Low-carb meal idea: Mediterranean Fish Soup (budgetpantry.com)

Serves: 3
Total cost per serving: $2.10

What you need:

2 large sutchi fillets, clean and pat dry with paper towel, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cut into chunks (you can use any other white fish)
1 red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 fresh tomatoes, wedged
1 carrot, cut into smaller pieces
1 red capsicum, seeds removed, cut into half-inch pieces
1 can Hunt’s stewed tomatoes
1 fish stock cube dissolved in 650ml water
A pinch of saffron threads (optional)
2 lemon rinds (size about an inch)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine
A handful of parsley (I didn’t have any, so I used spring onions. You should preferably, use parsley!)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Steps:

Heat up a dutch oven or pot and add the olive oil. Fry the sliced onions til translucent, then add the garlic followed by fresh tomatoes, carrots and capsicums.

Empty the can of stewed tomatoes, stir well to combine, then add the fish stock, saffron, lemon rind, white wine and lemon juice.

Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes until soup thickens slightly.

Slide the fish chunks in and cook for 5-7 minutes until fish turns firm white and cooked.

Ladle gently into a soup plate, top with parsley or shredded spring onions and serve with some crusty bread.

How much I spent:

$2.80 for fish
$0.60 for tomatoes
$1.70 for canned tomatoes
$0.90 for capsicum
$0.30 for carrot
Everything else from my pantry

SG Hawker favourites: (Air) Fried Fish Bee Hoon
(budgetpantry.com)
Serves 4

What you need:

500g dory/snakehead/snapper fish fillets, cut into good sized chunks and marinated with:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
A dash of hua diao jiu
Pepper

1 packet thin bee hoon (I used whatever carb was in my pantry)
4 tablespoons corn flour
5-6 slices ginger
2 litres water
1 fish stock cube
1 chicken stock cube
2 tomatoes, cut into small wedges
12 tbsp low fat evaporated milk
1 tbsp oil
Half tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (hua diao jiu)
Lettuce and/or green leafy vegetables
1 box silken tofu, cut into large cubes (optional)

Steps:

Dredge the marinated fish in corn flour on both sides and air/pan/deep fry them til golden brown. I sprayed the fish pieces with some oil and airfried them at 180C for 7 minutes on the grill pan/ foil (this WILL STICK on the mesh basket), then flip. Turn up temperature to 200C and continue airfrying for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Soak bee hoon in hot water til soft, drain then set aside. In a large pot, add 1 tbsp oil and fry ginger til fragrant. Add the water and stock cubes.

Bring to boil and add the sesame oil, chinese cooking wine, evaporated milk, tofu and tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the veggies, cook for 1 minute then add bee hoon. I cooked the bee hoon in a sieve as I was cooking portion by portion. Remove bee hoon from pot.

Arrange bee hoon, veggies, tomatoes, tofu and fish slices in a bowl and ladle the soup over it. Enjoy while piping hot!