I am kicking off 2024 in style, taking inspiration from southeast Asia and the beginning of Health Month at The Irish Times. As a chef I try my best to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. I start most weeks with great intentions: three gym sessions, a 5km run and even a swim in the summer months. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, I usually get distracted by all sorts of very important things. There are dinners to be made, emails to respond to, dishes to create, recipes to write, dogs to play with, not to mention a whole world of sports highlights, and nonsense to watch on my phone. Sound familiar? Some day I’ll have that toned Instagram look that’s so much in vogue.
Of course, the life of a chef means eating a lot of food. For my various roles it also means testing a lot of recipes and dining out for inspiration. For me, the idea of healthy cooking often conjures up images of boring food, of dryness, without butter or love and often leaving me with that feeling of emptiness.
One place this idea gets turned on its head is southeast Asia. This food is just packed with big flavours and seasonings. Due to the temperature and humidity in the region, there is a lightness that we just don’t have so much in Europe. In a way, it has that healthy ethos out of necessity.
I think this proves that calorie-counted food can still be authentic, cheffy, tasty and easy to make at home
On a recent work trip to Singapore, I was hosted by a fantastic chef, Andrew Walsh, who has a Michelin star for his take on modern Irish cuisine at Cure. He hails from Mayo, but we won’t hold that against him. Apart from his numerous accolades and talents, he is one of the new breed of chefs that take health and wellness very seriously. He has that billboard-worthy look and could run a marathon in his sleep.
Each night after service, he would pack us up in a car, driving us into the backstreets, through crowds and chaos in search of an authentic late-night dinner. What stood out was not only the flavour and steamy, dreamy location, but it was the kind of food that didn’t sit in your stomach or slow you down, meaning you could still get a good night’s sleep and be ready for work again the next day. This week’s recipes come directly to you from those Singaporean streets via the man from Mayo.
I also enlisted the nutritionist Eadaoin to analyse the recipes. I work with Russell-Smullen to create menus for BaxterStorey, bringing cutting-edge cuisine to numerous corporate locations across Ireland. I’m delighted to say she was pleasantly surprised with our results. First up are classic Singapore noodles, really quick to make and great for using up leftover veg from the fridge. A 600g portion will deliver 668 calories, comprising 37.5 per cent carbohydrate, 27.5 per cent protein and 35 per cent fat.
The second recipe is a kind of nasi goreng – a traditional Indonesian dish I’ve adapted to incorporate easier to get ingredients. According to Russell-Smullen, a 450g portion will deliver 624 calories, comprising 32.5 per cent carbohydrate, 28.5 per cent protein and 38.9 per cent fat. While she did give me a slap on the wrist for using a bit too much soy sauce and salt, I think this proves that calorie-counted food can still be authentic, cheffy, tasty and easy to make at home.
