Day 6: Baby's First Food - The Beneficial Buckwheat/Boghvede/荞麦籽[qiáo mài zǐ]

24 October 2016 (5M1W2D) Baby C loved it.

I decided to introduce buckwheat today. Buckwheat is one of the grains recommended by the Danish health authorities for babies 4-6 months old, as it does not contain gluten. Apart from that, buckwheat is also very nutritious, a very good substitute for the less nutritious white rice that we Singaporeans eat. Thus, I wanted to accustom Baby C to it at an early age.

Baby C liked it very much, and finished the whole saucer :-)

You can read about how I prepared it here.

She finished the whole saucer :-)

Here is a picture of Baby C today

Chinese Vegetarian Dumplings/Kinesisk Vegetar Dumplinger/素食饺子[sù shí jiǎo zi]

This is a healthier and more nutritious version of Chinese dumplings, using buckwheat in the dough, instead of just pure white flour.

Serves 4-8

Makes approx. 80 dumplings

Ingredients for filling:

- 8-10 dried shitake mushrooms
- 1 cube of tofu cut into small cubes
- 1 medium carrot shredded
- 100g Chinese cabbage leaves finely chopped or shredded (discard stem)
- 100g frozen minced spinach (hakket spinat)
- 1 - 2 eggs beaten (optional)
- 3 stalks spring onions chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 TBS minced ginger
- 1 TBS soy sauce
- 2 TBS Chinese sesame oil
- 1 TBS oyster sauce
- 1 TBS Chinese Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 TBS cooking oil

Ingredients for dough:

- 3 cups white wheat flour
- 1 cup Graham wheat flour or Buckwheat (you can also simply just use white wheat flour here)
- 1 3/4 cups water (if you are using pure white wheat flour instead of buckwheat, you don't need so much water)
- 1/2 cup flour (to prevent sticking during kneading)
- 2 litres of water for boiling the dumplings

Directions:

Fillings:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine minced meat, minced Chinese cabbage and the sesame oil and mix thoroughly.
(The purpose is for the oil to seal the food first so as to prevent water loss from meat and cabbage when adding salt afterwards.)

2. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the other seasoning and mix thoroughly.

Dough:

1. If you are using graham flour or buckwheat, grind it in a baby blender into powder first.

2. In another mixing bowl, mix flour and water gradually until it forms a dough.

3. Knead dough by hand until soft (the dough should not be too hard or too soft).

4. On a clean table top, scatter some dry flour, knead and roll the dough into a sausage.

5. Divide the sausage dough into small portions each about 2 inches thick by cutting it.

6. Roll each portion with a rolling pin until flat small pancake shape *.

7. To make dumpling, hold the pancake with your palm and put the filling in the center; then wrap into half-moon shape and seal the edges.

Boiling Dumplings:

1. In a pot of boiling water, add the dumplings and stir to prevent them from sticking together.

2. When the water comes to a boil again and the dumplings float to the surface, add some cold water to slow down the cooking process of the dough so it doesn't break apart while allowing the filling to finish cooking.

3. Repeat step 2 one more time.

4. Dish the dumpling out and serve with the Classic Chinese Dipping Sauce.

Alternatively, you can also steam the dumplings for 10 minutes.

* If using pasta machine to roll dough, the thickness of my machine setting is no. 5. If using round cookie cutter, the mold diameter is 8cm.

Tips:
1. You can also boil dumplings in broth together with vermicelli made from bean starch or rice noodles and serve them together in a noodle dumpling soup.

2. You can use different vegetables such as celery, capsicum and cucumber.

Storage:
If you make in batches, they can keep in the freezer for 8 weeks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Information:

The trick to making tasty vegetarian dumplings is that you need to stir-fry the ingredients first - especially the shitake mushrooms and the tofu, so that the taste would exude out. Otherwise, the dumplings will taste very flat. Thus, making vegetarian dumplings are considerably more work than making dumplings containing meat.

Chinese Dumplings/Kinesisk Dumplings/饺子[jiǎo zi]

You can serve the dumplings with the Classic Chinese Dipping Sauce, Chinese Red Date Tea and a bowl of soup on the side :-)

This is a healthier and more nutritious version of Chinese dumplings, using white whole wheat flour (see picture below) or buckwheat in the dough, instead of just pure white flour. If you want the traditional version, just omit the buckwheat and use less water.

Chinese dumpling is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year in China. Traditionally, the family members get together to make dumplings during the New Year's Eve. Thus, making Chinese dumplings is a team work and an activity that encourage bonding among family members and team building among friends and colleagues.

Serves 4-8

Makes approx. 80 dumplings

Ingredients for filling:
- 500g minced pork, minced chicken, minced beef, minced fish or chopped prawns with shell removed
- 3-4 Chinese cabbage finely chopped or shredded (discard stem)
- 1 medium carrot finely shredded
- 100g minced spinach (hakket spinat)
- 100g oyster mushroom or fresh shitake mushroom chopped (optional)
- 1 - 2 eggs beaten (optional)
- 3 stalks of spring onions chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 TBS minced ginger
- 2 TBS soy sauce
- 2 TBS Chinese sesame oil
- 1 TBS Chinese Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
- 1 TBS oyster sauce (optional)
- 2 tsp sugar (optional)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper

Ingredients for dough:
- 3 cups white whole wheat flour

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup flour (to prevent sticking during kneading)
- 2 litre of water for boiling the dumplings

Directions:

Fillings:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine minced meat, minced Chinese cabbage and the sesame oil and mix thoroughly. (The purpose is for the oil to seal the food first so as to prevent water loss from meat and cabbage when adding salt afterwards.)

2. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the other seasoning and mix thoroughly.

Dough:
1. If you are using graham flour or buckwheat, grind it in a baby blender into flour first.

2. In another mixing bowl, mix flour and water gradually until it forms a dough.

3. Knead dough by hand until soft (the dough should not be too hard or too soft).

4. On a clean table top, scatter some dry flour, knead and roll the dough into a sausage.

5. Divide the sausage dough into small portions each about 2 inches thick by cutting it.

6. Roll each portion with a rolling pin until flat small pancake shape *.

7. To make dumpling, hold the pancake with your palm and put the filling in the center; then wrap into half-moon shape and seal the edges.

Boiling Dumplings:
1. In a pot of boiling water, add the dumplings and stir to prevent them from sticking together.

2. When the water comes to a boil again and the dumplings float to the surface, add some cold water to slow down the cooking process of the dough so it doesn't break apart while allowing the filling to finish cooking.

3. Repeat step 2 two more times.

4. Dish the dumpling out and serve with the Classic Chinese Dipping Sauce.

Alternatively, you can also steam the dumplings for 10 minutes.

* If using pasta machine to roll dough, the thickness of my machine setting is no. 5. If using round cookie cutter, the mold diameter is 8cm.

Tips:
1. You can also boil dumplings in broth together with vermicelli made from bean starch or rice noodles and serve them together in a noodle dumpling soup.

2. You can use different vegetables such as celery, capsicum and cucumber.

Storage:
If you make in batches, they can keep in the freezer for 8 weeks.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Information:

We had dumplings for our own Chinese New Year Brunch today. J loved the dumplings and ate 5. Daddy liked it too. Daddy liked the classic Chinese dip. This is not the first time I have made the dip, but it was the first time, he actually liked it. I tried it 5 years ago and didn't like it. That made me glad. I really thank God that after 9 years of marriage, Daddy's tastebuds and mine are truly converging now. It is a lot of work to do it alone. I woke up at 4.30am in the morning to prepare it. But I was so excited about making it, that I couldn't sleep anyway.

Chinese dumplings or Jiaozi, with meat and vegetable fillings, is a traditional Chinese Food, which is essential during holidays in Northern China. The meaning of jiaozi is something like "the exchange of the old year and new year at the time of midnight". Therefore, in China, people eat jiaozi around midnight (2300-0100) of the new year's eve and the new year's day. Jiaozi may be round or crescent-shaped and can be boiled, steamed or pan-fried. Since the shape of Chinese dumplings is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. In some parts of China, they may hide some coins in one of the dumplings. The person who fined the coin will likely have a good fortune in the New Year. Chinese dumpling is also popular in other Chinese holidays or festivals, so it is very much part of the Chinese culture or tradition.

Most Chinese in China start to make dumplings when they are a kid in family. Making the skin is the hardest part of making dumplings. Nowadays you can buy ready-made skins in the Chinese supermarkets in China and Singapore. But it is not the same compared to making the skin fresh yourself.

The history of Chinese dumplings dates back to ancient times, some 2000 years ago, and it got popular from some 1400 years ago. As the Spring Festival marks the start of a new year, people choose to eat jiaozi to connote their wishes for good fortune in the new year. China has been perfecting the art of dumpling making since the Sung dynasty.

As China is a country with a vast territory, there are great differences in various regions in ways of making jiaozi or even serving it. For example, dumplings wrappers are made with a rolling stick in most areas of Beijing and Hebei Provinces, whereas in some parts of Shanxi Province and inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, wrappers are hand- pressed.

According to my friend, Zhang, when a guest comes to stay with a family, the family will prepare noodles, wishing that the guest will stay long, symbolizes by the long noodles. However, when a guest leaves, the family will prepare dumplings as send off, wishing the guest safe journey, which symbolizes by the whole and round shape of the dumplings.

Note: If you wish to incorporate a bit of buck wheat flour. If you use 3 cups whole wheat flour and additional cup buck wheat flour, you will need 1 3/4 cup of water to mix them into a dough instead.

References:
http://ks.cn.yahoo.com/question/1407050801332.html

http://www.beijingservice.com/beijinghighlights/dumpling.htm

http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-chinese-jiaozi-leeks-and-pork/

Finely chop the Chinese cabbage

Finely chop the ginger

Mix the Chinese cabbage, minced meat and sesame oil


White whole wheat flour from Føtex Supermarket

 Add 1 cup of water followed by gradually adding 3 cups of white whole wheat flour

 It's a good idea to use a sift if you have, but also ok without.

 when the mixer is clean and the dough is firm, soft but doesn't stick to your finger, it is done :-)

 Here is the white whole wheat dough.

Wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying up.

Knead the dough, roll it and make it into palm size round pieces of 8cm in diameter

If you are using pasta machine to flatten the dough, you can use such a mold to cut the dough into round palm size

All the ingredients are ready

Take a piece of the dumpling skin and use a teaspoon to put the filling into the middle of the skin...

... like this...

If it is too dry to seal the dumpling, dab a little water on the inner edge as shown in picture

Fold it into half and seal it

Make plaits on the edges (optional)....

... and the dumpling will look like this

Put it on a tray and cover with a piece of cloth

All done and ready to be boiled :-)

In a pot of boiling water, add the dumplings and bring to boil again until dumplings float to the surface. Then add some cold water and repeat twice this same procedure.

The Beneficial Buckwheat/Boghvede/荞麦籽[qiáo mài zǐ]

For babies from 8 months.

Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of grinded buckwheat
- 2 cups of water or milk (more or less as you see fit)

Directions:
1. In a pot, place 1-2 cups of water or milk on the stove to a boil.

2. While water is heating, grind ¼ cup of buckwheat into powder for 2 minutes or less.

3. Whisk the buckwheat powder into the boiling water and let it sit over low heat for 10 minutes. (Whisk frequently to prevent burning and lumps).

4. Add 3 teaspoons of olive oil and 3 teaspoons of formula milk powder (optional).

For Adults:
1. Add 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts boiling water or broth.

2. After the liquid has returned to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Tips:
1. Add some yogurt to make a creamy cereal.

2. Combine buckwheat flour with whole wheat flour to make delicious breads, muffins and pancakes.

3. Cook up a pot of buckwheat for a change from hot oatmeal as a delicious hearty breakfast cereal.

4. Add cooked buckwheat to soups or stews to give them a hardier flavour and deeper texture.

5. Add chopped chicken, garden peas, pumpkin seeds and scallions to cooked and cooled buckwheat for a delightful lunch or dinner salad.

Storage:
Buckwheat, in the form of the whole grain, and in the form of flour, may be stored for several months in a cool dry place. If the temperature becomes extremely warm in your home, you may wish to store the grain/flour in the refrigerator. If you grind Buckwheat into a flour for cereal, it should be stored in an air tight container and preferably in your refrigerator.

Nutritional Value:
Buckwheat is high in fiber and contains Iron, Niacin, Folate and even Vitamin K. Buckwheat is a very good source of manganese and a good source of magnesium and dietary fiber. Buckwheat contains two flavonoids with significant health-promoting actions: rutin and quercitin. The protein in buckwheat is a high quality protein, containing all eight essential amino acids, including lysine.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Information:
Buckwheat is not related to wheat nor is it a grain. It is actually a seed however it is tossed into the whole grain category. Buckwheat is gluten free and makes a wonderful choice as baby's first food. 

Buckwheat is native to Northern Europe as well as Asia. From the 10th through the 13th century, it was widely cultivated in China. From there, it spread to Europe and Russia in the 14th and 15th centuries, and was introduced in the United States by the Dutch during the 17th century.

Diets that contain buckwheat have been linked to lowered risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The Yi people of China consume a diet high in buckwheat (100 grams per day, about 3.5 ounces). When researchers tested blood lipids of 805 Yi Chinese, they found that buckwheat intake was associated with lower total serum cholesterol, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-the form linked to cardiovascular disease), and a high ratio of HDL (health-promoting cholesterol) to total cholesterol.

The nutrients in buckwheat may contribute to blood sugar control and a lower rish of diabetes. Buckwheat's health-Promoting potential is equal to or even higher than that of vegetables and fruits.

Buckwheat's beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants. Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease. The nutrients in buckwheat may contribute to blood sugar control.

Buckwheat also contains almost 86 milligrams of magnesium in a one-cup serving. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure-the perfect combination for a healthy cardiovascular system.

Buckwheat is widely produced in Russia and Poland, where it plays an important role in their traditional cuisines. Other countries where buckwheat is cultivated commercially include the United States, Canada, and France, the country famous for its buckwheat crepes.

Buckwheat can be safely eaten by people who have celiac disease as it does not contain gluten. Buckwheat can be a good substitute for wheat, oats, rye and barley in a gluten-free diet.

References:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/buckwheatbabyfood.htm

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11

Updates 25 October 2016

Whole organic buckwheat from Urterhuset approx. 38 DKK

Add 1 teaspoon of buckwheat, rinse and pat-dry

Grind it with a baby blender. 

Transfer to pot

Add 80ml of breast milk/ formula milk

Bring to boil

Cover and simmer until low heat for 20 minutes or until cooked

Now it's done :-)

Transfer to a saucer and serve :-)

24 October 2016 (5M1W2D) Baby C loved it.

She finished the whole saucer :-)