Cabbage and Mixed Veg Stir Fry

Cabbage is one vegetable which tastes good in many forms, raw, stri-fry sauteed, pressure cooked. Oh, some thing is smelly now, Aha, the mention of the last form 'pressure cook'. Cabbage gives you some pungent smell when it gets pressure cooked. My mom used to make a fry by pressure cooking it and with the addition of fresh ground Ginger Chili paste  and grated coconut. It tastes superb, as long you can bear the smell while cooking it.  I took some hints from my mom's version but avoided pressure cooking. And, Today, I made a Cabbage and mixed veg stir fry, and surprisingly my kids loved this version. Here is the Recipe for you, Enjoy!

Cabbage Mixed-Veg Stir Fry

This is a very simple and less spicy version and goes very well with rice or rotis as well. Actually, I liked it with Rotis better than Rice. The color and crunch in this curry makes it unique and tastes very good with your soft chapati or roti or pulka. For your Little one you can roll this curry in Chapati and serve.

Ingredients:
Onion - 1 small
green chili - 3
Cabbage - 1 small
Green Beans - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Carrot - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Sweet Corn - 1/2  cup - frozen

oil - 1 Tbsp
ginger - 1 inch stick
garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
salt - 2 tsp
black pepper - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 10
cilantro - 1/4 cup
Spring Onions - 1 Tbsp ( chopped)


Method:

1. Chop the cabbage, onions, green chili  and set aside. Thaw the american sweet corn. 
2. Boil 1 cup of water in the stock pot. add 1 tsp of salt.
3. Add carrot and green beans once the water is boiling. After 5 min add the chopped cabbage and sweet corn. 
4. let them cook for 5 min. And switch of the flame and drain the vegetables.
5. Heat non-stick pan and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, Add the cumin seeds, followed by ginger, curry leaves, green chili, garlic, chopped onions.  Add turmeric powder and spring onions and saute for 2 to 3 min.
6. 
7. Add the drained vegetables to the pan and mix them well. 
8. Now add salt and black pepper and stir fry them on high for 2 min. Close the lid and cook on low for 2 min. 
9. Add the Cilantro and mix the vegetables well and Turn off the heat. 

Transfer to serving bowl and serve with rice or roti.

Note:  

• For this curry cutting the vegetables into very thin pieces is very important. 
• Green chili and Ginger combination always enhances the flavor of cabbage.
• If you want to make it spicy, you can add 1 tsp chili powder also, before simmering. 

This recipe has been linked to following events:
Serve it - Stir fry at Kirthi's Kitchen Originated by Denny. 

Take care until then
Ba Bye
-Mythreyi

Potato, Beans and Baby Corn Stir Fry

I think Potato is the favorite vegetable for all the kids (and when we were the kids also). My son Abhi is fond of potato and baby corn. But he is little reluctant with the greens like, peas and green beans. So usually when ever i cook his favorite vegetable, I add very little of his not so favorite vegetable, so that he can not even notice. so today, I did the same magic to make him eat all those green beans which he is not fond of.

Potato, Green Beans, Baby Corn Stir Fry

If you want to give it a try, Here is recipe for very simple, but healthy stiry fry with the combination of Potato, Green Beans and Baby Corn. Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients:
Potato - 2 medium
Beans - 8 to 10
Baby Corn - 4 to 5 kernel
Garlic Cloves - 2
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Cilantro - for garnish

Preparation:

• Peal and chop the potatoes into small pieces
• Take out the edges of the beans and cut them into very small pieces horizontally
• Cut the Baby Corn Kernels also into very small pieces
• Mince the Garlic Cloves

How to Make it:

1. Heat the Oil in the non stick pan, and add Cumin Seeds and Mustard Seeds.
2. Once they start spluttering, add the garlic and turmeric powder. 
3. Add the potato and saute them on low for 5 min.
4. Add the Beans and cook on low for 10 min.
5. Veggies are moderately cooked, add the salt and black pepper. 
6. Add the baby corn and stir fry on high for 5 min.
7. Now add the Red chili Powder and Cilantro (Coriander) leaves. Cook until all the falvors sink into veggies.
8. Turn off the Heat, Take into a serving bowl and Garnish with some more cilantro.

Now our Yummy Stiry Fry is ready!!!! Time to fill your little one's tummies with full of veggies. 

Hmmm, Yum!!! Soft Potato, crisp green beans and sweet baby corn crunch will sure win your little one's heart. Give it a try and let me know about experience.

Take Care until we meet here next time
-Mythreyi

Asparagus Stuffed Omlete

At our house Asparagus is a all time winner, as Abhi loves this veggie I will try to sneak in every possible way. Usually Asparagus is very expensive, but some times when this is abundant in season it will be on sale. Now is the time for that, as I have seen this on sale in Sprouts, I have been buying this every week. Or Some times I get this big bunch from Costco in bulk.

Today I have stuffed this veggie in omelet and served with apple slices.

Ingredients:
Asparagus Strings- 3
Egg - 1
Onion - 1 Tbsp
Bell Pepper -1 Tbsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1tsp

Preparation:
1. Microwave the Asparagus strings for 30 sec to 1 min. It should be soft and crunchy.
2. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and by adding onion, bell pepper and black pepper.
3. Heat the Nonstick omelet pan and add oil to it
4. Once the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture and let it set for a min.
5. Once you start seeing the mixture is getting set on upside also, then add the asparagus strings on top and fold the omelet.
6. Turn the omelet on other side and cook for 30 sec.
7. Take if off from the heat and cut in half and serve with apple slices.

Now tell your kids that this is the letter A Veggie and Fruit plate. Just tell that and see next time when you serve something your kiddo will tell you what plate it is. :-)


Note:
Don't think I have forgotten salt in the ingredients. Purposefully I haven't added any. The crunchy vegetables won't let you miss the salt in this dish. Don't believe me, give it a try.

This post is linked up to Super Healthy Kids:  The Alphabet Food Academy .  See what others are cooking up for healthy kids too!

Take care until next time
-Mythreyi

Asparagus Rafts (Step By Step)

Usually I bake the Asparagus with little olive oil, salt and pepper for 10 min. My son loves these 'Green Strings'. And some times I make a Asparagus Fry (Indian Style), it's combination with white rice is very yummy for sure.

But I wanted to go little creative with Asparagus today and when I was browsing for some ideas I have come across this on Disney Family Site, I have jumped up and started making these immediately.

Serving Tip:

This will be an interesting snack for kiddo's lunch box Or a Crunchy Side Dish with your main course Or let them float in yummy Avocado Soup. However you serve, it sure looks fun for the kids. Give it a Try, Here is the recipe for you, Enjoy!


Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 2 Tbsp
Egg - 1
Bread Crumbs - 1/3 cup
Asparagus - 1 bunch ( 10 to 15 in count)
Parmesan Cheese - 2 Tbsp
Tooth Picks - 5 to 10


Preparation:
1. Take the Flour, Whisked Egg, Bread Crumbs in 3 different shallow plates

2. Trim the Asparagus Bottoms and Wash and Pat Dry them.
3. Take a tooth pick and insert into 4 Asparagus by  setting them side by side. One at the top and one at the bottom (as show in the picture)

4. Now roll this in the flour and dip in egg wash and dust with bread crumbs
5. Follow the same procedure until for all the asparagus strings.

6. Place them on the baking sheet.
7. Bake at 350 F for 10 min. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.
8. Take them out and cut into middle, take out the tooth picks and serve them.

That's It Yum! Yum! Asparagus Rafts are ready in minutes. Sit back and Enjoy when your little one is munching on all these veggies.

Do you think my Son finished all of these? You Bet! :-)

Take care until next time
-Mythreyi

Broccoli, Squash, Carrot Cheese Rice

As I have bought lots of broccoli from Sprouts last week, and now I am trying to use all of it before it gets bad. Mostly I use Broccoli in Omelets and love that combination. As my kiddos have eaten lot egg things in their breakfast this week, I want to put my broccoli to a different use. Then i remembered reading lot of recipes about Broccoli Rice casserole. As I have some left over rice also, that sounded perfect. But I wanted to make it more colorful by adding some more vegetables. so here comes my twist for to the routine casserole recipe, Broccoli, Squash, Carrot Cheese Rice. I have cooked this on the stove (didn't use oven for this, usually casseroles are cooked in oven) and hence this is not a casserole.

Ingredients:
Cooked White Rice - 1 Cup
Broccoli - 1/2 cup
Yellow Squash  - 1 medium
Carrot - 1 medium
Garlic - 2 cloves
Oil - 1tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cheese - 1/3 cup ( Taco Blend or American or Cheddar)
Cilantro or Chives - ( for Garnish or Optional)

Hmmm! Look at the blend of these beautiful colors

Preparation:

1. Take a nonstick pan on the stove and add oil to it.
2. Once the Oil is hot add the minced garlic.
3. Then add the finely chopped broccoli. (Based on your kiddos age chop into right size, if they are too small mince them, or leave them small pieces, so that they will know the texture of vegetables)
4. Chop the Yellow Squash into small pieces
5. Peel the carrot and cut into small pieces
6. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 2 min on low.
7. Then add the salt and pepper and close the lid and cook for 2 min
8. Add the Rice to the pan and mix everything well.
9. Top with the cheese and once the cheese starts melting ( after 1 min), turn off the heat and mix everything well.
10. Transfer them to serving bowl or plate, let your little one say Yum! Yum!

My son said, 'Amma! it looks like a Cake' :-)

It never goes waste the little effort we put into nice presentations. The little ones always want some thing new, so try your same old dishes with nice presentations. You will see the change, how fast they will eat. :-)

Another presentation represents a Chinese Hut

and Here is my little ones Happy Plate. (when they finish all, it's called Happy Plate ;-) )

Nutritional Info:
You are serving 1 serving of vegetables, carbohydrates and dairy with this recipe.

Hint:

• Garlic gives a very nice aroma to this rice
• If your kiddos don't mind the spiciness then you can add 1/4 tsp of curry powder also for more flavor.
• I always use Taco Blend Cheese or Four Cheese Mix which has orange, yellow and golden colors and also little spicy. You can use American Yellow Cheese or Cheddar Cheese.