Foodie Mama: What to Eat, Bake, and Shop for this March

Hungry for new recipes or need some gluten free snack inspiration? Check out Foodie Mama’s monthly catch up for March!

We are delighted to welcome aboard food writer and cookbook author Ghillie James for her new monthly takes on what you should be eating. With everything from her picks for the best seasonal fruits, to her favourite market finds, to quick and delicious recipes you can make with the kids, we think she’ll be a godsend for hungry mamas in Singapore!

I’m so excited to introduce myself, and my new column to you, the Sassy Mamas! Being a busy mum of three, and living in Singapore whilst writing my cookbooks, I’m hoping that I can share some really helpful food tips and finds every month. This month is all about gluten free, seasonal stone fruits and the super seed Amaranth.

Please do feedback to me what you’d like to see on the page, which food destinations you’ve found that you’d like to share or any questions. You can follow me on Instagram @ghillie.james or email [email protected] with any tips.

Foodie Mama’s Favourite Gluten Free Products, Ingredients and Haunts Best for…

Bread and cakes
Jonathan’s, for a wide variety of freshly made GF products and especially good freshly baked bread!

Snacks
Foodsterr, for an ever growing range of GF products including chocolate spread, snack bars and corn chips from one of my favourite SG online health food shops.

Sausages
Ryan’s grocery: Both the shop and online have a great stock of all sorts of GF from extremely moreish GF Busy Bees honey biscuits to pizza bases ready to bake. Their GF bangers are really good, too and come in a whole host of flavours – both for kids and adults.

Teatime treats
Marks and Spencer: Totally fabulous gluten free crumpets, flapjack cookies and mini coconut macaroons to tick the comfort food box entirely!

Kids Tea
Plank Pizza, all outlets offer gluten free pizzas that taste just as good as their wheaty cousins.

Lunch on the Go
Balanced Living @ Living Café in Bukit Timah: a whole host of healthy options to eat in or take out and a selection of Gluten free always on offer.

Cooking courses
Expat Kitchen: book up now for their Gluten Free Baking helper course on April 10^th!

Supper club is the new book club in Singapore!

Sassy Mama Partnerships Manager and foodie George B has got us all whipped up as she has shared her latest brilliant foodie hobby – a supper club!

Simply…

Get a group together (ideally foodies)
Make each gathering a different theme (Ottolenghi, Greek, Grains)
Ask members to take turns hosting each month
Discuss what you’d like to cook and bring your dish on the night.
Chat food, enjoy recipes, drink wine!
What’s not to love?! Let me know how you get on, mamas!

Seasonal Stars in March

Juicy sweet fruits (that don’t cost $10 apiece) are hard to find in Singapore. March, however, is the season for perfect peaches, plums, apricots, mangoes, figs and nectarines in Australia so now’s the time to snap them up here. Rustle up your favourite cobbler or tart or make the recipe below with the kids this weekend:

Recipe: Quick Fruit Brûlée – Great to Make with the Kids!

-Stone and chop 2 ripe large nectarines or 1 x 500g mango, and divide between 4 ramekins.
-Spoon over vanilla-spiked Greek yogurt (about 250g) and top with a sprinkling of soft light brown sugar (about ¾ tsp per pot).
-Leave in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to give the sugar time to melt. Serve cold. 

Cookbook Challenge

This month I’m cooking from…

Stirring Slowly: Recipes to Restore and Revive by Georgina Hayden
Georgie is one of Jamie O’s talented team, but branched out to write her first cookbook, which has recently hit Singapore shelves. There are so many utterly divine recipes, but favourites include her pomegranate chicken skewers which are a winner, as are the simple multigrain flatbreads, chai ice cream and ricotta and apple pancakes. The photography is stunning, too so it gets an all round big thumbs up from me!

Sold in Kinokuniya $52.90 or buy online from Book Depository with free delivery to SG

Product of the month – Super Sliders

If you are like me, always on the hunt for tasty barbecue cheats with no added nasties then you need to try The Fishwives’ new organic burgers ($24.50 for 4 generous sized burgers). Made from the highest quality pure Aussie beef and packed with flavour. Serve fresh from the grill to the kids, or add a handful of rocket, some blue cheese or cheddar and a dollop of onion jam (I love The Providore’s onion jam $14.90 from Redmart) to make the grownups very happy too!

Move over quinoa..amaranth is the next pocket rocket!

It might be small but as we all know, small can be mighty! Adding it to porridge, cooked rice or quinoa, soup, bolognaise or muffins will make every day to seriously nutritious. It’s literally packed to the gunnels with vitamin C, iron, protein, fibre and a multitude of other nutrients. You can find it in Huber’s and Brown Rice Paradise and cooks in 15-20 minutes in boiling water.

Here’s my easy recipe for Apple, Oat and Cinnamon Biscuits using amaranth. A cross between a scone and a cookie, they are popular with my entire family:

Recipe: Apple, Oat and Cinnamon Biscuits

-Beat 1 egg, 5 tbsp unsweetened applesauce and 5 tbsp raw runny honey into 100g soft butter.
-Stir in 60g cooked amaranth, 50g raisins (which have been soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes then drained), 2 tsp chia seeds, 150g all purpose/plain flour, ¾ tsp cinnamon, 80g rolled oats and ½ tsp baking powder.
-Spoon about 20 mounds (about 1 tbsp per cookie) of the mixture onto a baking paper lined baking sheet, spacing well apart.
-Press down using a fork.
-Bake at 180c/160 fan/gas mark 4 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
-Cool on a cooling rack.

Lessons we love

Beat the baking fear! If the thought of attempting to decorate your little angel’s birthday cake leaves you feeling a little wobbly, or you have no idea how to make your muffins rise then book in to one of Baker and Cook’s baking classes this month. If you’re quick there’s a kids birthday cake masterclass on March 6th. Or if you want to take it one step at a time then they also have a baking for beginner’s class on 23^rd of this month. Click here for upcoming schedule!