I spotted some fresh, beautiful eggplants for sale at my local market and couldn’t resist picking some up. Large, firm, and vibrant with a deep, seductive hue, they were going for a song at 3 for a dollar.

I love eggplant but they’re quite tricky to deal with. I tried airfrying them on their own but because of no oil or moisture, the were not cooked enough and dried out. The thing about eggplants is that they have to be thoroughly cooked.. you just cannot undercook them. I also added them to fish curries, and although they’re quite awesome like that, I don’t think they’ve reached their full potential, flavour wise, when boiled, even if in curry. The best way to cook them, I feel, is by drizzling them with some olive oil, then pan-grilling over low heat on the stove top, til the flesh caramelises into a creamy, luxurious mash while still retaining some bite.

That day, I decided to make eggplant “pizza”. I pan-grilled the eggplant (steps below), topped them with tuna sponsored by the very generous Ayam Brand, sprinkled mozzarella + cheddar cheese, then airfried them for 3 minutes in my Phillips Airfryer, til the cheese had melted and became bubbling hot. For the tuna, I used Ayam Brand’s Spicy Tuna Flakes in Olive Oil:

I added some chilli sauce, chilli paste and chopped shallots and garlic to make it “spreadable” and for extra flavour. I hear they also have “Chilli Tuna Light” so the next time I make this dish, I can just reach straight for the can.

Makes 4 servings (2 pieces each)

What I used:

2 eggplants (= 8 pieces. see preparation notes below)
1 can Ayam Brand Spicy Tuna Flakes in Olive Oil
1 teaspoon chilli sauce
Half teaspoon chilli paste (you can use any sambal-type paste)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 clove shallot, chopped
Shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese, or you can use a combination of both
Olive oil for brushing

1. To prepare eggplant, wash them, slice off the top and bottom, peel in intervals and slice into half length wise, then half again to make 4 pieces per eggplant. Make some deep cuts diagonally across and sprinkle some salt all over. Let them sit for 15 minutes. The salt will draw out the excessive water and the eggplant will absorb less oil when cooking.
2. In the meantime, combine the tuna, chilli sauce, chilli paste, garlic and shallots and set aside.
3. When the 15 minutes are up, pat the eggplants dry with paper towels and brush with olive oil all over.
4. Heat up a flat frying pan using medium heat, then place eggplant face-down to grill. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil if the pan gets too hot. Remove from pan after about 10 minutes but watch the fire. When you notice the purple skin turning light purple and a bit see-through, it’s almost done.
5. Remove eggplant and spoon prepared tuna over. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and airfry for 3 minutes at 180 degrees. Alternatively, bake in oven til cheese melts.
6. Enjoy your piece of heaven!

How much I spent:

$0.65 for eggplant
$0 for tuna as they’re sponsored (retails $2.45 regular price)
$1.50 for cheese
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $1.12
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Some photos to help you:

I prefer to peel in intervals instead of removing all the skin. This way, the eggplant maintains its shape and holds together better.

Make deep cuts before sprinkling salt. Be careful not to cut all the way through.

Some photos to tempt you:

These are really good.

See the beautiful layers and how the eggplant is sooo soft and creamy. (I combined sliced cheese with shredded cheese for this piece. I ran out!)

I really, really hope you try this recipe. They taste sooo good and are a much better option than pizza!

The post Pan-grilled Eggplant with Chilli Tuna and Cheese appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Made a simple lunch yesterday with store bought croissant. The tuna and baked beans were generously sponsored by Ayam Brand.

If you love french sandwiches as much as I do, you would know that they cost quite a lot outside. I remember having Delifrance sandwiches for $3.90 when I was still in school and I think they now cost $6 or $7? Too expensive for my budget! I got to make it myself!

I had my mind set on making a panini or ciabatta ($2.20 for a pack of four, from Gardenia) but got distracted by the fat Bonjour croissants sitting in the clear plastic box. You’d be surprised at the variety of breads available at NTUC. On top of the regular white sandwich breads, they now stock panini, ciabatta, cranberry loaves, multigrain buns, baguette, hard rolls and yes, croissant in their bread aisle. The croissants were better than I expected! I airfried them slightly before filling them with cold tuna mayo, and they were so buttery and flaky, you would never have thought they came in a plastic box. The key here is to warm them- if you don’t have an airfryer, use your oven. They’re amazing, I promise! The best part? They cost just $0.54 a piece.

Makes 5 croissant sandwiches

What I used:

5 Bonjour croissants (you can find them in NTUC)
2 cans Ayam brand tuna chunks in water, drained (reserve 1 tablespoon liquid)
Half a red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Djorn mustard
1 sachet sugar
A dash of white pepper
Black pepper (optional)
Fresh lettuce
1 tomato, sliced

1. Combine tuna, reserved liquid, onion, mayo, mustard, sugar and white pepper, mix well and chill.
2. Cut a slit across the top of each croissant and toast lightly.
3. Fill with fresh lettuce, tuna mayonnaise and tomato. Top with a sprinkle of black pepper and enjoy!

How much I spent:

$2.70 for croissants
$4.90 for tuna (retail price is $2.45 per can)
$0.30 for tomato
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $1.58

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I served it with a baked bean gratin. I combined one can of Ayam Brand baked beans with cheese with the other half of the chopped onions, then topped it with mozzarella cheese before airfying til the cheese melted. The beans were a tad too salty for me but I think they will go quite nicely with crusty baguette!

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When I don’t feel like cooking too many dishes (you know, 三菜一汤- 3 dishes and a soup- like in Chinese cooking), I take the easy way out by preparing a one-dish noodle, bee hoon, or rice meal. I try to cut down on stuff like that because there’s usually alot of simple carbs involved, but when I do cook them, I include ingredients like fish, meat, and lots of vegetables. When fixing lunch a few days ago, I chose to add in some Ayam Brand’s canned tuna CHUNKS. I used the Light version because it contains lower salt and fat as compared to regular tuna. Talking about “fixing lunch”, I was talking to Aegon about having to fix lunch before bringing him to the playground, and the cheeky boy said, “Fix lunch? You mean, with the tools?”

Aegon’s my nephew. He’s 7 this year and has a wider vocabulary than I ever will have. He also sings birthday songs in French and Spanish and draws in 3D. I know, he amazes us all the time. Now I just wish he will eat my cooking.

Makes 4 servings

What I used:

4 servings ramen or any noodles of your choice, soaked and drained (not too soft)
1 can chunky tuna in olive oil (I used Ayam Brand Tuna Chunks in Olive Oil- Light)
6 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked til plump, then sliced
A handful of sliced cabbage
6 cloves garlic (about 1 large garlic bulb), peeled and sliced
6 cloves shallots (about 2 shallot bulbs), peeled and sliced
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced into strips
Seasoning (Combine together):
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon fish sauce
A dash of white pepper
300ml water

1. Drain the oil from tuna and heat up in a frying pan. Fry garlic and shallots til fragrant, then add carrots and mushrooms and fry for 3 minutes.
2. Add tuna chunks and cabbage and fry for 2 minutes. Don’t break up the chunks too much. Pour in the seasoning and bring to boil. Add the noodles and cover to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove cover and stir fry til most of the liquid has dried up. Garnish with some red chillies and serve immediately.

How much I spent:

$1 for noodles
$0.20 for carrot
$2.45 for tuna
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $0.92

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I chose to use ramen because I was in the mood for some fat, savoury noodles that day. You can most definitely use bee hoon, but I thought some noodles with bite would go very well with the chunky tuna. Ah-mm said this was quite delicious, and I suspect the shallots and garlic had a lot to do with it. Whenever I stir-fry noodles, I’ll be sure to add lots and lots and lots and lots of shallots.. ok maybe just enough for me to overdose on. Don’t forget them the next time you do a noodle stir-fry!

The post Tuna Ramen with Mushrooms and Sliced Garlic appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

I take a more relaxed attitude towards preparing meals on Saturday because it is the weekend. Not that the family doesn’t need to eat on weekends but for some reason I don’t feel as guilty if I declare, “I’m not cooking today!” to my aunts on Saturdays. Sundays I don’t declare at all.

The Saturday that just passed? We had an amazing Tuna Croissant spiced up with airfried potatoes and vegetable yam fritters. I made three sandwiches for our dinner cos Jason was working, and two for his supper at 2am earlyyy morning. Ok, I confess I ate half a croissant past midnight, so Jason had one and a half servings. It’s for his own good.

Makes 5 servings

What I used:

1 can Ayam Brand tuna in water
1 can corn kernels in water
1 box of 5 butter croissants from NTUC
1 tomato
2 potatoes
1 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp Djorn mustard
White Pepper
Spring onions, chopped

1. Soak cut potatoes in water for 10 mins then airfry at 180 degrees for 15 mins.
2. Drain tuna and corn, combine with mayo, mustard, spring onions and pepper. Refrigerate.
3. Cut tomatoes into wedges.
4. Cut across the middle of the croissants with scissors, to make a pocket. Stuff with tuna mixture & tomatoes and lightly airfry or toast croissants when potatoes are about ready.
5. Arrange on plate and start eating!

How much I spent:

$2.70 for croissants
$2.10 for tuna
$1.30 for corn kernals
$0.20 for tomatoes
$0.60 for potatoes
$1.30 for each vegetable yam fritter

Total cost per serving: $1.38 without the fritters and $2.68 with
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The croissants were wonderful, flaky, buttery and light- not the kind of standard that I expect from NTUC. You may of course use any brand of croissants but I happened to be in NTUC on Saturday and the baked darlings were friendly on my wallet. My aunts preferred my creation to Delifrance’s, or so they said. The “vegetable” fritters were from “Happy Veg”, a (very unhealthy) deep-fried snack kiosk at the MRT station. An easy dinner on a Saturday!

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