Uncategorised Archives ⋆ Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby https://www.budgetpantry.com/category/uncategorised/ Thu, 14 Dec 2017 23:39:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.7 Christmas Dinner Idea + GIVEAWAY: Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley https://www.budgetpantry.com/christmas-dinner-idea-giveaway-miso-lamb-cutlets-sweet-potato-medley/ https://www.budgetpantry.com/christmas-dinner-idea-giveaway-miso-lamb-cutlets-sweet-potato-medley/#comments Thu, 14 Dec 2017 23:00:30 +0000 https://budgetpantry.com/?p=10197 Let me first start off by saying like many, I wasn’t too confident in cooking lamb in my kitchen. When I think of cooking lamb, I picture my mom’s roast leg of lamb – it’s crazily delicious yes, but it can also be a little hard to handle for a lamb-novice like me. I’ll confess: I have never cooked lamb before on my own. I have helped mom prepare lamb shoulder and leg of lamb, but never by myself in my own kitchen. The hubs is also not really a “lamb person” after a bad experience with gamey meat years ago, so I’ve not really had the motivation to cook lamb at home. BUT FROM NOW, THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE. When Pure South asked me if I would like to try cooking with their popular Lamb French Racks, I was a bit hesitant but open-minded. Sure, why not! The lamb cutlets look easy enough to handle, and I have actually heard of the brand from meat-lover friends in New Zealand – the meat is top quality. I’m in! And here’s my creation: Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley (recipe below!) Pure South from New Zealand Pure South is a New Zealand meat company that supplies lamb and beef from farm fresh to you. Their superior products are now conveniently available in Singapore through their online store. Grass-fed and grown locally using free range farming methods, Pure South Lamb is tender, succulent and flavourful. Low in fat and enriched with iron, zinc and vitamins, it’s both highly nutritious and incredibly delicious! Lamb French Racks The cut I’m using is the Pure South Frozen Lamb French Rack. At a special price of SG$50.33 for budgetpantry readers (use code ‘BUDGETPANTRY’ at check out. U.P. $69.90) for TWO full lamb racks (the 1kg pack, about 16 cutlets!), top quality meat doesn’t have to come with a huge price tag. Each cutlet costs less than $3.20! Imagine cooking this as a Christmas meal for your entire family. The lamb rack is the most tender, lean meat when trimmed of exterior fat needing only a brief oven roast, best served medium rare. Frenched rack has rib bones trimmed and cleaned of meat down close to the meaty eye of the loin. When preparing the cutlets, I was pleasantly surprised to note that the fat has been really well-trimmed, with a just-right amount left on the meat. It was also not at all bloody – really clean and easy to handle. How to cook I cooked these in the Airfryer and they turned out beautifully. The key is initial high heat to brown the meat. You can also choose to pan fry, oven roast, or even barbeque them. Continue reading for my full recipe. The verdict You should have video-ed my face when I tasted the very first piece of the lamb! I have never imagined that my first attempt at cooking lamb would turn out SO WELL. The meat is tender and fresh with no gamey taste – even the skeptical husband cleaned out his plate! My 82-year old aunt, who’s also wary of lamb (I don’t know why it runs in this family) but quite adventurous in food, asked me if there were any leftover cutlets at 9pm after getting her first taste at dinner. LOL. Of course, here you go! I highly recommend these Lamb French Racks. Not only are they value for money but they’re really top quality. I do think my miso + ginger marinade and the subtle, natural sweetness of Japanese, local and purple sweet potatoes made this dish quite interesting. Please give it a go, you won’t regret it! Pure South New Zealand Ecommerce website: https://puresouth.asia/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/PureSouthAsia (lots of recipe inspirations!) Instagram: www.instagram/PureSouthAsia Additional 10% OFF promo code + Giveaway From now till end of 31st Dec, key in BUDGETPANTRY to get an additional 10% off on top of current promotion! That makes it SG$50.33 for TWO full lamb racks (the 1kg pack), which can feed 4-5 people! That’s not all, Pure South is giving away ONE package of full lamb racks on my Facebook page. Go on over to take part. Good luck! Click here. SG addresses only, ends 18 December, Monday 2359h. Recipe Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley (budgetpantry.com) Serves 4-5 What you need: 1 package Pure South Lamb French Racks (1 kg), thawed 5 tablespoons miso paste 4 tablespoons ginger paste (grated ginger along with juice) 2 tablespoons hot water 2-3 medium Japanese sweet potato 2-3 medium local sweet potato 2-3 purple sweet potato 3 tablespoons oil (if panfrying) Steps: Using a sharp knife, slice the lamb rack into individual cutlets. Rinse with water and pat dry.In a large bowl, combine the miso paste, ginger paste and hot water. Coat each lamb rack carefully with the mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Peel the potatoes and cook in boiling water till you can pierce through them with a fork. Tip: Use a large pot and cook the Japanese + local sweet potatoes first. Remove before cooking the purple ones as the colour will run. Mash the potatoes individually (I use a handheld blender) and set aside. To cook the cutlets Airfryer: Preheat AF to 180C for 5 minutes. Once preheated, airfry for 8 minutes and it’s done. Pan: Add the oil to a frying pan over high heat. When oil is hot enough, reduce heat to medium and cook cutlets for 3-4 minutes each side. Grill: Preheat a barbecue or grill pan to moderately hot. Cook cutlets for 2-3 minutes each side, or until just pink in the centre. For all methods, allow cutlets to rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes before serving. Spoon the sweet potato medley onto a plate and top with 3-4 cutlets each to serve.

The post Christmas Dinner Idea + GIVEAWAY: Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

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Let me first start off by saying like many, I wasn’t too confident in cooking lamb in my kitchen. When I think of cooking lamb, I picture my mom’s roast leg of lamb – it’s crazily delicious yes, but it can also be a little hard to handle for a lamb-novice like me.

I’ll confess: I have never cooked lamb before on my own. I have helped mom prepare lamb shoulder and leg of lamb, but never by myself in my own kitchen.

The hubs is also not really a “lamb person” after a bad experience with gamey meat years ago, so I’ve not really had the motivation to cook lamb at home.

BUT FROM NOW, THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE.

When Pure South asked me if I would like to try cooking with their popular Lamb French Racks, I was a bit hesitant but open-minded. Sure, why not! The lamb cutlets look easy enough to handle, and I have actually heard of the brand from meat-lover friends in New Zealand – the meat is top quality. I’m in!

And here’s my creation: Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley (recipe below!)

Pure South from New Zealand

Pure South is a New Zealand meat company that supplies lamb and beef from farm fresh to you. Their superior products are now conveniently available in Singapore through their online store. Grass-fed and grown locally using free range farming methods, Pure South Lamb is tender, succulent and flavourful. Low in fat and enriched with iron, zinc and vitamins, it’s both highly nutritious and incredibly delicious!

Lamb French Racks

The cut I’m using is the Pure South Frozen Lamb French Rack. At a special price of SG$50.33 for budgetpantry readers (use code ‘BUDGETPANTRY’ at check out. U.P. $69.90) for TWO full lamb racks (the 1kg pack, about 16 cutlets!), top quality meat doesn’t have to come with a huge price tag. Each cutlet costs less than $3.20! Imagine cooking this as a Christmas meal for your entire family.

The lamb rack is the most tender, lean meat when trimmed of exterior fat needing only a brief oven roast, best served medium rare. Frenched rack has rib bones trimmed and cleaned of meat down close to the meaty eye of the loin.

When preparing the cutlets, I was pleasantly surprised to note that the fat has been really well-trimmed, with a just-right amount left on the meat. It was also not at all bloody – really clean and easy to handle.

How to cook

I cooked these in the Airfryer and they turned out beautifully. The key is initial high heat to brown the meat. You can also choose to pan fry, oven roast, or even barbeque them. Continue reading for my full recipe.

The verdict

You should have video-ed my face when I tasted the very first piece of the lamb! I have never imagined that my first attempt at cooking lamb would turn out SO WELL. The meat is tender and fresh with no gamey taste – even the skeptical husband cleaned out his plate! My 82-year old aunt, who’s also wary of lamb (I don’t know why it runs in this family) but quite adventurous in food, asked me if there were any leftover cutlets at 9pm after getting her first taste at dinner. LOL. Of course, here you go!

I highly recommend these Lamb French Racks. Not only are they value for money but they’re really top quality.

I do think my miso + ginger marinade and the subtle, natural sweetness of Japanese, local and purple sweet potatoes made this dish quite interesting. Please give it a go, you won’t regret it!

Pure South New Zealand
Ecommerce website: https://puresouth.asia/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PureSouthAsia (lots of recipe inspirations!)
Instagram: www.instagram/PureSouthAsia

Additional 10% OFF promo code + Giveaway
From now till end of 31st Dec, key in BUDGETPANTRY to get an additional 10% off on top of current promotion! That makes it SG$50.33 for TWO full lamb racks (the 1kg pack), which can feed 4-5 people! That’s not all, Pure South is giving away ONE package of full lamb racks on my Facebook page. Go on over to take part. Good luck! Click here.

SG addresses only, ends 18 December, Monday 2359h.

Recipe

Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 4-5
What you need:
1 package Pure South Lamb French Racks (1 kg), thawed
5 tablespoons miso paste
4 tablespoons ginger paste (grated ginger along with juice)
2 tablespoons hot water
2-3 medium Japanese sweet potato
2-3 medium local sweet potato
2-3 purple sweet potato
3 tablespoons oil (if panfrying)

Steps:
Using a sharp knife, slice the lamb rack into individual cutlets. Rinse with water and pat dry.In a large bowl, combine the miso paste, ginger paste and hot water. Coat each lamb rack carefully with the mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

Peel the potatoes and cook in boiling water till you can pierce through them with a fork. Tip: Use a large pot and cook the Japanese + local sweet potatoes first. Remove before cooking the purple ones as the colour will run. Mash the potatoes individually (I use a handheld blender) and set aside.

To cook the cutlets
Airfryer:
Preheat AF to 180C for 5 minutes. Once preheated, airfry for 8 minutes and it’s done.

Pan:
Add the oil to a frying pan over high heat. When oil is hot enough, reduce heat to medium and cook cutlets for 3-4 minutes each side.

Grill:
Preheat a barbecue or grill pan to moderately hot. Cook cutlets for 2-3 minutes each side, or until just pink in the centre.

For all methods, allow cutlets to rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Spoon the sweet potato medley onto a plate and top with 3-4 cutlets each to serve.

The post Christmas Dinner Idea + GIVEAWAY: Miso Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato Medley appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]> https://www.budgetpantry.com/christmas-dinner-idea-giveaway-miso-lamb-cutlets-sweet-potato-medley/feed/ 1 Slow Cooker Creamy Leek and Chicken Stew https://www.budgetpantry.com/slow-cooker-creamy-leek-chicken-stew/ https://www.budgetpantry.com/slow-cooker-creamy-leek-chicken-stew/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2017 04:00:03 +0000 https://budgetpantry.com/?p=9161 Of course, this is a dish which combines most of the leftover vegetables I have after cooking 七样菜 on Day 7 of CNY. Just add all the aromatics together, then toss in some mushrooms, and finally layer with chicken, and dinner is done! I love my slow cooker (I use Takahi). I can prepare ingredients the night before and place the inner pot in my fridge. Then next day before I go to work, I add hot stock and turn the button to ‘auto-shift’. And dinner is settled for the day. It’s a mad rush every day for me. Let me tell you what I have to accomplish in 2 hours after work. Why 2 hours? Because 8pm is cbb’s bed time and SHE GOES MAD IF I DON’T TUCK HER INTO BED! 5.15PM: Get off work 5.55PM: Pick cbb up from school 6.15PM: Reach home, prepare her dinner, feed her 6.55pm: Cook dinner for the family/husband, prepare my lunch box for the next day, EAT MY OWN DINNER AS I COOK 7.20-7.30PM: Bathe 7.35-7.50PM: Wipe down cbb while she struggles and cries bloody murder 8PM: Feed cbb milk and tuck her into bed There are some days when my meetings end at 530 or 545.. that’s when I am incredibly thankful for dinners like this. I basically skip the dinner preparation.. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS! To make a nice stew, you need a base vegetable which melts beautifully to form the gravy, or impart yummy flavours into the gravy. Vegetables like onions, leeks, celery, potato, garlic.. all these are great. For bite and texture, you can add ingredients such as carrots, mushrooms and capsicums (they’re yummy when cooked through, too!). And of course you need a protein.. chicken thighs, chicken wings, beef or pork shoulder are good choices. The thing about slow cookers is that you can’t really thicken the gravy nicely at the end. So when I need to thicken my stew, I always ladle them into a cooking pan and add my cooking cream or coconut cream. For dishes like oyster sauce chicken, I thicken them with cornstarch slurry. I used cooking cream for this chicken stew, but you could use coconut cream instead (use 100ml instead of 150ml) for a different taste. And add some potatoes if you wish. Enjoy! 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! Slow-cooker Creamy Leek and Chicken Stew (budgetpantry.com) Serves 3-4 What you need: 15 mid joint wings 3-4 stalks leek, chopped into 1-inch stalks including stem Handful of garlic sprouts (optional) Half carrot, peeled and chopped 1 medium yellow onion, chopped into wedges 5-6 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered Half red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces Half teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 200ml chicken or dashi stock 150ml cooking cream Steps: Marinate the chicken wings with salt and black pepper and set aside. Arrange the ingredients in your slow cooker in roughly this order: onion, carrot, bell pepper, leek, garlic sprouts, mushrooms, chicken wings. Pour in the stock, until it reaches about halfway to your ingredients. Cover the slow cooker and cook on auto-shift for 6-7 hours. Finally, ladle into cooking pan and place on stove (medium flame). Add the cooking cream and cook til thick and creamy. (depending on how big your pan is, you may need to do this in 2 batches). Add more ground black pepper if desired. Serve hot with rice!

The post Slow Cooker Creamy Leek and Chicken Stew appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]>

Of course, this is a dish which combines most of the leftover vegetables I have after cooking 七样菜 on Day 7 of CNY. Just add all the aromatics together, then toss in some mushrooms, and finally layer with chicken, and dinner is done!

I love my slow cooker (I use Takahi). I can prepare ingredients the night before and place the inner pot in my fridge. Then next day before I go to work, I add hot stock and turn the button to ‘auto-shift’. And dinner is settled for the day. It’s a mad rush every day for me. Let me tell you what I have to accomplish in 2 hours after work. Why 2 hours? Because 8pm is cbb’s bed time and SHE GOES MAD IF I DON’T TUCK HER INTO BED!

5.15PM: Get off work
5.55PM: Pick cbb up from school
6.15PM: Reach home, prepare her dinner, feed her
6.55pm: Cook dinner for the family/husband, prepare my lunch box for the next day, EAT MY OWN DINNER AS I COOK
7.20-7.30PM: Bathe
7.35-7.50PM: Wipe down cbb while she struggles and cries bloody murder
8PM: Feed cbb milk and tuck her into bed

There are some days when my meetings end at 530 or 545.. that’s when I am incredibly thankful for dinners like this. I basically skip the dinner preparation.. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS!

To make a nice stew, you need a base vegetable which melts beautifully to form the gravy, or impart yummy flavours into the gravy. Vegetables like onions, leeks, celery, potato, garlic.. all these are great. For bite and texture, you can add ingredients such as carrots, mushrooms and capsicums (they’re yummy when cooked through, too!). And of course you need a protein.. chicken thighs, chicken wings, beef or pork shoulder are good choices.

The thing about slow cookers is that you can’t really thicken the gravy nicely at the end. So when I need to thicken my stew, I always ladle them into a cooking pan and add my cooking cream or coconut cream. For dishes like oyster sauce chicken, I thicken them with cornstarch slurry. I used cooking cream for this chicken stew, but you could use coconut cream instead (use 100ml instead of 150ml) for a different taste. And add some potatoes if you wish.

Enjoy!

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!

Slow-cooker Creamy Leek and Chicken Stew (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 3-4

What you need:

15 mid joint wings
3-4 stalks leek, chopped into 1-inch stalks including stem
Handful of garlic sprouts (optional)
Half carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped into wedges
5-6 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
Half red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Half teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
200ml chicken or dashi stock
150ml cooking cream

Steps:

Marinate the chicken wings with salt and black pepper and set aside.

Arrange the ingredients in your slow cooker in roughly this order: onion, carrot, bell pepper, leek, garlic sprouts, mushrooms, chicken wings.

Pour in the stock, until it reaches about halfway to your ingredients. Cover the slow cooker and cook on auto-shift for 6-7 hours.

Finally, ladle into cooking pan and place on stove (medium flame). Add the cooking cream and cook til thick and creamy. (depending on how big your pan is, you may need to do this in 2 batches). Add more ground black pepper if desired. Serve hot with rice!

The post Slow Cooker Creamy Leek and Chicken Stew appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]> https://www.budgetpantry.com/slow-cooker-creamy-leek-chicken-stew/feed/ 1 [giveaway] Foodpanda SG Home Delivery Discount Voucher https://www.budgetpantry.com/giveaway-foodpanda-sg/ Wed, 01 Jan 2014 04:58:11 +0000 https://budgetpantry.com/?p=1595 GIVEAWAY: $10 off your food delivery bill! Wanna take $10 off your Sarpino’s/ Pastamania/ 4-Fingers Crispy Chicken/ Sakae Sushi order? Read on! Happy New Year, folks! What better way to start off the new year than by having a giveaway? I have 5 x $10 Foodpanda SG’s discount vouchers for budgetpantry’s readers.. you just gotta order through my link (–> click on the sidebar button)! This means that if you order $20 worth of food, you pay only $10! Quite a lovely way to start off the year. Thank you Foodpanda! How this giveaway is gonna work: All you gotta do is: 1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/budgetpantry 2. Look for this “[GIVEAWAY]” post dated 1 January. 3. LIKE and SHARE the post on your Facebook timeline. It’s that easy! Super idiot proof. I will randomly choose five winners and PM or email you the discount code. Start sharing HERE. Giveaway closes 10 January 2014 but voucher valid til 16 December 2014. A bit more about Foodpanda Foodpanda is a food delivery website that links up with restaurants in your area to deliver food to your doorstep. There are over 200 restaurants to choose from: In short: Find out what is available in your area. Punch in your postal code and click on “Find food now”! Have fun exploring! Remember to participate in my [Giveaway], order through my link, and save $10 with your order! *t&c- voucher valid with a minimum spend of $20 and payment via paypal only. valid til 16 December 2014 so win first, decide later, but order soon! For a general guide on how to utilise your voucher code, click here.

The post [giveaway] Foodpanda SG Home Delivery Discount Voucher appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]> GIVEAWAY: $10 off your food delivery bill!

Wanna take $10 off your Sarpino’s/ Pastamania/ 4-Fingers Crispy Chicken/ Sakae Sushi order? Read on!

fp

Happy New Year, folks! What better way to start off the new year than by having a giveaway? I have 5 x $10 Foodpanda SG’s discount vouchers for budgetpantry’s readers.. you just gotta order through my link (–> click on the sidebar button)! This means that if you order $20 worth of food, you pay only $10! Quite a lovely way to start off the year. Thank you Foodpanda! How this giveaway is gonna work:

All you gotta do is:

1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/budgetpantry
2. Look for this “[GIVEAWAY]” post dated 1 January.
3. LIKE and SHARE the post on your Facebook timeline.

It’s that easy! Super idiot proof. I will randomly choose five winners and PM or email you the discount code. Start sharing HERE. Giveaway closes 10 January 2014 but voucher valid til 16 December 2014.

A bit more about Foodpanda

Foodpanda is a food delivery website that links up with restaurants in your area to deliver food to your doorstep. There are over 200 restaurants to choose from:

foodpandasg2

In short:

foodpandasg1

Find out what is available in your area. Punch in your postal code and click on “Find food now”!

foodpandasg3

Have fun exploring! Remember to participate in my [Giveaway], order through my link, and save $10 with your order!

fp1

*t&c- voucher valid with a minimum spend of $20 and payment via paypal only. valid til 16 December 2014 so win first, decide later, but order soon! For a general guide on how to utilise your voucher code, click here.

The post [giveaway] Foodpanda SG Home Delivery Discount Voucher appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

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