Easy Recipes for Family Dinners
Usually, we’ll wish for an extra pair of hands to help us in the kitchen, but it is even better when we can cook concurrently!
Hello Mamas! Most of us wish to have multiple hands, woks, and larger kitchen space for us to cook for our family concurrently, maximizing our time when we can. Introducing layered cooking with Thermomix in our Tasty Thursday series, I’ve tried cooking a 5-course dinner for my family, which are great for pregnant mamas too!
For mamas who have more time to prepare the ingredients the night before, you may want to marinate the poultry and leave them in the fridge overnight for a well-seasoned dish for dinner. For the full list of ingredients, here’s what you will need and we’ll tell you some of the benefits it brings for your family, especially for pregnant mamas.
1. Garnished Eggs
Ingredients
3 eggs
150g of water
1 tsp of light soy sauce
1/2 tsp of homemade chicken stock powder
1 pinch of white pepper
1/2 tsp of shallot oil, for garnishing
1 tsp of fried shallots, for garnishing
Health benefits: Eggs are nutrient-rich, comprising of choline which is great for fetus brain development. However, take note that the eggs consumed by pregnant mamas must be well cooked to avoid any harmful bacteria that are present in the egg. Another alternative would be boiling the eggs, which promotes healthy eyesight and bone health.
2. Black Bean Sauce ‘Dang Gui’ Chicken
Ingredients:
50g of ginger, sliced
500g of chicken wings & drumlets
30g of Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing Hua Diao Jiu)
20g of light soy sauce
10g of organic black bean sauce (as a healthier alternative to oyster sauce)
1/2 tsp of dark sesame oil
10 red dates, pitted
5 slices of Chinese angelica root (dang gui)
2 tsp of wolfberries, rinsed
Some chopped organic spring onions, for garnishing
Health benefits: For pregnant mamas, Chinese angelica root, also known as ‘Dang Gui’ help to increase blood and boost blood circulation. However, remember to consult your Traditional Chinese Physician before you consume any Chinese herbs, to be safe.
3. Sesame Walnut Paste Dessert
Ingredients:
40g of organic black sesame, roasted
40g of walnuts, roasted
40g organic raw sugar
Optional – 40g of cooked rice (if u prefer a thicker consistency)
Health benefits: Black sesame stabilizes blood pressure, boosts bone health, and decreases the risk of cancer. Being a fiber-rich snack, it relieves constipation and boasts many other health benefits. Walnuts on the other hand are great for nourishing the brain and kidney! This dessert is yummy, nutritious, and easy to consume, great for the old and young.
4. Sauteed Broccoli and Carrots
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic, peels removed
10g of extra virgin olive oil
300g of broccoli, cut into florets
1 small carrot, cut into 5cm sticks
1/4 tsp of pink Himalayan salt
Health benefits of broccoli and carrots: Broccoli is a superfood that can help control anemia, boosting your iron needs. Brocolli is a good source of protein for your body, helps prevent constipation, and improves immune system, which is relatively important for pregnant women to have a strong immune system to avoid infections. Carrots have been known to be linked to improving eye health and are a good source of antioxidants. For mamas trying to improve their child’s eyesight, try incorporating more carrots into their meals!
Directions:
1. Place ginger in mixing bowl to chop 5 sec / Speed 6. Transfer to a small sieve to squeeze out the juice.
2. Put chicken onto a large oval plate. Marinate with the seasonings, including the ginger juice, & mix well with the red dates, Chinese angelica root & wolfberries. Cling wrap then put in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
3. Mix eggs well with water & seasonings in another deep plate.
4. Measure 1.1l of water in the mixing bowl then put it in the simmering basket with rice. Put on the mixing bowl lid followed by the Varoma dish. Transfer the stainless steel plate with the egg mixture into the Varoma dish. Next, put the Varoma tray with the plate of marinated chicken (cling wrap removed) on it then cover with the Varoma lid. Steam for 30 min / Varoma / Speed 3.5.
5. Remove full Varoma set followed by mixing bowl lid. Pour in the black sesame, walnuts & sugar into the starchy rice water. Put the lid & measuring cup on then blend for 2 min / Speed 10. Transfer sesame walnut paste into a serving bowl & wash the mixing bowl.
6. Put the garlic cloves into the mixing bowl then set 5 sec / Speed 5. Use a spatula to scrape downsides of the mixing bowl & pour in the extra virgin olive oil to saute for 3 min / 120°C / Speed 2. Meanwhile, garnish cooked chicken & eggs with the spring onions as well as shallot oil & shallots respectively.
7. Add broccoli, carrots & salt into mixing bowl to saute 4 min / Varoma / Reverse / Spoon Speed. Serve immediately with the other dishes.
For layered cooking, try it with Thermomix, a multi-functional helper in the kitchen where you can book both your main and the side dish together at the same time. Get ready to dig in and your little one inside of you will be happy too! For more food-related content, email me at grubngrow@yahoo.com or connect with me at https://www.facebook.com/grubngrow/ to start your cooking journey.
About the writer:
Celine is a mother of 2 boisterous boys & the creator of Grub N’ Grow, a blog fuelled by a passion to share nutritious and delicious home recipes for families. She’s also a keen advocate of healthy eating & “the new norm” of cooking with Thermomix.
Coming into her 3rd year as a Thermomix advisor, many of her customers have benefited by being able to prepare healthy food from scratch for their loved ones.
Currently, she’s working towards building up her Thermomix team where she’ll be guiding & mentoring new advisors so that they can reach out to even more families on how to cook healthily.
