What we had for Lunch

Soba Noodles, Veg and Sauce. I can pretty much make it in one pot (Kudos to Mark Bittman for the idea) and the babies love it. I can not make enough of it. 


When water comes to a boil in a large pot add frozen veg (such as peas), return to boil, add noodles, set timer for 6 mins. Make a  salty, sweet, sour dressing in a squirt bottle (soy sauce, mirin, lime juice).  With two minutes left add fresh veg (in this case carrot) finish cooking. Strain, (haven't found much of a need to rinse as there is less starch), plate. Add greens (pea shoots- Billie loves sprouts), drizzled with a bit of peanut oil and let babies squirt the dressing. 


The nice thing about this formula is the fact that I can mix it up and it is still a hit. If I wanted softer carrots I would have added them in earlier, had I thawed my peas I would have added them in later etc and so on. Hot, cold it doesn't matter babies love it. Elijah abandons all decorum and slurps his noodles.

Planning

The babies requested chicken for dinner so I searched for a recipe that I thought would be appropriate - Soy Braised Chicken Thighs and off to the grocery store we went. Where we got a chicken primer from the butcher on different cuts, organic vs not, size and cooking methods. I told him what I intended to do and he talked me through it, including holding up different pieces so that the babies could choose what cuts they wanted.... Home we went with various other ingredients and they went down for a nap. They knew that we were cooking chicken for dinner and that we had picked it out so when daddy called after nap and said lets go out for dinner, I put it to the babies they responded with an emphatic "no". They were excited to cook the chook and it was already part of the plan.