Festive Brunch Menu Using Perfect Italiano Cheese

Christmas is just another three weeks down the road and I am sure most of you are busy with the Christmas menu planning. Here with some complimentary cheese that we received from Perfect Italiano, we decided to whip up some dishes from their “Food Fixes in 15 Seconds” festive menu which features tasty and simple dishes that you can learn in just 15 seconds.

Using the cheese we prepared a 5 Course Brunch Menu shown above with Cheesy Corn Chowder, Parmesan Toast, Cheese Baked Christmas Casserole, Sausage And Mushroom Baked Rice plus Parmesan Pancakes for dessert.

[Recipes] Quick Lunch Bentos For Kids

It's past mid-week and I am sure everyone is looking forward to weekend. In this post, I will be sharing 5 different quick lunch bento (with two recipes) ideas which you can prepare for your kids or yourself in a way too. I am always delighted to create my bento with "colourful" items which brighten my day or for the one who eats it. Although I might not be a skillful bento maker like some of those experts who makes really good character (charaben) bento (example, Samantha Lee) but in a way I am happy with what I can do for my boy.

And I am sure you can make simple bento too with a mixture of bread/rice, meat and some sides with fried stuffs, fresh fruits and vegetables I am sure you can create something interesting out from the box.

SANDWICH SUSHI ROLL

Sandwich sushi roll can be a quick breakfast or tea snacks which you can prepare for your kids at anytime of the day. To make it more nutritious, wholemeal or mutli-grain  bread can be use to replace normal white bread together with addition of some lettuce and cucumber in it. And also you can choose fillings like egg, tuna or chicken mayonnaise depending on their preference.

(Serve: 1   | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Slice of Wholemeal Bread
• 1 Slice of Sandwich Cheese
• 1 Hard-boiled Egg
• 1/2 - 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
• Cucumber and Salad Green
• Side Dishes For Bento

Bento Tools:

• Bento Box
• Side Dishes Food Casing
• Food Cutters For Decorations
• Cling Wrap
• Food Tweezer and Small Scissor
• Drinking Straw and Dried Spaghetti

Method:-
1. Place all side-dish in food casings and arrange them on one corner of the bento box.

2. Put bread on a sheet of cling wrap, using a rolling pin to flatten bread slightly then spread a tablespoon or more of egg mayonnaise on it leaving 2cm free along the other end of the edge.

3. Top with lettuce and cucumber strip then lift up the bread and place it on top of the "cheese stars" (cut out from sandwich cheese using heartshape food cutter).

4. Roll up to enclose filling then cut the sandwich into 4 rounds.

5. When done, arrange the rounds on the food case and you are ready to serve it with the sides.

PANDA ONIGIRI BENTO

Have you thought of making Onigiri (rice ball) using bread? With sandwich bread that can be easily get in all household, you can use it to  make cute animal onigiri like what shown above. Instead of Panda, you can shape and decorate it to look like dog, cat, pig and etc base on your creativity.

Below is a simple recipe and step-by-step photo guide on how to make the bread onigiri.

(Serve: 1   | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Slice of White Bread
• 1 Slice of Sandwich Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Tuna Mixture
• Seaweed Sheet
• 2 Raisin/Blueberry for Panda Ear
• Side Dishes For Bento

Bento Tools:

• Bento Box
• Side Dishes Food Casing
• Food Cutters For Decorations
• Cling Wrap
• Food Tweezer and Small Scissor
• Drinking Straw and Dried Spaghetti

Method:-
1. Place all side-dish in food casings and arrange them on one corner of the bento box.

2. Put bread on a sheet of cling wrap, using a rolling pin flatten the bread then cut a 2cm slit on each corner of the bread (refer to the step-by-step photo above).

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of drained tuna and place it on the centre of the flatten bread (you can drizzle some mayonnaise on it).

4.Carefully hold the 4 corners of the bread together and with the help of the cling wrap, shape the bread into a panda face (oval).

5. When done, arrange the tuna bread on the food case and you can start to decorate the feature of the panda using cheese and seaweed sheet.

6. Lastly fix the panda ears using either raining or blueberry with the help of dried spaghetti stick.

ASSORTED DESIGNED RICE BENTO

[Rice Bento] Cute Tuna Mayo Onigir

[Rice Bento] Kani and Cucumber Roll

[Rice Bento] Cucumber Roll with Teriyaki Chicken

Making your own bento like the above is  actually not as difficult as you think of. You can be creative to incorporate different side dishes/fruits which you prefer. Pick a meat or veggies to go with your sushi roll and at the same time add on some simple decoration to make it look more presentation. I hope this post can give you some inspiration to make a simple bento for your kid(s) this weekend to encourage and rewards them for coming CA2 exam. Good luck and all the best for the kids who are taking the coming CA2 or PSLE Exam.

[Wordless Wednesday] Cuisine Paradise Breakfast Ideas #1

{With Recipes} Perfect Italiano Masterclass by Chef Lino Sauro

Last Saturday I was invited to attend the first Perfect Italiano Masterclass which was conducted by Chef Lino Sauro, executive chef and owner of Gattopardo. During the class we were taught on how to incorporate different types of cheese into our daily cooking to make simple and mouthwatering dishes.

Below are 3 of the recipes which I would like to share with you. And out of the three, my favourite dish is Deep Fried Potato with Mozzarella Cheese which is quite similar to the Japanese Croquette. Love the crispy outer skin and oozing cheesy in it.

The class was conducted at Palate Sensations and most of the ingredients and set up are done before we arrived. I was very excited with this Masterclass because I am a cheese lover plus learning new dishes always excite me.

WONTON RAVIOLI WITH SOYA MARINATED PRAWNS AND PARMESAN FONDUE

The first dish was Ravioli which is so easy to prepare at home and the method is quite similar to our Asian Wonton (云饨). We all love the cheesy fondue that perfect this simple dish with awesome taste. At that point ShiTing and I also thought of using this fondue sauce to create our own "white sauce" paste which we think it will be simple and yet delicious. 

Recipe adapted from Perfect Italiano website, HERE.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 100g Perfect Italiano Parmesan Grated Cheese
• 100g Unsalted Butter
• 20 Pieces of Wonton Skin (square shaped)
• 20g Light Soya Sauce
• 30g Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 110g Full Cream Milk
• 1 Stalk of Spring Onion, chopped
• 20g White Wine
• 10 Pieces of Tiger Prawns, halves

Method:-
1.Peel and marinate prawns with soya, garlic, olive oil and spring onion.

2. Make Parmesan fondue by mixing Perfect Italiano Parmesan Grated Cheese, milk, butter and white wine.

3. Warm up mixture in a bain-marie (double-boiled) over medium heat till creamy. Season with white pepper, set aside.

4. Lightly brush wonton wrappers with beaten egg, divide the prawn mixture evenly on the wrappers.

5. Seal them neatly by folding it into half to form triangles. Put in boiling water for 3 min (or until wonton floats up).

6. Pour prepared fondue on plate and lay down the cooked ravioli. Season with Perfect Italiano Parmesan Grated Cheese, spring onion and serve immediately.

RICE ROLL WITH MOZZARELLA CHEESE AND SALMON

Adding cheese into sushi roll plus topping it with extra cheese makes this dish a perfect mini "baked rice roll" which is great for party food. And if you are not into salmon, perhaps ingredients like Kani (crab stick), Tamagoyaki (egg omelette) or even some Can Tuna or etc. (the above garnish is making by ShiTing (www.lobsterpaints.com), my cooking partner of that day)

Recipe adapted from Perfect Italiano website, HERE.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 250g Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese
• 200g Cooked Sushi Rice
• 4 Sheets of Nori (seaweed)
• 150g cured/smoked salmon
• 100g Cucumber, cut into strips
• 5g Wasabi
• 200g Mayonnaise

Method:-
1.Place a sheet of nori on bamboo mat.

2. Spread and flatten rice on top of nori.

3. Lay down salmon, cucumber and Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese in the middle.

4. Hold on to the ends of the bamboo mat and roll, making sure that the ingredients are held inside it.

5. Remove bamboo mat and cut rice roll by one inch.

6. Warm up rice roll to melt Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese (for extra flavour, you could top extra mozzarella cheese on the cut sushi before putting them into the preheated oven (180 degree Celsius, 2 minutes or toaster oven, 3 minutes).

7. Garnish the sushi with extra cucumber and salmon. Serve with mayonnaise and/or wasabi.

DEEP FRIED POTATO WITH MOZZARELLA CHEESE
(served with sweet and sour sauce)

For the 3rd dish, we made something fusion such as mashed potato patty wrapped with oozing Mozzarella Cheese and it was infused with aromatic spices such as lemongrass, cinnamon and hint of curry powder. Love this to bits and I would re-create this again using tuna and cheese for a more filling snacks.

Recipe adapted from Perfect Italiano website, HERE.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 200g Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese
• 400g Potatoes, boiled till soften
• 50g Corn Starch
• 50g Onion, chopped
• 5g Cinnamon
• 5g Ground Black Pepper
• 5g Curry Powder
• 2 Eggs (55g)
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 30g Lemongrass, minced
• 20g Shallot, minced
• Lemon Zest
• 300g Japanese Breadcrumbs (panko)
• Oil to fry

Method:-
1. Peel the skin of the potato, mashed it using a fork or grater.

2. Mix in all the DRY ingredients except cheese and breadcrumbs (if the mixture i too wet to handle, add in some breadcrumb and cheese to keep it dry to handle)

3. Next shaped about 2 tablespoons of potato mixture into a ball, flatten it slight and wrapped it with 1/2 tablespoon or more of the Italiano Mozzarella Cheese.

4. Sealed and shaped it back to a round shape, coat it with panko crumbs and lightly flatten it to form a 2 inches wide patty.

5. Heat oil in pan. Lower patties into oil and fry on medium low heat until crisp and golden on the bottom.

6. Fry the other side. Drain and ready to serve with sweet and sour sauce.

As for the cheeses used, although there are a wide range of Perfect Italiano cheeses, but in Singapore there are only 3 different types available in the supermarkets such as:-

Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Cheese
This cheese is really stretchy and it has a mild flavour that melts beautiful with every bite. Now they even have low fat version (35% less fat than regular mozzarella) which is available in a block/grated for your convenience.
[BEST USE ON] Pizza or Lasagne

Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan is aged for up to 18 months so it has a rich and bold flavours which adds bite and enhance the taste of dish. It is available in a block /grated for your convenience too.
[BEST USE ON] Pastas, Salads, Risottos and Soup

Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus Cheese
Pizza Plus is a delicious and unique combination of three cheese - Mozzarella (for stretch), Cheddar (for bold flavour) and Parmesan (for bite).
[BEST USE ON] Pizza. Sauces and Hot Snacks


Currently Perfect Italiano is running a contest where shoppers could "Stand a chance to win a Perfect Italiano Masterclass experience!". To join the lucky draw, submit your receipt details for proof of purchase of at least one pack of Perfect Italiano Cheese. (read more HERE)

Lastly I would like to thank Perfect Italiano and Joy from Tribal DDB Singapore for the Perfect Italiano Masterclass invite.

{Fishy Dinner} Chinese Baked Fish Fillet And Baked Cheesy Salmon With Wasabi

Festive season is a great time to feast together with family and friends plus a bit of catch up and updates on each others progress. This Christmas season other than festive bakes I also have some quick dishes which you might be interested with.

In this post I am sharing two different "fish" dishes which you could cater for everyone in the family such as Chinese Baked Fish Fillet with oyster sauce and Baked Cheesy Salmon using Japanese mayonnaise and wasabi.

CHINESE BAKED FISH FILLET

For something more Asian taste, this Chinese Baked Fish Fillet would be something easy that you could prepare and get ready in less than 30 minutes for an evening dinner to impress your guests. For the fillet you can use any firm white fish such as cod, haddock, or grouper which work well on this recipe.

(Serves: 1 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 15 - 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Piece Grouper Fish Fillet (200g), skin intact
• 1/2 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 2 Slices Ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into sections
• 1 Red Chilli(optional), sliced
• Served with Steamed Rice and Asian Greens

Method:-
1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (degree Celsius). Arrange spring onion and some julienne ginger on a disposal baking tray and top with fish fillet.

2. Combine oyster sauce, cooking wine, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.

3. Spoon sauce mixture over fish fillet, top with remaining ginger and chilli, cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until fish is just cooked through.

4. Sprinkle some extra chopped spring onion and serve hot with steamed rice and Asian green.

Note:
~ Stir-fry baby bok choy and fresh shiitake mushrooms with some garlic and ginger then lightly season it with salt.

BAKED CHEESY SALMON WITH WASABI

Whereas for a western treat, you might wish to consider this Baked Cheesy Salmon with Wasabi. For me, I am a salmon lover and I love to eat it either raw, grilled or baked. And my favourite way of cooking salmon is to top it with lots of shredded cheese and Japanese mayonnaise because after baking it would have a tasty cheesy crust on top plus a moist and juicy fillet below.

(Serves: 1  | Preparation: 5 minutes   | Cooking: 15 - 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Salmon Fillet (200g), bones removed
• 2 Tablespoons Japanese Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Teaspoon Wasabi Paste
• Rind of 1 Lemon
• 1/4 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Serve with French Beans and Cherry Tomato

Method:-
1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (degree Celsius). Arrange salmon on a disposal baking tray, top with generous amount of mayonnaise mixture (combine Japanese mayonnaise, wasabi and lemon rind till well-mixed).

2. Evenly top it with shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on it.

3. Bake prepared salmon in an preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes or till salmon is cooked to your preference.

4. Serve hot with some french bean, cherry tomato and steamed rice.

With dishes like this you can play around with the ingredients and side dishes to cater for everyone's preference and the best thing is you can bake these two dishes together in the oven but just keep an easy on the salmon as you don't wish to over baked it. And as for the sides, you could add in some Cream Soup (recipes) or Salad (recipes) to make it a complete meal too.

BreadTalk's Unveil The Generation4 Concept and New Menu Highlight

Since its inception in 2000, BreadTalk has continuously honoured the art of bread-making by giving life to its novel creations. Over the last 12 years it has been encapsulated through three distinctive Generations. And now, BreadTalk is proud to unveil the Generation4 Concept, championed in the campaign ‘Get Talking’, a global initiative that aims to alter the way customers see, feel and taste the brand.

“Get Talking” showcases multiple changes such as the exciting Euro bread series with a twist of Asian flavours like drunken longan, black sesame, spinach and sweet potato. On top of it, BreadTalk also introduced their new toasts like Chia Seed Toast, Soya Toast and Pumpkin Toast which have recently been awarded the Healthier Choice Symbol by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB).

BREADTALK'S NEW TOAST

Chia Seed Toast - 亚籽土司 (S$3.60, 4 slices) is one of their HPB Healthier Choice toast which is generously filled with Chia seeds that provides high fibre and Omega-3 as well as zero trans fats and cholesterol. With two slices a day, it provide you with 44% of your daily whole-grain requirement too.

Apart from Chia Seed Toast, there are another 2 new toasts on shelf which are Pumpkin Toast - 金瓜土司 (S$3.40, 4 slices) and Soya Toast (S$3.60, 4 slices). Out of these 3 new items, our family favourite is the soft and fragrant Soya Toast which is made with golden soya flour, whole eggs and butter.

While enjoying all the healthy toasts from BreadTalk, my boy also love to collect their cute and innovative "name tag" that tied together with the Toast packaging. Guess from these tags you could spot our favourite "Toast" too!

BREADTALK ASIAN FLAVOUR

Claypot Chicken - 沙锅鸡 (S$2.00) is made with bamboo charcoal infused bun which resemble black colour "claypot" which wrapped up the unique fragrant threecup chicken fillings together with fresh basil to excite your taste buds.

Yam Tornado - 山药棒 (S$2.00) comes in a spiral-like bun which filled with Chinese yam paste that brings up it's natural sweetness on eat bite. To add extra crunch, almond flakes are also added as topping and bake till golden brown.

BREADTALK EURO BREAD SERIES

Spinacheese - 芝士波霸 (S$2.50) is a signature item of BreadTalk, this savory Cheese bread receives a healthy serve with the addition of Spinach in the recipe which makes eating vegetables a delicious treat for non-veggie lovers.

Sausage On French - 法式香肠 (S$2.20) has a nice golden and crispy crust that combined generous amount of herbs, spices and meat in one. It consists mixture of Chicken Sausage Filling, diced onion, shredded Cheddar Cheese, Black Pepper and Oregano Herb. This is best to be eaten slight warm in order to enjoy the soft and fluffy texture of the bread.

Drunken Longan (S$3.50) sounds and look good but personally I found it a bit tough and dry towards my preference. Perhaps I still cannot get use of this fused bread with added Chinese ingredients. I still I would still prefer my cranberry or walnut bun.

Cranberry Country makes every bite a crunch with cranberry in between the wholesome bun.  A healthy alternative that retains the natural sweetness of the berries.

Sweet Potato Pot - 金盆甜薯(S$1.80) is always one of my favourite pick other than Berries and Walnut when I am looking for crusty bread in BreadTalk. I love the nutty crust that is coated with fragrant sesame seeds and it taste absolutely delicious when it is freshly out from the oven.

BREADTALK ONLINE COMPETITION

In like with BreadTalk new Generation4 concept, BreadTalk has also commissioned a microfilm that unveils the new brand concept via a whimsical tale between a baker and customer. The microfilm (you can watch the film here) will be shown globally across various platforms as part of its integrated digital campaign, i.e. high traffic websites, social media channels and at selected BreadTalk retail spaces with broadcast facilities to elevate and share the brand experience.

Viewers are warmly welcomed to participate in an online contest to craft the ending of the microfilm through the use of manga storyboards. The online contest will be held at the microsite, www.gettalking.com.sg from 5 October 2012 to 2 November 2012 with attractive prizes such as iPad2, Beats Studio Over-Ear Headphones and other prizes up for grabs.

Lastly to celebrate this new interactive application, BreadTalk is giving away a complimentary S$2.00 e-voucher to the first 1,000 customers who download the BreadTalk app on their iPhones and iPads.