Five healthy packed lunches to eat al-desko

If we had things our way, we'd eat clean everyday - if we didn't have to worry about the inconvenience of constantly having to find cafes and paying for non-hawker fare (all while fighting the temptation of the nearby zichar stalls). The solution: these chef-endorsed packed lunches that tick the boxes on taste, price, and being stress-free. They take a little effort, but they're worth it - we promise. 

1. Cold capellini with runny soy egg

Ingredients

Make the soya eggs (at least one day before): 

Add eggs to salted, boiling water, cook for six minutes, then soak in ice water; peel. Mix 100ml soya sauce, mirin and water, and soak eggs in marinade for at least a day. They keep for up to three days.

Make the pasta:

Cook capellini in salted, boiling water for three minutes. Strain into a large bowl, toss with olive oil, then mix in 20ml soya sauce, sesame oil, spring onions and rice vinegar. Leave to cool, then add a little more olive oil and sprinkle with chilli flakes, seaweed flakes and sesame seeds. Serve with eggs.

2. Grilled garlic prawns with avocado rice 

Ingredients

For the prawns: 

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Whisk salt and sugar into coconut water until dissolved; soak prawns in it for 30 minutes. Strain, then coat prawns with garlic and 60ml olive oil. Bake for five minutes, then season with lemon zest and salt.

For the rice:

Mix rice with avocados, pistachios, shallots, lime juice, and cumin and chilli powders. Add hot sauce, two tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste.

3. Power greens

Ingredients

Cook broccolini for two minutes in 1 litre salted, boiling water, then place in ice water to stop the cooking. Pat dry and cut into 2.5cm pieces. Mix all veggies and fruits together, drizzle dressing over it, then add puffed buckwheat and quinoa.

*Find fresh edamame at Fairprice supermarkets, puffed buckwheat at Phoon Huat, and a good white sesame dressing (Kenko Rich Taste Kin Goma Dressing) in the Japanese section of major supermarkets.  

4. Baked spiced chicken with cauliflower and yogurt sauce

Ingredients

For the chicken: Put melted butter, cumin and curry powders, 3g salt and black pepper into a bowl and mix well. Marinate chicken breast overnight in the fridge. The next day, bake for 20 minutes in a 140 deg C oven. Leave to cool.

For the cauliflower and sauce: Blanch cauliflower in boiling water for a minute, then remove and cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix yogurt with lemon zest and 5g salt. Serve chicken with sauce and cauliflower.

5. Smoked salmon with kale, portobello and honey lemon dressing

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Toss mushrooms, garlic, olive oil and sea salt in a bowl; bake for 15 minutes. Mix lemon zest and juice, honey and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. Combine dressing, baked mushrooms, kale, avocado and green apples. Finish with smoked salmon and almond flakes.

Recipes provided by: 

Chef Nicholas Chew of Symmetry (Power greens and Smoked salmon with kale, portobello and honey lemon dressing)

Symmetry is located at #01-01, 9 Jalan Kubor.

Chef Yvette Lin of Little Husband by Xiao Ya Tou (Cold capellini with runny soya egg, Grilled garlic prawns with avocado rice and Baked spiced chicken with cauliflower and yogurt sauce)

Xiao Ya Tou is located at 6 Duxton Hill. 

This story was first published in the May'17 issue of Her World.