ANN/THE DAILY STAR – To keep your stomach cool and mind clear here are our few cool recipes. These recipes are not only healthy and will keep your tummy cool for the entirety of the afternoon but will also take literally 10 to 15 minutes to prepare. You can have them on the go or have them at the office. Did we mention that they are pocket-friendly as well?
MAKE YOUR OWN SALSA
Making salsa is very easy contrary to popular belief, chop a tomato, a little onion, garlic, green chilli and coriander mix that with a dash of ketchup chilli sauce and lime juice. Your salsa is ready!
OMELETTE ROLL-UP
Ingredients
– One egg
– A little olive oil for frying
– Two tablespoon (tbsp) tomato salsa
– One tbsp fresh coriander
Method
Beat the egg with one tbsp water. On a non-stick pan pour a bit of oil and apply medium heat. Add the egg and swirl around the base of the pan like a pancake, and cook until set.
There is no need to turn it over.
Place the fried egg on a board, spread with the salsa, and sprinkle with the coriander on it.
Roll it up. It can be eaten warm or cold. You can also save it for two days in the fridge. This recipe is fast, easy, and convenient for the ones living the fast life.
SRIRACHA AND LIME POTATO SALAD
Ingredients
– 750g potatoes, halved if large
– 80g sour yoghurt
– 50g soured cream
– Two tbsp sriracha
– One lime, zested and juiced
– One teaspoon (tsp) honey
– Six spring onions, finely sliced
– Half small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
– Half tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Method
Put the potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water. Boil them until tender for 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and leave to cool completely. Whisk sour yoghurt, sriracha, lime zest and juice, honey, half the spring onions, most of the coriander and some seasoning.
Mix and toss the cooled potatoes with the sriracha-yoghurt mixture until all the potatoes are coated. Sprinkle over the remaining spring onions, and the rest of the coriander and chilli flakes, if you like.
TOFU WITH CHILLI AND GREENS
Ingredients
– Bok choy (about 300g), roughly chopped
– 300g block of silken tofu
– One tomato
– 20g of black olive
– One tbsp white vinegar
– One tbsp soy sauce, plus extra to serve
– Pinch soft brown sugar
– One tbsp oil
– Two spring onions, julienned or finely sliced
– 2cm piece of ginger, julienned or finely sliced
– Large pinch chilli flakes
– Sesame oil
– Cooked wholegrain rice, to serve
Method
Put the greens in the base of a shallow bowl that will fit into a large steamer with shallow water. Put the tofu on top of the greens and thickly slice. Mix a bit of vinegar, soy sauce and sugar with two tbsp water and pour over the tofu. Cover and steam for five minutes or until the tofu are hot.
Add the spring onion, tomato, black olive and ginger, and sizzle for a min on a small pan with oil on medium heat. Add the chilli flakes and a splash of sesame oil. When hot, pour carefully over the tofu. Serve with rice.
LEMONY BAKED BASA
Basa is a white fish from Southeast Asia that’s an excellent source of high-quality protein and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. Its cheap cost, mild taste, and flaky, firm texture make it popular worldwide. It’s a quick and easy recipe. This recipe works well with many types of fish including betki and tilapia.
Ingredients
– Four Basa fish fillets (or other mild white fish, about 114g each)
– Eight tsp butter or substitute, melted
– Four tbsp lemon juice
– A quarter tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
– Half tsp garlic powder
– Dash paprika
– Sea salt, to taste
– A quarter cup green onions sliced thin
– Two tbsp parsley chopped
– Lemon wedges optional
Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat fish fillets dry and place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Pour lemon juice and melted butter over fish. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over fish. Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.
STEAMED FISH
A fresh whole fish steamed to a tender texture, seasoned with a delicious dressing, Chinese steamed fish requires little cooking skill but tastes incredible.
Ingredients
– One whole fish, gutted and descaled (about 400g)
– Two stalk scallions, julienned
– One small piece ginger, julienned
– One-and-a-half tbsp cooking oil
– One dried chilli, julienned
– One pinch whole Sichuan peppercorn
– Three tbsp light soy sauce
– Half tsp sugar
– One pinch ground white pepper
Method
Have the fish gutted and descaled by the fishmonger, but keep the head and tail on for the whole look. Before steaming, give the fish a good rinse under running water then pat dry thoroughly using kitchen paper. Lay the fish on a chopping board to cut it at a 45-degree angle several times on each side.
This helps to cook through quickly and allow more flavour to penetrate. The last step of preparation is to “dress” the fish with some aromatics: scallions and ginger. Cut them into thin strips and place them underneath and over the fish, as well as inside the cavity. During steaming, they lend a beautiful, subtle aroma to the fish. Be generous in volume if you appreciate their tastes.
To steam a fish whole, you would usually need a wok that is big enough to fit a plate which holds the fish. Place a small bowl in the middle of the wok (use a wire steamer rack instead if you have one). Add water to the wok. Make sure it’s lower than the bowl/rack. Bring the water to a full boil, then put the fish plate on top of the bowl/rack. Cover with a lid to steam.
Steam it for eight minutes over high heat.
Take out the plate. Carefully remove the cloudy liquid. Heat up oil, dried chilli and Sichuan pepper in a small pan over low heat. As soon as the oil starts to smoke, pour it over the fish (you may either pour the spices onto the fish or discard them). Add light soy sauce, sugar and white pepper to the same pan. Heat up until it bubbles. Pour over the fish. Serve immediately with plain rice.
