Toddler Food -- Meatballs in Tomato Sauce 【茄汁小丸子】

A started a new daycare last week, he protest every morning and got really worked up with the fact that he has to go to daycare everyday, this changes of his routine literally turn his life and mine upside down. He didn't sleep well, wakes up multiple times at night and nurses more than ever. 

But there aren't all that bad, his appetite increases after daycare and he eats more real foods now comparing pre-daycare time. And I have more time preparing his dinner before picking him up everyday!

He loves this meatballs so much that I was surprised, I initially made only 5 meatballs for him and thought to myself that if he could finished them all, that would be great. But then I can't be more wrong! He asked for more twice and ended up eating 11 pieces of meatballs with all the peas, carrot (I cut into star shapes which he really appreciate!) and vegetable. He had only a spoon of the rice but I was already out of the world.

俊宝三个月大的时候因为我妈回国了，俊爸又经常出差，俊宝又是个睡觉困难户，我一个人带着他经常累得不会说话。俊爸在我妈走之前就查好了我们家附近的一个daycare，用他公司的名字登记还有百分之十的折扣。所以当时就安排了一周三次每次三个小时让俊宝去玩玩，也让我能休息休息。后来他daycare自小看着他的老师辞职了，我们也刚好那段时间要回国看爷爷奶奶和外公外婆，就直接取消了daycare。

回美之后我和老师联系上了，她也一直很疼爱俊宝，我就问她肯不肯帮我在家看俊宝几个月。我每天送去她家半天，俊宝就这样在老师家里一直待到上个星期，老师要去新的daycare上班为止。我也就顺其自然的把俊宝也送到新的daycare了。

然而小子一点都不喜欢daycare的大环境，和其他小朋友一起作息他也不习惯，天天载他到daycare一看见大门，在车里就开始嚎，第一个星期连声音都哭哑了，让我心疼得不得了。可我得上班，所以也不敢不送去，就希望他赶快适应了，会喜欢在学校的活动。

不过，去学校也不完全都是坏事，他胃口变得更好了，老师天天给的报告都说他吃得很好，水果和蔬菜还经常会加一两次呢！我这个星期比较不忙，就经常给他晚餐做好吃的，盘子里五颜六色的他很喜欢，吃得很开心。

这道茄汁小丸子我做好拍了照片就去学校接他，给他系安全带的时候我给他看手机里的照片，问他要不要吃，他马上大力点头。结果晚餐是我本来只给准备了五只小丸子，他又让我给加了两次，一共吃了十一只！就连配菜胡萝卜，青豆和油菜心也吃得干干净净的。只有米饭吃了两口就不肯吃了，但是妈妈已经够高兴的啦！

Ingredients:

For Turkey meatballs:

300 gm minced turkey/chicken

2 tbsp Chopped spring onion/Scallion

1 tbsp cooking wine/ shaoxing wine

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sweet soy sauce or oyster sauce

1/2 tsp salt

a pinch of black pepper powder

1/4 cup corn starch or rice flour for dredging 

1 cup oil for frying

For the sauce:

1/4 cup tomato ketchup

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced ginger

1 tbsp snow peas

Few pieces of sliced carrot

2-3 Cherry tomatoes halved

材料:

小丸子:

300 克 火鸡肉/鸡肉末

2 大勺 切碎的青葱

1 大勺 料酒/绍兴酒

1 大勺 蒜末

1 小勺 姜末

1 小勺 麻油/香油

1/2 小勺 甜酱油或蚝油

1/2 小勺 盐

一点点的 胡椒粉

1/4 杯 粟米粉或粘米粉

1 杯 食油炸丸子用

 

酱料:

1/4 杯 番茄酱 tomato ketchup

1/2 杯 水

1 大勺 食油

1/2 小勺 蒜末

1/2 小勺 姜末

1 大勺 冷冻青豆

几块 胡萝卜

2-3 只 小番茄 （切半）

1. In a bowl, mix the minced turkey with the shaoxing cooking wine, minced garlic, ginger and chopped spring onion. Add in sesame oil, season the mixture with sweet soy sauce/oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Use a spatula or a pair of chop sticks to stir the mixture quickly for few minutes until well blended. Set it aside for 20 minutes before frying.

2. Wet hands and roll the turkey mixture into mini meatballs around 1.5 cm in diameter. I made around 30 pieces out of my mixture.

3. Heat up 1 cup of cooking oil, dredge meatballs in corn starch or rice flour, fry them in batches until golden brown. Dish out and drained.

1. 把肉末，料酒，姜葱蒜末和麻油，甜酱油/蚝油，盐和胡椒粉混匀，大力搅拌上劲，放置20分钟。

 

2. 把手沾湿，然后把肉末搓成汤圆大的小丸子，可以在手上稍微丢一丢，会更结实。我一共做了30只肉丸子。

 

3. 锅里热上1杯的油，把丸子沾上粟米粉或粘米粉，分批入锅里炸成金黄色即可。

4. Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a cooking pan, stir in minced garlic and ginger until fragrant.

5. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup of tomato ketchup. Stir well, add carrots, cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 1-2 minutes, add meatballs and turn quickly until meatballs covered with sauces. Test the seasoning and adjust with sugar and salt if needed. (I didn't as A likes the taste of tomato sauce as it is.).

I serve the meatballs with some steamed rice (added a little black sesame) and steamed green vegetable. 

4. 在一口锅里热上1 大勺油，加入姜蒜末煸香。
 

5. 倒入半杯水和1/4杯的番茄酱，混匀煮滚，加入番茄，胡萝卜和青豆，煮1-2分钟。酱汁开始变浓稠的时候加入肉丸子翻匀。试试味道，如有需要，可以适量加糖或盐。

 

和烫熟的青菜和米饭一起吃。

中文 -- 宝宝食谱 - 茄汁小丸子