The Hedgehog Knows: vegetarian

vegetarian

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For most of us, vegetarian food usually reminds us of mock meat, abalone mushroom or boring leafy greens. However, Sufood attempts to revolutionise our perception of all that - at really pocket-friendly prices.

Conveniently located at Raffles City and Wheelock Place, Sufood is a joint venture between Singapore's PUTIEN and Taiwan's largest restaurant operator WOWPRIME, and presently the #1 vegetarian chain in Taiwan. Interestingly, the chefs make use of a 5-colour concept to design dishes which offer a variety of nutrients from vegetables and fruits: sunny yellow, comfy white, tasty purple, purely green and lively red.

We recently tried the 8-course set ($29.80++) and were impressed by how well the natural flavours were accentuated in this value-for-money deal. Wholesome cooking methods are employed to bring out the maximum flavours of each dish and the most stubborn meat-lover is sure to find a favourite dish within the set. What's more, several new dishes were recently introduced too!

PS: If you are a light eater or prefer just a quick meal, all the dishes can be ordered ala carte as well :)

Here's what to expect in this sumptuous 8-course set meal:

1) Appetiser

For the Sufood Appetiser, an innovative medley of cherry tomato jelly, lady’s finger with alfalfa and Japanese yuca root was served.

2) Cider

The Sufood Signature Cider was served with the appetiser and acted as a palate cleanser between the 3 appetisers. Together, they certainly offered a refreshing start to our meal!

3) Salad

I chose the Macadamia Fruit Salad (above), while he chose the Strawberry Snowflake Salad (below).

The Macadamia Fruit Salad *NEW* had our favourite mix of fruits and vegeables - macademia nuts, avocados, peach, cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes and assorted vegetables - with creamy pineapple-flavoured vinaigrette dressing served at the side.

I am someone who generally does not like sauces all over my food and prefer it ~~bland~~ plain, but I really enjoyed how the dressing complemented very well with the salad. Highly recommended.

The Strawberry Snowflake *NEW* was refreshing. Sitting on a bed of Italian baby spinach were fresh strawberries, pineapples, shredded taro and a topping of feta cheese.

We liked how the strawberry yogurt sauce (not pictured here) added an innovative touch to traditional salads as well. I think I may try to replicate a similar dish at home. Highly recommended as well.

4) Breadsticks

The warm rosemary breadsticks were served with 2 unconventional dips - sweet mustard and blueberry. While the sweet mustard was the more palatable, I would personally have preferred the more traditional butter and olive oil.

5) Soup

We both chose the Cabbage & Sweet Potato Stew. It was nourishing, and the cabbage, konjac and sweet potato added much flavours to this clear soup.

6) Main Course

I had the Star Pizza (above), while he had the Curry Cheese Calzone (below).

The Star Pizza was filled with oyster mushrooms and cream cheese, and topped with salted seaweed. The BBQ sauce was a little overwhelming, but again it could just be my personal preference. Wasabi sauce is also served at the side, if you are a little more adventurous :) A sight to behold, it was also of a generous portion so do share it with your friends!

The Curry Cheese Calzone *NEW* was like a curry puff in a roti prata pastry skin - but a lot bigger. If you enjoy mushrooms, cheese, potatoes and eggs, this one is for you.

Both the Star Pizza and Calzone are oven-baked, and that certainly scored extra points with us!

7) Dessert

He chose the Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Chocolate (above), while I had the Rosso e Giallo (below).

The Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Chocolate is great for someone who likes predictable desserts. I mean, what could go wrong with such a pairing?

The Rosso e Giallo was more special. The flavourful red bean cake was served with a light and silky beancurd pudding. The red bean cake had a light springy jelly-like texture, and I especially liked the generous serving of red beans within too.

8) Healthy Drink

5 varieties of juices are available. The juices are freshly juiced; not those poured out from Tetra Paks. Amongst them, The Purely is worth special mention. Comprising choy sum, pineapple and sour plum, this juice was super healthy and we liked the slightly sourish tang.

Overall

For vegetarians, vegetarian-wannabes or those who simply just want to switch to a healthier diet with more greens, Sufood offers an excellent option with its innovative and wholesome approach to healthy dining. The generous portions also make this a really value-for-money deal.

The rest of the menu is available here

Sufood Raffles City

252 North Bridge Road,

#02-19, Singapore 179103

Tel: (65) 6333 5338

Opening Hours:

Lunch: 11.30am – 3pm

(last order at 2.30pm)

Dinner: 5.30pm – 10pm

(last order at 9.30pm)

Sufood Wheelock Place

501 Orchard Road,

#B2-01 Singapore 238880

Tel: (65) 6238 8308

Opening Hours:

Lunch: 10.00am – 5.00pm

High Tea: 3.00pm – 5.00pm

Dinner: 5.00pm – 10.00pm

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Christmas reminds me of fruit cakes with lots of cherries, raisins and lots of other dried fruits.

To give this year's Christmas cake a healthy twist, let's do a Bourbon-infused Carrot Cake instead! Replace some of the dried mixed fruits (which can come with lots of hidden sugar) with freshly-grated carrots and walnuts. It's moist, easy-to-do, and definitely healthier. For health reasons, I usually skip the cream frosting.

Below is my recipe using the airfryer, and I have also included alcohol-free alternatives (if needed) too. Have fun!

Bourbon-infused Carrot Cake Using Airfryer

Yield: Two 6-inch round cakes

Ingredients

(A)

80g raisins

80g bourbon (you can replace with whisky/ rum/ brandy/ hot water)

200g carrots, grated

70g walnuts, crushed

(B)

170g top flour/ cake flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

(C)

2 eggs, beaten

40g brown sugar

70g castor sugar

80g oil

30g Hokkaido milk (other fresh milk is okay)

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

1) Soak the raisins in bourbon* overnight in an airtight tupperware container.

*If you are unable to use alcohol due to dietary restrictions, simply soak the raisins in hot water.

Tips #1: For best results, soak the raisins for up to a week. About half of the bourbon will be soaked into the raisins and you may even feel the bourbon squirting into your mouth when you bite into the raisins later!

Tips #2: Use a small-based container to ensure that the top of the raisins are also soaked.

2) Pre-heat airfryer at 150 degrees for 5 minutes.

3) When the raisins have been well-soaked, drain the raisins from the bourbon. Keep 20g of bourbon for Step #7 later.

*If not using alcohol, you can discard all the water.

Notice how the raisins have become more plump after soaking.

4) Mix the raisins with the grated carrots and crushed walnuts. Drain off any residual liquids.

5) Using another mixing bowl, sift and combine ingredients in (B) to form the flour mixture.

6) Gently mix the raisins, carrots and walnuts into the flour mixture. Set aside.

7) In another mixing bowl, combine ingredients in (C) the wet ingredients: After beating the eggs, gradually add the sugars until well-combined. Continue adding the oil, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until well-combined. Lastly, also add in 20g of bourbon* from Step #2.

*If not using alcohol, simply replace the 20g bourbon with milk.

8) Add the wet ingredients into the Step #6 mixture. Gently fold till just combined.

Tips: It is alright if some streaks of flour are still visible. If the batter is overmixed, the cake's texture may become "rubbery".

9) Pour the batter into the two 6-inch cake pans.

10) Cover the cake pan with aluminium foil. Poke some holes.

11) Bake in airfryer at 150 degrees for 35 minutes.

12) Remove aluminium foil. Continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes and test until the toothpick comes out clean.

It is now ready to be served!

And if you would like to dress up your cake a little, sprinkle some icing sugar using a sieve over your cake!

Before

After

Update (May 2020)

If you would like to bake 1 rectangular loaf cake instead of round (my tin is 6.5 inches X 3.5 inches X 3.5 inches), you may multiply all the above ingredients by 3-quarters. E.g. For the raisins, instead of 80g, only 60g are needed.

For more cake recipes using airfryer, click here.

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I was thinking of bringing something for my department retreat, and knew that it had to be convenient and bite-sized with no crumbs. Something healthy would be great too, as a few of my colleagues were older and more health-conscious. I rummaged through my fridge and found different types of nuts. Nuts cakes? Nuts cookies? And the little lightbulb suddenly appeared - granola bars with nuts!

I hence made these Triple Nuts (Pecans, Walnuts and Peanuts) Granola Bars with Raisins and Chocolate Chips - using the good old airfryer. It was a really yummy snack full of nutritious homemade goodness! Best of all, they were so easy to bake. And of course, they were so easy to hold over the board games we were playing that day.

I am glad that my colleagues didn't mind that they looked quite ugly as all the ingredients were either brown or black-coloured, but I would recommend that you add some cranberries to make them more visually appealing - especially for children.

Below is my recipe using the airfryer. Feel free to modify it using whatever ingredients you have in your kitchen. They are so handy as breakfast takeaways, mealtime snacks or for even picnics, so have fun!! :)

Triple Nuts (Pecans, Walnuts and Peanuts) Granola Bars with Raisins and Chocolate Chips

Yield: One 6" square

Ingredients

(A)

75g oats (I used Quacker instant oats)

30g raisins

1 tbs flour

40g nuts (I used pecans, walnuts and peanuts)
20g chocolate chips
20g brown sugar (If you like it sweeter or don't use chocolate chips, add more sugar)

1/8 tsp cinnamon powder

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

(B)

30g butter, room temperature

1/8 tsp vanilla essence
80g milk

egg white from 2 eggs

Directions

1. Crush the nuts until they are small.
Tip: The smaller the nuts are, the lower the possibility of them falling out when you cut the baked bars later.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients in (A).

3. Into the same mixing bowl, stir in the wet ingredients in (B).

4. Preheat airfryer at 160 degrees for 5 min. Line the baking pan with parchment paper.

5. Spoon the mixture into the baking pan and press firmly.

6. Cover with aluminium foil (or the remaining sides of the parchment paper). Bake at 160 degrees for 20 minutes.

7. Open the aluminium foil cover, and continue baking for another 5 minutes until the granola is golden brown.

8. When cooled, cut into bars. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Enjoy!

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The family loves ordering osmanthus jelly at Chinese restaurants and it's super pricey. This one from a certain Chinese restaurant in Singapore costs S$3.60++ for 3 pieces - daylight robbery!

$1.20++ per piece. Each is maximum 6cm X 6cm X 4cm large.

Last weekend, I decided to make my own and it's really easy. Way easier than making any cake or cookie. Try this yourself and you will never want to order from restaurants again. Have fun and share the jellies with your vegetarian friends too! :)

(Updated: Jun 2017)

Recipe

Yield: 1 dish of jellies

Ingredients

1 pack konnyaku jelly powder (I used a 10g pack)

4 tsp dried osmanthus flowers
4 tsp wolfberries

5 red dates, deseeded
950ml water (please follow the konnyaku powder box's instructions if the amount is stated otherwise)

200g sugar (please follow the konnyaku powder box's instructions if the amount is stated otherwise)

Here's my pack's instructions, FYI:

Directions

1. In Bowl A, soak the wolfberries in 100ml water for 15 min.

2. After 15 min, drain the wolfberries. Keep the wolfberries and water separately aside.

3. In Bowl B, soak the dried osmanthus flowers and red dates in 400ml of water for at least 1 hour.

4. When step #3 is ready, bring 450ml of plain water to boil.

5. Lower the heat. Add Bowl A's water (yes, only the 100ml waterl) & all of Bowl B's mixture (osmanthus flowers + red dates + the 400ml water) into the pot of 450ml boiling water. Simmer for about 3 min.

6. Gradually add the sugar and konnyaku jelly powder into the pot, stirring in between. Continue to stir until all the jelly powder/ white lumps are fully dissolved. This would take about 10 min.

7. Meanwhile, prepare the ice tray/ mould by adding a few wolfberries to each mould.

8. When all the jelly powder and sugar are fully dissolved, scoop the mixture into your ice tray/ mould. Let the jelly cool down to room temperature and chill in fridge until the jelly is set.

Tip: Don't put this into the freezer. It's intuitive to put ice trays in the freezer, I know :p