10 yummy and healthy Father's Day recipes

With Father’s Day just around the corner, it is time to put on your chef’s hat, cook up a storm and surprise Dad with some tasty and (almost) healthy Father's Day recipes.

Since dining out options are limited this time, it may be ideal to prepare something savoury, or something sweet and soulful, at home.

To make the process easy for you, we’ve curated a list of 10 healthy Father’s Day recipes.

1. Salted caramel brownies

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes 16 larger or 32 bite-sized brownies

Ingredients:

• 200g unsalted butter (you will need a little extra for greasing as well)
• 100g chocolate, 70 per cent cocoa solids
• 100g chocolate, 50 per cent cocoa solids
• 397g can Carnation caramel
• 200g golden caster sugar
• One teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 130g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• Four medium eggs

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180 deg C for regular overs, 160 deg C for fan ovens and gas mark four for gas ovens. 
• Grease and then line a 23cm square traybake tin with baking parchment.
• Now melt 200g unsalted butter in a medium pan. Break the 100g chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids) and 100g chocolate (50 per cent cocoa solids), then remove the pan from the heat and wait for the cubes to melt.
• In a small bowl, mix 175g Carnation caramel from a 397g can with one teaspoon of sea salt. This will help to loosen up the mix.
• Keep the rest of the caramel in a large bowl with 200g golden caster sugar and four medium eggs, and beat with an electric hand mixer until even. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk in.
• Next combine 130g plain flour, 50g cocoa powder and a good pinch of table salt, then sift this on top of the chocolate mix. Beat briefly until smooth.
• After you pour half the brownie batter into the tin, level it with a spatula.
• Now using a teaspoon, take half of the caramel on top of the batter layer in five thick, evenly spaced stripes.
• You can spoon the rest of the brownie batter on top and smooth it out. Make sure to not disturb the caramel beneath. Now add the rest of the caramel in the same stripy fashion. 
• When the brownies are ready, they will jiggle just a little when you shake the tin.
• Cut them after they cool completely in the tin.

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2. Chicken curry steak 

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• Curry sauce
• Six shallots
• Two garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• One chili padi
• Three curry leaves
• Turmeric
• Cherry tomatoes for garnish
• 1/16 teaspoon coriander powder (a pinch)
• 1/16 teaspoon cinnamon powder (a pinch)
• Fresh ginger
• Two lemongrass
• Galangal
• Three tablespoons oil
• 50g fried peanut
• 50g palm sugar (sliced)
• Three tablespoons tamarind water
• Salt to taste
• Two boneless chicken thighs with skin
• Three tablespoons coconut milk
• Pomelo for garnish

Steps:

• Blend all the curry ingredients.
• Sauté the remaining curry sauce in a pan until it’s fragrant.
• Add water and then season the curry with salt and sugar.
• Next pour in some coconut milk.
• You need to cook till it’s boiled.
• While this is getting ready, start marinating the chicken with some curry sauce. Stab it with a fork so that the sauce gets inside the chicken. Leave the chicken for 40 minutes in the fridge.
• Then after 40 minutes, grill the chicken in a grilled pan, skin side first.
• Season the chicken with salt, then flip it until it’s fully cooked.

3. Seafood curry

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: Six people

Ingredients:

• Four blue crabs cut into quarters
• 300g clams
• 300g mussels 
• 500g large prawns 
• 500g small to medium sized squid 
• Four medium-size shallots 
• Some garlic cloves
• Three sprigs curry leaves 
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 
• One star anise 
• One stick cinnamon stick 
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom 
• About 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 
• Six tablespoons curry powder 
• Two tablespoons fennel powder 
• One golf ball size tamarind paste 
• Four cups of water 
• Sea salt to taste 
• Three tomatoes 
• Six okras (lady’s fingers) 
• Six tablespoons organic coconut oil

Steps:

• Make an onion and garlic paste by blending them.
• Clean all seafood and set aside.
• Take a big pot, add in coconut oil and adjust heat to medium. Then add the mustard seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, cardamom, coriander seeds and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds until the mustard seeds start to pop up.
• In a bowl, add curry powder and fennel powder and add a bit of water and mix well. Add this mixture to the pot and bring the temperature to a low. 
• If the mixture looks dry, then add a few tablespoons of water. 
• Add in water if the mixture is too dry and starts to burn. Fry until fragrant and oil starts becoming red.
• In a bowl, you can add tamarind paste with two cups of water and mix well. Add this to the pot and stir for the next five to eight minutes
• Turn up the heat so it starts boiling rapidly. Add in crab, clams, mussels, prawns, squids. Add in tomato wedges and okra and shut the lid and turn off the fire.
• Let it settle for 20 minutes before opening the lid and serving.

4. Tiramisu cheesecake

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time:10 minutes

Serves: 10 to 12 people

Ingredients:

For the base

• 300g pack dark chocolate digestives
• 80g melted butter

For the chocolate layer

• 500g milk chocolate (finely chopped)
• 300ml double cream
• 100ml Tia Maria

For the cheesecake layer

• 300g cream cheese
• 200ml double cream
• One teaspoon vanilla extract
• One orange, zested
• 50g icing sugar
• Cocoa powder and crushed coffee beans, to serve

Steps:

• Put a baking parchment in the base of a 23cm springform cake tin.
• Crush the biscuits as finely as possible in a food bag using a rolling pin, or in a food processor. Mix it with melted butter. Add it into the tin, press down to flatten and set it aside in the fridge.
• Chocolate layer: Add the chocolate, cream and Tia Maria into a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water. After it is melted, quickly stir together and pour over the biscuit base, then let it cool in the fridge for at least three hours.
• Now beat the cream cheese, double cream, vanilla, orange and sugar together, then spread and swirl the mix evenly over the chocolate layer. Put the cake back in the fridge for a couple of hours and allow it to set completely.
• To serve, remove from the fridge, sieve over the cocoa powder and sprinkle over the crushed coffee beans.

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5. Zippy egg casserole

Preparation time:15 minutes

Cooking time: one hour and 10 minutes

Serves: 12 people

Ingredients:

• One pound pork sausage
• 5.5 ounce or one package seasoned croutons
• 1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• Eight eggs
• One pint half-and-half cream
• One cup shredded Swiss cheese
• One and a half cups milk
• 1 ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• One cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

• Add the sausage to a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Then drain, crumble and set aside.
• In a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish, now arrange the croutons in a single layer.
• Layer with cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and pepper jack cheese. Top with the cooked sausage.
• Beat together the eggs, half-and-half, milk. Add mustard, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour into the dish over the sausage. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Take it out the next morning and then bake in an oven preheated to 350 deg F for 45 to 60 minutes. Let it cool for 20 minutes before eating.

6. Singapore chicken curry

Cooking time: One hour and 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• Two-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• Seven cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup Singapore curry powder 
• 10 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• One chicken, cut into about 20 bite-size pieces
• Vegetable oil
• Three cups of coconut milk
• One small potato
• Salt to taste
• One loaf of French bread

Steps:

• You can make a fine paste of ginger, garlic and shallot. You can either use a food blender or a mortar and pestle for it.
• Now make a paste by mixing the curry powder with one-half cup water. Mix half of this paste with the pounded ginger, garlic and shallot mixture.
• Add it over the chicken pieces. Let it marinate for at least an hour.
• Now heat oil in a wok. Add remaining curry paste and fry for three to four minutes, or until the paste is fragrant and turns a rich, dark brown.
• Add the marinated chicken and stir constantly for 10 minutes, until the spices are cooked well.
• Pour coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Put in some potatoes and salt, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and potatoes cooked.
• The dish actually tastes better on the second day. Make sure to see that the potatoes do not become mushy.

7. Nasi goreng with chicken & prawns

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup uncooked jasmine rice
• Two cups water
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• Four eggs
• 250g small green prawns, peeled
• 250g chicken thigh fillets, finely chopped
• One tablespoons belachan
• Four cloves garlic, crushed
• One teaspoon ground white pepper
• One onion chopped
• Two tablespoons kecap manis
• One tablespoons fish sauce
• One carrot, julienned
• Garnishing: Japanese cucumber (julienned) & fried shallots

Steps:

• Place rice and water in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, cover and then simmer for 20 mins or until rice is just tender. Spread the mixture onto a flat oven tray and let it cool.
• Heat a large wok over high heat. Add eggs one at a time and cook on both sides until golden brown and yolk is still runny. Keep it aside.
• Next stir-fry the prawns and chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
• Then stir-fry the belachan, garlic and onion for two minutes or until the paste is fragrant.
• Add rice, pepper and combined sauces; stir-fry until well combined. Then stir the onions and cooked prawns and chicken.
• Garnish it with eggs and fried shallots.

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8. Or luak (oyster omelette)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• One tablespoon chopped garlic
• Three tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1½ tablespoons rice flour
• Salt to taste
• Four eggs
• Two teaspoons seafood seasoning
• 100g small oysters
• Two stalks of spring onions, finely chopped

Steps:

• Beat the eggs with seafood seasoning and keep it aside
• Then mix the tapioca flour, rice flour, salt and water together.
• Heat a pan till smoking hot, add in garlic and tapioca mixture.
• Pour eggs over and let it partially set. Then stir-fry over high heat for three mins.
• Push to the side of the pan, add in one tablespoons oil. When hot, add in chilli paste and oysters. Stir-fry for one min and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. 
• After it is done, you can add spring onions to garnish.

9. Lamb chops with rendang sauce

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Eight lamb chops
• Three red chillies
• Three garlic cloves
• 1/2 lemongrass
• Salt and pepper
• Three shallots
• One tablespoon ketchup manis
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 20g fried coconut paste

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients (except the lamb and oil) in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Fry the rendang sauce with half the oil until fragrant. 
• Before you fry the lamb, season it with some salt and pepper.
• Brown the lamb chops with the remaining oil for about 1½ – two minutes per side 
• Now serve the lamb with the rendang sauce and serve with a side salad.

10. Pizza calzone

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 3/4 pounds pizza dough
• All-purpose flour, for surface
• One cup pizza sauce
• One cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup pepperoni 
• One cup shredded mozzarella
• Kosher salt

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 deg C and grease two large baking sheets with cooking spray.
• Next, divide the pizza dough into four pieces.
• Then pour some floor on the surface and roll one piece of dough out into an eight-inch circle, about a quarter inch thick. Spoon pizza sauce in the middle of the dough. Dot with ricotta and top with pepperoni and mozzarella. 
• Then gently fold dough in half, dampen seams with water and pinch together. You can crimp the edges all around.
• Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Brush tops with oil and then add some salt. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, slit tops in two to three spots to create steam vents. 
• Bake until you see that they turn golden and the filling is bubbling. You can brush with more oil halfway through. Let it cool for five minutes before cutting open.

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This article was first published in theAsianparent.