I have always enjoyed food and that never changed even when the kids came along. I may not have as much time as before to make elaborate meals often, but there are definitely some family favourites that are quick, easy and healthy.
Healthy Nasi Lemak
Yes! Your eyes are fine and you read right. There is such a thing as healthy nasi lemak and it’s made with cold pressed virgin coconut oil. This is by far our family favourite and I make this every other day. The kids love it, the husband requests for it and it’s really quite easy to put together!
I personally use parboiled long grain Basmati Rice to do this as it has a lower glycemic index and is less starchy than regular white rice and therefore healthier. But there are also other healthier options like brown rice or even adding quinoa in. The chicken is baked, peanuts roasted and the ikan bilis are dry cooked in the microwave.
I would normally cook the rice in the rice cooker so I can just walk away, but if cooking the rice using the microwave is your thing then check out this recipe.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Another family favourite of ours is the good old chicken rice. The beauty about this is that on really crazy days where the kids are driving me up the wall, this can all be done all-in, drumsticks and all, in the rice cooker. Yes, this can be a one pot recipe.
Again the rice options are endless, but I still use Basmati or Brown rice for this. I do understand that doing an all-in-one-pot chicken rice may seem blasphemous to the purists out there, so I’ve linked a more traditional way for you to prepare this for the family.
I’m pretty sure that most parents would agree that this is one of the healthier options when you tapau outside food or when you eat out. So why not try to make this at home, or give the make at home all in one pot version a try.
Homemade Fish Ball Soup
My eldest daughter loves this! She is always giving comments on how chewy she loves hers, and all you really need is very fresh spotted tenggiri tail. I’m not entirely sure why it must be the spotted mackerel. I think it’s because of the texture of the fish meat, that produces bouncier, springy fish balls. Anyways, I am a dutiful daughter in law, so I do as my MIL says.
I normally serve this in a soup with freshly fried crispy shallots and a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander. You can serve this just as a soup along steamed rice with other dishes. But my kids love them on the side along with some egg noodles. To learn how to make this yourself at home, here’s the recipe.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Understandably this isn’t a Malaysian dish, but if you have the odd kid that won’t do even the tiniest speck of vegetables then this is the recipe for you. I only recently stumbled upon this and I haven’t stopped making them.
The muffin has no sugar at all, so you wouldn’t get that shiny sheen on the top of your muffins. So maybe your muffins won’t look so wow, but I assure you they will taste wow and moist. Honey is used in place of sugar and what other goodies it DOES have is: a whole medium sized zucchini and applesauce made with half an apple.
I was skeptical at first about the taste because honestly I squirmed at the thought of eating zucchini. Don’t get me wrong, I love my veggies. I just couldn’t fathom zucchini as a dessert.
Take my word for it, and give these a go.
Homemade Naan
Ok, so maybe this isn’t exactly healthy if you eat it everyday, but if you want the odd fresh warm naan, it is probably healthier when you make it at home. I like to stuff mine with mozzarella and other cheeses mainly because my kids would eat anything with cheese in it. A healthier option is to serve your naans with palak paneer which is basically a puree of spinach, tomato and spices with blocks of paneer cheese.
You really don’t need a tandoori to make your own naan at home. All you need is a non stick frying pan and a stove. That’s right, you can cook your naans on the stove top. Here’s a step by step on how to make this dish.
Once you get the hang of it you can start making all sorts of naans. Just serve it warm with a non spicy dahl or even plain with mint chutney.
What are your favourite family recipes? Comment them down below!