Recipe of the month: Spicy Mushroom Capsicum Fry

It is Mother’s Day today - that one Sunday in May when the world officially tips its hat to the tireless, selfless women we call mom. A single day hardly feels adequate, does it? If you ask me, mothers deserve a lifetime of celebration. But hey, I don’t make the rules. So here’s wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms out there! From one mother to another - you are seen, you are valued, and you are absolutely irreplaceable 💖

This is going to be a short (and spicy!) post. Since it is Mother's Day, I am going to share a recipe that I got from my own mother more than a decade ago. Rewind to when I was a newly married and slightly panicked bride, frazzled at the thought of running a household. Before embarking on the new chapter in my life, I got myself a notebook in which I hurriedly jotted down a handful of simple recipes (including dal 😝). Among those recipes was this one for Spicy Mushroom Capsicum Fry that I nicked from my mom's handwritten recipe book. 

This recipe just needs a handful of ingredients, looks vibrant, tastes good and can be made within 30 mins. Sounds perfect right? This dry side dish is heavy on the spices, so feel free to go easy on the chilli if you prefer a milder version. I used to make this dish often, but it has made fewer appearances in recent years, mostly because the husband is Team Gravy when it comes to side dishes. I think this would be a perfect side dish to serve alongside a simple dal/mild curry and cooling raita with any Indian flatbread or one-pot rice dish. That way you get a satisfying, well-balanced meal that hits all the right notes.

If you are old enough to cook for your mom, you know what you need to do. Give her the day off and put a smile on that face that has worked a lifetime to make sure you always have one on yours 😊

Vegetarian & Vegan Food with a Modern Twist: The Living Café @ Bukit Timah, Singapore

Before this review, my plans of visiting The Living Café (TLC) had been hanging in the balance for the past 3 years 😄 Unfailingly, something or the other would come up forcing me to cancel my plans or venues would get changed unexpectedly. On one occasion, I even entered the café having scheduled dinner with a friend only to find that it was half an hour away from closing. I had no other option but to head over to another food establishment in the vicinity 😞

So when I had the opportunity to catch up with two old friends over lunch and realized that Bukit Timah was the ideal locality (being sort of equidistant for the three of us), I suggested TLC without a moment's hesitation.

This time, the stars aligned and my plans finally came through 🙌

The brainchild of master nutritionist Dana Heather, TLC embraces raw vegan food and this is what sets it apart from other cafés. Their chefs are continually creating their own versions of raw and raw-fusion to bring a wide scale of variety to the café. Although not 100% vegan, most of the dishes are vegetarian and vegan-friendly, with many raw options. Animal protein sources such as chicken, fish and eggs make an appearance in certain starters and entrees though dairy is entirely avoided. To be more specific, TLC does not use red meat, cow dairy, white sugar, preservatives, additives, artificial colorings and includes gluten-free alternatives on the menu. The café takes pride in using specially selected and sourced organic ingredients wherever possible and thoughtfully combines them to achieve optimum flavor for their healthy raw food establishment.

It was a Saturday afternoon and rather late by the time we reached the venue but much to my surprise, the café was bursting at the seams at 2pm. There was only one table vacant all the way at the back so we had to make do with that.

The naturalistic decor of TLC reflects the "green" concept of the café. Spacious and airy, prominent features of the space include mismatched furniture, earthy colors, indoor plants, chalkboards and a lofty ceiling. 

There are two floors - the lower floor consists of the dining area and the upper floor has a retail store selling premium quality food products, health supplements, essential oils and books amidst other things. 

Something that catches one's eye almost instantly is the glass case with their amazing array of raw desserts. While you are waiting for your orders to arrive, you could keep your peepers peeled on the enticing display.