Divya Butani, Author at Sassy Mama

The Benefits Of Eating Seasonally

Divya Butani — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 02:19:41 +0000

Private Chef Divya Butani explains how eating seasonal produce can benefit you and your family.

We adjust our wardrobe, make-up and accessories for what’s in season, but we less often think about adjusting our diet according to the weather. Today’s industrialised food systems produce the same fruits and vegetables all-year round, which is in stark contrast to how they are grown naturally. Here are Chef Divya’s reasons on why we should take Mother Nature’s lead.

Seasonal Eating Is More Nutritious

When we purchase imported fruits and vegetables from the supermarket, they are likely to have been stored for weeks, months or sometimes even a year before we consume them. For example, apples grown in the Northern Hemisphere are picked in the autumn and placed in controlled atmosphere storage facilities using a commercial biopesticide called 1-MCP. This biopesticide slows down the ripening process and keeps the apples in good condition for over a year. This industrialised food ‘cold chain’ is how most of our produce is stored until we purchase from stores.

Today’s technology allows cold storage systems in industrialised food systems are high quality, and while MCP has not shown adverse effects on human health, storing fresh produce for more than a year still results in a decrease in nutritional value as antioxidant activity decreases. Studies show that one would need to consume a minimum of two apples stored for six months or more to fully obtain the health benefits provided by one freshly picked apple.

When you purchase and eat in-season produce from local farmers’ markets, you’re maximising the nutritional value of the produce because it has been grown and eaten within a shorter span of time. It’s really about the journey.

Seasonal Eating Can Boost Your Immunity

Generally, the nutritional content of fresh fruit and vegetables decreases significantly after it has been harvested. A study by The University of California shows vegetables can lose up to 55% of vitamin C within a week, and some varieties of spinach can lose 90% of their vitamin C value 24 hours after harvest.

There have been several studies on how storage conditions affect vitamin C levels in fresh produce, which determined that traditional preservation processes have a limited impact compared to that of the packaging process and storage conditions.

For example, there was a 40% decrease in vitamin C levels in green beans after a 10-minute high-pressure treatment and pasteurisation process. Moreover, almost all vitamin C was lost after days of cold storage at 10℃. The oxygen trapped within the green beans and the surface of the pouches also contributed to this significant loss, which shows that the packaging process significantly affects its retention.

Purchasing fresh ingredients directly from the markets, without the treatment and storage processes, can retain vitamin value and maximise the benefits of consuming fresh produce. The storage of fresh produce in our homes also plays an important role in retaining the wholesome benefits of fresh produce.

Seasonal Eating Tastes Better

The taste and quality of seasonal produce even tastes better because it’s fully ripe, whereas most produce kept for storage are picked before they’re ripe to prolong shelf-life.

Eating autumn apples tend to be more flavourful and crispy, while those out of season aren’t as sweet (the same goes for tomatoes). Fresh, in-season tomatoes are much juicier, richer and sweeter compared to the watery, bland ones which are picked out of season.

Seasonal Eating Is Better For The Environment and Reduces Waste

The transportation needed to-and-from cold storage facilities through the ‘cold chain’ is estimated to be responsible for 216 Mt CO₂ eq into the atmosphere (that’s about 6.5x the total carbon emissions of Hong Kong in 2022). However, this doesn’t account for global food loss due to lack of coverage by cold chains, or insufficient cold chains. The approximate emissions released when taking these losses into account is equivalent to 1004 Mt CO₂ eq.

Additionally, almost 12% of food produced globally is lost due to insufficient cold storage food chains, which could feed up to 950 million people a year. By purchasing seasonal produce, you’re reducing the demand for the number of facilities needed to preserve and store produce beyond its harvest date.

Seasonal Eating Supports Local Economy

95% of food in Hong Kong is imported, making the Hong Kong economy heavily reliant on packaged foods and limiting our exposure to local seasonal varieties. What’s more is that supermarkets like Wellcome and ParknShop dominate over 70% of the grocery sector and supply an abundance of overpriced imported foods.

However, the Hong Kong territory still has over 2,400 farms, which employ 4,400 farmers and workers. We also have hundreds of local markets that employ thousands of people across the city. If we were to opt for local seasonal produce, there are still plenty of options. Click here for a list of all the farms that we can purchase produce from.

Purchasing local produce means you’re supporting many of these small businesses and farms. More importantly, you’re providing you and your family with an opportunity to learn about seasonal eating and benefit from it. Learn more about seasonal crops and how to select them here.

The post The Benefits Of Eating Seasonally appeared first on Sassy Mama.

How To Introduce New Flavours And Textures To Toddlers

Divya Butani — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 22:00:13 +0000

Does your little one demand the same fare of bland, blanched food for every meal? We ask private chef, Divya Butani, aka The Veggie Wifey, about how to develop more adventurous eaters.

As a mother of young and particular eaters, I know the struggle of trying to introduce new foods into their diet. After many failed pitches to my toddlers, here are a few tried and tested ways you can introduce new flavours and textures to support your child towards a wholesome nutritious diet.

Introducing Kids To New Flavours & Textures: Communicate

Whenever my kids and I have a quiet moment together, I like to talk to them about their interests and things they dislike. It’s my way of creating that safe space to let them share their perspectives and opinions. Sometimes, I navigate this conversation to talk to them about food and healthy eating. With an abundance of convenient food options we have today, short conversations like this can plant the seed of self-reflection in our kids, and help them think about their choices. Moreover, if I am introducing a new dish that evening, the open communication we have helps prepare them for the change rather than surprise them.

Introducing Kids To New Flavours & Textures: Use different colours and shapes

Cultivating your child’s curiosity will decrease their reluctance to try new foods. One of the ways I do this is by creating a simple storyboard with the food – Dal or lentils can be likened to pebbles, while broccoli can be trees. I also try cutting food in different shapes using cookie cutters, and adding different natural colours using mango, spinach or beetroot water to whole grains to increase the nutritional value and flavour. These small changes help familiarise children with colour on their plate. It also makes mealtime an activity to free a child’s imagination rather than a chore they have to complete before they can go play.

Introducing Kids To New Flavours & Textures: Mask The Veggies

If your toddler is very particular about adding anything colourful to their plate, try blending the veggies together, and adding it as a sauce alongside something they love. It may be cheeky, but it is truly for their benefit. Once they get the hang of the taste, they can then attempt to eat the full form of the veggie over time. Blending the veggies together can work for things like pasta sauces, curries, soups, stews and dals.

Introducing Kids To New Flavours & Textures: Be Mindful Of Their Habits

Most kid-friendly restaurants in Hong Kong have children’s menus with the standard mac’n cheese, French fries, spaghetti Bolognese, Margherita pizza and a side of bland, steamed veggies. To drink, it’s often boxed apple juice that is concentrated and with a lot of added sugar. It’s fair to say, the nutritional value of children’s menus in Hong Kong is low. It’s rare to have children’s menus that play with a rainbow variety of fresh veggies in exciting ways that can provide an abundance of nutritional benefits for a growing child. If a child is consistently exposed to a limited range of nutritional food, their preferences will adapt accordingly. Once we become more mindful of what we expose our children to, we can make positive changes to their diet and lifestyle going forward.

Introducing Kids To New Flavours & Textures: Create Variety

Having the same meal every day can exhaust the kids from looking forward to mealtime. Using a menu plan to rotate different dishes around the week and expose your toddlers to new foods is helpful in maintaining their excitement. It does not have to be anything fancy, but a small change on their plate can help trigger some excitement or curiosity. On very busy days, a hack is to use toddler plates with dividers and add small amounts of different foods in each section. This creates variety through different flavours, colours and textures on their plate. I usually add a wholegrain, veggie, protein, fat or dairy and something that is naturally sweet or low-GI.

Introducing Kids To New Flavours & Textures: Eat With Them

When I make it a point to eat together with my kids, I try to cook the same meal for myself or something that looks similar. This way my kids can learn to explore different foods by example. Often we isolate our children’s diet by creating something that looks and tastes different from what we would usually like. Incorporating their diet with ours not only empowers them, but also significantly reduces cooking time.

Recipe To Introduce New Flavours & Textures: White Sauce Pasta (With Hidden Veggies)

Ready to try a yum recipe for your toddlers? Try this white sauce pasta recipe with hidden vegetables. What you will love (and your kids will too!) is the rainbow coloured pasta that’s packed with nutrients from different vegetables like beetroot, purple cabbage, carrot, and pumpkin. And to up the goodness of this recipe, I’ve added some puréed veggies to make this white sauce a ‘stealthy’ healthy one. Try this recipe with the kids and enjoy eating it with them!

The post How To Introduce New Flavours And Textures To Toddlers appeared first on Sassy Mama.

Vegan Swaps For Kids: The Best Alternatives In Hong Kong To Tackle Allergies & Dietary Requirements

Divya Butani — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 22:00:03 +0000

Private chef Divya Butani, aka The Veggie Wifey, shares her insight on the best vegan alternatives on the market for kids with allergies or dietary requirements.

While some nay-sayers question whether vegans get enough protein, the growing tribe of elite athletes who vouch for veganism may disprove that. Sometimes, due to serious food allergies, intolerances or trying to avoid the hormones and additives associated with eating meat, many families increasingly incorporate more vegan options into their meal plans.

Only three per cent of Hong Kong’s population are vegetarians or vegans as per a survey in 2020, but that number is rapidly growing. As a newbie to the plant-based lifestyle, it can be stressful to find healthy alternatives for traditional diet staples. Many alternatives to dairy, eggs and cheese are highly processed with several hidden additives that can do more harm than good for growing tummies. With 1 in 20 children in Hong Kong reported to have a food allergy (and that number seems to be rising), it’s time to be cautious about what kids consume.

To help support your family’s wholesome plant-based diet, here are kid-friendly vegan swaps that are accessible, affordable and healthy.

Vegan Alternatives to Milk

There are an abundance of plant-based milks available in the market right now, with great options derived from rice, soy, oat, pea and nut milks.

When choosing plant-based milk for your children, it is important to look at the ingredients and choose one that is high in fat and protein — macronutrients essential for their growth and development. Additionally, some plant-based milks tend to use less of the main ingredient and put in additives to bind the ‘milk’ together. Watch out for ingredients like xanthan gum or guar gum as these are highly processed binding agents and have shown to cause some laxative effects in children.

I usually use fortified, non-GMO soya milk because it ticks most of the boxes in terms of taste, nutrition, accessibility and affordability. It is also the most versatile of the lot. When making vegan mayonnaise, it creates the same thickness as dairy milk. The next best alternative would be pea milk as that also has a good protein content, and is higher in calcium than regular dairy milk.

Making your own milk at home may be an option too. However, you should be mindful that some alternatives like cashew milk are not very high in protein, fat or calories for toddlers.

Vegan Alternatives to Eggs

Depending on what you’re making, you may need egg substitutes. For example, a vegan ‘omelette’ or pancake can be made using chickpea flour, salt, water and veggies. This is a high protein alternative that is tasty too.

When baking cakes, there are a few substitutes that are child-friendly. For cupcakes, mashed bananas provide the best texture. For baked goods like brownies or cookies, pureed apricots are a good alternative. If you’d like to make these more nutritious for your children, grind one part chia or flax seeds and mix it with two parts water. These seeds are high in omega-3, calcium and iron. I would avoid applesauce as the store-bought variety have added sugar and several preservatives.

For lighter, fluffier cakes, using two parts arrowroot powder with three parts water is a nutrient-rich alternative to eggs.

Vegan Alternatives to Yoghurt

Out of all the ones I have made my kids try, they love the texture of a light, creamy and slightly sweet coconut yoghurt most. Cocobellas is my go-to brand for vegan yoghurt, and you can add it to anything you need yoghurt for. They have natural, vanilla and mango flavours available in Hong Kong.

You can also make your own by scooping the white flesh of a fresh coconut (the coconut ‘meat’) and place it in a blender with a little of the coconut water. This creates a creamy, yoghurt like texture to replace dairy yoghurt. You can read more details here and see how I used this yoghurt to create delicious treats for the kids.

Other options like soy yoghurt are good alternatives, but are not widely available around many locations in Hong Kong.

Vegan Alternatives to Cheese

Out of all the vegan alternatives, this is the hardest to substitute for kids because store-bought vegan cheese is extremely processed. Vegan cheese also has many additives and preservatives to provide its cheese-like flavour and shape.

In the vegan world, nutritional yeast is a well-known cheese-flavour substitute with a boost of nutrition. It is important to know that there are two types of nutritional yeast: fortified and non-fortified. Fortified nutritional yeast includes synthetic vitamins during the manufacturing process to increase nutrient content, while non-fortified nutritional yeast contains all the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals from the cell growth during fermentation. When making a purchase for your family, it is best to use the non-fortified nutritional yeast.

If you’d like to try vegan cheese, stores like Foodcraft, Neighbour Green and Vegan Market have extensive cheese varieties for you and your family to try.

Vegan Alternatives to Butter

Like cheese, vegan butters are highly processed and can contain a lot of unnecessary ingredients for children. It can also be very high in sodium. Most vegan butters use a blend of canola, coconut or sunflower oil with some artificial flavouring and preservatives. There is also not an extensive variety of affordable vegan butters in Hong Kong.

For most recipes that call for butter, you can easily use oil as a replacement. The general rule of thumb would be one part butter to ¾ oil, and 1:1 when using coconut oil. The healthiest oils to use for children are ones that have a high smoke point, not very processed and low in saturated fats. Avocado oil, olive oil, sesame and flaxseed oil are some of the most suitable oils to support heart health, especially in growing children.

Having said that, oil should always be consumed in moderation and deep-fried foods for children (and yourself) should be limited.

Alternatives to Nuts

This is essential for kids who have nut allergies. The most common allergens amongst children in Hong Kong are milk (including cheese and chocolate), eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy and wheat. Most schools have now adopted a nut-free policy to help protect those who have serious nut allergies.

To create the same crunch without nuts, I created a seed spread for my children that contains sunflower and pumpkin seeds. These two seeds are extremely high in protein, especially when roasted, and contain good fats for the kids. You can also use these seeds as a replacement for any recipe that calls for nuts.

A Vegan Pasta Recipe That Your Kids Will Love

Most kids love pasta because of the generous oodles of cheese and butter. What can you make for a child who wants to or needs to follow a vegan diet?

Try this vegan pesto pasta. The vegan substitute for parmesan is nutritional yeast, and I’ve used Thai basil instead of Italian basil to get a different flavour profile. It’s easy to make and kids gobble it up (they don’t even mind the hidden veggies!) without missing the sprinkled cheese. Give it a go and let me know what you think!

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Menu Planning For The Family: 5 Tips From The Veggie Wifey

Divya Butani — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 22:00:07 +0000

Planning what to cook for your family every day can be stressful. We asked private chef Divya Butani, aka The Veggie Wifey, for her expert tips on planning a menu. Here are five ways she simplifies the process to make cooking at home easier!

Running a home is like running a business. You need good systems in place to operate efficiently, particularly if you aren’t physically present. I have systems for cleaning, laundry and the kitchen to streamline time-consuming tasks.

A key way to set up an efficient kitchen is to design a 7-day menu plan for the whole family. It includes every meal – for breakfast, lunch and dinner (maybe snacks too), for both kids and adults. Menu planning saves you time and money. And if you’re worried about being too repetitive, create a 14-day menu plan instead.

Menu Planning Step 1: Inventory Check

Part of creating an effective kitchen management system is delegating someone to check your inventory once a week (usually at the start). If an ingredient in the pantry or fridge is running low, expired or is unavailable for recipes on your menu plan for the following week, write it down so you have a grocery list by the end of the week. Grocery shopping can be done by the end of the week. The inventory check can include your child’s snacks, household cleaning products, spices or anything else you need on a weekly basis.

Hong Kong is an unusual place for grocery shopping because often it isn’t just a one-stop shop. I usually go to up to six different shops for ingredients and products to run the house in a cost effective manner. High-end grocery stores like Great, Market Place and Fusion are good for emergency purchasing. However, I rarely purchase my full list of groceries there as it can become extremely expensive. Online stores like HKTV mall, iHerb and other local companies like Beyond Plastic, Norway Salmon Express and Health Generation make it more affordable to purchase everyday groceries in bulk.

I use a white board with separate columns to indicate respective vendors and fill it in accordingly. I buy special Indian groceries, household cleaning products, toilet rolls, spices, vegetables and fruit from different vendors across the city. It may seem like a lot of work, but it results in a huge saving! As I’m a regular shopper with a kitchen inventory management system, the vendors know when to schedule my order, and know when I can pick up or have it delivered.

Menu Planning Step 2: Go Grocery Shopping Together

I often purchase fruits and veggies from the wet market. Sometimes, I take the kids with me. I cannot recommend this highly enough! Grocery shopping with your kids can end up being an unexpected workout, but it’s an activity that they may love. It’s also a great way to introduce picky eaters to different fruits and veggies. The colours of seasonal produce are gorgeous, plus it’s free entertainment!

A great full-day activity is idea to take them to the market to choose ingredients they love, and then show them how to create a feast using them later.

Menu Planning Step 3: Ask For Their Preferences

Sometimes experimenting with new kids recipes completely backfires, and the food I spent a lot of time preparing goes to waste. Instead of dictating what my kids should eat, I now work with them to create a nutritious menu that they will actually enjoy eating.

I load a range of easy-to-make meal images from search engines, Pinterest and my blog, and ask them if this is something they would like. They pick and choose what appeals or they are interested in trying. Using the information, I create a list of meals they may potentially enjoy.

This way, when the food is served, the kids are not surprised or reluctant to try it. Involving children in the meal planning process also makes them feel important, and responsible. It’s a great bonding session.

Menu Planning Step 4: Bulk Buy

Bulk buying groceries can save you between 30-40% off your monthly grocery expense. When you have a menu plan, you will know what you’re cooking on a regular basis. Therefore, it makes bulk purchasing a lot easier, just like how they do in a restaurant kitchen.

I often bulk buy fruits and veggies that can be used for up to two weeks (yes, there are ways to store your veggies in your fridge for that long) and limit purchasing most household items to once a month. Once again, when a system is in place, it makes organising your purchases a lot easier.

Sassy Mama Tip: Many homes rely on imported produce. However, Hong Kong has an amazing variety of inexpensive produce that supports local farms and communities. Purchasing local produce is also healthier and better for the environment because it is seasonal, with a reduced carbon footprint.

Menu Planning Step 5: Batch Your Meals

Cooking a different recipe for several people everyday takes a lot of work, and can be expensive. My solution is to group our meals wherever possible for greater efficiency. For example, if you are making a vegetable curry for your child’s dinner, make the same for the adults, but separate some of it and add the extra spices later to taste. This way, you’re cooking one recipe for the whole household, significantly reducing manpower and cost.

Alternatively you can use the same ingredients in different ways to suit different tastes. Chances are that a large part of the preparation, such as cutting and cleaning, will be the same and can be done together.

The goal is to automate your family menu planning system with ingredients, tools and recipes, so when it’s time to make it, no time is wasted.

Now that you’re ready to start planning your family’s weekly menu, here’s one of my recipes that is great to start with. I have mentioned the steps to can avoid when cooking for kids. My suggestion would be to start the base together, and as you progress, separate it into two pans. Add the extra ingredients for the adults and the extra steps for kids (such as blending vegetables for picky eaters) and you’ll have dinner prepared for the family in the same amount of time.

Lemongrass Infused Coconut Curry by The Veggie Wifey

Ingredients:

Use vegetables such as broccoli florets, sliced baby corn and carrots. A variety of colours always makes this dish look visually appealing. You will also need lemongrass and coconut milk for this recipe.

Other ingredients include spices and seasonings (details on quantities and what to avoid for kids here), as well as the usual onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes that are always the foundation of a curry base.

Method:

Heat the coconut milk, add chopped lemongrass and let it simmer in a covered pot. This will make the lemongrass-infused coconut milk. Meanwhile, grind all the spices, other than the coriander leaves.

Prepare your curry base in a separate pot. At some point, you will need to separate this into two pots, for two versions of the same with kid-level and adult-level spices and seasoning. Add in the spice mix and the vegetables and let them cook (don’t overcook or it will be mushy). Serve with warm buttered sourdough bread or rice.

This recipe shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes from start to finish (yes, including prep!) for both versions. Sounds amazing, right? Believe me, it’s guaranteed to be a hit with the kids as well. For the complete recipe, please read The Veggie Wifey’s blogpost.

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3 Easy Halloween Recipes: Treats Your Kids Will Love

Divya Butani — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 22:00:30 +0000

Want something different from the usual Halloween candy? Try these Halloween recipes at home – they are sure to be a treat for all kids!

Come Halloween and you find yourself running out of ideas of how to strike a healthy balance between fun and out-of-control candy consumption. Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Here are a few deliciously easy Halloween treats to make at home with the kids. These 3 dishes are packed with hidden veggies or seeds, so this is perfect for picky eaters too!

Halloween Recipe 1: Halloween Burgers (with pumpkin patties)

Ingredients

For the bread

200 grams flour strong bread flour
10 grams of brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 grams of active dry yeast
32 grams of water (room temperature)
100 grams of milk (plant-based milk is okay too)
1/4 tsp vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar will do)
½ tsp of black food colouring

For the patties

½ cup of sweet potato
½ cup of pumpkin
¼ cup of canned chickpeas
1 tbsp of spring onions
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried basil
1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Burger garnishes

Edible eyes

Method

For the bread

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour and salt together, and set aside.
In another smaller bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar and 32 grams of water together until it starts to bubble. Set this aside.
In a third bowl, mix the milk, vinegar and black food colouring. Set this aside.
Using your finger or spatula, create a crater in the centre of your flour (The Well Method) and gently pour the yeast mixture and combine until it reaches a shaggy and rough dough.
Slowly pour the remaining liquid (the colouring, milk and vinegar mixture) and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it reaches a soft, pillowy texture.
Leave this to rest in a large flour-sprinkled mixing bowl for about an hour. Cover this with a cloth.
After 1 hour, flatten the risen dough to remove the carbon dioxide, and roll it out into a log shape.
Cut the dough into 6 pieces, to make mini burgers and roll them in your palm to create small spheres.
Place it on a baking tray (make sure you have 2cm of space in between each burger bun because it will rise again and you don’t want them to stick to each other).
Cover the rolled-out buns with a cloth and leave it to rise for another 10-15 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, bake these in the oven at 175℃, for 20 minutes. Depending on the brand of your oven, this may take 15 minutes, so please keep checking them.
Once it is fully baked, take them out of the oven, brush some cold butter on the top and leave it to cool.
Once the burgers are cool, cut them in half to make the top and bottom of the burger buns, ready to stuff with the pumpkin patties!

For the patties

Steam and process all the veggies together.
Pour the mashed-up veggies into a mixing bowl, and add all the spices and the flour.
Mix until smooth.
Create the patties using the size of your burger buns as a good indication. There is nothing worse than having extra large or extra small patties for your buns. You can make this as thick or as thin as you like. I like thicker patties for the burger.
Add the patties into a frying pan with a brush of oil.
Fry each side until golden brown.
Optional: you can beat an egg, and coat the patties with this, and a layer of breadcrumbs before frying for that extra crispiness. I normally dunk the patties in flour, then coat it with egg then dunk it in breadcrumbs for an extra crispy patty.

Placing the burger together

Once you’ve stuffed the burgers, brush the bottom side of the edible eye with water and stick it on the top of the burger bun.

Halloween Recipe 2: Denture Dim Sum (teeth ‘dim sum’ with veggie filling)

Ingredients

For the dim sum

1 cup rice flour
½ cup tapioca starch
3 tbsp cornstarch
½ cup water
2 tsp green food colouring

For the filling

2 tbsp sesame oil
½ cup shredded cauliflower
2 brown button mushrooms minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ginger shredded
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tbsp organic soy sauce
A pinch of pepper

For the sauce (optional)

2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsps peanut butter for sauces like this, I used skippy as it has more flavour. However, you can use healthier versions of this and opt for peanut butter that contains less sugar.
1/2 cup hot water
3 tbsp organic soy sauce
½ tbsp rice vinegar
⅛ tsp black pepper

Method

For the denture dim sum

Mix all the ingredients together. Set aside.
Using the denture mould, place this in a steamer and let this steam for about 15 minutes. Ensure the lid of your steamer has a towel covered around it so the water does not drip down onto the mould.
Once the mould is warm enough, fill the mould with the mixture until it reaches the top.
Cover the steamer for 10 minutes. Then, switch the gas off and allow the cooked mould to sit in the steamer without heat for 5 minutes. This prevents the ‘dim sum’ from deflating and helps it cool down before you take it out.
Once you take it out, let it cool for another 5-10 minutes before removing it from the mould. Serve warm.

For the filling

Heat a frying pan with the oil.
Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Add the veggies and saute until all the water from the veggies has evaporated (sweated out).
Pour in the seasoning and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
Serve warm in the denture dim sum.

For the sauce

Combine all the ingredients together.
Coat the bottom of the denture dim sum with this, or garnish it on the top.

Halloween Recipe 3: Mini Halloween Chia Cakes (red velvet chia seed cupcakes with cream cheese frosting)

Ingredients

For the chia cakes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter (not melted, cold)
2 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 6 tbsps water (mixed together)
½ tsp of vanilla extract or paste
½ tsp of red food colouring or beetroot powder

For the cream cheese frosting

125 grams of cream cheese
100 grams unsalted butter
3 tbsps of icing sugar

For the garnishing

Halloween sprinkles
Edible eyes

Method

For the chia cakes

Preheat the oven to 175℃.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer in another large mixing bowl, or a stand mixer, whisk the butter with the sugar until it reaches a smooth consistency.
Add the chia mixture, vanilla extract and food colouring, and stir for another 30 seconds.
Gently sieve in the flour mixture until the batter is smooth.
Line a mini cupcake baking tray with some mini cupcake liners or if your baking tray is nonstick, you can use it without it.
Fill all the cupcake moulds ⅔ of the way, and bake for about 15 minutes. You can check when it’s done by poking a toothpick through it. If it comes out clear, it’s ready. If it comes out from the centre of your cupcake with batter still stuck to it, it needs some more time to bake.
Once it’s fully baked, take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
Line the cream cheese frosting on the top and sprinkle with some Halloween sprinkles.

For the cream cheese frosting

Whisk all the ingredients together using an electric mixer or a stand mixer.
Set this in the fridge before you use it. This helps keep the butter from melting and the mixture getting too soft for frosting.

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