~ Milo Tofu Shake

Modified from:
-

Description:
Mildly chocolately protein shake~

Ingredients (1 serving):
150 g tofu
200 ml milk
4 tbsp Milo powder
2 tsp honey
Some ice

Directions:
1) Blend all together, adjust consistency with ice.

Remarks:

Bro "failed" this shake! I'm ok with it though.

~ Gazpacho (Chilled Avocado and Tomato Soup)

Modified from:
Allrecipes

Description:
Chilled soup for the summer.. winter and whole year round!

Ingredients (1-2 servings):
1/2 avocado, diced
2 tomatoes, diced (1/2reserved).
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 C chopped parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp milk / yoghurt

Directions:
1) Simmer 1 1/2 tomatoes in some water till bubbly and sweet. Set aside in the fridge to chill. (optional step which helps to increase the lycopene levels)
2) Blend all ingredients except for milk together, and then chill the mixture.
3) Serve chilled with milk or yoghurt.

Remarks:

Raw foodists alert! Though it is the monsoon season in Singapore now, this chilled soup made with raw food and meant for the summer is still certain to please! Well, unless u abhor the spices that are thrown in. Initially, I found it rather tart due to the tomatoes (this soup is more tomatoey than avocadoey). However, the addition of milk created divinity. How I wished I had a dollop of thick creamy yogurt at that time! The texture was smooth and surprisingly..fluffy.
Geez, what an adjective to use for a soup. Airy soup? Oh well, disregard the English.. It was really fluffy and each spoonful was bursting with the flavours of the earth. A decent find! Can't wait to try another chilled avocado and tomato soup again soon!

~ Mian Cheng Kueh (Crispy Pancake with Filling)

The secret to getting crispy yet tender MCK?

50 cents and a truckload of luck!

Lady Luck sure is smiling at me today!

~ Tofu Avocado Salad with Wasabi Dressing

Modified from:
Taste of Zen (tofu avocado salad)
Moscow Food (wasabi dressing)

Description:
Creamy avocados, soft tofu, tangy tomatoes, crunchy almonds, all tossed together with spicy wasabi dressing~

Ingredients (1 serving):
1/2 avocado, diced
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
150 g tofu, drained and cubed
Handful of blanched broccoli forets (optional)
Handful of toasted almonds

1/2 tsp wasabi paste
1 tsp milk
1 tbsp Miracle whip

Directions:
1) Mix wasabi paste, milk and miracle whip together. For thicker consistency, omit milk and replace with miracle whip.
2) Toss avocado, tomato and tofu together in a large bowl. Serve with wasabi dressing and toasted almonds.

Remarks:

Ever since I've tried the avocado tofu salad at MOF, I've been hooked to the taste and wanted to try this recipe at home since it was cheaper to make it at home then to eat the restaurant. Further, the ingredients were simple and accessible. I didn't really follow the instructions from the sources I've googled on, just merely used them as references to make sure that I was on the right track. And on the right track I was! I love the creamy texture of the dressing along with the spicy kick that the wasabi paste imparted. Slather the dressing over the healthful combination of ingredients, and indulge in a gastronomical experience! It's really fun to try to squeeze every type of ingredient onto a small tsp too, try it!

~ Quick Soba in Fish and Veg Soup

Due to the short cooking time, the flavors of the vegetables are sealed in (retaining much nutrients) and will only surface if u take a bite out of them. Not going to post the recipe, but here's what's inside: a handful cabbage, 1 carrot, 1/4 C frozen mixed vegetables, 1 onion, 1 tbsp fish flakes, 1tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 egg.

~ Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic

I blended 3 cooked tomatoes and 4 cloves of roasted garlic (shown below) together for a tart and garlicky breakfast! Also threw in a handful of sesame seeds to aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins!

~ Blueberry Oatmeal

I find great amusement in burst blueberries after they are cooked (not that heating is a good idea since it destroys most of the good stuff inside).

And look! There's a teddy with a belly on the berry!

~ Mashed (Leftover) Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

What else to do with some leftover potatoes? Mash them up with roasted garlic, salt, pepper and you are good to go!

~ Pasta and Mussels in Mango Cream Sauce

Modified from:
Allrecipes

Description:
Shelled treasures doused in an ocean of sweet tropical sauce~

Ingredients (1 serving):
60 g pasta
1 tsp oil
6 (or more) mussels
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/4 C cucumber, chopped
1 small ripe mango, cut into cubes
1/4 milk
1 tsp corn starch
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Parsley (garnish)

Directions:
1) Cook pasta in salted water till al dente. Set aside. Cook mussels in the water for 3 min or till the shells have popped apart.
2) Heat up oil in a saucepan, and sauteed onions and cucumbers for 3 min till tender.
3) Mix in the garlic, ginger and mango cubes and cook for 5 min or till the mango is soft.
4) Dissolve corn starch in milk and pour into the saucepan. Cook for 5 min till bubbly and of desired consistency. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper
5) Stir in mussels and pasta to coat. Once heated up, serve garnished with parsley.

Remarks:

I've never really like shellfish (chewy texture of mushroom with a hint of the ocean), but that shouldn't be a limiting factor for creativity right? 

~ Mum's Banana Muffin

Mum made banana muffins, which were dense and more bread-like to me. I would like it better if they were more fluffy!

~ Exotic Fruits (Avocado, Strawberry, Attap) Parfait

Modified from:
American Feast

Description:
A myriad of colours, taste and nutrients within a glass tower~

Ingredients (1 serving):
1/2 avocado, diced
3 strawberries, diced
3 attap seeds in syrup
150 g yhogurt
1 1/2 tbsp orange juice

Directions:
1) Toss fruits together and spoon into a tall glass.
2) Mix yoghurt and orange juice together, and drizzle onto the fruit mixture.

Remarks:

Ok before anyone spots anything, I shall be honest and admit that yes, the pictures were taken on my bed =x (my quilt was caught in the pictures!) With such a pretty and matching bedsheet, it would be a pity to not feature it in one of my preparations.

Back to things proper, this parfait serves as a easy and versatile way to impress your guests (not that I have any at that moment)! Vary the variety of fruits, composition, yoghurt volume and anything else to create impressive and healthful desserts with minimal effort!

But ops, do not be too generous to top the parfait all the way to the brim.. You might face the same difficulty as I did - Now, how do I start eating this?

~ Flourless Chocolate Cake

Modified from:

Allrecipes

Description:
Rich, chocolatey vegan cake guaranteed to send one to cloud nine~

Ingredients (3X4.5" cakes):
40 ml hot water
40 g brown sugar
200 semi-sweet chocolate
75 g salted butter, softened
2 eggs
Cocoa powder (dusting)

Directions:
1) Dissolve brown sugar in hot water.
2) Melt chocolate in a microwave or double-boiler, and pour into mixing bowl.
3) Whisk in butter, followed by hot syrup in (1).
4) Beat in eggs, one at a time.
5) Pour batter into well-greased and dusted (with cocoa) tins
6) Bake in preheated oven at 150 deg for 75 min, till the edges are slightly crisp and dry. The centre may seem wet still.
7) Chill in the fridge overnight and serve with chocolate sauce, jam or ice cream.

Remarks:
A flourless chocolate cake recipe has been on my To-do list for ages! When K indicated that a chocolate cake would be well appreciated for a birthday, I made a mental note to bake it specially for K. I'd used Van Houten's semi sweet chocolate bar and cut down a bit of sugar to compensate the change. When the cake was ready, it filled the kitchen as well as the fridge with a tangible chocolatety smell.

And when both of us tasted it.. Oh my, it's a real delicacy, so so fit for a king (or a queen, or a jack or an ace or two little pigs)~

Happy birthday K!

~ Oriental Apple Salad

Taken from:

Tiff's

Description:
Taste of the Orient~

Ingredients (2 servings):
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp thai chilli sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp fish flakes or fish sauce
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1 apple, cut into cuts
1/4 head broccoli, blanched and separated
1 tomato, diced
1 carrot, julienned
2 stalks of asparagus, blanched
2 lettuce leaves, torn

Directions:
1) Mix condiments together to get the sesame dressing, and toss fruits and vegetables together in a separate bowl. Serve.

Remarks:

Yet another quick and healthy salad, certainly makes me very happy!

Tossed up salad:

~ Potato Chips Tuna Casserole

Taken from:

Tiff's

Description:
Cheesy pasta casserole topped with crispy potato chips~

Ingredients (1 serving, 8X4.5"):
80 g spaghetti, cooked till al dente

1 tsp oil

1 onion, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1 can (184 g) tuna in mayonaise

1/4 C milk
2 slices of processed cheese
4 cheese-flavoured potato chips, crushed

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a saucepan, and sauteed onions and celery till slightly brown.
2) Stir in tuna and milk, and cook till bubbly.
3) Toss the spaghetti with the tuna sauce, and heat up.
4) Place spaghetti onto a 8x4.5" oven-proof dish, and cover with the remaining sauce.
5) Assemble cheese sliced over the sauce, followed by the potato chips.
6) Toast for 5 min, keeping a close lookout to prevent burning. Serve hot.

Remarks:

Made this for Bro, utilising anything appropriate that I can find from the kitchen. Well, you can't go wrong with canned tuna in mayonaise and cheese and potato chips.. so I reckoned he liked it :)

~ Brown Rice Tea Oatmeal

I just can't agree more with Mary Poppin's "Just a spoonful of sugar" when I first tried this concortion (well in this case it would be more apt to be a "just a cupful of oatmeal!"). One of my pals had kindly let me try 3 packets of brown rice tea, which was touted as a good supplement to keep heart diseases at bay.

Full of anticipation, I'd tried my first packet in school.. and yucks, it was super gross. It has a bitter and dry taste that leaves a cloying sweet aftertaste at the back of the throat, and I was so taken aback that I'd decided to give the other two packets away to whoever wants it. However, being the kiasu me who would never (or at least try not to) forsake health foods, I've stirred a packet into my oatmeal in an attempt to make it more palatable and surprisingly, the outcome was astounding.

There was no more bitterness and the sweet aftertaste blended well with the oatmeal.

This combination was malty, full of bite and easy on the palate. It makes me feel so healthy after downing (pretty) cup of this. An excellent alternative way to swallow that nasty brown rice tea!

Well, it doesn't look that appetising from the top..:

Not when it's from the front either..:

But still, a commendable effort towards healthy eating! Don't be lazy!

~ Indian-Inspired Carrot Tomato Soup

Taken from:

Tiff's

Description:
Chunky carrot and tomato soup with crunchy peanuts, Indian style~

Ingredients (1 serving):
2 medium carrots, cubed
2 tomatoes, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp tumeric
100 ml water
2 tbsp roasted salted peanuts

Directions:
1) Place all ingredients except for peanuts into a saucepan. Boil till bubbly then simmer for 10 - 15 min till the carrots are soft.
2) Add in peanuts and cook for another 5 min.
3) Mash till desired consistency. Serve hot

Remarks:

As I always tell my friends and relatives, I should be born an Indian! I simply love the spices that impart piquancy to every dish without piling on the calories!

In this dish, I have added two common spices, tumeric and cumin, to spice up a combination of vegetables that are full of carotenoids! To assist in the absorption of the oil-soluble vitamins as well as to enhance the savoury aspect, a handful of roasted salted peanuts was utilized.

Ahhh.. The goodness of nature~ =)