My Little Butterfly..

Lil' Jerral pinching the food while Mommy takes a pic.

Lil' Jerral seems to have gotten a little bored with his usual soupy meal. So, today Mommy decided to whip up some 'dry' lunch for him instead..
It's really tough creating meals for this little one.. especially he is some one who is NOT SO willing and adventure enough to try out new dishes.

Regardless, Mommy decided to give it a try and so, with reference to a recipe guide book from the 'First Foods', Mommy made Baked Macaroni with Cheese and Vegetables for this little darling.

It's made with milk, cheese, broccoli and according to this recipes book, it's supposed to be a calcium whopper, and a dish that encourages your baby to chew and develop those jaw muscles!!

So, for the Mommies who are interested in this.. Here's the recipes!

- frozen mixed vegetables, 40g
- broccoli florets, 25g
- alphabet pasta, or small elbow macaroni (but i used those dino shapes pasta instead), 60g
- finely grated mild cheese (cheddar or mozzarella), 60g
- fresh whole milk, 250ml (i used Jerral's toddler powder milk instead)
- ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degree c.

2. Place the frozen mixed vegetables in a bowl & set aside to thaw a little.

3. Using a small saucepan, add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place the broccoli florets in the saucepan and steam for 10 min or until tender. Remove from heat & set aside.

4. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When the pasta is ready, drain & place in a large bowl.

5. Add 2/3 of the grated cheese to the pasta & stir to mix well.

6. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until hot. Takes 1-2 min.
Add the milk to the pasta and cheese mixture, & season with a pinch of pepper.
Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.

7. Add the steamed broccoli florets & mixed vegetables to the pasta & cheese. Stir to mix well.

8. Pour the mixture into a small glass or ceramic baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top & bake for 15 min or until top is lightly browned.

9. Allow to cool for 5-10 min, decorate the dish as desired before serving.

Well, the end result for Lil' Jerral??
He had almost half of the baked pasta in his tummy while Mommy had to finish the rest for him... Hmmm, guess this is not one of his favorite dish for the week.