How do you make sure that JP gets to eat veggies through an enjoyable meal?

When JP was younger, I used to incorporate veggies into his meals in a way that would be difficult to separate the veggies from the rest of the meal. I did a lot of Mixed Fried Rice with anything Giniling. My ultimate favorite for this would be Ground Beef with dried Parsley, Garlic, Onions, minced Green Beans, Carrots and Mushrooms. I would add a spoonful of Boursin Cheese and mix it all together with the rice and add fresh ground Black Pepper and a dash of Cayenne Pepper or Chili Powder for a little kick.

If I wanted variety, I’d look to different cuisines for inspiration. Take Laarb from Thailand for example. I would throw in a tablespoon of JHMCO in a pan with Ground Pork and sauté until cooked and set it aside. Then in a separate bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, chilli flakes and lime rind in a small bowl until well combined. Drizzle the pork with the dressing and add thin slivers of red onion, coriander and mint then stir to combine. This keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, so I would not even heat the Pork Giniling anymore and would mix in a few spoonfuls straight from the fridge onto a plate of hot rice. Whenever I would serve this, I would not eat it with rice but scoop them into fresh cabbage leaves and eat them cold. JP would eat one or two with the fresh cabbage but still prefers it with rice.

Another favorite of JP’s is Taco Rice. When my family was still stationed in Okinawa, Japan, I discovered that this was one popular dish among Americans and locals in the area. The Japanese would take tacos (minus the corn shell) and mix it into their rice. It had Taco seasoned Ground Beef topped with fresh Iceberg Lettuce, minced Onion, diced Tomatoes and shredded Cheddar with a dollop of Sour Cream and Enchilada/Taco Sauce on top served over a bed of hot rice. JP used to hate eating fresh tomatoes until he tried this dish and now loves veggies when prepared this way.

Lastly, I need to share with you a recent discovery I made was with Ubod. While trying to come up with a recipe to present for the Sinulog Festival in Cebu, I tried fresh Ubod ng Niyog for the first time and absolutely LOVED it! I tried to make my own version of Ngohiong but didn’t like the overpowering taste of Five Spice deep fried with the Ubod so I decided to make my own Popiah-styled fresh version with Shrimp and Peanuts wrapped in a Crepe-styled wrapper and man-o-man, I still can’t get enough of it. I’m very proud to say that it’s surprisingly one of JP’s favorite veggie meals. Check out the recipe on our Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil Facebook page.