Zespri Kiwifruit, Your Daily Scoop Of Amazing

I am sure recently when you are doing your daily or weekly groceries shopping, you would notice that most supermarket are storing or having promotion on Zespri® Kiwifruit such as Zespri® Gold, Green or Organic which are available in their peak season.

So with Zespri® Kiwifruit as a great source of fibre which is essential in maintaining a healthy digestive system. I decided to take up the Zespri® 14 days Daily Scoop of Amazing Challenge which I am sure it will helps to improve my health (which I always have indigestion problem) as well as in-cooperate a balance diet and at the same time boost out our family immune system too.

Eating and bring Kiwifruit around is such a breeze with a handy kiwifruit container like this (I got this from last year Zespri® event but sometime you can get this free during Zespri® Kiwifruit promotion in the supermarkets too). As you can see from the photo above, it comes with a 2-in-1 plastic spoon and knife which enable you to cut and eat the fruit without having a mess.

As most of us know, Zespri® Kiwifruits is low in calories and fat which is a perfect snack to eat every day too. So when I post a photo on instagram and facebook page yesterday evening asking which kiwifruit I should bring along for dessert when dining out,  I received quite a number of suggestions from readers, where most of them prefer Zespri Gold (I guess they have impression that Zespri Gold is sweeter than the Green). So below I include a chart comparing both Zespri® Gold and Green for your leisure read up and better understanding of these two kiwifrutis.

Photo Credited to Zespri®

Other than serving it as snacks or desserts, Kiwifruit can also be a great breakfast choice especially for many Singaporean who are caught up in the morning rush like school kids or working adults. To eat this fruits, all you need to do is cut it into half and scoop to enjoy. Moreover kiwifruit has dose of Vitamin C, fibre and anti-oxidants which will help to promote good health and directly benefits the body.

And as usual for this year blogger's introductory pack, we also received quiet a number of interesting cute kiwifruit items such as keychains, recipes booklet, pens, lunch box, fresh kiwifruits and etc like what we get last year (HERE, if you still remember the Zespri® Goodie Bags Giveaway). So please stay tune for this year's Zespri® Goodie Bags Giveaway (more details will be reveal soon) if you are interested to win some of these lovely items.

Since I have extra supplies of kiwifruits (on top of those that I bought weekly) from Zespri® I decided to share the goodness of this amazing kiwifruits with some of my besties and other family members whom I know they would definitely love them to bits.

Emmmm! Even Mum's Beagle is curious about the taste of the kiwifruits

RECIPES USING ZESPRI KIWIFRUITS

Below are some of my Zespri® Kiwifruit recipes that I have shared last year using Zespri® Gold and Zespri® Green Kiwifruit which you might be interested to read more about it.

MENU

Kiwi, Lime And Mint Cooler

Avocado with Gold Kiwifruit Salsa

Pan-fry Salmon with Green Kiwifruit

(recipes)

DESSERT / TEA 

Kiwi And Lime Cupcakes

(recipe)

Lastly if you like to try other new dishes or bakes using kiwifruits, do stay tune for my upcoming post(s) on how/what I am going to create for this year using these amazing kiwifruits from Zespri®.

{Food Art} Froggy Breakfast Set

Recently I got a box of LunchPunch sandwich cutters which comes in a set of 4 different patterns. There are 5 different themed of LunchPunch cutter whereas mine is the "Sand*wishes*" themed which consists of cute "fairy princess" with a cut out star and "frog prince" with the removable crown and etc.

SAND*WISHES* CUTTERS

(product from LunchPunch)

Since it is during mid-year school holidays, where I do not need to rush madly to prepare our daily breakfast,  I can spare some extra "5 - 10 minutes" doing out some "cute" breakfast like the above. And at the same time I can do it together with my kid to create parent bonding time where he can helps me to cut out some of the shapes and arranged the food on the plate.

(Serves: 1 |        Preparation: 5 - 7 minutes |         Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Slices of Plain Or Wholemeal Sandwich Bread
1 Slice of Breakfast Ham
1 Slice of Sandwich Cheese
1 Cherry Tomato, halved
1 Hash Brown or Some Potato Gems
Some Whole Walnuts, toasted
Some Salad Green, optional

Method:-

1. Either blanch the ham in hot water or lightly fry it on a pan for 10 seconds on each side. Remove and set aside.

2. Using your desire LunchPunch cutter (i choose the frog prince), punch out the "frog" shaped on each slice of bread as shown above.

3. Next adjust the crown of the "frog prince" cutter to fix the sandwich cheese and cut out a "crown" and "legs" to fix it on 1 slice of the frog shaped bread.

4. Repeat the same process using the cutter to cut out "mouth" and "legs" from the ham using the help of a toothpick or food stick to outline the cut out. (refer to the step-by-step photo above)

5. Lastly assemble the sandwich and place all the leftover pieces of ham and cheese between the two slices of frog shaped bread.

6. Arrange the tomato halves and features of the frog and serve it on some salad green together with toasted walnuts, hash brown and a glass of milk/coffee/tea.

Sometime with just a little more effort everyone can turns simple ingredient into something appealing like cafe style breakfast set! Look the above Froggy Sandwich Set, isn't it adorable and close to cafe standard of their Kid's Breakfast Menu. I am sure you won't resists to order one of this, right?

For more kid's menu ideas, you can refer to my other posts HERE.

Crystal Jade Dumpling Festival 2012

For this Dumpling Festival(端午节), Crystal Jade offers a range of traditional rice dumplings together with their new "Brown Rice Dumpling(红糙米八宝肉粽)" and "Cool Dessert Dumplings(冰冻甜品粽)" which are chilled puddings in the shape of dumplings.

Brown Rice Dumpling(红糙米八宝肉粽)is a hearty, savoury combination of steamed red brown rice, glutinous rice, chestnut, lotus seeds, peanuts, black eyed peas, pork and salted egg yolk. And this is definitely something worth trying for those who love brown rice as well as "beans and nuts".
Price: S$5.20 per dumpling

Rice Dumpling With Pork And Spicy Shrimp Paste(香辣虾米肉粽)is another sweet and savoury combination of pork, chestnut, dried shrimp paste, green bean(split green bean), black-eyed pea and glutinous rice which similar to the Cantonese style green bean dumpling.

Personally I would prefer this compared to the above because of the added green bean which makes it sweet and savoury taste.
Price: S$4.50 per dumpling

For something sweet and meatless, you can go for either this Red Bean Paste Dumpling(红豆沙咸水粽) or the Cooling Dessert Dumpling. This is a very simple traditional steamed “Kee Zhang” that is wrapped with generous amount of  smooth and fragrant red bean fillings.
Price: S$4.00 per dumpling

The NEW Crystal Jade Cooling Dessert Dumpling(冰冻甜品粽) is available in 3 different flavour such as:-

~ Petite Cheese And Peach Cool Dumpling(一口芝士蜜桃青凉粽)
Pudding made with cream cheese and canned peaches for those who like a hint of saltiness in their sweet.

~ Petite Black Glutinous Rice And Sago Cool Dumpling(一口黑糯米青凉粽)
Black glutinous rice which is said to be high in fire and antioxidants is cooked to tender stickiness with fragrant coconut milk.

~ Petite Sweetcorn Cool Dumpling(一口粟米青凉粽)
Delicious sweet corn mixed with evaporated milk based on the local dessert taste

Price: S$2.70 for 3 pieces; or S$5.00 for 6pieces


All dumplings are available from 04 - 23 June 2012 at Crystal Jade My Bread outlets. And savoury dumplings are also available at selected Crystal Jade restaurant. For your information, this year Dumpling Festival falls on Saturday, 23 June 2012.

Sweet And Savoury Rice Dumplings From Din Tai Fung

To celebrate the coming Dragon Boat Festival(端午节), Din Tai Fung(鼎泰丰) has introduce a new fragrant and succulent Rice Dumpling with Flavoured Pork(五香肉粽) as well as their popular Red Bean Rice Dumpling(豆沙粽) which will be available at all Din Tai Fung restaurants from 04 - 23 June 2012.

With just pork and Taiwan pearl rice as it's main ingredients, this new Din Tai Fung's "Rice Dumpling with Flavoured Pork" has do away with our local dumpling fillings such as "salted egg, mushroom, chestnuts and etc", emphasising the taste and texture of only two simple ingredients.

The flavoured pork is marinated for 2 hours using their secrete marinade before wrapping together with the pearl rice using Taiwan bamboo leaves which allowing the rice to adsorb the fragrance of the leaves and tender pork in order to create heavenly aroma and flavour in each bite.

Price:

~ S$5.50 per dumpling at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa;
~ S$5.30 per dumpling at all other Din Tai Fung outlets.

For your information, their popular Red Bean Rice Dumpling(豆沙粽) is specially air-flown from Taiwan. It is made using top grade Taiwan pearl rice together with generous filling of fragrant red bean paste in a pillow-shaped. As someone with sweet-tooth this is definitely one of the dessert to order for tea-time snack.

Price:

~ S$5.00 per dumpling at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa;
~ S$4.80 per dumpling at all other Din Tai Fung outlets.

DBS/POSB Card Members' Special

Between 04 - 30 June 2012, DBS/POSB Credit and Debit Cardmembers can enjoy a complimentary Red Bean Rice Dumpling with a minimum spending of S$70.00, while members of the public can enjoy a complimentary Red Bean Rice Dumpling with a minimum spending of S$80.00

Lastly I would like to thank Din Tai Fung and Leen from Touch Communications for the above.

{EVENT ENDED} Gold Kili Coffee plus Frezfruta Jam Giveaway!

Hi! It's Friday again and it's time to slow down your pace and get ready for the weekend break if you have being work too hard for the week. Here I have some new products review plus giveaways to brighten up your day as well as boost up your energy with a cup of fragrant coffee from Gold Kili.

I am sure most of you who stays in Singapore have either tried or heard of "Gold Kili" products before. Since 1985, Gold Kili has being a local coffee manufacturer and distributor with great selection of Instant Beverages such as their ever popular Instant Honey Ginger and Instant Honey Chrysanthemum. And just recently Lion City Distribution, a joint venture between Gold Kili and Frezfruta has launched a total of 7 products on their improved coffee, tea, cereal and jam which some are shown on the post below.

GOLD KILI

Double Shot Instant White Coffee And Kopi O

Double Shot Instant White Coffee features the strong full-bodied taste of the finest Arabica Beans blended with a rich creamer and as well first instant coffee in the market which has "Inulin(寡糖)" added. Inulin is known to promote the growth of good Bifidus bacteria to help maintain a good digestive systems which worth giving it a Shot!
Retail Price: S$6.50/packet of 15 sachets

Kopi-O 35% Less Sugar is a new and improved from Gold Kili's 2-in-1 Kopi-O (35% Less Sugar) using 100% ground coffee that’s traditionally roasted in Singapore but this new packaging comes with less sugar for the health-conscious. So for those who prefer non-milk coffee this will be a great choice to start your day with.
Retail Price: S$4.30/packet of 20 sachets

FREZFRUTA KAYA AND JAMS

For regular consumer, you will notice they orange-coloured Frezfruta Kaya has actually being replace from "tin-can" to a classy glass bottle like what other competitor brands used. Although this traditional kaya might not be of liking to those who fancy thick, creamy and fragrant kaya such as from Yakun toast but in another view this might be someone else favourite too. So for a chance no harm giving this a try on your toast or baguette.
Retail Price: S$2.25/bottle

Frezefruta Peach as well as Frezefruta Apple Blueberry Jam are new fruits jam in the  market made from IQF(Individually Quick Frozen) fresh fruits, with a high fruit content of 50%  that is natural goodness at its best. Although I do make my own jam from time to time(read more on homemade jam recipes here) but it has never come across my mind to combine apple with blueberry into jam. So upon trying their Apple Blueberry Jam it indeed gives me a light and refreshing berries taste which goes well with a few cream crackers and a cup of tea.
Retail Price: S$3.00/bottle


For more product updates and recipes using Gold Kili and Frezfruta Jam, you can follow Lion City Distribution(the official distributor of Gold Kili Coffee & Beverages products, Frezfruta Jam and Kaya as well as other food items in Singapore)at their facebook page HERE.

EVENT ENDED AS ON 20 May 2012

GIVEAWAYS! - SINGAPORE ONLY

Thanks to the sponsors Frezfruta and Gold Kili. Here we are giving away a set each of the above items(Peach, Apple blueberry Jams and Kaya, Double Shot White Coffee and Kopi-O Less 35% sugar) to 3 Lucky Readers of Cuisine Paradise. To participate, please please refer to our facebook page HERE.

NOTE:-
~ For those who has no facebook account but wish to join in this Giveaway. Please leave a comment on which is your favourite old Kili Beverage or Frezfruta Jam.
Example:- I love Gold Kili Kopi-O 35% Less Sugar

Honey Lemonade From Happy Sheep Honey

Most of us understand that Honey contains antioxidants(essential for protecting against free radicals) which can be helpful to boosting immunity and as well it has been used since ancient times to treat certain allergies. For your information, honey contains traces of Vitamins B and C as well as minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium and etc. It is also a source of natural unrefined sugars and carbohydrates, which are easily absorbed by the body and therefore provide an instant energy boost with long-lasting effects.

Recently I received these two products from Happy Sheep Honey to try out and my family and I really love it's taste and flavour compared to the usual one that we always purchased. According to their website, Happy Sheep Honey is from the remote native forests of the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand. And their unpasteurised honey this minimally processed to preserve the inherent natural flavours and live enzymes makes it popular to be consume within health food circles.

Happy Sheep Honey includes a selection of four unpasteurised honeys such as:- West Coast Honey, Active Manuka 12+ Honey, Lemon And West Coast Honey and Strawberry West Coast Honey. You can easily purchase these honey at local supermarkets such as NTUC Fairprice or Cold Storage; prices range between S$10.35 - S$39.90 depending on the product.

HONEY LEMONADE

As recommended, a daily dose of honey whether to be served as sweetener in hot/cold beverages, or spread on toast or cake will help to boost the body's supply of antioxidants. So let's start the day by having a cup of this Honey Lemonade before breakfast to flush out our system and give it a boost with this cleansing brew. And instead of quenching thirst with a soda on a hot day, perhaps you can turn this into an Icy Lemonade for a healthier beverage and support "Food Revolution Day in Singapore" which begins in 19 May 2012.(read more HERE)

(Serves: 2            |        Preparation: 5 minutes )

Ingredients:
500ml Lukewarm Drinking Water
2 - 3 Tablespoons Lemon West Coast Honey
A Few Slices of Lemon, optional

Method:-

1. Stir in Lemon West Coat Honey into water and mix well.

2. Pour honey mixture into prepared cup/mug together with a slice of two of fresh lemon to enhance the taste and flavour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TIPS:

~ For icy cool lemonade, you use ice water instead of normal drinking water or add some ice cubes into the final mixture before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PREVIEW!!!

ROSEMARY HONEY CHICKEN DRUMLET

(using Lemon And West Coast Honey from Happy Sheep Honey)

Other than using honey in making beverage, I would be sharing another recipe using honey to make the above Rosemary Honey Chicken Drummlet(baked version) in the upcoming post. So do stay tune if you like the combination of honey and rosemary herbs!

Chef Sleeve For iPad

Few weeks ago, I received a box of this Chef Sleeve for iPad/iPad2 to review and since sometime I love to reference to some of my online recipe collections instead of the big and heavy cookbooks, I guess this sleeve will be in great help to keep my iPad protected in the kitchen.

Friendly speaking tablets are not cheap and they can be easily crack or break if you are not careful in handling them. Moreover using tablet in the kitchen might be a bit messy with the splat, spill and spread of ingredients during cooking process especially baking where flour mixtures and egg might get a bit tricky if you place the tablet nearer to your access.

CHEF SLEEVE

(iPad Protector)

Each box consists of 25 sleeves which cost about S$1.00+ each and when you take out a sleeve from the box, there is a flap on one side where you can slide your iPad into the sleeve. To secure it, just remove the thin white strip to expose a sticky part on a flap, fold the flap back over the iPad and it is ready for use. Even though your iPad is protected by the sleeve, you can still use all your favorite Apps while making a mess and it's touch screen works perfectly under the thin protective film.

Although the sleeve is not water-proof but it is certainly makes to water-resistant till some extend to withstand spill of coffee, drinks or water by accident.

If you are looking for quick and easy protection for your iPad in the kitchen or outdoor where there is a risk that it might get dirty or wet, Chef Sleeve definitely works very well. For those who is interested to get this product you can refer to the following:-

~ From SINGAPORE:- Their online ordering site HERE;

~ From OVERSEAS:- Amazon.com HERE;

~ Chef Sleeve Facebook Page(Singapore) HERE.

Each Chef Sleeve box consists of 25 sleeves that fits both iPad and iPad 2.

GIVEAWAY!

Here I would like to share some of these sleeves with 2 Lucky Winners, each will received a gift pack that comes with 5 sleeves in order for your use or share with friends to try out this new iPad protector. If you are interested, please participate the Giveaway through Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page HERE.