Cucumber and Yoghurt Dip

A WHOLESOME FRY-UP

FairPrice Chicken Fingers are a healthy trans fat-free snack that everyone can enjoy

ANNETTE TAN, food@newstoday.com.sg

These FairPrice Chicken Fingers are a great snack for the whole family. And it can be part of a quick meal after a long day.

I put them in an oven (preheated to 180°C) for 20 minutes, and made a healthy yoghurt and cucumber dip as they cooked.

Then, it was simply a matter of tearing open a packet of soft tortillas, arranging the Chicken Fingers on them and smearing some of the dip on top. You can also add some bottled salsa for added kick.

You then roll up the tortillas and serve them with a green salad and more of the cucumber-yoghurt dressing on the side.

Conveniently, this dressing also works well as a quick and healthy dip to go with just the Chicken Fingers when friends drop by.

Being Halal, trans fat-free and made from lean chicken breasts, FairPrice Chicken Fingers are a snack that everyone can enjoy.

There is also a range of FairPrice Chicken Popcorn and FairPrice Chicken Fillet if you fancy your own fried chicken party.

FairPrice Chicken Fingers, Chicken Popcorn and Chicken Fillet ($6.50 per 500g packet) are available at all FairPrice supermarkets.

Cucumber and Yoghurt Dip

Serves 4

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 cup plain yoghurt

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh dill, minced

1. Grate the cucumber into a bowl and then squeeze the liquid out of it.

2. Transfer the cucumber to another bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients. This is best served chilled, and can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge.

From TODAY, Plus – Thursday, 28-May-2009

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Sweet & Salty Ginger Chicken

EASY LUXURY
A restaurant-quality dish can be easily put together with healthy FairPrice Olive Oil and a rummage through your pantry

ANNETTE TAN, food@newstoday.com.sg

While I realise that chicken breast is a healthier food option, I have to confess that I much prefer the darker and tastier meat of the chicken thigh.

And I find that if you don’t have it deep-fried and keep your consumption of the chicken skin to a minimum, there is no good reason why chicken thigh meat shouldn’t be on your household’s menu.

In this recipe, I used FairPrice Olive Oil to help up the healthy factor.

A Gold Winner of the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Award for two years running, FairPrice Olive Oil is cholesterol free, high in monounsaturated fats and rich in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

I also used Chef Delights Chicken Boneless Thighs, which are a convenient option since they come frozen, yet have a good flavour when cooked.

These Grade A, Halal chicken thighs are also suitable for just about everyone.

This is one of those dishes that can be whipped up in a jiffy — without much effort — and with ingredients that you would already have in your pantry.

Yet, despite the light work it requires, the results are fantastically flavourful and the ideal accompaniment to a bowl of steamed white rice.




FairPrice Olive Oil ($23.95, 2L) and Chef Delights Chicken Boneless Thigh ($6.60, 1kg) are available at all FairPrice supermarkets.





Sweet & Salty Ginger Chicken
Serves 6

2 tbsp FairPrice Olive Oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp sake or white wine
2 tbsp sugar
2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled and julienned
1 packet Chef Delights Chicken Boneless Thigh
Chopped red chillies

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
2. In a bowl, whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and ginger.
3. Dredge each chicken piece in the glaze, coating completely and leaving it in the glaze for a minute or so to allow the meat to soak up more of the flavour.
4. Put the pieces, skin side down, in a foil-lined baking try. Pour any leftover glaze over the chicken.
5. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the chicken over and baste them with the pan drippings. If a lot of fat has rendered out, spoon some off now to prevent flare-ups.
7. Place the pan back in the oven, on the highest rack (closest to the grill), then bake for about 8 minutes or until the skin is well-browned.
8. Drizzle the chicken with the pan drippings and top with chopped red chillies before serving.
9. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.

From TODAY, Plus – Thursday, 21-May-2009

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Hokkien Salty Clay pot Rice

Brought to you by FairPrice

EVERYDAY MAGIC
Who doesn't love rice? So, why not put the best quality you can afford on your table?

ANNETTE TAN, food@newstoday.com.sg

Photos: Jason Ho
Few Asians go a day without eating rice. It is our staple, our comfort food and, in many ways, our lifeblood.

It makes sense, then, to want to eat the best quality rice you can afford. For many parents, putting the best rice on the table is just another way of conveying their love for their family.

FairPrice Gold Thai Hom Mali Rice is one such superior quality option. It is wonderfully aromatic and produces good, plump grains when cooked. It is also delightfully affordable.

In fact, FairPrice Gold Thai Hom Mali Rice is a Gold Winner of the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Award 2009.

Besides steaming it plain to go with a variety of dishes, I also like it as fried rice and claypot rice.

This version of claypot rice is a deeply savoury Hokkien favourite that everyone in your family will enjoy. If you like, you may add some Chinese sausage to give it a sweet contrast. But I love it just the way it is.




FairPrice Gold Thai Hom Mali Rice ($12.25, 5kg) is available at all FairPrice supermarkets.







Hokkien Salty Clay pot Rice
Serves 4

1/3 cup FairPrice Canola Oil
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
70g dried shrimps
1 packet cai xin or kai lan, washed and chopped roughly
2 cups FairPrice Gold Thai Hom Mali Rice, washed and drained
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
3 cups water

To garnish:
2 pcs salted fish, preferably kurau (threadfin), fried and chopped
Coriander leaves
Sliced red chillies

1. In a claypot, add oil and heat over a medium flame.
2. Add shallots and sauté until fragrant but not brown, about one minute.
3. Add dried shrimps and fry for five minutes.
4. Add vegetables, rice, fish sauce and sugar. Stir to mix evenly.
5. Add water and bring to a boil.
6. Lower the fire to a low flame and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
7. To serve, garnish with chopped salted fish, fried shallots, chilli and coriander leaves.

From TODAY – Thursday, 14-May-2009

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Asparagus & Prawns Green Curry Stir Fry

GET A GREAT KICK OUT OF THIS

Robust Thai flavours, organic asparagus and wholesome canola oil make for a delicious combination

ANNETTE TAN

food@newstoday.com.sg

-----

I have always been partial to smaller sized asparagus, which tend to come from South-east Asia. I like that they are less woody and fibrous than their larger counterparts. They are also decidedly sweeter.

Being organic, Pasar Organic Asparagus from Thailand have the honour of being that much healthier. I often use them in simple stir-fries or grill them with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.

Like olive oil, canola oil is also an extremely healthy choice. It is high in monounsaturated fats, cholesterol-free and contains Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

I find FairPrice Canola Oil a better option for Asian cooking as it has a milder flavour compared to olive oil. What's more, for two years running, FairPrice's housebrand cooking oils have been the Gold Winner of the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Award.

In the spirit of FairPrice's Country Fair — Experiencing Thailand (now until May 20), I decided to whip up a Thai-inspired dish that boasts robust flavours and all my favourite ingredients.

I hope your family enjoys it, too.

FairPrice Canola Oil ($6.95, 2L)

and Pasar Organic Asparagus

($3, 200g) are available at all

FairPrice supermarkets

 

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ASPARAGUS & PRAWNS GREEN CURRY STIR FRY

Serves 4

1 tbsp FairPrice Canola Oil
300g prawns, shelled and deveined
4 tsp green curry paste
1 packet Pasar Organic Asparagus, cut
into short lengths
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup coconut milk
1 tsp fish sauce


1. Heat oil in a wok until it starts to shimmer.
2. Add the prawns and green curry paste and stir briskly to mix. Fry for two minutes before adding the asparagus.
3. Stir fry for another two minutes before adding the lime juice, coconut milk and fish sauce.
4. Cook for a further five minutes and remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

From TODAY – Thursday, 07-May-2009

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