ABC Dinner

Must be wondering what ABC stands for...... Let me reveal: Asparagus Broccoli Corn..... :) Easy as ABC...... But cooking is a bit more troublesome then what I normally prepare for a meal. However, everything is worth it as the end product was delicious! I prepared this for my dinner but I would rather eat it for lunch as it occupies my stomach too much - too full!

A soup will need to be prepared first. The soup is taken from a recipe in the book"The Healthy Chinese Cookbook". It doesn't call for rice, broccoli and asparagus as its just a soup recipe. I added these items on my own as I need vegetables for my every meal and being a typical Asian, I need rice - that's why I chose brown rice, a whole grain staple! Adding vegetables to meals is not difficult at all......

RECIPE: Serves 4

• 1 skinless chicken breast fillet
• 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 3/4 cups + 4 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 broccoli
• 8-12 stalks fine asparagus
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  

1. Cook the rice using 3 3/4 cups of water.
2. Heat up the stock in a saucepan.
   
3. Mince the chicken in a food processor, taking care not to over-process. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and stir in soy sauce, rice wine, cornflour, water, sesame oil (add some pepper to taste). Cover with plastic wrap and leave for about 15 minutes to absorb the flavours.
4. Heat a skillet and Healthy Sauté the ginger for a few minutes and add into the saucepan.
   
5. Add cream corn and corn kernels to the saucepan.
6. Steam asparagus and broccoli for about 5 minutes. Do not steam too long as it will take the nutrients away from the vegetables. The vegetables should give a bright green and yet, crunchy to the bite.
7. Spoon about 6 tbsp of hot soup into the chicken mixture until it forms a smooth paste and stir. Return to the work, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes or so till the chicken is cooked.
8. Pour the eggs slowly into the soup. While pouring, use a fork to stir the soup just like when writing an 8. The eggs should set in lacy shreds.
9. Pour the cooked rice and steamed vegetables into a medium-sized skillet. Add some minced garlic and dry stir fry till you can smell the garlic aroma.
10. Add soup to the skillet till it just cover the rice. Simmer for a minute or so and then serve.
    

French Toast Salad

Waking up feeling rather hungry, I hope to eat my breakfast fast. Oatmeal or pancakes was what I intend to make at first, but I felt like making something faster. So I thought of french toast. Just need to crack an egg, beat it, soak the bread, fry it and you are done. My final decision was not a bad one as I enjoyed the breakfast totally, together with a salad......

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1 slice 100%whole wheat bread
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3-5 pieces of baby Batavia
• 1 small tomato, cut into wedges
• 1 mini cucumber (can be found in Fairprice), chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Lightly greased the frying pan and pre-heat the pan.
   
2. Place one side of the bread into the beaten egg and then the other side.
3. Fry one side till the egg solidifies but not charred and then flip to the other side. Pour the remaining egg over the bread.
4. Continue over lower heat till you feel that the egg is almost completely solidified (just like in the picture).
5. Lay the vegetables in a plate bowl.
6. Mix mayonnaise and mustard together and put over the vegetables.

There you have, a satisfying breakfast which already contains 3 servings of vegetables, protein from egg and good carbohydrates from the whole wheat bread for your source of energy!

100% Whole Wheat Pita

Its a Saturday morning when I decided to make pita bread instead of my usual whole wheat bread. I usually spend my Sunday morning making bread but because I'm going for dim sum tomorrow and will not have time to make the basis of my lunch (i.e bread!) in school, that's why I made it on a Saturday morning and decide to make something different - whole wheat pitas!

I've searched the web to look for 100% whole wheat pita but most recipes contain either white flour or other flour that lets our body goes through a phase of sugar dip which results in us looking for bad sugars and carbs such as chocolates, potato chips, ice-cream and so on. To me a 100% whole wheat bread means that it shouldn't contain elements of other flour, otherwise its not 100% (it just makes sense).

Anyway, since no recipe could meet my requirements. I just had to improvise and come our with my own 100% whole wheat pitas. I'm glad the results turned out quite good although its my first attempt! Best part, not much trial and error needed......

RECIPES: Serves 3

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoon warm water
• 2 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 teaspoon nonfat milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together 1/2 cup flour, salt, yeast, milk powder and honey .
2. Add water, orange juice and oil into the mixer bowl and stir to form a dough (should be sticky at this moment).
• Move the dough out into a well-floured surface but not over-floured surface and knead.
  
3. Continue adding flour 1 teaspoon by 1 teaspoon gradually till the dough becomes smooth, elastic and pliable. The trick is to make the dough smooth and pliable with the least amount of flour.
• Note: After adding 1 teaspoon of flour, knead till the dough has 'absorbed' the flour. If it is still moist and sticky, then continue adding the next teaspoon.
  
4. Once desired texture and quality of dough is achieved, place it back to the mixing bowl and allow it to rise for an hour, till it doubles in size.
5. Punch the dough down and place it on a well-floured surface again. Cut equally into 3 sections.
6. Roll each section into a ball and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
8. After 30 minutes, take each bowl and roll out into circles about 12cm (5 inch) in diameter and thickness is about a 1/5 cm. The measurements are really based on individual preference but I would suggest not to make it too thin.
9. Place the rolled out dough into a baking sheet and bake in the oven till the pitas puff out like in the picture. This would take roughly 5 minutes.

ADDED PHOTOS:

Fusilli in Coriander-Cumin-Tomato Sauce

Being a lover of pastas and spaghettis, I couldn't resist myself to come up with a quick and easy dinner when my stomach gets empty. I looked into a recipe book and saw this easy pasta that could be put together in no time. Furthermore, its spicy, which I need to have for most of my meals! Getting hungrier by the minute after my exercise, I went to the kitchen and got my hands dirty. In about 15 minutes, my dinner was ready! After the meal, I was more than satisfied......

• 1 cup nonfat chicken broth
• 3/4 cup low-sodium tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 quarts water
• 2 servings of fusilli
• 1 tablespoon grated nonfat Parmesan

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and then simmer.
2. Cooked the fusilli according to package instructions and time.
3. Toss the pasta and sauce together and sprinkle with Parmesan.

NOTE:

• The original recipes calls for cavatelli instead of fusilli. I just swapped it to what I have in the kitchen. You can also substitute it with spaghetti or other kind of pasta.
• I also added in black pepper chicken sausage, baby Batavia and mini cucumber.
  

PS: This recipe is taken from Sarah Schlesinger's 500 (Practically) Fat-Free Pasta Recipes.

Quinoa Salad

This bowl of salad was my dinner. It looks little but actually the bulk of vegetables really got me quite filled up. Anyway, I was not very hungry to begin with. It contains 3 colours of vegetables - green, orange and yellow.

Everyone of us should be eating the different colours of fruits and vegetables, 9-10 servings daily. This is because the different colours of vegetables and fruits contain different essentials our body needs. Many may ask what is considered one serving of fruits or vegetables, I would say just eat as much vegetables and fruits as possible. It is not very difficult to include these 2 components into our daily life.

Back to my salad.... There is also the protein factor from quinoa (the grain like looking beads in the photo). Quinoa is a very wholesome food as it contains all 9 essential amino acids our body needs. In addition, this 'grain' is rich in manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorous which means that it is beneficial for persons with migraines and diabetics.

RECIPE: Serves 2

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon water
  1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon nonfat chicken broth
• 1 broccoli
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 cup ginger, cut into strips
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

Bring 1/2 cup of water to boil. Stir in quinoa, reduce heat and cover. Heat till all the water has been absorbed.

Heat the broth into a medium size skillet using medium heat till bubbles appear. Add the onion and ginger and saute until onion is lightly golden.

Stir in broccoli and carrot and continue to saute till broccoli is bright green in colour. Then add the bell pepper and quinoa into the skillet and continue to saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with thyme and simmer for additional 2 minutes.

Pour vegetables into a plate and topped with a pinch of shredded nonfat cheddar (optional) to serve.

Colorful Risotto

My father has to eat vegetarian today and I was think of what to make for him so that he can get all the right kind of nutrients and carbohydrates without risking his blood sugar level. I came across this recipe (which I decided to make it for him as lunch) in the book (borrowed from Choa Chu Kang Community Library) titled "500 (Practically) Fat-Free Pasta Recipes" by Sarah Schlesinger. This book contains really good recipes which at a look, you'll know that this is definitely a book of health. The black pepper sausage is not part of the recipe but an add-on for my grandmother and I!

RECIPE: Serves 4

3 ¼ cups nonfat chicken broth or vegetable broth 1 medium onion, chopped 1 glove garlic, minced 1 cup arborio rice ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 can kidney beans 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach or fresh spinach from the market ½ grated nonfat Parmesan

1. Heat ¼ cup of broth in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in broth until onion is slightly tender, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in rice.

3. Add another ½ cup of broth. Add turmeric. When the broth is more or less absorbed, continue adding another ½ cup of broth and carry on till the broth is used up. Takes about 20 minutes.

4. Stir in beans, spinach and cheese. Turn off heat and leave the risotto in the skillet for about 5 minutes before serving.

The above recipe is given as what is stated in the book, except for kidney beans. It was originally cannellini beans. I couldn't find it anywhere. Also, I have added 2 more ingredients to the risotto - they are carrots and mushrooms. Vegetables are low in calories and so, adding them doesn't up your calorie intake too much!

My Progress...

I am currently stuck in the middle of nowhere...... I can't move forward to upgrade myself in my culinary skills as I'm taxed down by my school work.... very tied down. Can't explore new recipes----- which means I got no new experiments to try out... Aarggh!!! Can't wait for school term to end......

I also need to redesign my blog to my style but I need time! Meanwhile, I can only make use of the default template and add a few things here and there...... BORING......

So please be understanding towards the lack of experiments and the dull web page design...... :)
Oh! I admit some of the photos look really ugly but pardon me as I'm still on my way to improving my end-products and my photography skills!

PS: School's term is ending soon... Yay!

Bread Alternatives

Most of the time my recipes calls for whole wheat bread. I know not everybody gets to make their own 100% whole wheat bread. One alternative would be to buy it right from the shelf. Swiss Bake is one bakery at the basement level of Takashimaya I would recommend. They have a variety of healthy bread that doesn't make use or use very little of enriched white flour and preservatives. However, do take note that the first ingredient in the list of ingredients is not wheat flour. Wheat flour is also known white flour and this flour tampers with your blood sugar level to a huge extent!

Another alternative would be Sunshine's bread whole-grain bread which contains 60% whole meal flour. When purchasing, look for Sunshine and the package will have this quite eye-attracting text saying 60% whole grain......This is the only bread on the shelf that contains the highest percentage of whole meal flour and less of white flour. Do take note that although it contains 60% whole meal flour, there is still presence of a significant amount of white flour. Bread suppliers cannot up too much of the whole meal flour as the bread will be much denser than normal bread and consumers may not like it. Therefore, they still have to add in white flour to give it that soft, fluffy and palatable feel. Though this may be another choice, I would suggest to use it occasionally as white flour is really a devil to our health, especially diabetic patients.

Ham 'N' Cheese Toast

I was eager to use the bread I made yesterday and so thought of making either sandwich or toast. Toast was my final decision because I like the crunchy crunchy kind of feeling. The toast was suppose to look nicer but I eagerly ate it once it came out of the oven and halfway through then did I remember to take a photo of it. And so, the toast looks quite small in the picture but actually its actual size is double of that in the picture. I'm sure many have eaten this kind of toast outside where it cost about S$3 plus. At home, you can do it for less than S$1.50...... Isn't it more worthwhile?? And you get to control what you put in your mouth!

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1 slice 1 inch whole wheat bread
• 1/2 teaspoon of low-fat mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 teaspoon of tomato paste
• 2 slices tomato, shredded but not too fine
• 1 slice picnic chicken ham, chopped
  
• 1 slice Kraft cheese (less than 2g of fat kind), shredded

Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, you can use a toaster.

Apply the mayonnaise on one side of the bread followed by the tomato paste. Lay the tomato shreds on top of the spread, then lay the ham and finally the cheese. Put the bread into the pre-heated oven and toast for 10-15 minutes till the cheese melts.

ADDED PHOTOS:

The Package

I realized that the next few posts are all related to oatmeal. So I might as well group them all together in one post. Oatmeal are really quite similar except that you use different toppings to go with it. As you all can see, most of my post are oatmeal recipes. This is because, firstly, I'm burdened by school work and hasn't got much time to explore new recipes for other types of dishes. Secondly, oatmeals are really versatile and easy to make. Thirdly, I only have time & the energy in the morning to make a meal for myself. For lunch, I normally make a sandwich to school and for dinner, I'm too tired to touch those woks! :p However, my school term will be ending in another 2.5 months time. When it ends, I hope to bring my cooking and baking skills to a higher level! Can't wait for that moment......

Ok ok, back to recipes for the above 4 oatmeals. My recipes will go from the top left and in the clockwise direction......

Common ingredient: 1/2 cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats

RECIPE 1 - Apple Carrot Oatmeal: Serves 1

• 1/2 apple, chopped
• 3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped or grated
• 1 cup non-fat milk or soy/oat milk

RECIPE 2 - Milo Strawberry Oatmeal: Serves 1

• 3/4 cup strawberries, chopped
• 4 teaspoon milo
• 1 cup water
  

RECIPE 3 - The Red 'N' Orange: Serves 1

• 1 tomato
• 3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped or grated
• 1 cup non fat milk or soy/oat milk

RECIPE 4 - Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal: Serves 1

• 1 tsp of peanut butter (I used those natural peanut butter without added salt and sugar. Most importantly, no trans fats)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup water
  

For each individual recipe, bring the liquid (be it water or milk) to a boil and then add the oats. Rolled oats will cook longer than quick cooking oats but the trick is to let the oats absorb the water and the end product is something like a thick porridge. Once the oatmeal is ready, just add the ingredients on top of the oatmeal and stir to serve!

All In

I can't remember what I had in mind when I came out with this oatmeal. I think I was just trying to use everything up so that I could stock up for the coming week. Its a Friday and I guess things in the fridge are mostly left with a bit of this and a bit of that. Given this scenario, I would feel that its a good time to use it all up so that I can free up space and not cramp up the fridge.

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup water or low-fat milk or soy milk
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (not salted)
• 3/4 cup chopped strawberries
• a few leaves of butter-head lettuce
• honey (use it discretely to ensure that the oatmeal is just sweeten, and not as if you have a sweet tooth) - > I would encourage 1/4 teaspoon
  

Bring the water to a boil and add the oats in. Let it cook till its kind of 'gluey' (at this point, I like to add ground cinnamon) and pour into a serving bowl. Top the oatmeal with strawberries, peanuts and lettuce. Now you have a warm bowl of healthy breakfast!

Revolution Brown Rice Porridge

This is one of my favourite breakfast of all time. It is really yummy! I used leftover brown rice to make this breakfast porridge following a recipe adopted from AllRecipes.com. It contains fruits, grains, vegetables and therefore, this is a really satisfying breakfast which can last you till lunch time.

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup low-fat milk or soy milk
• bread crumbs (optional)
• 1 cup strawberries, chopped
• 3/4 cup carrots, grated or finely chopped

Mix brown rice and milk together and bring to a boil first. Add carrot and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Once done , top with strawberries and bread crumbs.

NOTE: The original recipe does not call for strawberries and bread crumbs. I added those two in.

PS: This recipe is adopted from AllRecipes.com

Ham, Cheese 'N' Egg Sandwich

This is really an easy no brainer sandwich to make. My lunch is school is forever sandwich because I plan my timetable such a way that all lessons are back-to-back. This is so that I have 2 days off each week to catch up on revision and project :P...... The ingredients can be obtained easily except for the 100% whole wheat bread which is really hard to find in Singapore. However, there are really some quite healthy bread which I personally like in Singapore. Its those breads found in Swiss Bake - a small bakery shop located at the basement level of Takashimaya (near Cold Storage). They have 100% rye bread (one of my favourites), spelt bread and many many more......

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1 egg
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• chicken ham or chicken picnic ham
• 1 slice cheese (I used Kraft less than 2g of fats per slice)

Boil the egg to make 1 hard-boiled egg. Lay the ham on one side of any one slice of bread followed by the cheese. Place the 2 slices of bread into the oven or toaster and bake/toast till cheese melts.

Once the egg is boiled, use the egg slicer to slice the egg into layers beautifully. Lay the egg on top of the melted cheese. Serve or let it cool to be packed to school for lunch!

NOTES:

• if a toaster is used, make sure that the bread doesn't get charred before the cheese melts
• if you have no egg slicer, you can cut with a knife but the end result won't be nice. Then again, it goes in your stomach, so appearance may not be that important!
  

Banana Pancake

Hanging temptingly near the window in the kitchen, the leftover bananas that filled the kitchen with its aroma was calling out to me to use it. Since I had no idea what to make for breakfast, I decided to use it and make a pancake since I was craving for one. This is a similar recipe to the Pear Cinnamon Pancake. I just swap the fruit used.

I remember the first time when I attempted to make a pancake, it was a poor project as I forgot to add this forgot to add that. But now after so many attempts, the pancakes I made are just getting nicer but can still be improved.

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 banana, finely chopped
  

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon) in one bowl and the wet ingredients(milk, egg and honey) in another. Pour the wet into the dry and stir lightly till just integrated. Do not stir too much as it'll be too watery. You will need it to be lumpy. Add in the chopped bananas and stir another 1 to 2 rounds.

Pour 1/3 cupful of the batter into the hot skillet lightly coated with oil. Flip the pancake when bubbles start to appear on top; cook until the other side is golden brown.

Serve with maple syrup

Brown Rice Pilaf

It was my free day - don't need to go back school - when I made this brown rice pilaf. I also made it for my father and grandma and received good comments! Felt so encouraged...... One thing good about this pilaf is that it is really healthy as whole grains, vegetables and legumes are used. 3 food groups that our Singapore's Health Promotion Board has been encouraging us to eat more of :p. This pilaf is made using an adopted recipe but I made some changes to it to suit what I have in the kitchen!

RECIPE: Serves 3

• 4 cups of water
• 1 cup of brown rice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons chicken broth (Heinz brand is good as it has the lowest sodium amount among all in the supermarket)
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped or minced
• 1 -1/2 cup carrots, grated or sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
  
• 3/4 can chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 ginger, sliced finely

Put the water and rice into the rice cooker to cook.

Approximately 20 minutes before rice is done, heat the broth in a medium skillet till bubbles appear. Healthy saute the onions , stirring frequently till they soften. Add garlic, ginger and carrots and continue the stir for 3 mins.

Add mushroom and cook further 5 mins. Pour in the chickpeas and cook 1 more minute. When the rice has finished cooking, stir the rice and then add the tomato paste. Stir the rice to ensure the tomato paste is evenly distributed.

Brown rice pilaf is done!

Some notes:

• rinse the chickpeas to get under running water before using. You won't want the liquid that comes together with it in the can.
• you need a lot more water than normal white rice because brown rice needs to be cook longer to ensure softness.
  
• for details on how to healthy saute, refer WHFoods for the cooking demo. Just find the word Healthy Saute and click on it.

PS: This recipe is adopted from AllRecipes.com

Apple French Toast Baked

I've finally find the time to post what I had for breakfast like 5 days ago. This Apple French Toast Baked is really a no brainer. You just prepare it the day before (in the night) and the next morning, put it in the oven and bake for a warm and delicious wholesome breakfast. I really like this french toast as it contains my favourite whole wheat bread, eggs and apple. I cannot live without bread. Furthermore, it has a slight taste of cinnamon which is one ingredient I really like to add to my breakfasts, no matter whether its oatmeal or pancakes. Its such an easy breakfast to make that you will find yourself making it over and over again when ideas run out.

RECIPE: Serves 4

• 8 slices of 100% whole wheat baguette (its hard to find 100% out in the market, I made the bread on my own)
• 4 whole eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup low fat milk ( I used soy milk)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups sliced apples, fresh
• 1/2 lemon juice, about 1-1/2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar (I used molasses)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lightly greased a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with oil. Place the slices of bread on to the baking pan in a single layer. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan. In a medium bowl, pour the lemon juice over the apples and mix. Lay the apples on top of the layer of bread. Scatter molasses and cinnamon over the top. Wrap foil around the pan and refrigerate overnight.

Some notes:

• Instead of 2 whole eggs per person, the recipe calls for 1 whole egg and 1 egg white per person.
  
• Mixing the apples with the lemon juice prevents browning of the apple when left overnight in the refrigerator.
• The original recipe calls for peach (but I couldn't bring myself to buy it as its kind of expensive) and 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I used 1 tbsp because I don't really want to add too much sugar to what I'm eating. The cinnamon, apple and soymilk gave the end-product a sweetness that I find it just nice).
  

Enjoy!

PS: This is adopted from Food Network.

Broccoli Baked Basmati Rice

Its a Saturday night and only my father, younger brother and I were staying home at night after making a trip out. I suggested making baked rice for them and being easy-going, they said "OK". So I prepared it for them. I received good comments from my father. What he likes most is that it is healthy and tasteful. Of course, I was gleaming from ear to ear upon hearing the praise! So here goes the recipe......

RECIPE: Serves 3

• 1-1/4 brown basmati rice
• 5 cups of water (have to play around with the quantity to cook basmati rice well - this I'm still trying to master, so this is not a definite figure)
  
• 1 whole broccoli, chopped into chunks (those normally gotten from markets or supermarkets always come in one big stalk - thats it!)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced/chopped
• 1 stalk carrot, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 can diced tomatoes with juice (would be good if you can get those with no salt added, I've tried looking for it but to no avail)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup mixed extra sharp Parmesan and Mozzarella

Add the rice and water to a rice cooker and set it to cook.
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add garlic, and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir until sauce has somewhat thicken.

At this moment, add chunks of broccoli in and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop cooked basmati rice into oven-proof plates or bowl and pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle with the cheeses in 1/4 cupfuls. Place rice into oven and bake till cheese melts.

Regina's Style Spaghetti

I was in lecture one day and my stomach growled. I was really hungry and craved for hawker center kind of noodles. However, I do not want to take in processed flour (which is present in Asian kind of noodles) too much. And so, while in lecture with my mind drifting off to what I should cook, an idea came up. I could use whole wheat spaghetti as the preferred noodle and cook it up my own way. Hey presto! I created my own satisfying recipe which I find really yummy......

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1/4 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 slices ginger
• 1-2 tbsp of chili flakes
• 1/4 cup rinsed black beans(canned)
• 50g-85g whole wheat spaghetti
• 2-3 tbsp of chicken/vegetable broth
• 1 tomato
• 1 small bunch butterhead lettuce (about the size of your fist will do)
• few pieces of turkey slices/meat
• 1/4 tsp dark soya sauce

1. Boil the whole wheat spaghetti according to stated timing in the package.
2. Meanwhile, cut tomatoes into 8 wedges and cut the ginger into strips.
3. Healthy Sauté: In a medium-sized skillet, add broth and using medium heat, heat till bubbles appear. Add in garlic, ginger, onion and thyme for and stir about 5 minutes.
4. Add cooked spaghetti, black beans, turkey slices, dark soya sauce and chili flakes in and continue stirring for another 2 minutes or so.
5. Finally, add in the butterhead lettuce and tomatoes and stir till the lettuce softens a little.

Pear Cinnamon Pancake

In the past, I used to really like MacDonald's Hotcake. However, ever since I started to change my diet the healthy way (think its about 4 years ago), I know that their hotcakes contain nothing nutritional except for empty carbs, I stop eating them and to the extreme that I totally stop patronizing MacDonald. From that moment, I never once crave for MacDonald. Even the aroma of fries doesn't appeal to me as I know that MacDonald and other fast food are providers of unhealthy food. But the problem is, I have a soft spot for pancakes. Therefore, I went in search of healthy pancake and naturally, it leads me to whole wheat pancakes...... Fortunately, there are dozens of different kind of healthy pancakes around, if not, i think my pancake cravings won't stop budging me......

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 1/3 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk (I used organic soy milk)
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 apple, cored and chopped finely

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Combine the eggs, milk and honey.

Stir into dry ingredients and mix just until moistened (DO NOT OVERMIX!!!). Add apple.

Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a hot non-stick skillet lightly coated with oil (extra virgin olive oil and canola oil are good choices in terms of nutritional value). Flip over when bubbles for on top and cooked until second side is golden brown.

TIPS 1: You may serve with 1/2 cup soy milk, topped with grounded flaxseed, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds - the seeds are for you to get a balanced requirement of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The recommended ratio of these 2 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are 1:1. I always add that to part of my breakfast to ensure I get these EFAs daily.

TIPS 2: You may realize that if you use 1 egg to get the 1/3 amount needed for the pancake, you are left with 2/3 (of course, I'm just sounding stupid). You can use the remaining beaten egg to make omelet like in the photo so that you won't waste ingredients. This way you can get the protein from the egg too!

Mini Subway

Subway is my only favorite fast food restaurant in Singapore. They serve really nice bread and salads (drooling...). However, my willingness to pay does not accommodate the high price. I can get it done by myself for less than $3.00 (ok, call me an aunty, I admit I am). Therefore, I only treat Subway as occasional 'healthy' indulgence. Because I love Subway's 'style' of food, I tried to come up with something similar. My 'prototype' was really wonderful to my tastebuds and the best part is, its colourful. I use this as my mobile lunch during school term quite often.

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 2 slices of 100% whole wheat bread
• a few pieces of romaine lettuce
• 3-5 strips of red bell pepper
• 3-5 strips of yellow bell pepper
• 1 slice turkey ham
• 1 tablespoon of shredded extra-sharp Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon of shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Preheat oven to 100 degrees Celcius.

Place the turkey slice on 1 side of 1 slice of bread and add both the shredded cheese on top. Move both the slices of bread into the oven to melt the cheese and to give the bread a crispy feel. Alternatively, you can toast it in a small toaster but just make sure that you don't get charred bread as those charred portion are carcinogenic (cancer causing). However, if you do get, remember to remove those parts.

After that, slot in the vegetables and its ready to be served.

Banana Strawberry Oatmeal

I really love to wake up in the morning and cook up a warm bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal is one breakfast that is really versatile. You can mix and match to meet your style, your nutrition needs and most important of all, your stomach. Besides that, its really simple to cook. What else to ask for a student like me who has limited time in the morning to prepare a sumptuous and healthy breakfast!

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1/2 cup of rolled oats
• 1 cup of water
• 1 medium size banana, chopped
  
• 1 cup of strawberries (chopped up like in the photo)

Put together the 1st 2 ingredients and heat over low to medium level heat. After about 3 minutes where most of the water are absorbed, add in the chopped bananas and stir in the oatmeal till integrated. Pour into a bowl, add the chopped strawberries and serve!

Chocolate Banana Whole Wheat Muffins

As you guys should know that muffins out there are high in calories, sugar and fat contents. They used mainly all-purpose flour which is refined flour. Refined flour works almost the same way as enriched white flour (processed flour) - that is giving problems to your blood sugar level and making you crave for the wrong kind of carbs. But eating healthy does not mean just vegetables and fruits. Occasional indulgence (the correct kind) is one way to making a healthy diet interesting. Making muffins on your own gives you control over your own ingredients, thus ensuring that food going through your mouth are more healthful. Just like this homemade Chocolate Banana Whole Wheat Muffin. It is 100% whole wheat and there I am, living and eating healthy. Its all your choice!

RECIPE: Makes 6

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsps whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 2 tbsps of shredded dark chocolate (choose 70% and above as they have less sugar content)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp low-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (used real one and not those artificial kind)
• 1 1/2 riped banana, mashed
• 2 tbsps chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius and grease a 6 cup muffin tin.

In a large mxing bowl, whisk together flour, bran, molasses and baking powder. In another bowl, mix together yogurt, sour cream, egg whites, vanilla and bananas. Pour yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and mix them together, just enough to integrate both. Spoon batter into muffin cups and sprinkle chocolate shreds and chopped walnuts over each batter.

Bake muffins in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to a rack to cool.

NOTES:

• Chocolate shreds - use a sharp knife to slice against a small section of the dark chocolate bar to get very thin shreds. Thin shreds ensure better integration into the batter.
• Low-fat sour cream - if unable to get low-fat sour cream, add together 2 tbsp of soy milk + 1 tbsp of lemon juice + 1 cup creamed low-fat cottage cheese to make a substitute for low-fat sour cream. This makes 1 cup.
  

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

This apple cinnamon oatmeal is full of flavour. Taking oatmeal in the morning helps to regulate sugar level, keeps you satisfied longer, lowers blood cholesterol, prevents risk of getting cancer, provides many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein. All this means that you are taking the right kind of carbs - not empty carbs (as I have always stressed).

RECIPE: Serves 1

• 1/2 cup of rolled oats
• 1 tbsp of oat bran
• 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 apple, diced

Put together rolled oats and oat bran.

For every 1 portion of oats, double the amount of water. That is to say, for this recipe, use 1 cup of water and cook the oats. This will take approximately 5 minutes.

At about 3rd min, when the oats looks soggy, add the cinnamon and stir. After which, stir in the apples and cook for 1 minute or so.

There, the healthy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is ready!

100% Whole Wheat Bread

I made this when my parents were away to Bangkok. My lessons last throughout the day and I can't survive if I don't have a mobile lunch to keep my stomach satisfied. So I made this 100% WWB to make sandwiches as lunches during school days. Breads sold outside are full of processed ingredients such as 'ENRICHED WHITE FLOUR' which basically provides nothing except empty calories and carbs. It also makes our blood sugar uneven. That is why we feel energetic for the 1st 2 hours but may feel an energy dip in the day or a few hours after consuming white flour. It also makes us crave for more sugary stuffs and the wrong carbs as we experience an energy dip. This leads us back to eating the wrong and unhealthy food and creates a vicious cycle of eating the wrong kind of food. Thus, I will prefer to use WHOLE grain flour in making this bread. It was my 1st attempt and the results are great!

RECIPE: Makes 1 loaf

• 1 3/8 cups hot waer
• 8 tsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsps + 8 tsps molasses
• 3 3/4 cups of 100% whole grain wheat flour(WGWF)
• 1 tbsp baker's yeast

Add the first 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix.

Add 2 cups of 100% WGWF (to cool the water and end up with warm dough so as to activate the yeast at the right temperature). Mix then add 1 tbsp of baker's yeast.

Mix using an electric mixer until consistency is somewhat even and then continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the side of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so that the bread will be fluffy. !DO NO OVERMIX - as the bread will be tough.

When finished mixing, leave it in the mixer, cover the bowl and let rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will grow in size but need not double.

Grease the bread loaf pan with some oil so that the resulting bread will not stick to the pan.

Once the dough has risen, punch the dough down to approximately the original size.

Drop the dough on a lightly floured surface so that you can work the dough and shape it. After shaping, drop it into the bread loaf pan and let it rise to double the size. For information on how to shape the dough, go to this website: http://jansdough.janktheproofer.com/shapebread.htm

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 35 minutes.

When done, turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. After the bread has cooled down, eat it or store in the freezer (can be stored up to 3 months) for later usage.

PS: Recipe with courtesy of Recipezaar

Broccoli Frittata

This is the first frittata I've made for my breakfast. There's egg, spinach, onions and cheddar+parmesan cheese which melts in the centre when I put it to broil. Mmmm.... yummy! Definitely a great choice for breakfast with proteins from the eggs and vitamins from the brocolli
!.... Especially with the cheeses melted....

RECIPE: Serves 4

• 8 large eggs
• 2 tbsps water
• 2 tsps olive oil (use extra-virgin)
• 1 small red onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1/4 tsp salt (I omitted this as I do not want my diet to have an excess of sodium which can be obtained from many other food)
• ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Separate out 4 eggs, put the whites into a medium sized bowl and discarding the yolks (or saving them for another purpose). Add the remaining 4 whole eggs and 2 tbsps of water to the whites and whisk well.

In a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the broccoli and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Season with salt and a few turns of pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet covering them evenly. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook until egg mixture has set around the edges but is still somewhat liquid in the middle, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Place the skillet under the broiler about 2 inches from the heat until the surface is set and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the egg mixture will become tough.

Cut the frittata into wedges and serve.

NOTES: HOW TO BROIL
Place a tray at the top most level of an oven place the skillet on top of the tray where it will be just a few inches away from the heat source. That's it. Just pay attention not to over-broil or else your food will get charred which de-fits the healthy idea!

PS: Recipe with courtesy of Food Network