Brought to you in collaboration with KK Women's and Children's Hospital, to enable parents to nurture active and healthy children.
No part of this Tips & Treats Series may be reproduced or copied for any purpose without the prior written consent of Singapore Sports Council and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
This 9 Aug, let’s bring some National Day cheer and Singapore flavour into our homes – more specifically, into our kitchens! 😊
Here are 3 specially-crafted National Day recipes, complete with a few nutrition tips, to get you and your little kiddos excited to create delicious, and most importantly, healthy and nutritious dishes together. It’s time to whip out your aprons and mini-chef hats, as you try out these simple Fruity Froyo Popsicles, Easy Shakshuka and Healthier Nasi Lemak recipes for a fun family cooking experience to remember!
1. Fruity Froyo Popsicles
Beat the heat with these refreshing popsicles that will be sure to be a hit with your children! Not to mention, it’s super simple for them to follow along. If your little sous-chefs love other fruit, let his/her creativity run free and create popsicles of many other flavours!
Serves: 1
Equipment:
- Popsicle mould (you may also use an ice cube tray, plastic cup and ice cream stick, or any freezer-friendly container)
- Blender or fruit processor (optional)
Ingredients:
- Strawberries, 3-4 medium
- Low fat, plain yoghurt, 4 tablespoons
Instructions:
- With a blender/food processor, blend the strawberries till smooth (or allow small chunks if desired). If you do not have a blender/food processor, you may chop the strawberries into small cubes.
- Transfer the blended strawberries to fill half the base of your mould.
- Layer the top of the blended strawberries with low fat, plain yoghurt.
- Cover and insert the popsicle stick. If you are using a small cup as the popsicle mould, you can cover the cup with foil and insert an ice cream stick through the foil to hold the stick in place.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Run the bottom of the moulds under room temperature water for 10 seconds to help release them easily. Enjoy!
NOTE: Feel free to adjust the recipe depending on the size of your mould, or number of servings required.
Nutrition Tip:
Frozen fruit (and vegetables) may be more nutritious than fresh ones. They are picked at its peak and frozen within hours, which helps to preserve their vitamins without the need for any preservatives!
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2. Easy Shakshuka
Ever heard of Shakshuka?
It’s a popular North-African dish typically served in a pan with soft-cooked eggs and a tomato-based mixture. The ‘red’ and ‘white’ ingredients, complete with crescent and star-shaped bread, make this dish perfect to represent our Singapore flag this National Day. Try out this easy-peasy recipe now!
Serves: 4
Equipment:
- Cookie cutter (optional)
- Shallow small pan or pot for cooking
- Spatula for cooking
Ingredients:
- Canned diced tomatoes (no added salt), 1 can (~400g)
- Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon
- Garlic, 1 clove, finely chopped
- Onion, 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
- Capsicum, 1/2, de-seeded and chopped
- Egg whites, 4
- Paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to taste
- Oil, 2 teaspoons
- Wholemeal bread, 4 slices
Instructions:
- On low-medium heat, heat the pan and add oil and chopped onion.
- When the onions turn translucent (2-3 minutes), add the chopped garlic and capsicum to the pan. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. (Recommended amount: ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, small pinch of salt and pepper.)
- Add the tomato paste and canned diced tomatoes to the pan. Stir the contents of the pan until all ingredients are well-combined. Maintaining low-medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer until the liquids are slightly reduced (5-10 minutes).
- Using the spatula, push the tomato mixture to fit half a side of the pan.
- Reduce to low heat. Add in the egg whites to the empty side of the pan.
- Cover the pan and cook till the egg whites are no longer transparent. Allow them to be slightly runny, or firm, if you prefer.
- Remove from heat and serve with toasted wholemeal bread. You may wish to create various shapes of bread with your cookie cutter before toasting. Enjoy!
Nutrition Tip:
To help lower your sodium intake, choose lower-sodium sauces and use herbs and spices to enhance flavours. If you are going for canned vegetables or beans, choose those with no-added salt. You will then be able to control the amount of salt used!
3. Healthier Nasi Lemak
Who doesn’t love a hearty plate of Nasi Lemak, served any time of the day?
With the fragrant coconut-infused rice and fried chicken wings, some may consider it a guilty pleasure to indulge in. If you have similar concerns, try our Healthier Nasi Lemak recipe and add some special National Day touches!
Serves: 4
Equipment:
- Rice cooker
- Food processor/blender
- Air-fryer/oven
(i) Nasi Lemak Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 cups mixed brown/white rice
- 1 pack (200ml) low-fat coconut milk
- Water
- 3-4 pandan leaves - tied into a knot
- Pinch of salt
- 6 thin slices of ginger
- 2 tablespoons onion (chopped)
Instructions:
- Wash the rice by rinsing and draining. Place rice into a rice cooker.
- Add coconut milk, ginger, onion and salt into rice cooker and mix well.
- Top-up with water to the marking indicated in your rice cooker for 2 cups of rice.
- Add in pandan leaves and cook in rice cooker as per normal.
(ii) Sambal Chilli:
Ingredients:
- 10 dried chillies (soaked in room temperature water for 15 minutes then drain)
- 4 fresh chilies (or less for less spicy)
- 10 shallots (sliced)
- 5 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon of tamarind paste (or you can use fresh tamarind pulp)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar
Instructions:
- Add in all the ingredients into a blender/food processor, except brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Blend until a smooth consistency.
- Heat up the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sambal mixture till fragrant.
- Add tamarind and brown sugar; continue to cook over low-heat for another 10-15 minutes or until the mixture turns dark red.
- Let it cool and serve. Store unused portion in fridge for up to 1 week.
(iii) Chicken Wings
Ingredients:
- 12 pieces of chicken wings, thawed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
- Pat the chicken wings dry.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the chicken wings with the seasoning mixture to evenly coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat air-fryer to 180°C.
- Place the chicken wings into the air-fryer, ensure that they are not touching. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Increase temperature to 200°C and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like them.
NOTE: If preparing in oven, bake the chicken wings at 220°C for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes till crispy and browned. If you do not have an air-fryer or oven, pan-fry the chicken wings over medium heat uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes.
(iv) Condiments:
Peanuts
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Preheat air-fryer to 200°C
- Pour the peanuts in the air-fryer.
- Air-fry for about 6-8 minutes till brown. Shake the basket a couple of times during the air-frying time to give it a good stir.
- Let it cool and serve.
Ikan bilis (anchovies)
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Soak the ikan bilis for about 5 minutes and drain to reduce the salt content.
- Spread out on paper towels and pat dry. (Important step to get them crunchy!)
- Pre-heat air-fryer to 160°C.
- Place ikan bilis into air-fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Give the ikan bilis a quick stir and air-fry for another 3 minutes or till evenly browned.
Now all that is left to do is to plate the dish up with sliced cucumbers and boiled egg!
Nutrition Tips:
Reduce fat content by:
- Using low-fat coconut milk.
- Using air-fryer or oven (instead of deep-frying) for preparation chicken, ikan bilis (anchovies) and peanuts.
- Removing skin of chicken before eating.
- Preparing hard-boiled egg instead of fried egg.
Increase fibre content by:
- Using brown rice instead of white rice; or use a mixture of brown and white rice.
- Adding on more cucumber slices or a side of vegetables.
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About our recipe owners
Ms Ethel and Ms Anthea are both dietitians at the Nutrition and Dietetics Department of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital:
Ms Ethel Lim
I have been a dietitian for six years. Outside of work, I enjoy travelling and going on long hikes, as well as making pottery.
Ms Anthea Zee
I have been working as a dietitian for about two years. Besides my interest in food and health, I enjoy keeping active at the gym and exploring the different sights and cuisines of the world.
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