As long as you have you have some vegetables and eggs at home, you can easily whip up a frittata. Frittata is an egg based Italian dish similar to an omelette or a crustless quiche with added ingredients like meats or vegetables. It is quite a wholesome meal with the protein from the eggs and the vitamins and minerals from the vegetables.

Broccoli in a Frittata? Why not? And frittata doesn't always have to have whole eggs. Why not just egg white only for a twist?

Ingredients (Serves 2)
A small piece of broccoli flower (roughly 100gm) broken into small florets
2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 - 4 garlic gloves, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced into small strips
6 egg whites
Salt & Pepper
​4 cherry tomatoes halved
​2 tbsp crumbles feta cheese

Method
1) Boil the broccoli florets in salted water for 5 minutes.

2) Drain, then plunge into cold water to retain that beautiful green hue.

3) Take a frying pan and fry the the onion, garlic and bell pepper for 8-10mins till the vegetables are softened.

4) Beat the egge whites with pepper and salt.

5) Add the boiled broccoli into the pan and stir. 

6) Pour the egg white into the pan.

7) Add a few cherry tomato halves for colour.

8) Cover and cook for 10 mins on low heat till the top is cooked as well.

9) Serve warm for breakfast or as a side for any other meal. 

Mozarella cheese balls are like little bites of cheese heaven. Mozarella is a southern Italian cheese traditionally made from Italian buffalo milk.Fresh mozarella is generally but may appear slightly yellow because of the animal's diet. Because of its high moisture content, mozarella is served immediately but if kept in its brine in a vacuum-sealed package, they last for a week or more. 

​Anyway, this simple salad is more like a caprese salad but I added balsamic vinegar in the dressing for variation. 

Ingrdients (Serves 2-3)
​15 yellow cherry tomatoes
​15 red cherry tomatoes
16 mini mozarella balls
small handful of basil leaves

Dressing
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
2bsps EVOO
​Salt & Pepper

Method
​1) Whisk all the dressing together and set aside.
​2) Wash and slice the cherry tomatoes lengthwise and arrange on the serving plates.
​3) Place the mozarella balls and toss in the basil leaves over.
​4) Pour the dressing over and serve.

Bruschettas are wonderful delicious appetizers and the fact that they just need a few minutes to prepare and assemble makes them even more delicious, don't they?? Usually, I chop the tomatoes and mix them with olive oil and basil leaves, season them with salt and pepper and serve them on toasted baguettes.

​I thought I'll do it a little differently today. I marinated the tomato slices in a mix of balsamic vinegar, oilive oil and some bruschetta seasoning I came up on my own. Then I topped it off with basil leaves and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.  

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard dry cheese made from skimmed or partly skimmed cow's milk. It has a hard pale-golden rind and a straw-coloured interior but with a rich sharp flavor. They are aged at least for 2 years which results in their complex intense flavor. I found out that Parmigiano Reggiano is the original Parmesan Cheese. The Parmesan cheese we consume everyday is just an imitation of the original Parmigiano Reggiano and are only aged for 10 months. I realised after tasting some shaved Parmigiano Reggiano that nothing compares to its granular texture that melts in the mouth and I could taste the distinct aging in its flavor.  This was not obvious in our regular Parmesan Cheese.

​And did you know that there is something called Bruschetta Seasoning in the market? Having never come across such a seasoning before, my next best alternative will be to come up with my own, using what I had in my kitchen today and what is usually required for bruschettas. I used chilli flakes for a bit of spice, garlic granules and an Oregano, Basil and Tomato spice blend which I had bought long ago thinking I would definitely have a need for it someday. That day is today!!

​You can come up with your own Bruschetta Seasoning too - just ensure these essential ingredients :
Dehydrated tomato pieces,
Garlic powder/granules,
​Dried Basil and
​Chilli Flakes

Ingredients (For 4 Bruschetta Slices)
​4 slices of Ciabatta/Multi grain loaf
​1 and 1/2 red ripe tomatoes, sliced very thinly into 8 round pieces
2 tsp Oregano, Basil and Tomato (OBT) Spice Blend
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp Garlic Granules
​1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO plus extra for drizzling at the end and for drizzling on toasts before assembling
6-8 Basil leaves, chopped
​1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt & Pepper

Method
​1) Mix the seasonings together - OBT Spice Blend, Chilli Flakes, Garlic Granules, Balsamic Vinegar and EVOO.

2) Then, soak the sliced tomato pieces in them and let them marinate for 10 minutes. 

3) In the meantime, toast the ciabatta/multigrain loaf slices and drizzle EVOO over them. After 10 minutes, start assembling the marinated tomato slices over the toasts. 

4) This will be followed by the chopped basil leaves, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of EVOO. Finish it up with a dash of pepper and salt. Serve as a quick appetizer or even with a warming soup of your choice. Best served warm. Enjoy!!

Meatless Minestrone is one of my favourite soups. Packed with vegetables, pasta and beans, it is wholesome goodness in a bowl. And it is so easy to prepare, like most soups.
​
​I frequent The Soup Spoon a chain of eatery here in Singapore. It has a range of delicious soups which can be devoured with salads, wraps and sandwiches. For the longest time,  I used to indulge in mostly their  Mushroom Stroganoff - a chunky thick creamy mushroom soup served in a a bread bowl.   Yearning for a change, my girls and I tried their Meatless Minestrone and then we wondered why didn't we try this before? It was so tangy and so full of goodness. Because it was quite thick in its tomato base, it quickly filled our hungry tummies.

​I attempted to recreate their Meatless Minestrone last week. It was warmly welcomed at home. Try it on a cold rainy evening...you'll go to sleep, your tummy filled with warm nourishing soup under your equally warm blanket. With a smile, for sure! What  a simple but perfect way to end an evening ...

​Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
2 cups of small shell pasta, boiled till al dente
​4 tbsp EVOO 
​1 yellow onion, diced
​2 tsp Italian seasoning
​1 tin of diced tomatoes, blended till smooth
1 cup of cubed carrot
1 cup of cubed zucchini
​1 cup of cubed capsicum, any colour
​1 cup of sliced celery
​1 cup of sliced leek
Salt
5 cups of vegetable stock

​1/2  cup of grated parmesan cheese
​1 tin of either kidney or cannelloni beans, drained  

Method

1. ​Heat the EVOO in a big soup pot and fry the yellow onion till translucent only, not brown. 
2. ​Then, add in the Italian seasoning followed by the blended diced tomatoes. Stir well.
3. ​This will then be followed by all the vegetables.
4. ​Pour in the vegetable stock and stir. Let it come to a boil and then lower the flame and let the soup simmer for 30 mins.
5. ​Check if all the vegetables are cooked and then slowly add in the beans and the boiled pasta.
6. ​Stir in the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into the pot and serve garnished with parsley leaves and sliced bread on the side. 

 

Watercress plants are an aquatic perennial herb found in abundance alongside slow running waterways and near natural springs. Watercress leaves and stems are both edible and are rich in many Vitamins - Vitamin A, C, E and K and other essential minerals. Obviously very low in fat and cholestrol and a good source of protein, folate, magnesium, potassium (I could go on and on here). But the best thing is it makes a great soup - both in western version nd the chinese version. I have posted the western version here wih home made croutons. Makes a great winter warming soup. The recipe is skinny too - only skim milk and olive oil has been used. You can substitute with butter and cream for added richness.

​Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 200 gm watercress leaves - stem chopped and both stems and leaves washed (some leaves left aside for garnish)
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed small
• ​1 medium onion, chopped fine
• ​2 garlic cloves, chopped small
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 2 cups of skim milk
• ​5-6 cubes croutons (see recipe below)
• ​A few feta cheese crmbles (optional)
• Salt and pepper to season

​Method
​1) Cube the potato and chop the onion finely.

2) Clean and wash the watercress leaves and stems.

3) Heat a deep soup pot and pour 2 tbsp EVOO. Fry the chopped onion, minced garlic and potato cubes for 3-5 mins.

4) Add in the vegetable stock and skim milk and cover. Cook for 5 mins till the potato cubes are done.

5) Add the watercress leaves and stems and cook for another 3-5 mins.

6) This is how it would look at the end of the cooking time.

7) Process this in a blender and return it back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

8) To make your own croutons, cut bread into cubes and fry them in a pan with EVOO till they turn light brown on all sides.  I used foccacia bread for that earthy meditaranean taste.  

9) Serve with homemade croutons and a swirl of EVOO. Top it off with a few low fat Feta Cheese crumbles for that extra flavor.