Simplest Valentine's Breakfast Set

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY 

to our very lovely readers out there, thank you for sticking by!

____________________________________

Valentine's day? We think of hearts, love in the air, flowers, your significance other, best friend, siblings or even parents. We crack our head just to think how exactly should we surprise the person first thing in the morning. A bouquet of flowers at their door step? A reservation at a restaurant for brunch? Have to worry about overpriced food? Maybe a bit of queue… 

Don't worry, I got your back!

Today, I'm bringing you probably the simplest but really delicious breakfast/ lunch/ tea break you can prepare in less than 30 mins (with some exception)

1. Egg mayo sandwich 

The name itself already sounds super easy and straight forward. When I was a lot younger, mom always made this for us and it's one of my favourite thing to have for breakfast. You guys might be wondering, "but it's just egg mayo, what's the big deal", but I'm not even lying now, this recipe is one of the best yet! 

Ingredients you'll need: (4 - 5 portions)

- 2 slices of bread - $2/loaf, 2 slices = > $0.50

- 2 Eggs - 1 carton est. $2.80, 2 eggs = $0.54

- 4 crabsticks - 1 pack est $1.80, 4 sticks = $0.72

- Mayonnaise 

- Pepper

TOTAL: Less than $3!

To begin, you'll want to start by boiling the eggs and crabmeat till they are both fully cooked. 

Once done, you'll want to mash them all up in a bowl before adding mayonnaise and pepper. There is no suggestion on how much you should add but I'll say I usually quite satisfied with one and a half teaspoon of mayonnaise and just a pinch of pepper. (Do change according to preference)

You should have something that looks like that! Is it not already starting to look good?

After you're done tasting (and maybe stuffing yourself) it, leave it in the fridge to set. Egg mayo always taste better cold. 

2. Brownies

Hang on there for a while. If you thought brownies are not going to be part of this set, you're definitely wrong. I've never come across someone who hates receiving brownies as cakes or gifts. They make one of the best gifts in the world. Not only are they bite-sized, they are usually very chocolatey and there's really no reason to hate them. 

So… next up, brownies of course! That being said, this brownie recipe will take up to an hour for baking. Therefore, i'll suggest you bake a day before so you'll not have to rush in the morning! For this valentine's brownie, I've decided to skip an original recipe but got the instant mix instead. 

Ingredients you'll need: (est. 6 portions)

- Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownie Mix - $7.10 

  (Feel free to use any other brownie mix or even your own favourite brownie recipe)

- 2 Eggs - 1 carton est. $2.80, 2 eggs = $0.54

- 1/4 cup of water

- 2/3 cup of vegetable oil

TOTAL: Less than $9 

It's really straightforward. All you have to do is to read and follow very closely to their instructions and there's no way you can get them wrong!

Here, I replaced cooking spray with butter and greased the entire baking tray. Don't forget this step because I'm sure you don't want brownies sticking to the base of the tray once you're done. 

I poured the instant mix and added all the other wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl. With my very handy pink spatula, fold the mixture in one direction inwards. Be careful while doing this because you don't want too many air bubbles formed in the mixture.

Pour everything into your baking tray.  

Meanwhile, you don't want to be wasting your time. You can always look for a piece of colour paper, a few pretty markers and draw up a simple V-day card. It's the sincerity that matters and in my opinion, cards are the best method to express them.

I took about 50 minutes to have it fully baked (although I could have reduced the time by 5 minutes to have it left slightly moist). Don't forget to have it cooled down before cutting hearts out of the brownies. I didn't have a cookie cutter (bad choice) so I had to use the knife which crumbled the brownies mid-way through! 

p/s: No oven? No worries! 

I'm aware that not everyone will have an oven at their convenience. Therefore, I have an alternative for you. They are the Fruit Kebabs. Just like the name mentioned, they are simply fruits skewered on a satay stick. This is one of my favourite snack as well!

Back to your sandwich earlier, go ahead and cut out a heart on a piece of paper. This will ensure that your bread will have a consistent look. After that, using the paper, simply cut the bread out into the shape of a heart. 

Please don't throw the remaining bread that you've cut out. You can always dip them in nutella for a to-go snack! A tip: I'll always cut off the sides of the bread then dip then in nutella. They make the best snacks. 

 Once done, go ahead and plate your creations together! 

AND… 

FINAL PRODUCT

I've chosen to serve it with cranberries because they are a healthy option and have rich nutritional values. You may choose to serve with a bit of greens like the lettuce or cucumber. Topped the meal with your favourite drink, whether it's fresh milk, milo or fruit juice, they'll definitely go very well together! I've also added a slice of brownie to the plate. I mean we can do with desserts anytime of the day can we? Lastly, place the card you made earlier on next to the meal you've made and you're pretty much done! 

Of course because we're all in the mood of love right now, everything are heart shaped! Do feel free to do away with the hearts if you are not for things like that. I promise you they taste as good, if not better!

Now, who say we can't do away with the fancy restaurants, overpriced food or snake like queues? I challenge you to recreate these recipes and tag us on our social media platforms! We'll love to see you're creations!

Till then, I'll see you soon! 

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E-mail: alittlebrokeandhungry@hotmail.com

Written by: Nerissa Ngein

Twitter/ Instagram: @nerissanws

Email: ngeinrat@hotmail.com

AFFORDABLE BUFFETS IN SINGAPORE!

Have you ever been broke but ravenous at the same time? Well you’re not alone, we’ve all been there … until HIFUMI, a Japanese restaurant that is conveniently located at town areas where they serve super delicious dishes ranging from Omu rice to delicious udon or shabu shabu!

But that’s not the best part or most important part about HIFUMI. The best part is that they provide free appetizers and desserts for every main course ordered!

What makes it even more special is that HIFUMI actually makes an effort to change their appetizer and side menu monthly so you can come back time and time again and never have to eat the same thing over and over again!

Here’s this month’s spread:

A personal favourite appetizer of mine includes, the tofu donuts, chawanmushi (not diluted at all!) and the shiratama matcha milk desert offered last December. I’m definitely looking forward to future spreads and visits to HIFUMI!

Other awesome deals include their Lunch Promo which will cost you between $9.99-$11.99 with $1 off free flow fountain drinks so that will set you aside a grand total of $12-$14 this meal! Is that NOT a good deal? 

You can find HIFUMI at these 2 very accessible and convenient locations!

• Plaza Singapura #04-68 (Dhoby Ghaut MRT) 
Tel: 6338-4712

• Marina Square #02-106A (Raffles Place MRT or Cityhall MRT) 
Tel: 6337-4721

Opening hours:

Mon - Fri:

11:30–15:00

17:00–22:00

Sat - Sun:

11:30–22:00

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Written by: Elson Choong

Twitter/Instagram: @elsonchoong

Email: elsonchoong@hotmail.com

5 things to eat at Maxwell Food Centre

Maxwell. With just one word, people would think about the many food stores they can find in that hawker centre. Maxwell Food Centre is known for its affordable and yummy food, and the wide array of local food. Here are my 5 favourite things to eat at Maxwell Food Centre (in no particular order) when I'm there.

1. Hainanese curry rice 

 

China Street Hainanese Curry Rice serves one of the best Hainanese Curry Rice I've eaten so far. The fried pork chops there is crispy and good, and the cabbage is cooked really well. The gravy is the cherry on top, it's spicy enough but not to the point that you'll need a glass of water with you. Plus, this cost $2.70– what good deal!

2. Fish soup

This fish soup store is located at the end of the line of stores– it's along the line where the Hainanese curry rice store (on your left) is at. I know not many people are big fans of fish soups because of the fishy smell and taste. However, this one does not have any of those. The fish in the soup is really fresh, you can just tell when you eat it. When the fish is good, the soup is probably good as well. Prices start at $4 or $4.50 when you add a bowl of rice.

3. Peanut soup

If you're into peanut soup like I am, you have to try the one at Maxwell's. Though the peanuts in the soup is quite soft, but they still retain some texture. The you tiao gives a crunch to the much watery dessert. You could just order peanut soup alone or add tang yuan (both peanut and black sesame is available). The one with tang yuan is $1.50

4. Fried carrot cake

 At Marina South Delicious Food, the fried carrot cake is just amazing. Both the carrot cake and the egg are soft. The black sauce added a little something to bring it to the next level. Not to mention the chili. Would recommend. This cost $3.

5. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

 

When one goes to Maxwell, they would definitely have to try Tian Tian Chicken Rice– even there's a super long queue. Why? When they beat world renown chef, Gordon Ramsay in July 2013 during SingTel Hawker Heroes Challenge when Ramsay had to recreate our country's iconic dish, you know that the wait is going to be worth it. The chicken is tender while the rice is fragrant. And chili is completes the whole thing. A normal plate of chicken rice would cost you $3.50.

That is all for now. Thank you for reading!

Store locations:
Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184

China Street Hainanese Curry Rice #01-68
Fish soup #01-65/#01-66
Peanut soup #01-75
Carrot cake #01-35
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice #01-10/11 

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Written by: Gloria Sun

Twitter/ Instagram: @rainyraincoats (twitter)/@alittlesunshy (instagram)

gloriasunys@outlook.com

Easy-To-Make Bites for the Lazy and Hungry

A simple recipe for the lazy and hungry. Even for someone who can't cook, I'm very sure I'll be using this recipe some time in the future to satisfy those hunger pangs. It's really easy, tastes good, requires few ingredients and nothing much to clean up after that. Most importantly, it's cheap!

This recipe originated from my mom's very own creative mind one day while we were in France and we were back at the apartment with nothing else to do for the night. We then went to the supermarket to pick up some ingredients for that night's dinner since we were too lazy to go out to find food too.

You will need only three ingredients for this. The ingredients are cheap and readily available in any supermarket.

1/2 French loaf 

6 slices of ham

2-3 eggs

(adjust amount of ingredients according to the number of people you will be feeding. This recipe feeds four)

Estimated cost:

1 French loaf: $1

1/2 Fench loaf: $0.50

6 slices of ham: est. cost $2.50

1 carton of 10 eggs: est. $2.80

3 eggs: $0.84

Total: $3.84

Steps:

1. Slice up the french loaf
2. Pan fry the slices of ham and cut it up into smaller slices
3. Boil the eggs (make sure its hard boiled) and slice them up
4. Place ham and egg on top of french loaf slices

You can replace the ham with bacon if you like a stronger flavour or if you're all about that healthy living, you can add some cucumbers!

TADAA there you have it! You can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or all three meals if you want. It's simple and fuss-free. Eat it by yourself or bring it for potluck since Chinese New Year is coming and you're gonna be going for many dinners/ guests coming to your house for dinner. Serve it with some mushroom soup if you like those and you're good to go!

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Written by: Vanessa Lim

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vanessalimjy@hotmail.com

Cheap & Healthy Food From... Your Home!? - Overnight Oats

Overnight oats have been on the uprise in the past year. One quick search online, and you will find many pages of recipes, blogposts, discussions about overnight oats. Bloggers have been raving about them non-stop. I constantly saw people posting them on social media platforms such as Instagram & Dayre and I only got more and more tempted to try them out, so I did. 

I had grown up eating and cooking my own oats, but eventually stopped because it was just too much trouble to turn on the stove, and cook the oats for 10 minutes. I remember adding Milo powder, blueberries or Horlicks into my oats,  happily, and messily, eating my oats on the sofa while watching cartoons. So when I heard of it, I instantly felt like reliving my childhood (without the messy part, of course) and giving these overnight oats a try. After much experimentation, I have found the perfect recipe.

What are overnight oats, exactly? Well, in my own words, oats that you don't need to cook, but instead soak in milk overnight. The simplicity and ease of this homemade meal is what attracts most, myself included. You mix everything together the night before, leave it in the fridge, and in the morning, half asleep, you'll be heartened to know your breakfast is ready.

 To start, you'll need a jar or a container. 

I make these overnight oats quite often so I decided to go out and buy myself a nice container specifically for oats. But you can use any jar or container, reused from your mum's sour plums, or your old Nutella jar. 

Firstly, measure up 45g of oats, or 1/2 cup, and add it into your container. I usually use instant, but you can also use rolled oats or quick cook. Regardless of the kind of oats used, you should let it soak for at least three hours. Usually, it is most convenient to make it the night before and soak it overnight, hence the name. 

Next, add 235ml, or 1 cup, of milk. You can use whole milk, low fat, or skimmed, or even soy. I usually use whole milk as I enjoy the full creaminess and flavor of it.

Next, add a tablespoon, or 15ml of honey.

If you have a sweet tooth, you may choose to add more. Similarly, if you fear the sweets, you may choose to add lesser honey, or omit it out altogether.

Mix it all together and that's it. 4 steps. It takes less than 3 mins to make, and trust me when I say it is filling. I have a huge appetite and usually, eating this for breakfast can last me till dinner time. 

But of course, oats by itself can get a little plain and boring after some time. To counter that, we can add some variations! Here are some of my favourites.

One small banana. (or half a large banana)

I cut it into banana coins (as shown above), and dump it in. The sweetness of the banana adds a nice touch to the oats. 

Try to use bananas that have spots on the peel. A common misconception is when a banana has spots and it is slightly mushy, it has gone bad. However, that is untrue. Spots on the skin means it has ripened, and is when it is sweetest. 

1 tbsp of chia seeds

Add it in at the start and let it soak together with the oats.

While slightly pricey, chia seeds add a slight crunch to the oats and have been proven to improve Type 2 diabetes, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, provide many nutrients such as calcium, protein, omega 3 fatty acids & anti-oxidants. It also helps you to feel more full due to the fibre it contains.

Half a kiwi fruit

Cut it into small cubes and add it in.

Kiwi fruit is a great source of Vitamin C and has been proven to improve sleep, and better skin. However, as kiwis can be a little sour, you might want to add a little more honey to balance it out.

1 tbsp of cocoa powder

Add it in together with the milk to turn your oats into chocolate oats! Alternatively, you can also use chocolate milk, but I prefer adding cocoa powder instead as I like the richness it has as compared to chocolate milk.

As cocoa powder is a little bitter, so you can balance it out with more honey or a little icing sugar. 

A handful of chocolate chips

I love chocolate chips, so I tried adding it in one time and it was SO GOOD. Kept craving for it after.

1 tbsp of Nutella

Who doesn't like Nutella!? Add this in together with your milk at the start and give it a thorough stir to give your oats a rich chocolate-hazelnut flavour.

1 tbsp of Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter is another one of my guilty pleasures. Add it in together with your milk at the start to give your oats a creamy, nutty flavour.

Tip: Add chocolate chips and peanut butter into your oats together and it will taste like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. 

4 chopped oreo biscuits

I love Oreos way more than I'd like to admit. Soak the Oreo biscuits (cream in) together with your oats and give it a little stir before you eat it. Heavenly!

Basic Recipe: 

1/2 cup oats, instant, rolled or quick cook. (45g)

1 cup milk (235ml)

1 tbsp honey (15ml)

Cost:

800g of oats = $4.90

45g of oats = $0.28

2L of milk = $5.25

235ml of milk = $0.61

500ml of honey = $7.90

15ml of honey = $0.24

Total cost = $0.28 + $0.61 + $0.24

= $1.13

The basic oats cost less than $1.20! That's cheaper than economic noodles at coffee shops! If you are on a tight budget, or want to save money, these overnight oats are definitely a cheap alternative to your daily coffee and toast, even with the addition of fruits! 

My usual fare, oats with chia seeds & bananas.

Cost: $1.13 + $0.28 (bananas) + $0.40 (chia seeds) 

= $1.81

Still cheaper than any breakfast you can get from coffeeshops!

Not only are these oats delicious, cheap and filling, they are pretty healthy too. With honey substituting sugars, oats containing huge amounts of dietary fibre & minerals yet low in calories (1/2 cup of oats is less than 300 calories), and fruits, should you add any, adding these oats into your daily diet would definitely do your body much good.

The versatility of these oats enable it to be as creative and customisable as you would like. You can add pretty much ANYTHING to these and it would still be good. Go wild and do show us your creations and cool mix-and-matches with the hashtag #cheapfoodgps on Twitter and Instagram, or by uploading it onto our Facebook or Tumblr pages. We are excited to see your masterpieces! Till next time!

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Written By: Kenneth Ong

Twitter / Instagram: @Kehhnough

kennethunderscoreong@yahoo.com