Tuesday is our family’s weekly salad day. However, our salad is not just plain, boring fresh vegetables. We also add other ingredients such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits, grains and protein (either animal or plant) to jazz up our bowl of greens, turning it into a more complete, power-packed meal. I have lots of fun making different kind of dressing to create new taste for our salad.   In the course...

  From our local wet markets, I can easily find cheap and fresh corns year-round. So, I always buy some to keep. Before storing in the fridge, I wrap them un-husked with plastic wrap. This helps them to remain fresh for a week or two.   Fresh corns have wonderful natural sweetness. They are also versatile cooking ingredients. Thus, I love to add them to my soup. Previously, I had shared some corn...

  Tofu has always been my favourite food ingredient for cooking. I love how it can miraculously fit into a variety of recipes ranging from salad to dressing to entrée and more. Other than its versatility, tofu is also inexpensive and rich in protein. That’s why it’s a must-have item in my fridge.   Tofu, with its ability to absorb flavour, is best braised turning its seemingly bland taste into...

  Burdock is a biennial plant, cultivated for its root to be consumed as a vegetable. Burdock root 牛蒡 (other popular names: Arctium lappal, Greater burdock, edible burdock, Lappa burdock) is also called “gobō” in Japan and “u-eong”u-eong” in Korea. When I first saw burdock root at the wet market, I had mistaken it with a tuber called huai san 淮山 or shan yao 山药...

Tofu or bean curd, sometimes called the “The Cheese of Asia”, is a highly nutritious, protein-rich and delicious food. Its high quality protein content makes a good substitute for meat in many vegetarian recipes. Tofu may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium, depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing. If it is made with calcium, the end product will be a valuable source of calcium for those...

  The ease to manage and chew makes patties a kids-friendly food. That’s why most kids find food appealing when presented in the form of patties. Patties are suitable to be served as a light meal, during kid’s parties or even to be packed into a kid’s lunchbox. They are also great as picnic food since proper cutleries are not required for eating. I would recommend to include greens...

Popcorn is high on fiber, low on calories, but also packed with energy. Compared to sugar-filled candy or chocolate bars, popcorn is still a better (if not the best) choice for snack. If prepare correctly and eat in moderation, it can be considered a healthy snack for kids. You should consider making your own popcorn rather than buying from outside. Firstly, the corn kernels are inexpensive. Secondly, it’s...

  Since we first met till we got married, I have yet to see my hubby choosing salad as the main course for his meal.  I also didn’t really put much effort to convince him to try. I blindly accept the fact that it is not so easy to change an adult’s eating habit as compared to a kid’s. Until recently. that was my perception. Well,  now he loves salad!   When I told him that...

  From young, soup has been served regularly in my family’s daily diet. As far as I can recall, my mom has been boiling different types of Chinese soups almost every day. After I got married, I too enjoyed all the home-boiled soups of my mother-in-law. Now, as a “minister of home affair cum head chef”, I continued with our family’s tradition to boil soups for the family as my son is a big fan...

Beetroot (甜菜根) is a new vegetable to me. I only started eating beetroot 2 years ago after my good friend, Alice from Bits of Taste n Life introduced it to me. I didn’t know that there are so many great benefits eating beetroot until I read about it from here and here. The benefits of beetroot are: a) it is a rich source of carbohydrates, a good source of protein, and has high levels of important vitamins,...