My latest project is an iPhone app - The Essential Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers. It is a whole new world out there. There seem to be apps for everything from the sleep machine that soothes you on your pillow with a variety of sounds and chilled-out tunes, to Pie in the Face, an app which enables you to throw a virtual pie at someone you dislike.
Cookery apps are great as you can watch videos of the recipes you are making or learn skills such as how to cut a mango or skin a tomato, or download a shopping list when you are in the supermarket and stuck for ideas to cook. There are some cool features too, like voice commands to go forwards or backwards - after all, you do not want sticky fingers all over your iPhone.
Here is a sneak preview of one of the recipes from my app. There are some recipes that are almost universally popular and this is one of them. It is also a very simple dish to prepare. If you prefer a meaty version, you can stir in 170g of cooked diced chicken with the rice.
Makes 4 to 6 portions
Ingredients
● 200g rice
● 2 tbsp sunflower oil
● 2 eggs
● 2 tbsp soy sauce plus 1 tsp
● 2 shallots, thinly sliced
● 1 fat clove garlic, crushed
● 1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
● 50g baby corn, cut into small disks
● Quarter red pepper, diced
● 100g frozen peas
Method
● Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Rinse with cold water and leave to drain.
● Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Beat the eggs with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp water.
● Add to the wok and cook to make a large omelette.
● Break up with a spoon or spatula and transfer to a plate.
● Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil and stir fry the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes until starting to brown.
● Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute, then stir in the sugar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has melted.
● Add the pepper and corn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the corn is starting to soften, then add the rice and peas and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the rice is hot and peas have defrosted.
● Stir in soy sauce and omelette pieces and serve with extra soy sauce to taste.
Annabel Karmel has written 22 books on feeding babies, children and families including her latest, '100 Top Pasta Dishes'. For more recipes, visit www.annabelkarmel.com