I love vegetables! I am not a vegetarian but I rarely crave for meat than I crave for vegetables. Not impossible though for someone like me who grew up in the province where leafy greens were just within our reach…the camote tops and kangkong (water spinach) in our backyard, malunggay from our neighbor’s yard, taro leaves from Lolo Ben’s farm, etc. Me and my siblings could eat vegetables all day, everyday…no complaining, no whining, no throwing of tantrums. I can still imagine how easy it was for our Mom. I knew I wouldn’t have problems too with children of my own when it comes to eating vegetables. And so I thought.
When my daughter tenaciously refused to eat almost all kinds of vegetables, my heart sunk. But then I realized, she’s still a toddler and toddlers have hyper sensitivity issues with food’s taste, texture, smell and color. So instead of forcing her to eat what she doesn’t want, I patiently waited for her palates to be more accepting of vegetable and other foods. I knew it won’t be long.
When my daughter is finally ready, I started to prepare a variety of healthy food with very tempting presentation. I know that if she sees the food as delicious and she likes it, there is a greater chance she will. And it worked! Hooray! One of her favourite is ginataang sitaw and kalabasa (string beans and squash in coconut milk). A very simple yet very delicious dish made even more delicious with PORKSAVOR™ All-in-One Seasoning Mix. PORKSAVOR™ All-in-One Seasoning Mix is made from natural pork meat extract and bone broth, complete with spices and seasonings to bring out the deliciousness of home-cooked dishes. And because of my desire to help other Moms with picky eaters, I am sharing this deliciously healthy recipe through Ajinomoto PORKSAVOR™ Cook and Blog contest.
String Beans and Squash in Coconut Milk
Ingredients:
250 grams pork (cut into small cubes)
12 pcs string beans (cut into 2 inches length)
2 cups squash (cubed)
1 cup malunggay leaves
2 cups coconut milk 1 medium sized onion (sliced thinly)
3 cloves garlic (minced) ½ tsp ginger (sliced thinly)
2 tbsp cooking oil
Ajinomoto PORKSAVOR™ All-in-One Seasoning Mix
dash of salt
pepper to taste
Cooking Procedure:
Heat oil on a skillet. Sautee onion, garlic and ginger until golden brown.
Add pork (seasoned with salt and pepper).
Cook until pork’s color turns brown.
Add the string beans then cook for 2 minutes.
Add the squash then Season with Ajinomoto PORKSAVOR™ All-in-One Seasoning Mix.
Add the coconut milk then simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
Add malunggay leaves just before you turn off the stove.
Bribing, scolding or forcing children to eat vegetables will just give them negative experiences. Instead, cook delicious foods that are colorful and look appetizing. A little effort and creativity will sometimes be needed but it is all worth your time when you see your child having his first spoon of vegetables.