Eat

A Cooking Whiz

There is now no need to transfer soups and sauces from blender to pot. Philips Avance Collection Cooking Blender HR2099/90 not only blends, but also takes care of the cooking.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

There is now no need to transfer soups and sauces from blender to pot. Philips Avance Collection Cooking Blender HR2099/90 not only blends, but also takes care of the cooking.

Philips Avance Collection Cooking Blender HR2099/90, $399 (UP $499), is available at major electrical stores.
Philips Avance Collection Cooking Blender HR2099/90, $399 (UP $499), is available at major electrical stores.

For many working mums, slaving away in the kitchen after a long day at work, getting dinner ready for the family, is incredibly stressful. What if you could whip up a wholesome meal quickly and with minimal effort? That’s what Philips Avance Collection Cooking Blender HR2099/90 is designed to help you do. Far from just a regular blender, this appliance does more than blend smoothies and sauces, or puree soup; it even does the cooking for you.

IT’S A BLENDER...

Powered by a 1,100-watt motor, Philips Avance Collection Cooking Blender HR2099/90 makes prepping for and cooking a meal a breeze – even if you’re a novice. With four speed settings, a pulse function and a ProBlend 6 blade that makes light work of blending, you can also serve up refreshing smoothies, sauces and baby food in an instant.

...THAT CAN ALSO DO THE COOKING All

you have to do is add ingredients to what has already been blended in the 2L heat-resistant glass jug, select from four preset automatic cooking programmes and let it simmer away for 20 to 25 minutes – just enough time for you to hop into the shower.

For soups such as pumpkin, tomato and mushroom, you can pop the ingredients into the blender to cook them first, then whizz them to the right consistency. If you prefer, there’s also a manual cooking mode that lets you control the timing (up to an hour) and heat settings – choose between 60 deg C (low), 80 deg C (medium) and 100 deg C (high).

WHAT IT CAN MAKE

This whizz-and-cook appliance can, apparently, do it all, whether it’s nourishing Asian-style soups – such as bak kut teh and tom yum – or hearty clam chowder or porridge you’re craving. Start on your cooking journey with the accompanying recipe booklet of 40 specially curated dishes you can whip up in a jiffy. Think minestrone, kimchi soup, bolognese sauce and desserts such as pulut hitam.

CLEANING UP IS EASY

Simply fill the glass jug halfway with warm water, add a drop of detergent, pulse it several times or blend for a minute, then rinse.

TOM YUM SOUP
My Reading Room

Serves 4-6 Cooking time: 25min.

INGREDIENTS

10 large shrimps 400ml chicken stock 3 tomatoes, quartered 250g oyster mushrooms, sliced 4 kaffir lime leaves 1½ tbsp coarsely chopped galangal 3 stalks lemongrass, crushed and cut into small sections.

400ml water 5 bird’s eye chillies 2½ tbsp fresh lime juice 2 tbsp fish
sauce, to taste 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1 tbsp crushed
palm sugar Salt, to taste Thai chilli paste (optional).

DIRECTIONS

1. Devein the shrimps, keeping the shells intact.

2. Place the chicken stock, tomatoes, oyster mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass and water in the blender jug and put the lid on.

3. Select the Asian Soup setting and let it cook for 25 minutes.

4. With five minutes left in the cooking time, add the shrimps.

5. At the end of the cooking programme, add the remaining ingredients to the blender jug and stir well.

6. Pour into bowls and serve.

TIPS

1. If using chicken breast in place of shrimps, add it to the jug 10 minutes before the end of the cooking programme.

2. Replace the shrimps with one cup each of chopped carrots and bok choy for a vegetarian take.

NUTTY MILLET PORRIDGE
My Reading Room

Serves 4-6 Cooking time: 25min

INGREDIENTS

25g white rice, soaked for 1 hour 120g millet, rinsed 60g dried red dates, rinsed 875ml water.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all the ingredients into the blender jug and put the lid on.

2. Select the Porridge setting and let it cook for 25 minutes.

3. Pour into bowls and serve.

TIP

Jazz up the porridge with dried wolfberries and dried longans, or some cooked yam.