Angry Birds Halloween Party @ Port Of Lost Wonder

Last Saturday, our family went for our very first Halloween Party at Port Of Lost Wonder where it was transformed into an Angry Birds themed Halloween playground featuring the iconic characters from one of the world’s most popular mobile games. And the most exciting highlight of the event was the bashing of the Green Pig Pinata.

3 New Seah's Spices - Kung Pao Spices, Singapore Noodles Spices And Singapore Fried Rice Spices

Even though I love to use fresh ingredients and herbs in my daily cooking but sometime I do have packets of instant sauce, spices, food and etc in my kitchen pantry to stock up for days where I just wish to cook simple and yet decent dishes for the family.

In this post, I am trying out some pre-packed spices which were given by SEAH'S Spices to test out their new products. And as a fan's of SEAH'S Spices especially their Bak Kuet Teh (recipe) and Emperor Herbal Chicken Spices (recipe) which are our family favourite, I am more than willing to try out their new spices.

As most of you would known, Seah's spices is 100% locally made in Singapore since 1991 and it is also a leading local brand which is available in all supermarkets and provision stores in Singapore. Recently Seah's Spices has launched 3 NEW spices packet which are Singapore Noodles Spices, Singapore Fried Rice Spices and Kung Pao Spices.

Each of these spices above has it's own distinctive flavour which you could incorporate it into your daily cooking to impress your loved one with local delight at the ease of home dining. And also most importantly these spices are with "NO added preservatives and colourings" as well as "NO added MSG".

SEAH'S KUNG PAO SPICES

Out of the 3 given spices, I am more interested in their Kung Pao Spices which comes in "powder" form instead of the usual "pre-mixed sauce" that are available in the supermarket. According to the cooking instructions given, the chicken has to be deep-fried before mixing with the spices but for my case on a healthier version I just pan-fried the chicken using Happy Call Pan.

(Serves: 2 - 3  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Portion of Chicken, chopped into pieces
1 Medium Brown Onion, cut into wages
6 Dried Chilli, pre-soak in hot water till soften
1 Stalk Spring Onion, cut into sections
Some Red and Green Chilli (optional), sliced
1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
1/2 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine
1 Packet of Seah's Kung Pao Spices

Method:-
1. Coat and marinate chicken pieces with Seah's spices from the "White Coloured Sachet" found in the packet for about 2 minutes.

2. Preheat Happy Call Pan (HCP) and lightly oil with 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Arrange chicken pieces in the pan, cover and cook for 4 - 5 minutes each side or till chicken is cook with brown outer skin.

3. Removed the chicken, coat it evenly with the spices from the "Red Coloured Sachet" and set side.

4. Add in 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pan, stir-fry onion, chillies and spring onion till fragrant.

5. Stir in the meat and spices and continue to cook for another 1/2 minutes on low heat, covered.

6. Drizzle white vinegar and wine mixture together on the cooked chicken, give it a quick toss and serve hot with steamed rice.

For me, I did not add in the whole packet of  the "Red Coloured Sachet" (still balance 1/4 packet) and I also added in some sliced fresh chilli so my version of Kung Pao dish is a bit spicy. And after eating a piece or two of the chicken you would feel a "numb" after taste feeling on your tongue due to the spices used.

SEAH'S SINGAPORE NOODLES SPICES

At first when I look at the Noodles Spices I thought it was Singapore Chao Mian Spices. Whenever I order noodles from the Cze Char stall, I would always go for either fried noodles or fried bee hoon if I am not having my usual Fried Hor Fun (fried rice noodles). But now with Seah's new Singapore Noodles Spices I could use it on different types of noodles or even pasta to create new dishes with distinctive Singapore flavour.

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

Ingredients:
500g Fresh Noodles or 3 Pieces Instant Noodles
200g Chinese Cabbage, sliced
100g Char Siew (BBQ pork), diced
8 - 10 Prawns, shelled and devein
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 Medium Brown Onion, sliced
1 Stalk Spring Onion, cut into section
1 Red Chilli, sliced

Method:-
1. Bring a pot of water to boil, blanched or cook noodles according, rinse, drain well and set aside.

2. Meanwhile preheat wok/frying pan with 1/2 tablespoon oil, pour in the beaten eggs to the centre of the pan, tilting the pan so that the eggs spread out evenly over the bottom.

3. Cook until the eggs have set on the bottom, using a spatula flip it over and cook on the other side for a minute or two till set. Remove and set aside till cool before slicing it into egg strips.

3. Next add in another 1/2 Tablespoon of oil, saute onion, spring onion, chilli and prawns together till it is slightly pink in colour.

4. Stir in vegetables and continue to cook till vegetables is soften and prawns are cooked through.

5. Toss in cooked noodles and Seah's Noodles Spices evenly over the mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes on medium heat.

6. Lastly turn off the heat, stir-in char siew and egg strips. Divide noodles on serving plates and serve hot.

Our opinion this Seah's Noodle Spices has a after taste that resemble instant "Mee Goreng" noodle perhaps due to the spices used. For this recipe, I used the dried egg noodles instead of fresh yellow noodles because we preferred a more springy texture for our fried noodles. Overall we do love the taste of this fried noodles and I am sure it would be something new to share during coming festive season as one of the potluck dishes.

SEAH'S SINGAPORE FRIED RICE SPICES

Since I am not a fan of "fried rice" I don't really get any fried rice spices for my pantry. Even if I would to cook fried rice, it would be just using simple seasoning such as light/dark soy sauce with some frozen mixed vegetables or egg.

To my surprised, Seah's Singapore Fried Rice Spices does not taste any similar to those fried rice from the Cze Char stall but rather it taste quiet similar to Nasi Goreng. 

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Packet of Seah's Singapore Fried Rice Spices
800g Cooked Rice, around 2.5 rice cooker cup uncooked rice
1/2 Cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables
2 Garlic Cloves, crashed
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
Some Cooking Wine
Some chopped Spring Onion
12 Japanese Chicken Sausages
4 Eggs

Method:
1. Boiled or Grilled the sausages, set aside. Fry sunny side-up eggs individually and set aside too.

2. Add oil in preheat wok, saute garlic till fragrant before stirring in the mixed frozen vegetables and cook for 1 minute.

3. Add cooked rice and continue to stir-fry for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Gradually add in Seah's spices into the fried rice according to your taste (you might not need the whole packet), stir well, drizzle some cooking wine and continue to stir-fry for another 1/2 minutes.

5. Remove, garnish with prepared sausages, egg and etc shown above. Serve hot.

Lastly I would like to thank Seah's Spices for sending us these 3 New Spices, and it's really a good experience to try out these new products before they are available in the supermarkets. So if you are a SEAH'S Spices users, do keep a look out on these NEW products launching in the supermarkets.

For more information and updates on SEAH'S Products, you could check out their facebook page HERE. Like their page to receive latest promotion and updates 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.

{Halloween Trick-or-Treat} Broccoli And Spinach Soup, Graveyard Fried Rice Plus Apple, Banana And Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Halloween is just a week from now and we are so excited about this weekend Angry Bird Halloween Party at Sentosa. For the past two years I have shared some Halloween themed dishes and treats which you could read more here. Although what I did this year was rather simple as compared to last year, but after all we do enjoy the process on preparing the food and etc on a raining cozy evening.

This year, we are having Spooky Broccoli Soup which served together with Graveyard Fired Rice and Bloody Smoothie.

Angry Birds Halloween Party at Sentosa's Port of Lost Wonder

This October in line with the upcoming Halloween celebration on 31 October, the Port Of Lost Wonder (POLW), Sentosa and the Singapore Cable Car welcome you to enjoy a jolly good family time at the first ever Angry Birds Halloween Party on, 27 October 2012.

During that evening, ticket holders to the Halloween party at Port of Lost Wonder can look forward to an festive activities as the beach gets transformed into an Angry Birds themed Halloween playground featuring the iconic characters from one of the world’s most popular mobile games.

Apple, Oat And Walnut Crumble Slice

Apples are beautiful fruits that can be used in both dishes and bakes. For our family, I often use it to make Apple Tea or Double-boiled Apple With Gingko Nut and you could read more on my collection of apple recipes(here). In order to show my support for Bosch "Apple-tizing" Health Recipe Contest 2012, I decided to make this health Apple, Oat & Walnut Crumble Slice with added Chia seeds which is an amazing ingredient that loaded with lots of health benefits.

Following the successful debut of the Bosch cooking contest in 2011(read more here), this year they are having Bosch ‘Apple-tizing’ Cooking Contest 2012 which is open for entries till 31 October 2012.

To particular, you must own either a Bosch Kitchen Machines or Food Processors in order to submit a healthy recipe using APPLES (submit via Bosch Singapore website here). After which the six best entries will be shortlisted to compete in a cook-off contest on 22 December 2012 using their own Bosch appliance.

So if you have either one of the mentioned Bosch appliance(s) maybe you could consider to send in your "secret recipe" featuring Apples and your Bosch appliance. For your information, Grand prize winner gets "A pair of economy tickets to Germany (plus $1,000 allowance)".

APPLE, OAT AND WALNUT CRUMBLE SLICE

Here for my buttery pastry I have added some cinnamon powder instead of mixed spice and as for the filling I choose Granny Smith Apples and golden rinse to balance the sweet and sour taste. And to create a crunchy texture with healthier toppings, I choose Organic Rolled Oats, Walnuts and Chia Seeds to go with the buttery crumbs. 

(Make: 16 x 26cm pan | Preparation: 15 minutes | Baking: 20 minutes + 35 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups (340g) All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup (60g) Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder/Mixed Spice, optimal
180g Unsalted Butter, chopped
2 Tablespoons Ice Water

Apple Mixture:
4 - 5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, diced
1 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
Rind of 1 Lemon, optional
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup (60g) Golden Raisin
1/3 Cup (35g) Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup (45g) Walnut Nuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds, optional

Method:-
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (degree Celsius). Grease a 3cm deep, 16cm x 26cm brownie pan and line it with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang on all sides.

2. Process flour, brown sugar, butter and spice(if using) in Bosch MCM 4 food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons chilled water and process until mixture just comes together to form a dough (adding more water if required).

4. Wrap 3/4 cup dough in cling wrap and refrigerate until firm. Press remaining dough using fingers tips or spatula evenly into the tin and bake it in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until pastry turns golden in colour. Remove and set aside to cool.

5. Next add apples, caster sugar, lemon rind and juice in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.

6. Increase heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until apple is soft. Allow mixture to cool completely before stirring in raisin.

7. Spoon apple mixture over pastry base. Coarsely grate chilled dough into a bowl with rolled oat, walnut and chai seeds mixture then gently stir to combine.

8. Sprinkle dough mixture over apple mixture. Bake in 180°C (degree Celsius) for 35 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely in pan before sliced.

Baking is like doing science where we tends to experiment with different recipes and ingredients in our pantry. So according to your preference, you may choose to replace walnut with almond or chia seeds with black sesame seeds or anything that is available in your pantry.

Actually Apple Crumble is not difficult to make, and you could even prepare the pastry dough or apple filling a head ahead. You could serve your Apple Crumble wither hot or cold with ice cream, cream or custard. Love mine with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!

Below are some recipes that I have tried using BOSCH MCM 4100 food processor.

ABC Detox Juice	Lemon Berry Tarts	Baked Lemon Cheesecake

The Yogurt Place plus Giveaways!

Recent years there are many yogurt stores coming up in Singapore such as Yami Yogurt, Sogurt, Sour Sally, Frolick, Yoguru Yogurt and etc. To be honest I seldom visit yogurt stores unless I have run out of homemade yogurt (recipe), but If I did my frequent stores would be either Yami Yogurt or The Yogurt Place.

At Yogurt Place, they have both Frozen and Greek Yogurt depending on your choice and their Frozen Yogurt could be kept in the freezer for about a week (7days) if you intend to purchase in bulks. Although they might not have huge varieties of fancy toppings and some of the fruit compote might be slight sweeter as compared to others. But I love their freshly made "Greek Yogurt" which is smooth and creamy.

Their Greek Yogurt comes in two different flavour such as "Plain" or "Green Tea" in 4 different sizes shown below:-

~ Standard(180ml) @ S$3.90/cup
~ Large(240ml)@ S$4.90/cup (shown in the photos here)
~ Mini Jumbo(360ml) @ S$6.90
~ Jumbo(750ml) @ S$12.90

To add in some extra flavour or crunch you could choose additional toppings such as Strawberry, Mango, Kaya, Fruit Pebbles (more details here) at S$0.90 per serving

Yogurt Place also offers Frozen Yogurt which available in 3 different flavour such as Plain, Strawberry and Fruity Pebbles. These frozen yogurt could be kept in the freezer for about 7 days so that you could enjoy it even at home too.

Below are some of the Yogurt Place outlets for your reference:-
~ Compass Point #B1-16A
~ Jurong Point #03-114/115
~ Toa Payoh HDB Hub (Basement 1 foodcourt)
~ The Arcade Level 1 (beside Raffles Place Mrt Station)
~ Downtown East (Opp wild wild wet)
~ NUS University Town Koufu Foodcourt

Website: http://theyogurtplace.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yogurtplace.sg

RECIPES WITH GREEK YOGURT

As mentioned previously there are so many ways which you could enjoy eating yogurt either plain with honey, topped with your desire fruit compote, fresh cut fruits, granola, or even use it as an ingredient for cooking/baking.

This is a very delicious and easy to make Lemon Yogurt Cake which you could make use of the Greek Yogurt. More detail of the recipe here.

Instead of the usual Hollandaise sauce which is made using egg yolk, butter, lemon juice and pepper, I have replaced it with Greek Yogurt which is healthier and lighter when pairing with the poached egg and bacon. Recipe of this dish will be available in my recipe blog soon.

VOUCHES GIVEAWAYS

Thanks to Yogurt Place, I am giving away “S$20 Gift Voucher” each to 5 lucky readers.

To win:

1. Like the the above Yogurt Place Gift Voucher photo on Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page;
2. Share the photo and remember to set your privacy setting to “PUBLIC” so that we know who shares it; AND
3. Leave a comment that you have liked and shared the photo.


Closing Date: 21 October 2012 (Sunday), 9.00 PM.

*only for readers living in Singapore*