I decided to think of better things by thinking what to cook for dinner. Step one was to picture what I already have in the fridge/freezer/cupboard/storeroom so I don’t have to spend money to order more ingredients while I havent used what I have. And so I remembered I have a pack of no-nitrates no chemicals/preservatives bacon from Jill’s Sausages in my freezer. But since I was going to blog, I couldn’t possibly cook bacon and pasta and call it a day. So since everyone’s not feeling too good, a bowl of comforting bacon potato corn chowder sounds really nice, I think!

And here’s how to make it – no flour needed! Best part? It cooks in one pot for incredibly easy washing up. Check out my other soup recipes.

The post One Pot Bacon Potato Corn Chowder Soup – No Flour! appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Quick recipe!

If there’s one thing that gets cbb excited at meal times, it’s this: CRISPY STUFF! Are your kids the same?

She’s not a fan of potatoes when it’s all mushy but she does love these airfried potato balls. It’s like begadil without the spices because I’m a bit too lazy to add this and that. This recipe only needs 5 ingredients: potato, carrot, broccoli, egg and panko breadcrumbs. You can jazz this up with a cheese surprise in the centre! When shaping, just stuff some shredded cheese in the middle and watch your kid’s eyes open big big when they bite into one!

The egg is used as a dip before coating the balls in breadcrumbs. There will be leftover egg, so what I do is add some milk to the egg and make a fluffy egg omelette roll for cbb. Protein? Checked. Fibre? Checked. Carbs? Checked. Happy kid? CHECKED! And yes you can toast and blitz your own breadcrumbs. If you don’t have an airfryer, you could pan fry this or bake them in the oven.

These freeze well, so I always make a big batch.

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 Finger food for kids: Crispy potato and veggie bites appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Before we know it, we’re in the final month of the year! It’s crazy how fast the year has gone by. This year, I’m thankful for the chance to explore different recipes for cbb, and I feel really lucky that she welcomes my creations with her open arms mouth!

I’ve always believed that coming up with new recipes for kids aren’t really difficult – I mean, what can they eat right? Lai lai qu qu also those few things. The core ingredients are the same fish, meat, veg, rice.. it’s just the presentation and textures that are different.

I could easily use these ingredients to cook a chicken, broccoli and potato soup and serve them with rice… cbb loves her soups but it’s also nice to create something different for her. So instead of chunky potatoes I decided to blend them into a creamy mash, then add some quinoa cos she loves to chew, and of course we can’t leave out the protein (chicken) and vegetables (broccoli and cherry tomatoes).

I love cooking this dish in my CorningWare® casserole. Did you know that CorningWare® can go straight from the freezer to stovetop or oven? Yes, you don’t need to worry of the glass shattering due to a sudden change in temperature. Made of a revolutionary glass ceramic material called Pyroceram®, CorningWare® was developed by scientists to protect the nose cone of the space shuttle from incredible and extreme temperature changes. It comes with a 10-year warranty for the base vessel and 2-year for the lids against thermal breakage too.

CorningWare® has always been a large part of my childhood memory; my 82-year-old aunt is an ardent fan – her CorningWare® still cooks well for the past 50 years. CorningWare® proudly celebrates her 60th anniversary in 2018.

I served this dish in our Corelle® dinnerware, which is made through a unique patented hub lamination process that thermally bonds three layers of glass; core glass in the middle with top and bottom layers of very clear ‘skin’ glass. The lamination results in glass dinnerware that far exceeds the normal strength possible for any single glass composition. I love it that it’s super durable and non-porous, resistant to permanent staining, breaking and chipping – Corelle® is backed by a one-year warranty against chipping, crazing, and cracking.

The design featured here is called ‘Moonlight’. Take advantage of the year-end promotions now to fill up your kitchen!

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

The post Kid-friendly chicken quinoa casserole with mashed potatoes appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

I can’t believe that I still have time to blog about a cheesy potato gratin recipe but this is long overdue!

Gratin is a traditionally French dish that has ingredients in a shallow baking dish topped with a browned crust – it could be using cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs or butter. So potato gratin means the key ingredient is potato, topped with something that would brown it. Of course it has to be melted cheese!

This is the husband’s modified recipe. So if he can do it, so can anyone! He cooked this dish for our anniversary and it was the most delicious potato gratin I have ever tasted. The white sauce is made with flour, butter and milk. Some gratins I’ve had before include packaged cooking cream, and I’m not necessarily a fan of those. This also means the dish is a little more waistline and pocket-friendly. The sauce that goes all over the potatoes:

Bacon is optional. Spring onions are optional. You can buy those pre-shredded packs of red & white cheddar/mozzarella cheese from Cold Storage for $2.99 a pack. Depending on the size of your baking dish (I used a 10″ x 7″ oval pyrex baking dish), you may have leftover sauce. I used them the next day in a seafood white sauce pasta which Jason gave the thumbs up to.

We had it with the awesomest juciest brined pork chops. Recipe coming up for the chops too!

I love potatoes. If only they weren’t carbs!

The post Cheesy bacon potato gratin appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Before we know it, we’re into the last two months of 2015. And that means TWO things: HOLIDAY MOOD and FESTIVE FOOD!

The months of November and December are special to my family. With six birthdays and one holiday (my 76-year-old aunt is a Christmas Eve baby!), we are constantly celebrating and eating. And as with all our birthdays and Christmas gatherings, having good food ranks right up there on our agenda – along with the mountain of presents, of course!

This year, I’ve decided to make something new using Perfect Italiano cheese. Perfect Italiano cheese are my family’s favourite. Simple and effortless to use, they transform your everyday meals into gourmet creations perfect for the festive table!

Today, I have a recipe for Tuna, Spinach & Potato Frittata, which uses both Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Cheese has a mild flavour, melts to perfection and has a traditional stretch, perfect for topping my frittata with. Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese is matured up to 18 months – which explains its bold, sharp and savoury taste. I like to use it in egg dishes to complement the light flavour. It works wonderfully every time.

This recipe is adapted from Perfect Italiano‘s website, which is full of easy-to-follow recipes to inspire you this festive season. My version is a little easy on the palate, without cream and gravy, but if you prefer a heavier taste, you can add half a bottle of creamy alfredo sauce just before topping it with cheese.

Perfect Italiano cooking cheese is available in leading supermarkets. Whether you try this recipe or come up with your own creation, remember to share it with me by hashtagging #perfectitalianosg. Ready for the step-by-step recipe? Let’s go!

The post Tuna, Spinach and Potato Frittata with Perfect Italiano appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.