11/5/2015 Monday.....

Last week bought 2 nos of pumpkin from cameron highland, today use it to make pumpkin mantou. (金瓜馒头) Taste so yummy~

After tonight, I am not able to wake up so early to cook as might worry my lo wakes up in the middle of the time during my cooking. Hubby is going to business trip soon, asked me to cook simple meals for my gal if possible. Gonna be another challenge for me to beat the time... wish me good luck tomorrow morning.

Breakfast: Steam Pumpkin Mantou & Fresh milk

Lunch: Peanut lotus root chicken soup serve with mix grains rice

Teatime: Simple Butter Cookies & Honey Lemon juice

Steam Pumpkin Mantou

Ingredients

Milk 40ml (add more if too dry, i was adding more during kneading)
Pumpkin Puree 150g
Sugar 45g
Instant dry yeast 1 tsp
Aluminum free baking powder 1 tsp
Pao flour 330g
Unsalted butter 25g

I use bread maker to knead the dough by function no 8 of my tesco bm. Beat 20mins, off machine. Proof for 45mins, press out all air, roll flat, use donut mold cutter to cut out shape, place on steaming rack, proof for another 20mins, steam at med high fire for 10mins

Peanut Lotus Root chicken soup

Ingredients:

1/2 lotus root

1 handful organic peanut (soak overnight)

1/3 carrot

2 chicken tights

some red dates

some wolf berries

1.5 litre water

Boil for 1.5 - 2 hours and ready to serve with mix grains rice

Simple 4 ingredients 【Butter Cookies】

Ingredients : 
Plain Flour - 120g
Unsalted Butter - 50g
Icing sugar - 30g
Cold water - 1/2 tablespoon

Steps:
a. Mix up all the ingredients except water by rubbing using fingers until the mixtures become breadcrumbs, then slowly add in water and form a soft dough 
b. Set a side the dough for rest at least 10mins
c. Roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut the shapes using the cutter
d. Preheat the oven at 170℃and bake for 20mins （lightly brown）
p/s : Different oven has different effect, so do check ur cookies after 15mins ya

Refer to the above recipe shared by other mummy, I have little changes as belows:-

1) for flour, I used 110g plain flour + 10g potato starch

2) i reduce sugar to 27g

3) i replaced cold water with COLD MILK

4) i baked till 30 mins only can have the light golden brown , maybe my cookies are a bit thick

8/5/2015 Return working after long holidays

Good Morning dear all... Hope everyone was having great long holidays like me too. After sticking with me 24 hours in 7 days, my 21mo lo did not allow me to go work this morning. After comforting her by DL her and asked hubby to bring her to playground only she felt better.

These few days we ate lots of vegetables from Cameron Highland as we bought a lot before leaving that cooling relaxing place. Surprised me one thing that the person in charge of the apartment we rented was claimed that she is my fan in a FB Group (Healthy Food For My Baby). She asked me if I am the one always cooking for my gal and shared in FB. What a small world ~ ^.^ Nice meeting you Ms Tan~

Breakfast : Black sesame Mantou & steam asparagus

Lunch : Pumpkin Porridge with minced pork & fresh shitake mushroom

Teatime : 40 mins milky Bun & red bean dessert

Black sesame mantou

Ingredients

135g all purpose flour / Pao flour 

1.5 tbsp black sesame powder

85ml warmed fresh milk / full cream milk 

20g muscovado sugar 

1/2 tsp Natural yeast

1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder 

1 tbsp grape seed oil 

---> healthy goji berry mantou : some goji berries and raisin / any dried fruits

Steps: (i used bread maker today)

1) put all ingredients into bread maker by dough function (1:30)

2) roll dough into flat, then fold 1/3, roll flat again, fold 1/3 again, roll again, fold 1/3 again. (Total 3 repeats)

3) roll the dough into flat rectangular shape, brush some oil on it

4) roll it like swiss roll, then cut into equally portions 

5) Add adequate water in a wok and on fire, off the fire when water turns warm

6) place the mantou on a steaming rack and put in the warm wok for proofing 20-30mins 

7) on high fire to steam for 10mins

8) off fire, then open a small space for the lid cover, wait for at least 3 mins before open lid

9) ready to serve warm

Pumpkin Porridge with minced pork and fresh shitake mushroom

Ingredients

1/4 small cameron pumpkin (diced)

2 fresh shitake mushroom

some minced pork

3 tbsp mix grains rice (pre-soak overnight)

adequate water

Steps:

Simple cook in slow cooker for 1-2 hours

40 mins method soft milk bun

Ingredients

1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/3 cup warm milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup bread flour (can add more flour if too wet and can't form a dough)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon beaten egg
remaining egg add in some milk for egg wash

Steps
1. Add instant yeast, brown sugar, caster sugar, olive oil, milk into a mixing bowl, stirred it and rest aside for 15 mins till you will see floating foam as showed in the picture.
2. Mix in flour, salt and 1 tablespoon of beaten egg then use a spatula to fold and mix well the mixture into a dough form.
3. Then use electric kneading hook to knead for about 5-10 mins or till well combined.
4. Then take out the dough and hand knead for another 1-2 mins.
5. Roll, cut and shape into 6 small dough.
6. Grease little oil on the baking pan and line the dough in, cover with wet cloth and let it proof for about 10 mins. ( I let it proof for 20-25mins)
7. Brush egg wash onto the bread.

8. Bake at pre heat oven at 180 degrees C for 10mins (baking time vary for different oven)

Red Bean Dessert

FAST WAY OF COOKING RED BEAN

1) soak overnight red beans

2) throw away soaked water and rinse with fresh water

3) keep red beans in the FREEZER at least overnight

4) cook as normal for 30 mins only the red beans turned soft (when it is easily squeezed by fingers)

Keep the cooked red beans into separate small plastic bags (40g/65g/any weight as desired) and store them in freezer for next use.

Foods during travelling

2/5/2015.

Today's  breakfast was prune and raisin rolled oat.

Lunch and dinner was scallop spinach porridge.

Many mummies are asking me what did I bring during my travelling with my baby all the while. Actually, everytime I travel with my baby local trip or oversea trip, I will plan her foods and list down the ingredients that I need to bring along. Well, after digging those memories in my head, here are the items that I always prepare to bring along and subject to my food planning each time. You may refer and plan your little ones' favourite foods or regular food types:-

Cooking Tools

1) Thermos King Thermal food jar (must bring)

2) portable cooker (if the hotel/apt has no cooking instruments)

3) ceramic knife (bought from Daiso) (must bring)

4) a mini scissors (bought from Daiso) (must bring)

5) electric lunch box (ELB) (I brought this while it was still functioning)

6) a mini sponge and washing detergent (to wash dishes after cooking)(must bring)

7) a mini cutting board (bought from Daiso)

8) Cooler bag and ice pack

9) Thermos flask (to keep hot water)(must bring)

Dried Foods

1) homemade cookies (wrap in individual packings)

2) rolled oat (pack 1 meal portion individually)

3) Rice (pack 1 meal portion individually)

4) Dried scallop

5) Goji Berries

6) homemade anchovies powder

7) Dried shitake mushroom

8) dried Kunbu and seaweed

9) indivually packed snacks such as cheerios, raisin, baby bites

10) Pasta or noodles (pack individually)

11) Dried prune 

12) pan cook bun ingredients (weight and pack nicely individually) last time travelling to Penang and stayed in relatives house.

Fresh Foods

1) Carrot

2) Potato

3) sweet potato

4) cherry tomatoes

5) lean meat

6) baby spinach

Others

1) Olive oil (pack in mini bottle bought from Daiso)

2) Liquid amino (pack in mini bottle too)

3) Full cream milk in small packs

Labour day cooking for outing

Happy Labour day !
But there is no holidays for mummies. .. I still have to wake up early 5.30am to cook for my 21mo lo as we are outing today.

I boiled lotus root soup to serve mix grains rice later as lunch for my gal. I baked cheese puff mochi for her as breakfast but she didn't like it so much but finished the cold fresh milk. 

Along our journey,  due to terrible traffic jam on the highway, we have no choice but let my gal to have her lunch inside car while hubby was driving with turtle speed. She was happily finished all the rice and soup together with the meat and vegetables. Furthermore,  she took 1 banana too after her meal.