooking the pasta a little with the sauce before presenting them on the plate. I tried it and found that it truly tasted different. The pasta was simply more yummy. So Monkey see, monkey do lor…

There you go! Pasta Carbonara with grilled asparagus and tomatoes!!

A Giraffe and a Camel?!

A Giraffe and a Camel?!

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Wanted to share this because I found it pretty hilarious…

宝贝 was holding the leash of her toy camel and dragging it around the living room.  She does that quite often all the time, pretending that she’s walking her dog.. =.=” But this time, seated on her camel was a …. giraffe?!

Me : What are you doing? Why is the giraffe sitting on the camel??

宝贝: We are taking a walk and the giraffe is tired…. so it’s riding the camel.

Me : (ah ok…) Where are you going to?

宝贝: We are going to Shop n Save (there’s a shop n save about 5 mins walk away.  My dad brings her there quite often for grocery shopping.) to buy pears.

Me : O.o

I felt so tickled by the sight of the giraffe on the camel and her most unusual story…. My girl is growing up, she brings her pets shopping for pears!!

Home Alone with 宝贝

Home Alone with 宝贝

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It has been a while since I last spent time alone in the house, by myself (it has become a myth since her Highness’ grand arrival). And also some time alone with her, just the 2 of us. I took the day off from work as my Mom, who is her primary caregiver, has gone on a short 3 day holiday – Fri to Sun. A very well deserved one, as she has already retired from the working world and should spend her golden years enjoying herself.

The whole house to myself! WOW! After sending 宝贝off to her 1/2 day school, it was spent eating a leisurely breakfast, catching up on my backlog of newspapers, a few chapters of a book that I have taken almost forever to finish, surfing the net a little and then.. it’s gone!! She’s going to be home in 1 hour!

Time to prepare her lunch. Ah.. something different from her usual boring fare of porridge. Hmm.. I don’t really have that many exciting ingredients in my refrigerator. :( I remembered reading my friend’s post on pop corn chicken for kiddos. Argh! I can’t find that post on the recipe! Nevermind, I just had to improvise from memory and rummaged for ingredients in the fridge.

I’m still putting her on a no seasoning home cooked diet. We bent the rules when we eat out. The great thing about 宝贝 is that she eats food with or without seasoning. That accounts for her hefty weight. Hehe. I came up with chicken thigh, some cornflakes, egg, milk, shredded mozzarella cheese… Ok.. good enough..

Zhiwei’s very own corn flake, cheese chicken strips!

Cut the chicken thigh into small strips, just big enough for her to hold with her fingers and eat in 2 bites.

Crush the cornflakes into powder form (Not exactly powder but small enough to be used as a coating)

Mix the cornflakes with the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Beat the egg with some milk.

Dip the chicken strips into the egg and coat it liberally with the cornflake cheese mix.

Lay them evenly on a baking tray.

Bake them in the oven at 220 degrees C, for 15 mins.

And Voila!!

Zhiwei’s Cornflakes Cheese Chicken Strips! I tried one myself, it’s nice and crispy even without any seasoning. Because the cornflakes and the cheese are good enough.

Together with baked cherry tomatoes, heated up some spinach, I used the rest of the cornflakes cum cheese cum egg to make scrambled egg, the chicken strips, all in a plate. It looked quite a lot to me, in fact, more than what I usually eat… But she cleaned it up… And declared that she loved the chicken strips and patted her round tummy.

It’s so nice to have a glutton for a daughter. :)