Category: Food

I love learning from my friends – so the other day I invited Christopher Remaley over to my office to teach us how to make his Spicy Lemonade juice. Chris is a Michelin-star trained chef and knows how to make a GREAT tasting juice. He was the personal chef to Robert De Niro – which was amazing – but Chris told me how the job’s long hours and constantly being on the go nearly ran his body down! Chris learned to heal through juicing and now, living here in Singapore – he started Rejuicenate, a juice cleansing system for those of us feeling a bit run down.

Chris was excited to share his recipes with us but, because what we’re striving for is a healthy balance in life,  he even showed me how to take our morning juice and spike it – into a healthy weekend cocktail! How fun is that?! Grab the recipe, invite your friends around – you’re going to love this!!

First we start with the juice. This is such a refreshing and detoxifying drink – loaded with antioxidants and vitamins – it’s got a spicy kick that wakes up your body and boosts your metabolism. You’ll be looking forward to your morning lemonade for sure!

Chris Remaley’s Spicy Spiked Lemonade Recipe

pro juicing tip: make a big batch, store it in a mason jar filled to the very rim to prevent oxygen exposure.  Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

Ingredients (makes 1 serving): 

• 14 ounces (1 3/4 cups) of alkalized water
• 3-4 juiced medium lemons
• a few dashes of cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• pinch of sea salt to bring out the flavours

Chris says:

If you don’t have a jar of agave nectar in the cupboard, don’t fret it. You can substitute it with honey. The agave will yield a sweeter batch that the honey just can’t match. You can substitute filtered water for alkalised if need be, but alkalised is much more hydrating and detoxifying.

Directions:

1. cut the rinds off the lemons
2. switch on your juicer. Chris loves his Norfolk and uses it in his business. Check out my favorite juicers here.
3. juice all your lemons and mix in the water, salt, cayenne pepper powder and your choice of sweetener. Chris loves the flavour of agave, he finds that because it’s sweet, he can use less than if he used honey.

Then, the next time you have your friends around – pull out your mason jar of Spicy Lemonade, add a splash of vodka and you’ll have a refreshing and absolutely delicious cocktail to share! Light and fresh, this would make a perfect picnic or brunch drink.

Thanks a million to Chris for sharing your recipe with us all. It’s so generous and giving! If you’re in Singapore and feeling a bit rundown – check out Rejuicenate for a delicious juice cleanse!

photography by: Jeff Samaniego

PS:

• 3 Best juicers and where to buy them 
• Natural Beauty – Morning Detox Routine
• 20 Ways to get the Most out of Your Lemons

I’ve been drinking a green smoothie regularly  for the last year and I have to say it’s something just makes me feel better. Like everyone, I have ups and downs – but when I break my morning smoothie routine – I miss it – and always get right back into it. Green smoothies give me more energy, I feel full longer and I get in fruit and greens that I wouldn’t otherwise! And, when you get the recipe right – it’s delicious! This is one of those recipes 🙂

Peaches – it’s peach season – so you’ve no doubt seen them in your supermarket! Not only are they insanely delicious – but they’re also a low calorie treat that’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Bring home some peaches – use a few in this smoothie and the rest to make this cobbler!

Raspberries – low glycemic, (which I think is important for smoothies – you don’t want to load up on too much sugar!) berries are also nutritionally dense! You’ll get a boost of antioxidants and anti inflammatory benefits. Their health properties are highest when the fruit is ripe – which makes frozen a good idea since they are picked at their peak and flash frozen – keeping all those great benefits intact.

Lime – gives your smoothie a burst of freshness. My favourite is the Tahitian lime, which if you can find it – is sweeter and less sharp than other varieties. You’ll also get a good dose of Vit C which is our beauty vitamin.

Coconut – the water makes the base of our smoothie – a great way to hydrate the body with electrolytes. The meat will give your body some healthy fats, that it needs to function well and it gives our smoothie a smooth richness.

Pea Sprouts – the young plants contain huge amounts of nutrients with disease-fighting properties. They have powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that support and protect our body. Grab a big handful of them!

Drink Pink
Peach & Rasperry Green Shake Recipe

Ingredients (makes 2 servings): 

• 1 ripe peach (make sure it’s ripe so that it’s sweet!)
• 8 raspberries or about 1/4cup (fresh or frozen)
• the water and meat from one coconut
• one small lime ( if you can find Tahitian limes – they’re nice and sweet!)
• a handful of sprouts (I used pea sprouts)
• optional: honey to sweeten

Directions: 

1. In a blender, pour in the water from a coconut and the meat (this will give it a nice creaminess)
2. add in the rest of the ingredients – hold the honey to see if you need it.
3. blend for 20 seconds
4. taste and add honey if you like it sweet!
5. drink and feel amazing

PS:

• The Beauty Smoothie – A Green Smoothie Recipe for Beautiful Skin 
• Drink Your Wrinkle Cream!
• 3 Best Blenders and Where to Buy Them

Chef Clement runs a healthy lifestyle bakery & gourmet takeaway, Simply Eden. He’s passionately obsessed about whole foods – one conversation with him will take you from bread, to chocolate, to protecting our earth – all seamlessly intertwined.

Constantly experimenting, Chef plays all day in his kitchen, combining flavours like sun-dried tomato and chocolate, baking breads from ground flowers… (both of which I tried – amazing!)  He’s living his passion and what I love is that he shares it. He teaches workshops to make the very recipes that he sells in his bakery, inspiring people to play and become confident in the kitchen.

When I asked him to share a recipe with you, I told him it could be anything – and he thought about it for a few days. Then I get a call and he says to me, “Pesto! I want to show everyone how to not only make a recipe, but how to make the most out of it so that there’s no waste. With this one pesto, they’ll be able to make breakfast, lunches and dinners!”

Not just a recipe – but kitchen philosophy… let’s do it! It wasn’t until I saw his “pesto” ingredients, did I realize – Chef had been playing with this recipe too…

This recipe uses the traditional pesto flavours of olive oil and parmesan cheese – but here’s where it takes an Eastern turn.

Sweet Basil – You know that forgotten half-packet of limp basil in your fridge… maybe you’re not sure what to do with it? It’s perfect for this dish. Chef Clement’s face lit up as he talked about making use of  aesthetically-challenged ingredients that often get chucked into the bin. As if rooting for an underdog, “It’s a little bruised, but so what, it’s full of flavour!”

Mint – This is a common flavour match to sweet basil – it lifts and brightens the dish.

Ginger Blossom (rojak flower) – A member of the ginger family, rojak’s demeanour is much more gentle. It imparts a light, almost floral taste with a citrus touch. I think this is what gives the pesto its unique  freshness – a flavour which transported me to a day at the beach, with a fruity drink and umbrella.

Candlenuts – This is a nut found in Asia with a very mild flavour, but gives the pesto its body. You can substitute this for any nut (pine, almond, walnut). Chef Clement likes to use what’s available, fresh and local. Candlenuts can be slightly hard to digest for sensitive stomachs. If that’s the case for you, Chef recommends not eating them raw – lightly toast the pesto in a pan, before eating.

As we examined and talked about each ingredient, Chef Clement tossed it into the blender. Quite beautifully, the pieces came together into one emerald green concentration of flavours and aromas.

Chef Clement’s Asian Pesto Recipe

ingredients:

• 50g sweet basil
• 100g mint
• 1 stalk ginger blossom (rojak flower)
• 4 candlenuts (or handful of your nut of choice)
• parmesan cheese to taste
• drizzle  of olive oil

directions: 

• blend all of the ingredients together

Once you make your pesto, store in a glass jar, drizzle oil over the top to keep it fresh. It will last for 3 weeks. Pesto is a solid investment: for 10 minutes of prep work, you’ll enjoy an abundance of effortless meals.

CHEF’S TIP: Do not add salt to the pesto, it draws out water and causes it to spoil quicker. Instead, season each serving as you eat it.

Here are 3 ways you can use your pesto – breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Cheesy Pesto Toastie Recipe

ingredients: 

• crusty bread (If you’re in Singapore, you must try Chef’s chia seed loaf!)
• 1 tbsp pesto
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• salt & pepper
• toppings of choice (tomato, sliced onion, micro greens… or what ever makes you smile)

directions:

1. blend equal parts of pesto to cream cheese
2. spread your mixture over the bread, sprinkle over salt & pepper
3. place it in the oven to toast the bread and warm the cheesy pesto
4. add your toppings

CHEF’S TIP: Chef Clement recommends this dish, not just for breakfast but also as a party appetizer. Prepare the toastie and then slice the bread into bite sizes to serve.

Quick Pesto Pasta Recipe

ingredients:

• 150g cooked pasta
• 2 tsp pesto
• 6 slices of mushrooms
• 6 cherry tomatoes cut in halves
• drizzle of olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• fresh basil to taste

directions:

1. heat up the olive oil, season the oil with salt & pepper
2. add in the cooked pasta, cook for a minute
3. add the pesto and cherry tomatoes, cook for another minute
4. lastly, toss in the mushrooms and cook for one minute
5. garnish with fresh basil and extra parmesan cheese

Foil Packet Pesto Baked Fish Recipe

ingredients:

• white fish fillet
• 2 tbsp pesto
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• slices of tomato
• drizzle of olive oil
• salt & paper to taste
• foil paper

directions:

1. pre-heat oven to 200 c / 400 f
2. cut a large piece of foil paper and small piece of parchment paper
3. lay the fish fillet over the parchment, in the center of the foil paper, sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. In a bowl, combine the pesto and cream cheese
5. spread wholegrain mustard over the fish
6. next, spread on the cream cheese pesto
7. place sliced tomatoes on top and basil
8. drizzle over olive oil to prevent the fish from sticking to the foil
9. wrap the fish by folding in half and sealing the ends by making one inch folds until it’s at the fish
10. bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes

• Order basil, mint and ginger blossom (grown here in Singapore) from Green Circle
• candlenuts can be found in many wet markets

If you struggle to drink plain water all day, this is something you may like! This is flavoured water – a great alternative to anyone who goes for the bottled drinks – try this instead! I’ve been making flavoured water with different flavour variations – but I think this combo is especially yummy. Ever since I started making them – I’ve had no problem staying hydrated and I feel better. And that’s we want, right – to feel our best!

Not only will you get the benefits from water which include mental clarity, energy, healthy gut, overall health – but because of the citrus and berries – you’ll get the added vitamins too! Full of beautifying properties and antioxidants – you get a boost of vit C which plays a key role in healthy, youthful skin!

Now, it’s not a juice – it doesn’t even taste like one. It’s a really good flavoured water, light and refreshing with a touch of sweetness. Make a whole litre of it and keep it in the fridge or carry it out in your water bottle. You’ll see, drinking water will become an enjoyable treat!

 

Citrus & Berry
Thirst Quencher

ingredients:

• less than 1 litre (about 4 cups ) of water – (the fruit will fill it up)
• 1 sweet orange, peeled
• 4 ripe strawberries (don’t take the greens tops off!)
• a toddler’s handful of blue berries

directions:

• in your blender, blend up all the ingredients (check my my top 3 favorite blenders)
• recommended: strain the mixture so it’s not gritty from the seeds
• bottle it up and drink

I don’t think it needs sugar or sweeteners – make sure to choose ripe fruits so that it’s naturally sweet.

If you like this, let me know and I’ll share some more of my fav. combos.  Also, let me know what flavoured waters you come up with!

I’m convinced that to be the worlds best host/party guest, you only really need one dependable signature dish. One that’s so simple, you know it by heart and can whip it up with complete ease. Everyone thinks you’re a kitchen genius (which you are!) and it’s all because one day you read a blog where you discovered this Apple Crumble recipe!

That’s exactly what’s happened to me. I’m still basking in the greatness of this recipe – and I want to share the spotlight with you! I mean, even if one day we end up at the same party, bringing the same dish – it will only mean that there’s more to go around!

To make the crumble topping, I stuck to the recipe – using butter, white flour and sugar. But I’ll start playing with it – perhaps trying whole wheat flour, or another whole grain flour.  I’ll play with the sugar too – I may try using coconut sugar or even maple syrup. Perhaps substituting coconut oil for the butter…

Really, any excuse to make this dessert into a perfectly acceptable breakfast option too! If you come up with a healthier version – please share it with us!

I highly recommend you pair your apple crumble with natural greek yogurt! I’m no chef, but I dare say it helps to balance out the flavours.

Here’s the best part about this dish – I’ve eaten it hot out of the oven and cold out of the fridge  – and it’s beautiful both ways!

• Coconut oil: Where to buy coconut oil in Singapore

True story: the other night I was prepping my daughter’s school lunch for the next day, when I realised that I was out of bread. Going to the shops was the last thing I wanted to do… then I remembered that I actually had a batch of bread dough from a recipe that I was testing. This is not an everyday occurrence for me, I don’t normally have bread dough ready-to-bake. Amused, I pulled it out of the fridge and… baked her sandwich bread.

The fact that baking fresh bread was easier than going to the store made this recipe extra special! I wanted to share this with you – it’s made life easier in my kitchen – it may work for you too!

The whole idea behind the recipe, is that you prepare a large batch of dough in advance, to have ready throughout the rest of the week. It takes 5 minutes of active work – there’s no kneading,  you just mix the basic ingredients in a container, let it rise once and then store it in the fridge. You can then just grab from your batch when you want to bake up a loaf, making the process really quick and easy.

I don’t know what bread makers think of it, but as a busy mom – I’ll tell you that this recipe is a money maker. It’s already proved itself useful more than once!

Since that day, I haven’t stopped playing with it –  I’ve even been stuffing the bread with all kinds of ingredients! You can go sweet or savoury – once you have that starter dough, the options are endless. Here’s a pizza bread I made:

I’ve also tried this same stuffed-bread idea with fruit, sugar and cinnamon, peanut butter and jelly, meatballs and cream cheese (yum!)… basically anything you could imagine sandwiched in-between bread will work! And because you have that dough ready, it makes coming up with snacks and lunches, so easy!

Can you tell I’m excited? Give this recipe a go – check out the creators of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes – get a sense of how it works, then play. You’ll be surprised how easy it can be!

Make your own  Starter Dough: follow this recipe – it’s basically flour, water, salt and yeast. You’ll be able to produce about 3 or 4 loaves throughout the week from it. I did 1 part white with 1 part whole wheat. (they have a gluten free variation, whole grains, pizza dough…)

To make my Pizza Bread, check out my pasta sauce recipe here. Then, all you do is pull off a chunk from your batch of ready-made dough, flour a surface and flatten the dough with your fingers. Spread on the toppings and roll it up. Place it on a baking stone, or loaf pan, seam down. Let it rest for about 30 minutes (up to 90 minutes if you’re patient) then into a hot oven at 425f/220c for another 30 minutes.

Your house smells amazing and you’ve got a delicious treat on the table.