It's the festive season - which means more parties, brunches, dinners...

As an advocate on healthy eating, and one who has successfully shed the weight and kept it off through eating healthily, people always asked me for tips on managing weight (be it loosing or maintaining it). 

Festive season is always about indulgences into one's favourite food. Thereafter, one worries about how much weight they will add on after the parties over.  All the should and shouldn't haves and so that's how the story goes...

New Year eve celebration in particular, is all about eating out at the best pick restaurant with their loved ones. I believe it's the same the world over.

One can certainly treat themselves on their favourite foods while eating out . Here are some useful tips on eating out I have personally found it very useful and I like to share it with you.

Tip 1:

All you need to do is order a dish that is mainly made up of protein. Ask to subsitute carbohydrates (such as potatoes, rice and pasta) with vegetables instead. Restaurants generally serve them in generous portions, so don't worry about going away hungry.

Tip 2:

Choose your restaurant based on they cuisine they serve. For example, Japanese and Thai cuisines have a wide variety of healthy dishes. 

Tip 3:

Always ask for the dressing for your salad to be on the side. Restaurants tend to pile on creamy dressings such as Ranch and Caesar, which have high fat content. Alternatively, ask for vinaigrette or oil-based dressings instead. 

Tip 4:
Choose dishes without the butter or cream. Never be afraid to ask for your dishes to be cooked to your specific requirements.

Tip 5:
Eat less, but more often. This will keep you from feeling hungry in between meals and snacking or before the big dinner party where you will tend to over indulge on carbo.

However, don't be too strict on yourself, but try to do your best to follow the tips above.  It has worked for me all the time and I have personally found it very useful to be mindful.

Bon Appétit!

Chef Daniel Green is the Author of the International Gourmand - Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winning Cookbook "Modern Dining for Life" published by industry reputable Marshall Cavendish Cuisine 2010. This book is available at all major bookstores. Price at SGD 32.00 (excl gst).

A Japanese Encounter to usher in the New Year!

Japanese Cuisine is one of the healthiest in the world. Some of the dishes may look elaborate but the recipes are in reality really very easy to do. Greet the New Year with a healthy start - A Japanese Encounter after all the enjoyable high protein Christmas foods. Happy Cooking!

Seize-the-attention Starter:  
Japanese Tuna Tartare

(serves 4, prep time 15-20 minutes)

400g (14 1/3oz) sashimi-grade tuna, finely chopped

2 tablespoon sesame oil

Herb Oil

2 tablespoon chopped spring onions

2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon chopped pickled ginger

1 teaspoon wasabi paste

 Place tuna, spring onions, sesame seeds, lime juice, ginger and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix in soy sauce and the wasabi paste and then add to tuna and toss well. Place an oblong, square or round pastry cutter on a serving plate. Spoon in a quarter of the marinated tuna and press down firmly to compact. Gently remove pastry cutter. Repeat step to make 4 servings. Drizzle herb oil decoratively and serve immediately. 

Taste Inspiring Main: 

Miso Prawns

(serves 4, cooktime 10 mins)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

700g (1 ½ lbs) Prawns, peeled and deveined

A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

A handful of chopped spring onions

Marinade

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, peeled and  crushed

2-3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Miso paste

Juice 1 large lemon

Mix the marinade ingredients well and set aside.

In a large pan, heat a little extra virgin olive oil over high heat. Cook the prawns for a few minutes or until they turn pink. Add the marinade and toss prawns to ensure they are well coated and take off the heat. Serve over a bed of cilantro and garnish with spring onions. Drizzle with remaining marinade and serve immediately.

Refreshing Desserts: 
Mango & Green Tea Ice Cream

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup loose green tea leaves

1/2 cup sugar

3 ripe mangoes

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine water and tea leaves in a saucepan. Bring just to the boil, then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain, discarding the leaves. 

Transfer  tea mixture to a saucepan, add sugar and bring to the boil for about 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and leave to cool for about 30 minutes.
Peel mangos and cut flesh into small pieces. Place in a food proccessor or blender, add lemon juice. Add tea and blend into a puree. Add tea and blend until smooth. 

Transfer mixture to a plastic container or deep cake tin and freeze for at least 3 hours

Serve with a sprig of mint leaves and fresh mangoes.

All these recipes and more are found in my award winning cookbook "Modern Dining for Life". I hope you will be inspired to cook and to try out more exciting recipes in this book. As a cook, there is nothing I want more than people to enjoy my cooking and eat healthily. This is my motivation behind all my cookbooks

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Gourmand International Award Winning Cookbook "Modern Dining for Life" is published by industry reputable Marshall Cavendish Cuisine Asia and is available at all major bookstores. Price SGD 32.00 per copy (excl. gst). For more information, please contact vivien.lee@astraonair.com.

Sumptuous (yet healthy) spread this X'Mas

Entertaining at home? and still searching for a taste-perfect dining Menu? Here's a simple Menu and be sure to have your family and friends craving for more this X'Mas. 

Happy cooking and Merry Christmas to all !

All-time Favourite Starter:  

Vodka Lobster

(serves 4 & prep/ cook time 18  minutes)

Serving tools 4 Martini glasses or large wine glasses

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

450g (1lb) fresh lobster meat, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled

6 medium-size tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped                 

125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) Vodka

Crushed black pepper to taste                                                  

Juice of 1 lemon

1 small white onion, peeled and finely sliced                              

Salt to taste                                      

A Handful fresh dill, roughly chopped       

                                  

Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in frying pan over medium heat and fry the onion. Add garlic, followed by the tomatoes. Stir well. Add lobster meat and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a stainless steel pan, add vodka and heat over a flame for 30 seconds. Let the vodka catch fire and immediately pour over lobster. Flambé ingredients until the flame dies down. Remove from heat and season with salt & pepper.

Divide lobster among martini glasses or wine glasses. Add lemon juice and dill to each serving and serve immediately.

Main with a Kick:  

Wasabi Crust Rack of Lamb

 (serves 6 to 8 and prep/cooktime 1 ½ hours)

1.5-2kg (3-4lbs) rack of lamb, fat trimmed and carved into chops

1 ½ tablespoons wasabi powder

2 tablespoons water

Mix the wasabi powder and water together. Coat the lamb chops evenly, then place in oven to cook.Cook the lamb chop at 450F deg for 30 minutes then reduce heat to 325F to cook for another hour.When done, remove lamb chop from oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Desserts: Without-guilt indulgences

Fat Free Passion Fruit Souffle

 (serves 4 - 6 and prep/cooktime 15-20  minutes)

2 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar

6 passion fruits (pulp only)

6 egg whites

Heat the oven to 400Fdeg and then oil lightly 4 ramekins. Whisk egg whites until they are soft fluffy peaks, add sugar a little at a time and still whisk them to make a meringue.   Scoop out the pulp of passion fruit.Now mix in the passion fruit pulp well and now divide them into the ramekin dishes. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until soufle rise and are light brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Give these recipes a try. All of these recipes are found in the Gourmand Award 2010 Cook Book "Modern Dining for Life" authored by Daniel Green,  International TV Personality, Chef & Author. This book is published by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, Asia and is available at all major bookstores. Price - SGD 32.00 (excl. gst). For more information, please contact vivien.lee@themodelcook.com.

Exclusives: Award Winning TV Celebrity Speaks.

Meet the Model Cook, Daniel Green.

Food has always been Daniel's first love ever since his grandma gave him his first recipe at the age of five. Winning this prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award is a testament to Daniel's continued passion for healthier ways to prepare food and more importantly, to manage the way one eats when it came to food.

The Award winning book, Modern Dining for Life is the fifth book in Daniel's career as a Culinary author. Here's our exclusive interview with Daniel Green:

Congratulations Daniel ! We are indeed very happy for you on this impressive milestone in your career.

Tell us what's the theme of this book about?

This book is about trendy foods, modern, restaurant foods but made healthy. People always think diet food and low fat food must be bland and boring and, I wanted to show how you can eat what's in vogue, without the fat.

What inspire you to develop this theme and those recipes?

Travel, travel and more travel. I am so lucky to get to move around the globe, and to see what the trend is with food, so I eat out and then adapt what I love to a healthier version.

How did you come up with the title?

My friend Layne, who also travels so much - he helped me with the name the Modern Menu, then my wonderful partner Viv got it all together.

Which is/are your favourite food (s) and why?

 

Oh there are so many I love, whenever there is a new project , I cook the food so much so it is fresh in my mind, but anything Miso is my favourite right now.

What can one learn from this book?

How to eat the food you love when you dine out, and make it easy and healthy. With this book you can always make these fine trendy restaurant foods at home using my recipes.

You have a section on food safety practices at home which is very unique. What prompted you to include that section in your cookbook?

My partner Viv was passionate about this. In today's world we forget about the most important rules, maybe we are not being taught at home as much, as everything is fast food and convienience, so we lost the basics, here are just some rules to know.

You’ve dedicated this book to your parents. What do you think they'd say?

They already said it. They are just so proud. I never had much of an idea what I wanted to do at school and I did not show much passion for work. I don’t  think they could have ever dreamed I would do something so passionate and so exciting. They mean the world to me, so to have a book dedicated to them, is the best thing ever as it will continue after me.

Did you expect to win this Award?

No, I never expect anything in life. I aspire to many things and have the drive and motivation to do so, but I never expect anything.

Many said that you are like "James Bond of Healthy Culinary Arts" on the cover photo. What do you say to that?

Flattered, very flattered, but not deserved.

Winning this award, what would be your wish list going forward?

To always make recipes that work, that are easy and help people to loose weight

It can taste good to be thin.

How confident are you to win the GOURMAND BEST IN THE WORLD competition?

I only want people to know about my food, as it works – eat this way and you will loose weight. I don’t know of anyone else that can show this style of cooking that I am testament to. I already feel I have won just by publishing books.

Is there anything else you like to say?

I would like to thank my partner Viv, my publisher, Chris Newson for giving me the opportunity, Violet & Lydia who have been great editors, the team at Marshall Cavendish Cuisine Asia, my lovely wife, Jane and the love of my life, Eleanor and everyone who bought this book.

Thanks Daniel. It was very nice to speak with you and once again, Congratulations to you from the team at Astra Worldwide Ltd, Hong Kong and The Model Cook Pty Ltd, Australia.