Tuckerbox

GONG XI FA CAI!

RAELENE TAN wishes everyone good wealth, health and happiness this Chinese New Year, and explains some traditions that come with the celebrations.

The Lunar New Year of the Tiger 2022 will bring joy to many with its emphasis on bravery, enthusiasm and confidence. Commencing on Tuesday 1 February, festivities continue for 15 days until Tuesday 15 February. While restrictions ease a little, this is also an opportune time to celebrate at home, incorporating our own unique ways into this colourful festival, gleaned from our interactions with locals here or in neighbouring countries.

ON THE EVE

On New Year’s Eve, the Family Reunion Dinner is a much-anticipated part of CNY. Set the table with colourful linen and round plates, home-decorate with auspicious red and gold touches, fill vases with chrysanthemums or potted kumquats, garlanded pussy willows (we place ours in an umbrella-stand, due to the plants’ tall stature) and bowls of mandarins which represent good luck. Complete with Chinese background music such as Teresa Teng’s emotive vocals.

Pre-dinner nuts, seeds and crisps with champagne or orange juice will tempt appetites for the traditional steamboat to follow, when diners cook their own choice of food at the table in the bubbling broth. Ingredients are taken from central platters of sliced raw meat, poultry, fish and vegetables, plus fish-balls, prawn-balls and noodles with accompanying sauces of soy and chilli. Mandarins are the main choice for dessert. Chinese tea, red wine or other colourful drinks complete the feast. This concept is ideal for being not too taxing on the host, while also creating camaraderie at the table.

ON THE DAY

An “open house” is traditional on New Year’s Day, incorporating the same decorations and snacks, both traditional and of your own interpretation. Sliced barbecued pork, groundnuts in their shells, chocolates enclosed in gold-foil, and colourful kueh (cakes) can be complemented by stuffed eggs, chilled prawns, strawberry cheesecake, lamingtons with strawberry jam centres, as well as pavlova with strawberries and bananas – all keeping to auspicious red and gold colours. Don’t forget to have ubiquitous local pineapple tarts ready to offer. Customary red date tea (simply simmering dried red dates and dried longans) sweetly binds everything together harmoniously.

IN CONCLUSION

The fifteenth night of CNY celebrations, Tuesday 15 February, is known as ‘Chap Goh Mei’, and plays host to a final customary family dinner. Red lanterns are the usual decoration. Popiah is the chosen meal in our home, with everyone at the dinner table wrapping their chosen ingredients, taken from central platters, in spring roll skins. This dish may also be ordered from popiah vendors; try Qi Ji Catering (qiji.com.sg). Tang (hot soup) yuan (ball) dessert traditionally completes

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and a food and travel writer. She has authored five books and has been a regular guest on radio and television. this meal and also the celebrations, symbolising family unity, harmony and sweetness. Tang yuan may be purchased, frozen, at supermarkets. If you prefer, substitute mandarins or pineapple tarts.

ENJOY

With everyone dressed in their best, traditional hongbao (red envelopes containing money in even numbers) are prepared as gifts for children and mandarins (two is the preferred number) as auspicious gifts for adults. The exchange of offerings comes with positive expectations for the year ahead. Whichever way we choose to entertain, it’s always fun to embrace the local culture and perhaps initiate our own traditions, as we give thanks.

To one and all: “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” (“A Wish for Prosperity!”)

Say goodbye to soggy sarnies with tasty and inspiring school lunchbox ideas your kids will want to show-off about.

Coming up with healthy and nutritious ideas for kids’ packed lunches can be a chore. If you’re like us, you start a new school term full of wild concepts including vegetables and salad. Three weeks down the line it’s Vegemite or nothing.

“A lunch box should be about balance; use less packaged food and don’t forget the occasional treat,” says Elizabeth-Anne Theodoros, CEO and owner of Dipsy Dips (dipsy-dips.com). “The last thing parents and guardians need is more pressure, especially in these trying times. So much food can be pre-prepared and frozen, so make batch cooking your friend.”

Here she shares how to keep things tasty, nourishing, and interesting.

What’s on your hitlist for a healthy lunchbox for kids?

Ideally a lunchbox has some complex carbs like breads, grains and protein like chicken or eggs. Think of easy to eat foods in small portions, plus a little treat. The key is to give children foods that will actually get eaten.

Where should you start?

I pretty much ate the same lunch every day at school back in Australia, with the exception of a Tuck Shop lunch once a week! So I’d recommend getting your little people involved. Ask what they’d like, and create a balance from there. Wraps seem to be having a moment. A lot of children love pasta salads or fried rice, but add a piece of cut-up fruit to the box. Muesli bars and bliss balls can be frozen if you make a batch. Keep it simple, and keep fun or fancy food for the weekends and special occasions.

Where’s good to shop for healthy foods in Singapore?

I love Culina for unusual ingredients, and I also pick up food from wet markets. Nothing lasts very long in this humid climate, so it’s important to do regular supermarket visits to make sure you have fresh produce. Peanut, Sweet Chilli & Ginger Jam and an Almond Dukkah. I have soaked a tonne of chickpeas, squeezed many lemons and peeled thousands of garlic cloves! Little Farms only deals with local artisans to maintain the freshest ingredients, which is so important when most of Singapore’s food is imported.

How can you upgrade lunchboxes for teens and adults?

What drinks work?

Water is always best and all that’s really needed. Add freshly squeezed juice to the water to make it more fun. Coconut water is also great for busy little bodies in Singapore’s heat. Choose foods that can be heated or served in a thermos. I send my partner to work with meals such as chilli, slow braised chicken cacciatore, pulled pork and simple stir-fries with minimum sauce that I batch cook on a Sunday.

How can you make your life easier when prepping lunch every day?

So much can be frozen and wrapped in single portions. For instance, a ham and cheese sandwich freezes perfectly and will defrost by midday. Vegetables do not freeze for sandwich fillings but simple proteins do. Buy a good quality loaf of bread and pop a batch of sandwiches in the freezer. Vegetable sticks can be prepared and cut and stored in water in the fridge - they’ll last around 3-4 days and stay crisp.

Tell us about your collaboration with Little Farms ...

I’m thrilled to be launching Dipsy Dips - a range of eight dips - with Little Farms in the new year. So far there are five versions of hummus, including Original, Fresh Herbs, Thai Pumpkin &

More of Elizabeth’s box-faves

• Savoury muffins • Falafel • Curry puffs • Noodle & pasta salads • Corn fritters • Frittata • Hard boiled eggs • Vegetable sushi • Meatballs • Pumpkin & feta sausage rolls • Greek salad without dressing • Marinated chicken legs • Hummus with vegetables for dipping • Easy to peel fruit or cut-up fruit • Crunchy veg like broccoli, snow peas, sweet beans, mini capsicum, cherry tomatoes, olives, celery & carrot

Individual pita breads Tomato paste or tinned chopped tomatoes. Cheddar or mozzarella Vegetables such as olives, roasted cherry tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms and roasted eggplant (as requested by my young friend, Fred) Parmesan cheese

1. Spread a spoonful of tomato paste or tinned chopped tomatoes onto the pita bread. 2. Scatter on cheddar or mozzarella. 3. Top with vegetables. 4. Top with a tiny sprinkling of cheese and cook in a hot oven for five minutes or until bubbling.

MINI FRITTATA

6 eggs ½ cup of cream 1 cup baby spinach chopped 100g cooked smoked turkey 2 spring onions finely chopped Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a muffin pan. You can also pop the mixture into patty pans. 2. Whisk eggs and cream in a bowl. 3. Add spinach, turkey, spring onions and salt and pepper, and spoon into the prepared muffin pans. 4. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool.

PESTO PASTA SALAD

Cooked pasta shapes of choice Pesto made with 1 bunch of basil, 1 cup grated parmesan, pepper and olive oil Oven dried cherry tomatoes (cook halved tomatoes on baking paper for two hours at 120o C)

1. Mix pasta with pesto to coat. 2. Add as many tomatoes as is your preference.

SIMPLE FRIED RICE

3 cups cooked jasmine rice 1 small onion finely chopped 20g finely grated ginger (optional) 20g finely grated garlic (optional) 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 egg 1 cup peas (or other vegetables) in small pieces Soy sauce or Tamari

1. Heat a frying pan. Add sesame oil, onions, ginger and garlic and fry until translucent. 2. Add the cold rice and move around the pan until the rice starts separating. You may need more oil - cook until hot. 3. Move the rice to the side of the pan, break the egg into the pan and allow to nearly cook. 4. Break up the egg and mix it into the rice, followed by the peas (or other vegetables). 5. Add soy sauce or Tamari. Optional salt to taste.