When I wrote my last article on the Sassy Summer Spread, there was still some semblance of normality — well that is a debatable term in the past one year. So much has happened since then and while we are still in summer mode, the priority now is to up our vitamin intake for stronger immunity. Yes, a supplement would work well, but eating healthy nourishing meals is the natural way to strengthen your body. Immunity-boosting food is clearly not a prevention from the virus, but can hopefully reduce the impact of the illness.

We are back to staying indoors and opting for home-cooked meals. Home food can be exciting and flavourful while being nutritious and hygienic at the same time. Since Asian cuisine is usually one of the first picks when eating out, I thought I would share some of those recipes from my book, Fast Fresh Flavourful. These dishes are light and fresh to suit the hot, humid weather while giving you a balanced boost of vitamins, protein and healthy grains, which is the need of the hour.

Hang in there folks and this too shall pass. Being positive is great but being realistic is what matters today. Pause and reflect and thank all those working selflessly to keep us well. So many simple people we don’t think of and take for granted but who make all the difference. Also, take a moment to think of all those suffering or who have passed away in this pandemic.

We cannot fix the problem but we can be a small part of the solution by spreading love and reaching out to those in need. I have been doing so by cooking a larger quantity of our daily meals and dropping it to friends who are in home quarantine. Go on, make an extra batch of these delicious healthy dishes and share it with a neighbour or friend who would appreciate it… you can thank me later!

Thai Raw Papaya, Mango And Noodle Salad

Raw papaya salad or Som Tam is a classic Thai salad and a delicious way to eat this green fruit. This version calls for seasonal raw mangoes, which are excellent source of Vitamin C and A and keep the body hydrated in this heat. Small steamed or poached prawns pair very well or you could omit them altogether for a veggie version.

Quick tip: Use the sweet-and-sour dressing in a chopped salad or as a dipping sauce.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• Raw mango: ½ cup, coarsely grated
• Raw papaya: 1½ cups, coarsely grated
• Cherry tomatoes: ¼ cup, halved
• Spring onion stalks: 2, cut into 3cm long sticks
• Vermicelli rice noodles: ½cup, cooked
• Thai basil leaves: 2tbsp, roughly chopped
• Coriander leaves: 2tbsp, roughly chopped
• Crushed peanuts: ¼ cup, toasted

#For the sweet-and-sour dressing

• Red or green chilli: 1 small, finely chopped
• Brown sugar or honey: 2tbsp
• Light soy sauce3tsp
• Lime juice: 1tbsp
• Lime zest: Of one lime
• Salt: ¼tsp
• Prawns: 1 cup, cooked (optional)

METHOD

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. In a larger bowl, add the raw mangoes and raw papaya. Press down with the back of a large spoon to release the juices, keeping any liquid intact with the salad. Add the remaining ingredients and toss with half the dressing, to begin with. If required, add more. Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

Make ahead/leftovers: The leftover salad is good till the next day. You can prepare all the ingredients up to a day ahead and toss just before serving. Make extra dressing and refrigerate it for 4-5 days.

Rainbow Barley Stir-Fry

Eat this rainbow and you will surely find your pot of gold (well-being) at the other end of it. A concept I learned from my health coach, ‘eat the rainbow’ translates to including multi-coloured vegetables in your meals to get the benefit of a range of vitamins. This is a keeper for parents of fussy eaters as the different colours make it more appealing. And which kid can resist the call of a rainbow?

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil: 1tbsp
• Onion: 1 small, finely chopped
• Ginger: 1tsp, grated
• Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
• Red or green chilli: 1, finely chopped
• Lemongrass: 1 stick, roughly chopped
• Kaffir lime leaves: 2-3, roughly torn (optional)
• Basil leaves: ½ cup
• Corn kernels: ¼ cup
• Carrots: ½ cup, finely diced
• Beans: ½ cup, finely chopped
• Light soy sauce: 4tbsp
• Salt: ½tsp
• Pepper powder: ¼tsp
• Barley: 2 cups, cooked
• Lime zest and juice: Of one lime
• Purple cabbage: ½ cup, thinly sliced
• Egg: 1 (optional)

METHOD

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the onions, chillies, ginger and garlic and saute for a minute. Add the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and cook for another 30 seconds till it is fragrant. Now add half the basil leaves, corn kernels, beans and carrots with a splash of water, salt, pepper and 2tbsp of light soy sauce. Cover and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes till the vegetables are partially cooked.

Add the lime zest, barley and the remaining light soy sauce and combine well. Add the purple cabbage. Continue cooking for another minute till it all comes together. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Right before serving, squeeze the fresh lime juice and sprinkle the remaining basil leaves.

Make ahead/leftovers: This dish can be refrigerated for three days and is a great lunchbox option. Reheat in a pan or eat it cold as a salad with some fresh greens.

Japanese Tofu Noodle Bowl

Noodles in any form are pure comfort food and a great one-pot dish to make in a large quantity. You can throw in all the veggies you have lying around in your fridge, a good addition of garlic and ginger work as immunity boosters, and top it off with an egg or shredded chicken for some protein. This teriyaki orange sauce is full of flavour and rather quick to put together. Feel free to replace the tofu with fish, chicken or even paneer. Serves four.

Meaty addition: For teriyaki chicken, use one chicken breast cut in strips instead of tofu.

INGREDIENTS

#For teriyaki orange tofu

• 2tbsp dark soy sauce or more
• 1tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 3tbsp + 2tbsp orange juice, packaged or fresh
• 1tsp cornflour + 1tbsp water
• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• ½tsp ginger, grated
• 1 pack (200 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½tsp chilli flakes
• 2tsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 spring onion stalk, finely chopped

#For vegetable noodles

• Noodles: 1 pack (200g), cooked
• Sesame or vegetable oil: 2tbsp
• Onion: 1 small, sliced
• Ginger: 1tsp, grated
• Garlic: 4 cloves, minced
• Red chilli: 1, finely chopped
• Carrot: 1, julienned
• Green beans: 1 cup, thinly sliced
• Broccoli florets: 1 cup, cut small
• Red pepper: ½, thinly sliced
• Egg: 1, whisked (optional)
• Light soy sauce: 4tbsp
• Salt: ¼tsp
• Pepper powder: ¼tsp
• Spring onion stalks: 2, cut into 2-inch long pieces

METHOD

To make the noodles, heat a wok or a large frying pan. Add the oil. Add the onions and cook on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and cook for a further 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the carrots, beans and broccoli with a splash of water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes till the vegetables are partly cooked. Add the red peppers and combine.

If you are using an egg, push the vegetables to the side of the pan and pour the egg in the centre. Increase the flame and scramble the egg. Then combine everything in the pan. Add the soy sauce and noodles, and toss well. Taste and adjust the flavours. Add some more soy sauce if the noodles are too dry. Add the spring onions and remove the pan from the heat.

For the tofu, make the teriyaki sauce by combining the soy sauce, 2tbsp of orange juice and honey in a bowl. Blend the cornflour and water in another small bowl and keep it aside. Heat a non-stick frying pan, and add the oil. Add the grated ginger and chilli flakes, and cook for 30 seconds. Place the tofu and sear till it is lightly browned on one side. Flip over. Add the sauce to the pan and lower the heat. Add the cornflour slurry. The sauce will gradually reduce and coat the tofu. Add the remaining 2tbsp of orange juice to deglaze the pan and scrape off the sticky bits. Cook for a few seconds till you have a glossy sauce, and remove the pan from the heat. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. If you would like more sauce, double the quantity of the sauce ingredients.

To assemble, lay out four medium-sized bowls and place the hot noodles in each. Top with the tofu pieces and sauce.

Make ahead/leftovers: Both the teriyaki tofu and noodles can be refrigerated for two days.

Pictures by the author

Natasha Celmi is a chef and the author of the cookbook Fast Fresh Flavourful. Find her on Instagram with @natashacelmi