Three Quick and Easy Recipes to Excite Your Palate

All recipes are from ‘Sharing Plates – on cooking & coping with cancer’

Even as circuit breaker measures ease, restrictions on movement and dining out may well continue for the country’s public health and safety. With many in Singapore working from home, these past couple of months have also seen the rise of a new generation of “Masterchefs”. We present three quick and easy recipes to excite your palate. Secret ‘Masterchef’ tip: You can use all three recipes to create a wonderful three course meal!

Five Elements Vegetable Soup by Jimmy, Cancer Survivor

Burdock root is great for gastrointestinal health; it stimulates the digestive organs and treats various stomach ailments.

What You Will Need (Serves 4)

600g of White radish
300g of White radish leaves
300g of Burdock root
300g of Carrot
6 Dried mushrooms, soaked until soft
2 litres of Water

Method:
Wash the ingredients to remove dirt, retain the skin of the vegetables and slice into 1cm thick pieces.
In a pot of water, bring all ingredients to a boil. Simmer over low flame for one to two hours.

Adjust seasoning according to desired taste and serve either hot or cold.

Note: This soup can be kept for a maximum of two days. If the soup looks murky, it should not be consumed.
 

Penne Briyani by Nora, Cancer Survivor

Bell peppers are full of anti-cancer benefits. They contain lycopene like tomatoes and are a rich source of vitamins and antioxidants.

What You Will Need (serves 4)

60g of Onions
200g of Red peppers
200g of Green peppers
250g of sliced Tomatoes
250ml of Water or stock
4 tbsp of Tomato sauce
(or 3 tbsp of tomato puree)
1 tbsp of Rempah daging
5 stalks of Mint leaves
Coriander leaves
10 Cashew nuts, crushed
10 Almonds, crushed
½ pack of Chicken stock powder
1 tbsp of Briyani spice powder
100g of Large onions, sliced
250g of Penne (or any kind of pasta)
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Method:

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.
Sauté the large onion slices in olive oil until fragrant. Remove and set aside.
Blend peppers, tomatoes and tomato sauce together. Use the residual oil to stir-fry the mixture with the rempah daging until fragrant.
Add mint leaves, cashew and almond nuts, and stir fry.
Add chicken stock and biryani spice powders and stir fry until fragrant.
Add in the cooked onions and penne, and toss to mix evenly.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Michelle’s No-bake Cheesecake by Michelle, Caregiver

Add three tablespoons of fruit juices, like lemon or pomegranate, for a fresh spin!

What You Will Need (serves 6)

1 block of Cream Cheese
1 cup of Water
10g of Gelatine
Crushed digestive biscuits (amount depends on the size of your baking pan. Michelle uses 20)
Butter (enough to hold biscuit crumbs together. Michelle uses 4 tbsp)
Baking pan (smaller diameter preferred)

Method:

Crush all biscuits until they are fine. Add butter to biscuit crumbs until they can hold together.
Using the crumbs, press them against all edges of the baking pan.

Carefully transfer baking pan to freezer and leave for an hour.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
In another pot, add one cup of water to the gelatine. Heat over low fire to melt the gelatine. Do not boil.
Pour melted gelatine into the mixture of cream cheese and mix well.
Pour mixture into the pan containing the biscuit base.
Leave cake to set overnight in the fridge.

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