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®.

Grilled Salmon with Spicy Sweetcorn Salsa

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Corn also known as maize is one of the world's most popular and nutritious cereal crops. Corn is also used to make corn syrup, breakfast cereal, cornflour, corn chips, polenta, popcorn and etc. Also corn has similar benefits to wholegrains which is rich in carbohydrates, fibre and antioxidants.

Here we are cooking a grilled salmon dish with spicy sweetcorn salsa which is full of vibrant colours that would perk up your day.

GRILLED SALMON WITH SPICY SWEETCORN SALSA

For this dish you could choose either salmon fillet or salmon belly which would be better in texture and taste. And if you could get hold of some white firm fish fillet such as snapper or Barramundi they could also be used for this dish too.

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients for Salsa:
2 Fresh Sweetcorn Cobs, trimmed and halved
400g Can Chickpeas(garbanzo bean), drained and rinsed
1 Ripe Avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Small Red Capsicum, diced
1 Long Green Chilli, thinly sliced
1 - 2 stalks of Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
50ml of Lime Juice
50ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4(150g each) Salmon/Snapper Fish Fillets, halved
Fresh Coriander Leaves, to serve

Method:-

1. Place corn in a pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes, remove and set aside to cool before using a sharp knife to remove the kernels.

2. Combine chickpeas, avocado, onion, capsicum, chilli and chopped coriander in a large bowl.

3. Mix 2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl, season with salt and pepper before pouring it into the chickpea and corn kernels mixture. Toss to combine.

4. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

5. Season fish with salt and pepper. Cook in batches for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.

6. Transfer to plate and drizzle with remaining lime juice.

7. Arrange fish between plates and top with salsa and coriander. Serve plain or with some crusty bread at side.

Apart from having this dish plain on it's own you could also serve it together with some crusty bread for a fuller meal which would be great with it different layer of textures and flavour. And for a more spicy taste, you could also replace the green chilli with the red with or without the seeds on.

{Zespri Kiwifruit Recipes} Kiwi, Lime & Mint Cooler, Avocado with Gold Kiwifruit Salsa and Pan-fry Salmon with Green Kiwifruit

Using fresh fruits in either Cooking/Baking is always something that interests me. As you can search through my recipes list, I have tired many dishes with fresh fruit like mango, apple, orange, avocado and etc. And this “Kiwifruit” feast featured here was inspired by the ZESPRI Kiwifruit tasting event held at Heart Bistro which I have missed out last week.

With the goodwill of the folks from Edelman(ZESPRI's PR), they have sent me a set of their press kit which includes fresh kiwifruit, kiwifruit recipes, cute kiwifruit 2GB thumb drive and etc. Below are 3 recipes using fresh ZESPRI Kiwifruit which I would like to share with you and hopefully it would inspired you to in-cooperate some kiwifruit in your daily dishes too.

In Singapore you can easily get a pack of these yummy ZESPRI Kiwifruit from any leading supermarkets or fruit stalls. And do you know ZESPRI Kiwifruit are the most "nutrient dense" of popular fruits that belong in the "Super Fruits" category. Each bite contains more essential nutrients than the other 27 most popular fruits.

ZESPRI Kiwifruit also contains more than 210% of the recommended daily intakes of Vitamin C which gives you 2 times more Vitamin C than an orange. Furthermore it is also a good source of folate which is essential for healthy development of the foetus in early pregnancy. You can read more details HERE with a kiwifruit skin firmer recipe too.

KIWI, LIME AND MINT COOLER

If resources is possible do use fresh Green or Gold kiwifruit in your drinks if you are preparing kiwifruit juice or puree to get the full goodness out of them. Here to start off, let's have a glass of freshly blended "Kiwi, Lime and Mint Cooler" to refresh your body after a hectic day at work. And by adding mint leaves it also act as a fresh and aromatic flavor to the drink with a cool aftertaste.

(serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 ZESPRI Gold Kiwifruit, cut into halves
2 ZESPRI Green Kiwifruit, cut into halves
1 Teaspoon of Honey
15ml, Juice of Half Lime
1/4 Cup Mint Leaves
1/2 Cup Ice Cubes, optional
150ml Chilled Sprinkling Water/Sprite/Wine

Method:-

1. Blend kiwifruit with honey, lime juice, mint leaves and ice cubes till combined. (I prefer mine without ice so usually i will used chilled sprinkling water/sprite)

2. Divide into cups and top with chilled sparking water and serve.

AVOCADO WITH GOLD KIWIFRUIT SALSA

For starter let's have some crunch to go with the cooler. Does this "Avocado with Gold Kiwifruit Salsa serve on Corn Chips" sound good to you? It is a refreshing dish with hint of sweet, sour and spicy taste due to the adding of lime juice and chopped chilli. This definitely serves well as a party food or tapas to go with cocktail or beer.

Recipe adapted and modify from ZESPRI, Singapore website HERE.
(serves: 2-3 | Preparation: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Ripe ZESPRI Gold Kiwifruit, cubes
1 Ripe Avocado, cubes
1/2 Tablespoon Runny Honey
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 Red Chilli, seed removed and chopped
1 Tablespoon Shredded Basil/Mint Leaves

Method:-

1. Mix honey, lime juice, chilies and herbs in a bowl.

2. Stir in kiwifruit and avocado cubes and marinate for about 15 - 30 minutes.

3. Upon serving, spoon mixture on corn chips and serve it as starter or pairing with wine and beer too.

You can also serve this salsa on it's own by the side of the main course or mix it together with some shredded chicken and salad greens and serve as a quick salad too. No matter which is your preference style I am sure this appetizing salsa will make your meal taste great.

PAN-FRY SALMON WITH GREEN KIWIFRUIT

Salmon has earned its research reputation as a health-supportive food based on it's amount of omega-3 fatty acid content. Here we are using two nutritious ingredients to form a main course which is so easy to prepare and yet so healthy for the whole family.

Recipe adapted and modify from ZESPRI, Kiwifruit Recipes booklet
(serves: 2 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 6 - 8 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 ZESPRI Green Kiwifruit
1 Small Chilli, seeded and diced
1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup/Honey
450g Salmon Fillet, halves
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Servings of your desire Salad Greens

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Honey
2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Method:-

1. Place salmon in a deep bowl together with chili, vinegar and honey. Marinate for at least 15 - 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and slice the ZESPRI Green Kiwifruit in wedges.

3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and saute the drained salmon for 3 minutes or until just cooked (according to your own preference).

4. To assemble, pile the salad greens in individual serving plates, top with kiwifruit and salmon.

5. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over the salad. Garnish with extra black peeper if desired.

Don't back off from this dish if you are worry about the "smell" of the salmon fish as the marinade from the chopped chilli and apple cider vinegar actually has mask it quite well to flavour this dish. And furthermore to ease your cooking chore, you can even place the salmon on a grease disposal foil tray and bake in the toaster oven for about 8 minutes(turning once) depending on your preference for cooking the salmon.

Coming Up Next

KIWIFRUIT AND LIME CUPCAKES

Lastly I hope you would enjoy the above 3 Kiwifruit Recipes which I have shared with you. And to finished up our kiwifruit feast with some yummy dessert, I have also prepared some "Kiwifruit and Lime Cupcakes" too. If you are keen to find out more about the above-mentioned recipe do stay around for the next upcoming post on Baking with Kiwifruit.

[$20 Budget Meal] Winter Melon Soup, Steamed Silken Tofu with Salmon And Sweetcorn Plus Steamed Beef Steak with Onion

For this set of Budget Meal it will be slightly a bit more expensive than those I prepared previously due to the higher cost of Salmon and Beef. Here we spent a total of roughly S$18.60 for Winter Melon Soup, Steamed Tofu with Salmon and Steamed Beef Steak. And to your surprise this is also my very first time sharing a “beef” dish in this blog too.

Sometime cooking is way of art and mental planning too. For example this Soup of the Day is rather similar to my previous “Winter Melon, Woodear And Pork Ribs Soup” but I replaced the woodear with sweetcorn and carrot for a more refreshing taste.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
300g Pork Ribs
250g Winter Melon, skin removed cut into wedges
1 Sweetcorn, cut into sections
1 Medium Carrot, cut into thick slices
6 Red Dates

Method:-

1. Blanched pork ribs in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes, remove and rinse with tap water. Set aside.

2. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil in a soup pot.

3. Add in all the ingredients when the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes.

4. Lastly season it with salt to taste according to own preference.

Total cost for this dish is about S$5.80 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Pork Ribs = S$3.00
~ Fresh Winter melon, Carrot and Sweetcorn= S$2.80

This is the second time I have used “salmon” fillet in preparing steamed dish. The first one was about a year ago where I steamed the salmon fillet together with Dang Gui to create a Chinese New Year dish (recipe). In this post, I combined this month Budget Meal specific ingredients – “Tofu” together with salmon to prepare this “Steamed Silken Tofu with Salmon And Sweetcorn” where you get to enjoy 3 different textures in one dish.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 Box of Silken Tofu
150g Salmon Fillet
1/2 Sweetcorn, remove kernels from cob
5 Slices of Ginger, julienne

Seasoning:
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Pinch of Salt

The bland tofu blends well with the sweet and fragrant taste from the corn kernels as well as with a contrast between crunchy and smooth texture that makes you crave for more scoop. The adding of salmon increase the Omega 3 and Proteins of this dish, which makes it, perfect for everyone at home especially the growing up kids.

Method:-

1. Cut the tofu into slices of equal thickness, drained well and place it onto steaming plate.

2. Cut the Salmon fillet into cubes and scatter it together with the fresh corn kernels evenly on top and around the sides of the tofu.(refer to the photo above)

3. Next top with julienne ginger and spoon the seasoning(mix all the ingredients together)over the prepared tofu.

4. Cover the tofu plate with cling wrap tightly leaving just a little ventilation hole.

5. Steam it on high heat in a steamer/wok (with boiling water in it)  for about 10 minutes. Remove and serve.

Total cost for this dish is about S$5.90 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Salmon = S$3.90
~ Silken Tofu and Sweetcorn= S$2.00

If you have being following most of my blog posts, you will notice that this seems to be my very 1st "Beef" dish recipe from those hundreds of recipes that I have. Friendly speaking using "beef" as one of the main ingredients is something that I always phobia of because to me you can either ruin or perfect it in just a few seconds of cooking time.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
200g Beef Steak, whole/slices
1 Medium Red Onion, thinly slices
2 Stalks Spring Onion, cut into sections
Red Chili, slices
3 Garlic Coves, lightly pound

Seasoning:
10g Butter
1 Teaspoon Fresh Milk
1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns, crashed

Initially I was still quite worry about the taste and texture while preparing this dish but when it is out from the steamer I was totally surprised with the outcome. The texture of the beef slices is still quite good and tender despite of the steaming method. And the beef stock sauce was great with a hint of black pepper and onion taste too. Indeed this is a great chance on preparing steak on it's usual char-grilled or stew methods. (if you don't consumed beef, you can also replaced it with Pork Fillet(梅肉/腰肉) which is more tender in texture).

Method:-

1. Using paper kitchen towel lightly pat dry the beef steak. Set aside.

2. As I want the sauce and seasoning to infuse the steak in a faster way, I have cut the steak into slices before arranging them on steaming plate. (you can leave it as whole and serve as individual main course too)

3. Next arrange all the ingredients and seasonings on top of the beef steak.

4. Wrap the plate with cling wrap steam it over high heat for about 8 - 10 minutes depend on your preference.

5. Remove and serve with steamed rice or as individual main course with mashed/baked potato.

Total cost for this dish is about S$6.90 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Beef Steak = S$5.40
~ Spring onion, garlic, chili and onion = S$1.50

CLOSING DATE For [May $20 Budget Meal] Event:

~ Wednesday, 25 May 2011, 2359 hours and all entries will be compiled and posted on 31st May 2011.

If you loves to whipped some quick and budget healthy dishes for your family. I would like to invite you to join us in our May Budget Meal event to share your homecook dishes with us(more detail HERE).

Scramble Egg Whites with Seafood

This stir-fried Egg Whites dish is also know as "芙蓉赛螃蟹" in Mandarin, which is a very popular dish in the Qing Dynasty. According to legend one day Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly want to eat crab but due to the long traveling journey to and from the ocean they could have get the crab in time to prepare this dish. So the chef has no choice but to use egg whites to imitate a similar “crab” dish for her. Surprisingly Empress Dowager loved this dish very much and it became a famous dish that is pass down till now.

My first experience with this dish is during my food tasting at Eastern Restaurant early this month. We have this dish called “Fu Rong Special Scramble Egg (芙蓉赛螃蟹)” which you might be interested to read more about it HERE. So after trying out this dish I am very excited to replicate it at home because I love its’ smooth and delicate texture that is great for both kids and folks.

The first trial on this "Stir-fried Egg Whites with Shrimps" is not a total success as we find the overall dish a bit too wet and the texture of the egg whites seems to be overcooked. So after some run-through I think the problem might be due to the amount of liquid used (stock and fresh milk) or the size of the eggs. So after amendment to this recipe, I came out with another modify version using salmon and the end result is much better compared to this. You can take a look of the recipe below and compare the texture of these two versions, maybe you could come out something even better than my version.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3 Egg Whites
1 Egg Yolk
150ml Stock
150ml Fresh Milk
8 Shrimps, shelled and deveined
4 Pieces Imitation Crabstick, cut into portion
1 Tablespoon Green Peas
1.5 Tablespoons of Oil
Some lettuce leaves

. The collage photos show the ingredients and steps on preparing this "Stir-fried Egg Whites with Shrimps":-

Method:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in the shelled and deveined shrimps and cook it over medium heat for about 1 minute or so till the prawn turns pink and curl up. Remove and rinse them in cold water and set aside.
2. Preheat the wok with drizzle of oil then saute the crabstick and green peas for 1 minute and removed.
3. Now whisk the egg whites with a pair of chopsticks (for the 1st recipe I have actually over beat it foamy) for a few times then whisk in the fresh milk and chicken stock till well mixed.
4. Next rinse the wok and wipe it dry with kitchen paper towel and heat it up using 1½ tablespoon of oil.
5. Slowly pour in the egg whites mixture and stir using a spatula till the mixture became to bind together like a scramble egg texture. (this method with more water mixture will cause the egg to be more watery)
6. Lastly stir in the cooked shrimps, crabsticks and green peas and give it a quick stir before dishing it up and place on top of some lettuce leaves.
7. Arrange the raw egg yolk on top of the egg whites mixture and served hot.


This is another similar version of the stir-fried scramble egg whites which is shown above. For this improved version, I used only 150ml of fresh milk and omit the chicken stock from the ingredient list. With some read up of different related recipes from the websites, I decide to try the method of not over whisking the egg whites in order to retain it’s shapes while cooking. Below are the ingredients for this “Stir-fried Egg Whites with Salmon Cubes”.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3 Egg Whites
1 Egg Yolk
150ml Fresh Milk
100g Salmon, cut into cubes
1.5 Tablespoons of Oil
1 Bunch of Spinach, cut into sections
1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic
2 Slices of Ginger
1/2 Tablespoon Oil

In order to bring in some colours and texture to this dish, I have added the stir-fried spinach at the bottom to serve it as a base for the egg whites mixture. Here are the steps to prepare this dish:-

Method:
1. Trim and cut the spinach into sections rinse it in a basin of water for at least 2 - 3 times to remove the dirt and soiled in it.
2. When done remove and drain well 5 minutes prior cooking time.
3. Preheat the wok with 1/2 tablespoon of oil; saute the minced garlic together with ginger slices till fragrant before adding it the drained spinach.
4. Give it a quick stir and continue to fry for about 1 minute or so until the leaves begin to wilt.
5. Lightly season it with some salt, remove arrange it in the middle of the serving plate.
6. Now lightly whisk the egg whites with a pair of chopsticks (do not over beat it until foamy) for a few times then slowly whisk in the fresh milk till well mixed.
6. Next rinse the wok and wipe it dry with kitchen paper towel before adding 1/2 tablespoon of oil to pan-fried the salmon cubes till slightly brown in colour, remove and set side to drain well.

8. Lastly stir in the cooked salmon cubes and give it a quick stir before dishing it up and place on top of the cooked spinach.
9. Arrange the raw egg yolk on top of the egg whites mixture and served hot.

Note:-
~ Remember not to over beat the egg whites mixture till foamy or else the scramble egg white will not form its' shape.
~ Before eating you have to mix in the raw egg yolk with the hot mixture and serve immediately.

[Guest Post] Roasted Salmon with Dill

Let's welcome December!!! I am sure every year during this period of time everyone would be busy with Christmas Gifts, Bakes and most important the Christmas Feast. This year we are fortunate to celebrate early Christmas in the cold snowing weather. And during my absent from the Holidays, I would still scheduled some posts and updates through facebook fan page (HERE) whenever I could grab hold of some access. But here I have and excited news to share with you, this month I would have some “Guest Posts” from a few bloggers whom would share with us some of their delicious Christmas bakes/dishes.

This week we would have Lobster, the owner of LOBSTERPAINTS website at "http://lobsterpaints.blogspot.com/" to share with us one of her Pre-Christmas trial dish that used my favourite ingredient, "Salmon" as the main item. In the post she would also shares some tips on how to bake to "3D' presentation salmon dish together with creamy herb sauce. 

But before we head over to her blog and read more about this post, let's take a look at the ingredients for this dish which you might want to try it out during this coming festive season.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

4x 8oz (255g) Salmon fillets

3 tbsp (45ml) fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (50ml) fresh dill, minced

1 tsp (5ml) salt

1 tsp (5ml) fresh ground black pepper

4 tbsp (60ml) extra virgin olive oil.

Click here for the full post @ http://lobsterpaints.blogspot.com/. Till then cya everyone when I am back from Holiday!!!!!

Baked Salmon With Lime ~ 香烤鲑鱼

Everyone in our family loves fish especially Cod and Salmon, so eventually these two choices are always in my purchase list. Today I would like to share a quick and easy “Baked Salmon with Lime” dish that are ready to be served in less than 30 minutes. This will be a great weekday healthy dish for working mothers whom need to prepare dinner after a hectic day at work.

You can choose any parts of the salmon from cutlet to fillet depending on your preference or what you can snap from the supermarket. As for the Lime, try to get those huge one from supermarket rather than those common small type that used our juice or garnishing.

Ingredients:
1 Salmon Cutlet, about 350g
1 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into sections
5g Of Shredded Ginger
1 Chili, deseed and cut into strips (optional)

Seasoning:
1 Teaspoon of Cooking Wine
Rind of 1 Lime
1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns, lightly crashed
5g of Butter, cubes

Method:
1. Clean, remove all the scales and pad dry the cutlet with paper towel and place it on baking tray or foil.
2. Season the fish all around with cooking wine, lime rind and lime juice then top it evenly with crashed peppercorns, shredded ginger, chili, spring onion and butter cubes.
3. You can either baked it in a pre-heated oven at 200 degree for 12 minutes or you can toast it in the oven toaster for 15 - 18 minutes depend on the thickness and how well you want it to be cooked.

Note:

~ You can omit the chili if it is too spicy for the kids.

~ You can prepared all the ingredients ahead and store in the fridge, just assemble them and bake when you reach home.

~ If you prefer something light for mid-week, perhaps you can consider this dish with some blanched broccoli or mashed potato instead of rice.

This will definitely be a refreshing dish due to the use of fresh Lime rind and juice together with freshly crashed black peppercorns to give that extra hint of aroma when baked. If you don’t like salmon, you can always replaced it with any firm fish fillet that are suitable for baking such as Dory Fillet, Cream Snapper, Barramundi fillet and etc. (you can also refer to this LINK for my past recipes on Salmon)