You can choose to steam or airfry the barramundi. I airfried it at 180C for 8 minutes and the flesh was so tender and moist. Steaming takes about 7 minutes on high heat as you’re not steaming a whole fish (I used local barramundi fillets from Sasha’s Fine Foods). Top it with chai poh (preserved radish – scroll down to see the brand I use) and a separate soy sauce mixture and dinner or a quick lunch is ready!

About the Barramundi

The local barramundi fillets I used were from Sasha’s Fine Foods. The flesh is firm with large, white moist flakes with a sweet and buttery flavour which I really love. The best part is they are caught locally at a sustainable hormone and antibiotic-free aquafarm, Singapore Aquaculture Technologies (SAT) – where water quality is monitored and water is naturally filtered, treated and oxygenated, ensuring well-defined conditions for stress-free growth.

National Day Promo! + use code ‘Budgetpantry10’ for 10% off

In line with National Day, Sasha’s Fine Foods is having a 10% off on local products from 5-12 August 2019! See here for the list. You can still use my code ‘Budgetpantry10’ for additional purchases on their website. Get your orders in!

Read about Sasha’s Fine Foods in my earlier blog post. I really love their no antibiotics, no hormones, sustainable produce!

About the preserved radish (chai poh)

Use sweet chai poh, not the salty type. This is the brand I got from Sheng Siong and I see that it is also available on Redmart:

And now for the recipe…

The post Quick 15-minute Chai Poh Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass with Preserved Radish) appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Mine’s rice for sure.

She can eat an entire bowl of plain rice if I let her! To balance her love for rice with better nutrition, I often let her have more protein (fish, beans) than rice during meal times. In this recipe, I added airfried salmon seasoned with garlic powder and mixed herbs, plus 16-grains, corn and edamame. The optional ingredient is cream cheese. It adds flavour and acts as a binder. It’s so good that even adults love this!

I have a picture of the multi grains I use over in this blog post. The last time I checked, it was still available on Redmart.

This recipe is really easy and requires no effort at all. Just cook rice, add in ingredients, bundle up in cling wrap for a minute or two and serve! Although it’s just rice, kids usually find finger food more fun to eat. Mix and match your kids’ favourite ingredients in this! Some ideas: prawns, scrambled or hardboiled eggs, peas, carrots, pumpkin all work well.

Leave me a note if you’re making this!

The post Recipe for kids: Salmon rice cakes with 16 grains appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

I was craving salmon soup so bad on Sunday morning that I told myself I must MUST cook it that night. I blame the chilly weather.

Now at 20 months, cbb often eats the same thing as us at meal times. A plus point for us is that we end up eating less salty and less processed. When I cook dishes like these (miso helloooo so salty), I just don’t serve her the soup and ‘wash’ her portion in hot water before giving it to her. She laps it up all the same.

You can slice the salmon before cooking if you prefer, but I like to keep my salmon fillet whole and cook it till about 80% done. Without being overcooked, the flesh is so creamy soft, it’s incredible! Here’s the recipe, I hope you enjoy it!

Tip: Click here to see my other baby food recipes. Will be adding more soon :) Like my Facebook page or follow @budgetpantry or @chuabeebee on Instagram to be updated on new recipes!

The post Wholesome salmon miso soup with mushrooms and vegetables appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Many parents find it a challenge to introduce fish to their kids’ diet. If your kid looks forward to fish at meal times, you really deserve a pat on the back!

I have come to realise that in many instances, texture, rather than taste, has a huge impact on whether a child likes a particular food or not. As an example, Amber isn’t a big fan of fish when I cook it in porridge, or mix it with rice. Why? Because there are no contrasting textures for her – everything is mushed together!

But when I airfry salmon and flake them on top of whole wheat pasta (she loves fusilli) and homemade pasta sauce, she laps everything up happily.

Recently, I’ve discovered an even better way for her to love fish: Make fish fingers! Whenever I make these, she feels like it’s her birthday. They’re that good! You can choose to make it with or without the extra panko (or crushed crackers) coating outside, but kids do love that extra crunch. Here’s how the two versions look like:

I know you would ask if this recipe works for salmon, or other types of fish. Yes, yes, it does. But cod has a really fragrant flavour when cooked, and it’s absolutely delicious. That said, I have made it with salmon too, she loves it all the same. I think the sweetness of the carrots and cauliflower, plus the bite of the breadcrumbs negate any ill feelings she has over fish :)

Another question I know you would ask is: Must I precook the fish before adding it to the mix? Technically, you don’t have to, because the heat from the airfryer or pan would easily cook the fish. But when preparing fish dishes for Amber, I ALWAYS, ALWAYS precook. So that I can flake the cooked fish with my fingers and feel for any bones before mixing everything together. Some bones are so tiny, they’re embedded within the fish meat.

In case you prefer to use crushed crackers over panko, here’s the brand I like to use (it actually tastes better than panko):

So here you go. I hope this recipe helps your little one accept fish. Share this recipe if you think it could help a mummy or daddy in need!

Tip: Click here to see my other baby food recipes. Will be adding more soon :)

What you need:
200g cod fish or salmon
300g cauliflower, broken into florets
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs or crushed crackers, to mix in
3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs or crushed crackers, for coating
1 teaspoon butter (optional but it makes quite a difference to the taste)
Sprinkle of salt (for adults, if needed)
Steps:Steam the cauliflower and carrots together for 15 minutes, or until tender enough to poke through with a fork. Drain the water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place in a food processor or blender (I use a handheld blender) to mash. It’s ok to have some lumps, and it shouldn’t be too wet (it will be difficult to hold its shape). Set aside.

Steam the cod or salmon for 6 minutes or until cooked (depending on thickness of your fish). Pat dry with kitchen paper. When cool enough to handle, use your fingers and break up the fish into flakes, feeling for bones, before adding to the cauliflower and carrot mash.

Add the butter and 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs or crackers. Shape into fingers, and coat with a layer of bread crumbs.

If airfrying: Preheat to 185C. Spray the fish fingers with a little oil and AF for 10 minutes.
If panfrying, fry in batches until golden.

TIP: You can also add chopped corn to the mix for extra sweetness. For the adults’ portions, season with some salt (if desired) before cooking.

If you like my posts and updates, or would like to be informed of baby/cooking-related giveaways and promos from time to time…..
Like my Facebook page or follow @budgetpantry or @chuabeebee on Instagram! Yes, I just started an Insta account for CBB too!

The post Homemade cod fish fingers for kids appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

My family loves salmon, cbb included! I’ve recently introduced salmon to her diet, and boy does she love it! When preparing food for cbb, I always have a liquid/watery base like pumpkin/carrot/sweetcorn/cauliflower/potato puree (the possibilities are endless), a carb and a protein (like chicken or fish) and chopped vegetables that I make more lumpy to add to the base. There’s no hard and fast rule and I realise I love preparing meals like these for cbb as compared to boring mashes of single-type food when she just started solids.

I made a pumpkin/sweetcorn base and combined it with flaked airfried salmon and chopped peas and carrot for her this week. If I find it too lumpy, I add more base, you get what I mean? Some mummies choose to add water but to me, more vegetable base = more nutrients and flavour yes? I was also surprised to find that she loves broccoli, so I combined cauliflower and potato (the base) with chopped broccoli and chicken for her to try. She likes it too! I should really do more recipe posts on what I’m feeding cbb, but hmm I hope I get around to doing it!

Because I was cooking more salmon, I tried to think up different salmon recipes for Jason’s dinner. Airfried cajun salmon is awesome, but I wanted to cook and present our favourite fish differently this time. Turmeric salmon kebab it is!

This is super simple – just cut the salmon and vegetables of your choice into chunks, marinade the salmon, skewer them up and airfry for 6 minutes and you’re done! Absolutely love my airfryer. I think everybody should get one :) You can also grill or oven bake this.

If you like my posts and updates, or would like to be informed of baby/cooking-related giveaways and promos from time to time…..
Like my Facebook page or follow @budgetpantry or @chuabeebee on Instagram! Yes, I just started an Insta account for CBB too!

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