Cooking For the Special Woman in Our Lives

If bringing your mother out for lunch isn’t your thing, why not show your love and appreciation by whipping up a home-cooked meal? We had some brunch recipes last year so this year, we’re going to show some local inspirations!

To start off, ShopBack and RedMart have teamed up to launch a free cookbook entitled “For Mum, With Love“. The cookbook features 18 tried-and-tested recipes contributed by the employees of ShopBack using ingredients from RedMart, ranging from simple dishes such as Fish Porridge to more complex ones such as Bittergourd with Pork Belly. The free copy of the cookbook is available online from now to 31st May 2018 at www.shopback.sg/mothers-day-promotionsEnjoy up to 50% OFF Mother’s Day Specials. Valid 9-13 May. $18 off min spend $40 for first purchase. Use code: MOTHER18

Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing

This simple salad was inspired by satay as well as gado gado but is healthier and you can make the sauce in advance, saving you lots of time in the kitchen. This is perfect as a starter that is rich in fibre and good fats! Recipe below serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

1 bag of mixed salad vegetables or spinach (depends on what your family prefers)
1 firm tofu (a.k.a. dao gua)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup quinoa
1 Granny Smith green apple, sliced thinly
1 avocado, cubed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter (feel free to use crunchy peanut butter if you’d like)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp water
3 tsp apple cider vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp honey

Method:

  1. Cut the tofu into small cubes and lightly pan fry them so that the sides are slightly crispy. Set aside on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
  2. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions or simply cook it like you would with white rice (equal portions of grain to water). Set aside to cool.
  3. In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, coconut oil, sesame oil, water, vinegar, honey and soy sauce until you get a smooth sauce. Taste it and add in soy sauce if it is not salty enough. Do note that it will become less salty once tossed in the salad. Once done, leave it in the fridge while you prepare the vegetables.
  4. In a large bowl, mix the vegetables, quinoa, avocado, tomatoes, apple and tofu.
  5. Drizzle the peanut sauce over the salad and garnish with chia seeds. Serve.

“Claypot” Chicken Rice

One local comfort food would be Claypot Chicken Rice but this version only requires your rice cooker! Who doesn’t love one pot meals that are hearty? Preparation is so easy and you can marinate the chicken the night before. The recipe below is for 4 persons and we have opted for a healthier variation to the usual recipe.

Ingredients:

6 dried Chinese mushrooms
4 boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces about 2cm wide
2 tsp sugar (or 1/2 tsp stevia)
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
1 Chinese sausage, thinly sliced
2 cups white rice
2 cups stock (chicken preferred but you can switch to vegetable stock if you’d like)
1 sliver of salted fish (about 1x1cm in size)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Soak the mushrooms in warm water until soft. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Remove the stems (you can boil them in the stock to add more flavour) and then thinly slice the caps. Set aside.
  2. Mix the chicken, sugar, cornstarch, oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces, wine and sesame oil in a bowl. Marinate for at least 20 min.
  3. In the rice cooker, add in your rice, stock, garlic, mushroom and salted fish. Allow the rice to cook for about 10 min before adding the sausage slices and chicken. Continue cooking until the rice cooker has switched to Keep Warm mode.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also want to add in a bit more dark soy sauce to your desired taste.
  5. Garnish with spring onions and serve.

Tips: you can switch the white rice to brown rice but you would need to add in about 1/4 cup more stock and it will take a longer time to cook. Thus, you should add in the chicken only about 15-20 min after the rice has cooked to prevent your chicken from overcooking.

No Bake Truffle Balls

These chewy sweet truffles use dried dates for a natural sweetness instead of milk and sugar, and aren’t we glad that the dried dates are now in season? They’re great as a dessert or even as an energy snack. This recipe (adapted from Food Network) makes 24 balls and you can choose to coat them with various delicious crusting such as coconut flakes, crushed graham crackers, finely chopped nuts or low-fat granola.

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted dried dates, chopped
1 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chunky peanut butter
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of salt
8 sheets whole wheat graham crackers, finely ground (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup rolled oats (do not use instant oats)
Cooking spray

Method:

  1. Combine the dates, water and lemon juice into a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 min while mashing the dates with a spoon until the mixture becomes a thick paste.
  2. Stir in the honey, peanut butter, cocoa powder, butter and salt into the paste until evenly combined.
  3. Stir in the graham crackers and oats. Remove from heat.
  4. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spoon tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, which should take about 20 min.
  5. Put desired coating in small bowls and roll each truffle ball in them. Refrigerate them again until firm. Serve chilled.

Tip: If you can’t find graham crackers, you can substitute them with ginger snap biscuits or a mix of both Digestive and Rich Tea biscuits.

 


Photo credits: Pixabay and ShopBack

 

RedMart Limited

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