Serve Noche Buena Like a Chef with Chef Rosebud

Chef Rosebud Benitez

Mommy of Katrina Janine, 18, and Kyle Richard, 13Host, Quickfire on QTV

“A healthy dish my kids like are these vegetable patties. I make a big batch. When I have to feed them, I just take a portion and cook. I don’t have to start from scratch!”

Our daily meals consist of: adobo, sinigang, nilaga. It’s just ulam and kanin. My daughter loves garlic adobo. Kyle likes chicken. He likes it fried, but I spice it up para maiba. Sometimes, I bake the chicken with cheese and make chicken parmigiana. Weekends are request-all-you-can days. I cook whatever they want. I get my kids to eat their greens by: leading by example. They see me eat it, so ginagaya nila. If they see you eat junk, they’ll eat junk. Habang bata, kailangan yung pagkain nila maayos na para hindi sila maging picky when they grow up. You can also add veggies in shakes. Or put lots of tomatoes and cheese over veggies—kids love cheese. 

When pressed for time, the easiest thing to whip up is: anything you can make in batches: meatballs, lumpia filling, burger patties. I make a big batch, and then I just get a portion from the freezer and cook! 

My pantry always has: bread and eggs to make an egg sandwich. I let them eat bread with whatever filling I can come up with such as peanut butter. They also love bananas. They always ask me to buy fruits.

For breakfast, I make: eggs… omelet, frittata, scrambled eggs. They need to eat breakfast because I tell them that’s how they should start their day. 

 

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My kids help out in the kitchen by: mixing the dough, and putting all the ingredients inside the bowl. If you’re making meatballs, ask them to shape the balls for you. It’s bonding time, plus they also learn to discipline themselves when it comes to doing household chores. 

I train my kids to finish their food by: eating at one table. Develop the habit early on that when you’re at the dining table, you don’t go anywhere until you finish your food. Make sure you don’t overfeed in between meals, and also that you don’t starve them. ‘Wag rin pabayaan sa yaya. Minsan kapag pagod na ang yaya, hindi na papakainin. I was very hands-on with my kids. 

The one thing I’d like to teach my kids about food is: to develop a love for food. Experiment when it comes to eating. Also, whatever is served on the table, you must eat. Don’t be choosy. And when you get food, make sure you finish it. I don’t like leftovers. 

The one advice I can give about feeding your kids is: to lead by example. That’s the key. Eat what you tell them to eat. It’s hard to teach kids to eat healthy when you don’t. Don’t keep anything in the pantry that you don’t want them to eat, because whatever is available, they will eat. Prepare healthy snacks for your kids. Make sure they always have something healthy to eat. I also have cheat days for them. Life is short, so you also have to enjoy. Sometimes, we buy chips, soda, we get takeout, or pizza on our cheat day.

 

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Christmas Quick & Easy Breakfast:Veggie Burger Patty

 

Ingredients:

 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

200 grams mushrooms, chopped roughly

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 

6 cloves garlic, minced

50 grams carrots, shredded

20 grams green bell peppers, minced

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Procedure:

 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan. Sauté mushrooms, onions, and garlic over medium-heat for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid boils off and the mushrooms begin to sauté. Sauté carrots and bell peppers. Remove from heat. Let cool.

2. In large bowl, add Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper to the vegetable mixture. Mix well. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to develop the flavors. 

3. Shape into patties. Over medium heat, heat remaining oil in large nonstick skillet. Fry patties, cooking for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

 

SMART TIP:

 You can serve this with rice or pasta, or make it into a burger!
 

 

Main photo by At Maculangan

Food photo by Chandra Marsono via flickr creative commons