Sponge Bob Omelete

My little son loves sponge bob so I tried to make this sponge bob omelet rice for him. 

Ingredients:

For stuffed rice

1/2 cup cooked rice

1/4 cup vegetables

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp tomato ketchup

salt and pepper for taste

Sponge bob Parts 

1 egg for thin omelet

1/2 slice cheese for eyes and teethes

1/4 small cut cucumber for eye balls

1/4 tomato for mouth

1/4 nori sheet  for eyelashes

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add rice and vegetables with salt, pepper and tomato ketch up. Stir fry and keep aside.

Make a thin omelet like crepe. Put some fried rice on it.

Make square shape and warp with plastic and keep aside.

Make round pieces of cheese and cucumber to make eyes and eyeballs. You can use toothpick or cookie cutter to make shapes. Cut nori sheet to make eyelash parts and use tomato or red bell pepper to make mouth. Use cheese to make teethes.

Arrange everything and serve.

Fish curry with okra

Main ingredient in this recipe is fish which contains omega 3 fatty acid and has lots of health benefits. They are excellent source of protein and low in fat. It is very healthy and tasty. You can try with your choice of fish. I used carp fish. It is an oily fresh water fish.

Serves: 3

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

Carp Fish cut into horizontal pieces

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp crushed mustard seeds

1 tsp garlic  paste

1 chopped onion

2 chopped tomatoes

1 cup chopped okra

Fresh 1 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups of water

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt 

Method:

First wash and drain fish fillets nicely. 

Take a bowl and add turmeric powder, cumin powder, garlic paste, crushed mustard seeds, salt and mix them. 

Add fish pieces and marinate them together. Keep aside for 2 hours. 

Heat  pan and add some oil. Add chopped onions and pinch of turmeric. 

Stir fry the onions till it turns golden brown.

Now add the marinated fish mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn both sides of fish and cook well. 

Add chopped tomatoes and okra, cook until vegetables gets tender. 

Add 1 cup of water and mix well, make sure fishes and vegetables soak properly. 

Let it shimmer over the medium heat for 8 mins, covered.  

Turn off the heat and sprinkle chopped cilantro to garnish. 

Serve hot with steam rice.

Papaya Nuts Smoothie

Papaya is full of nutrition that includes dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, E, folate, minerals and antioxidant. This is a filling and nutritious smoothie.

Serves: 2

You will need:
1/2 cup papaya chunks
1 banana
2 cashews
2 almonds
2 walnuts
11/2 cup low fat milt
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp honey(optional)

First make up the nut milk base. Grind nuts with milk to smooth paste. Add papaya, banana and little water  Blend until smooth. Add honey for sweetness if needed.

Baby Corn and Brocoli Receipe

Here is a great mixed vegetable dish that makes for a perfect side dish or complete meal when served with rice.

Serves:3
Preparation Time:10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced baby corns
1/2 cup brocoli florets
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup sliced french beans
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp canola oil                                                                                                                      
 2 tsp corn flour dissolve in 1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup sugar(optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Par boil all vegetables and keep aside. Heat oil in a nonstick wok over medium high flame. Add chopped onions and stir fry for few seconds. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir fry for more few seconds. When the mixture turn  little brown add all par boiled vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, salt and black pepper, stir well. Add corn flour mixture and cook for few minutes. If you like add pinch of sugar.
Serve hot with steam rice.

Fancy dumplings

This time I tried some fancy dumplings for my kids. I skewered chicken dumplings with some vegetables and cheese. With this I could add some veggies in their meal with protein.

I skewered some carrots and cucumbers with cheeses on these chicken dumplings.
My kids loved them.

Grapes smoothie

 Smoothie put double duty quenching thirst and satisfying hunger at the same time. They taste great as pretty as they look with lots of fiber and antioxidant for kids. 

 Although my kids like grapes they wouldn't eat so I tried a way to make grapes delicious for them.

I used frozen grapes, yogurt and vanila powder to make this smoothie. It is very simple yet so yummy like an ice-cream.

 

• 2 cup frozen grapes
• 1/2 cup low fat yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 cup water

Blend until smooth.

Garlic butter pomfret

There is a good reason to add healthy fishes to your toddle's plate. Fish and other seafood are major sources of omega 3 fatty acid and also rich in other nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium and selenium.They are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Omega 3 fatty acid boots brain power.
My children loved this grilled butter pomfret.

Serves: 3
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
1 medium sized pomfret
salt, pepper  to taste
2tsb butter                                                                                                                     
50 gm chopped garlic
1 tsp vinegar
1tsp soy sauce
1 lemon

Method:
D-bone the fish and cut into fillets. Apply soy sauce, salt and pepper and keep aside for 30 mins to marinate.
Grill the fillets in an oven for 15 mins or toss the fillet in a hot pan with little oil till it is done.
Heat the butter in a separate pan and season with the chopped garlic. Add white vinegar and stir well.
Arrange the pomfret fillets on a palate and pour this garlic butter sauce over it.
Garnish with lemon and salad leaves. Serve hot.

Fruit Sandwich

This is quick, fun and healthy snack. we skewered slices of fruits.

 To make this snack more filling I included some whole wheat bread sandwiches in between.
Ingredients:
3 slices of whole wheat bread
2 tsp peanut butter
4 strawberries
2 bananas
1 kiwi
some grapes

Method:
Spread  peanut butter on each bread and make small sandwiches.Skewered each slice of fruit with sandwich in between.

Fruit Nachos

Treat your kids with this healthy fruit nachos.

Serves: 2
Preparation Time:15 mins

Ingredients:
1 apple
3-4 strawberry
1 kiwi
1/4 cup caramel


Method:
Slice your apple in halves. If the slices are thin kids will have easier time eating them. Next chop strawberries and kiwis into small pieces. You can use other fruits of your choice also. Sprinkle onto the apples. Melt caramel and drizzle on to your fruits.
There are many topping you could use like peanut butter, chopped nuts, coconut etc.

Paneer Paratha (Cottage Cheese Bread)

Paneer also known as cottage cheese used in variety of dishes world over. It is wholesome meal for kids. This makes up both breakfast and lunch item.

Serving: 3
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup grated paneer
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup fresh cut cilantro
1 tsp ghee/clarified butter
Salt as required

Method:
In a bowl take wheat flour and pinch of salt. Add some water and knead well to make pliable dough. Keep aside for 10 mins. In another bowl take grated paneer, onion, cilantro, salt and mix well.

Heat a pan, reduce to medium heat when the pan is hot. Meanwhile divide the wheat dough in to equal ball , preferably small ones for kids and roll out to small disc. Put some mixed paneer on it and close nicely. Dust little flour on it and again roll. You can make whatever shape you like. I have made in triangular shape. Grease the pan with little oil so that paratha won't stick on it. Place the rolled out paratha on the pan, when you see bubbling out, flip to other side and cook. Spread little butter or ghee on both sides and cook evenly.

Serve hot with some Yogurt. 

Egg Stand

This is a high protein snack. Kids love both egg and cheese.

1 Egg contains high quality protein and 9 essential amino acids. It also has choline that is vital for brain development and nervous system. Natural vitamin D that helps in absorbing calcium in body, lutein that protects eyes. It helps to promote healthy hair and nail because of high sulfur content, minerals and vitamins.

Here I have used hard boiled egg, cheese and tomatoes to make this snack. This could also be a quick breakfast.

Idlis For Kids

Idli is round fluffy steam cake usually made of fermented rice and split black gram (urad dal). It is south indian origin food and is popular as healthy snack or breakfast.

If you want your children eat more green and fiber, give them nutritious idlis pepped up with vegetables or make sandwiches for them. Play with taste, color and veggies.

Here I have made idlis with broken wheat (Daliya) , semolina flour and black gram.

Serves: 4-5
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time:30 mins
Ingredients:
For idli batter 
1 cup broken wheat (daliya)
1 cup semolina
1/4 cup black gram(urad dal)
1 cup yogurt
Salt to taste
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tbs oil for greasing

Vegetables
1 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup coarsely mashed boiled green peas

Method:

For batter: Dry roast the semolina flour and broken wheat on a griddle till they turn brown. Remove and keep aside. Dry roast the black gram and pour 1/2 cup of water and cook slowly till they are tender. Mash the gram lightly and add to broken wheat and semolina. Mix them and add yogurt and baking powder with some lukewarm water. Add grated carrots and mashed peas and mix them together to make batter.

Now grease the idli moulds with oil and pour the 2 tbs of  idli batter in it. Steam in a steamer for 10 minutes.  Serve hot with vegetables soup (Samber).

Spinach Momo (dumplings)

My kids love dumplings. I try to make different types of dumpling at least once a week.

Here I made dumpling skin with fresh spinach juice and whole wheat flour stuffed with chicken and vegetables. It is healthy for kids with healthful minerals of spinach and protein.

Serves: 3-4

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking Time:45 mins

Ingredients:

Dough for wrapper

3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup spinach (palak) puree

Pinch of salt

1tbs cooking oil

Water as required

Filling

2 lbs lean chicken ground meat

1 cup red onion finely chopped

1 tbs fresh minced garlic and ginger

1/4 tbs nutmeg freshly grated

1/2 tbs turmeric powder

1/2 tbs curry powder 

1 tbs butter

Salt and pepper 

Method:

Dough: In a large bowl combine flour, oil, water and spinach puree. Mix well until dough becomes homogeneous in texture and cover and keep aside for at least 20 mins.

Filling: In a large bowl combine all filling ingredients and mix well. Adjust for seasoning, cover and refrigerate at least for 30 mins to allow all ingredients to impart their flavors well.

Assembly: Give the dough final knead and make 1 inch dough balls. Roll between your palms and use rolling pin to roll out each dough into a wrapper. Make a middle portion of wrapper slightly thicker than the edge for packing and steaming well. For packing hold the wrapper on one palm and put the mixture in the center of the wrapper and with other hand bring all edges together in the center, making the pleats. Twist the pleats for absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling.

Now heat up the steamer and oil the steamer rack well to prevent from sticking. Place all the uncooked  dumplings in the steamer and cook until they are cooked thoroughly for at least 15 minutes. Arrange dumplings in a plate with some tomato sauce and serve hot.

Fresh Spring Roll

This fresh spring roll is a traditional Vietnamese food which is wrapped in a rice paper. These rolls are healthy, satisfying and great way for kids to eat their veggies. It is served cold with choice of your dipping sauce.You can cut and place vegetables and boiled meat in a platter together and let kids do their rolling themselves. This tasty rolls are perfect for appetizer or finger foods for kids.

First you may need to make trip to Asian market near by to get some ingredients like rice paper and rice vermicelli. You can buy any kind of rice vermicelli.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 3 mins

Ingredients: 

2 sheets rice paper

1/2 cup boiled chicken (be creative with any other meat or fish protein)

1 cooked egg cut into long pieces

1/4 cup cucumber cut into long pieces

1/2 cup cilantro leafy part

1/4 cup carrots and cabbage cut into pieces

Make:

Boil the rice vermicelli for 3 to 5 minutes, drain the water and keep aside.

Dip the rice paper in warm water for few seconds until it gets soft. Place the rice paper in a flat area and stack small amount of rice noodles, meat, veggies, eggs and cilantro.

Roll the rice paper.

Serve the fresh spring rolls with your choice of dipping sauce.

Chicken Pho Noodles

My Vietnamese friends taught me this tasty and healthy recipe when we were studying together in Japan. Now my children adore this addictive soup called pho. It has chicken flavor accented by aromatic roasted onion and ginger. My son eats for breakfast or lunch at least three times a week. Making noodle soup takes a bit of time and I encourage you to make your own bowl by adding your choice of vegetables.

Chicken Pho Noodles@SunnyakkyKitchen

Pho Aromatics@SunnyAkkyKitchen

Serves: 2 

Preparation Time: 25  mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

Broth

1 unpeeled yellow onion 

4 inch section unpeeled  fresh ginger

2 pounds chicken bones, back

3 quarts water

2 tbs fish sauce

2 pieces star anise seeds and 2 small cinnamon sticks

1/4 inch chunk rock sugar

1/2 bunch cilantro

Bowls

1/2 pound dried rice noodles

1/3 cup cooked chicken

1/4 cup yellow onion(dipped in cold water for 10 mins)

1/4 cups carrot, thinly sliced green part scallions

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (leafy parts only) and 2 lemon wedges

Make:

Place the onion and ginger directly on gas grill on a medium flame. Let the skin burn and rotate it with a tong.  You don not have to blacken the entire surface.When it is little charred remove from the heat and let cool. Peel the outer layer and keep clean.

Fill the large stockpot with water and bring to boil, add the roasted ginger and onion, chicken bones, quartered chicken, salt and sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise seeds and bring to boil. When the chicken is cooked transfer the chicken in plate. And boil the stock with bones for more 25 mins. Strain the soup in a large pot and add fish sauce and stir.

For noodles, soak the dried rice noodles in hot water for 15 mins until they are pliable. Drain in a colander.

Now ready to assemble the broth and noodles. Cut the cooked chicken in 1/4 inch thick. Ready the yellow onion, carrot, scallions and cilantro to add in a bowl. Arrange the garnishes on the plate.

Now transfer the noodles into 2 bowls and top with the chicken and vegetables. Shower some cilantro and scallions on the top. 

Raise the heat and bring the broth to the rolling boil. Taste it and do the final flavor adjustment. Ladle about 2 cups of broth into each bowl. Distribute the hot liquid evenly with other ingredients and serve immediately with lemon wedges. 

Creamy Spinach Pasta

A quick and healthy dish. To my surprise my kids loved it.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 2


Ingredients: Macaroni pasta( 100 gm)
Spinach (palak):1 medium size bunch
Onion: 1 medium size chopped
Garlic: 4-5 flakes
Olive oil: 2 tbs
Butter: 2 tbs
Milk: 1/2 cup
All purpose flour: 2 tsp
Salt & Pepper: According to your taste or1/2 tsp
Cheese: 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese


Method:

Cook pasta for 5 mins with little salt. Drain the pasta with cold water and keep aside for draining. Wash spinach nicely and boil it with little oil and make fine puree.

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil and saute the onion and garlic till they are cooked. In another pan make white sauce. Add butter and saute flour till flour turns brown and separates from butter. Add milk and stir continuously not letting lumps to form. White sauce start thickening. While boiling add spinach mixture, pepper and salt. Add remaining milk and water to adjust the consistency to be thinner. Gently add pasta and shredded cheese and mix well.

Serve lukewarm pasta to kids with soup.

Fruits Flower

Children will eat more fruits as long as it looks good. They eat nearly twice as much of the "fun and attractive fruit" even they know plain fruits and decorated ones taste same.

Today we made a papaya and grapes flower.

Chocolate covered banana with nuts

 First you need to freeze banana for sometime. We inserted half  banana with stick and placed in freezer for an  hour. Then dipped the banana in semi sweet melted chocolate and rolled in nuts. You can also dip in yogurt and roll in topping of your choice.

 

Topping of our bananas were almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts.

Other toppings that kids like are  coconuts, peanuts, peanut butter, almond butter, yogurt, pecans etc.

Fruit Tower

We made fun fruits snack today. We sliced an apple and then stacked banana and strawberries.

Veggies in Egg Wrap

Veggies in egg wrap

An egg wrap is some eggs cooked in an omelet pan in a thin layer and you wrap up whatever you eat inside it. It is very easy to prepare and healthy breakfast.

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 5 mins

Serving for :2 persons

Ingredients: 1/4 cup brocoli, 1/4 cup carrot, 2 eggs, 1 tbs soy sauce, pinch of salt and sugar.

 Method: Add soy sauce, salt and sugar in the eggs. Mix them nicely and make very thin batter. Heat omelet pan. Pour about 1/4 mixture into the well oiled  pan.and spread like a crepe. Spread some vegetables on it. As mixture cooks roll it and move into the back of the pan. As it cooks roll the old roll back to the front of the pan and again to the back. Repeat until your are out of the mixture. Remove roll from the pan. Slice it when it has cooled.

Serve with some sweet sauce.

Omurice

Omurice is a japanese word for "omelet and rice". Fried rice is covered in eggs and ketchup.It is very easy to cook and a very healthy recipe. 

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked rice, 2 eggs, 2 tbs ketchup, 1/4 cup milk, some shredded cheese and your choice of vegetables

Process: Mix egg, milk and cheese.
 Heat little oil in a pan and cook vegetables and sausage for 5 mins. Add tomato ketch up and sprinkle little salt. Add cooked rice and stir fry for more 2 mins. Put aside.
Heat oil in frying pan over high heat and add egg. When the egg is half cooked add rice and wrap the egg. Serve hot.

Moong Daal (Green gram) Khichdi

Moong daal khichdi is very popular food among kids. It is a good combination of cereal and pulse with variety of vegetables. You can add vegetables according to your choice and age of kids. This food provides plenty of protein for healthy growth. It is light and healthy meal despite its rich texture.

Moong Daal Khichdi

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

 Ingredients: 1 cup rice, 1/2 cup split green gram(moong daal) , Your choice of   2 or 3 vegetables(1/2 cup), 1/2 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp  turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp cumin and fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp salt

Method: Wash and Soak green gram and rice together for 5 mins. Fry all spices in ghee or butter and add vegetables and the mixture( soaked rice and gram). Pressure cook for 3 whistles or cook for 10 mins in a pot. Remove from the pressure cooker and mix well. Serve luke warm.