BLOG THE KIWI

The Coronavirus; it's been haunting Hong Kong for a few weeks now and it seems it's here to stay a little longer. 

It's likely you already know that wearing a mask and upping the handwashing effort are common ways to keep the virus at bay but there's something just as important you can be doing to avoid the Wuflu...

staying healthy and making an extra effort to strengthen your immunity. Be proactive, and give your body what it needs to fight off the nasties. 

Here's our list of naturally occurring goodness that can help you stay strong during this particularly rough flu season:


VITAMIN C
Reduce the length and the severity of the flu (if you already have it). If you're still healthy, an extra dose can strengthen your immune system. 

When we feel an itch in the throat, a glass of fresh OJ is generally the first thing we grab. But, the thing is, a medium-size orange only has 69.7 mg of Vitamin C, which is actually less than that of many other common fruits and veggies.

Here are some equally tasty fruit and vegetables which are packed full of more Vitamin C than the average orange:
- Capsicums (190mg per capsicum)
- Kale (80mg per cup)
- Broccoli (130mg per cup)
- Strawberries (87mg per cup)
- Kiwifruit (70mg per fruit)


OMEGA 3
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may help to boost the immune system by enhancing the functioning of immune cells. 

Salmon is the obvious one here but we've got something else that's packed full of these good fats, Te Mana Lamb (and for the month of February its free*). 
- King Salmon has the highest Omega-3 levels of all Pacific salmon.
- Te Mana Lamb has more Omega-3s than any other red meat. 


PROBIOTICS
Did you know that your gut houses 70% of the immunity cells in your body? Best we keep it healthy and give it lots of good stuff! Probiotics are full of the type of bacteria that our gut needs to push away baddies and absorb the goodness. 

One of the best sources of probiotics is yoghurt. We've got a few options:
- Hansells Yoghurt Powder is used to make your own yoghurt and its so easy!
- The Collective Greek Yoghurt is your every day, well priced, thick and creamy Greek yoghurt. 
- Zany Zeus Greek Yoghurt is decadent. If super thick and creamy is what your after, this yoghurt is likely your new best friend. 
- Raglan Coconut Yoghurt has 2 ingredients - organic coconut cream and millions of live probiotics. You can see it's plant-based, and it's an eat the kiwi favourite.

*Add the 'Te Mana Lamb Small Bone-In leg' to your cart, use the code FEBRUARY at the checkout and receive it for free! Total spend must be over $500, valid until February 29th 2020, while stocks last.

Our latest recipe kit - The Festive Kit has just launched and if you didn't already know...ALL orders over $1000 for the month of December 2019 will receive a FREE Festive Kit - how festive is that! 

But the joy of giving doesn't stop there.

We thought we'd share some of Chef Tim's top tips with you, relating directly to this recipe. There are a few steps which are vital in making this dish delicious, but WHY are they so important? Well, read on and we'll tell you. 

1. WHY TOSS
Why toss the vegetables with olive oil when you could just chuck'em in a tray and drizzle with olive oil? Tossing the vegetables gives them an even coating, making for even cooking and browning - nice. 

2. WHY PAT DRY
Every chef will tell you do this. Patting your meat dry ensures the meat browns well and stops it from 'stewing'. If you are stewing meat, then you don't worry about patting dry. 

3. WHY COVER WITH TWO LAYERS
Added protection of course! If you just use baking paper, creating a seal just isn't going to happen. So you need the foil. If you just used the foil it would stick; and no one likes lamb with a side of foil.

4. WHY DEGLAZE
In the culinary arts, there's a word for everything; including the brown bits found at the bottom of pans after browning meat or vegetables. It's called fond. The technique for dislodging the fond from the bottom of the pan and incorporating into a sauce is called deglazing. The acid helps break it away (our Festive Kit uses red wine). This makes for a tasty base for your sauce. 

If you have any other questions about this recipe, let us know!  

WoolCool is a natural, sustainable and superior insulator made out of sheep’s wool. Our WoolCool is 100% compostable and biodegradable.

If you're lucky enough to have one in HK, you can add it in your garden or compost as the Woolcool will release valuable nitrates back into the soil - nice!

If your gardenless (as most of us are!), WoolCool can be disposed of as usual; it will break down over time.

But... the really great thing about our WoolCool insulation is that we can re-use it! The liners undergo a thorough process to ensure that they comply with food safety standards. 

So, we can collect the WoolCool (and your ice packs!) upon your next delivery - all you need to do is hand them to your driver or leave them by your front door in time for your delivery!

Still feeling a little nervous - Rest assured WoolCool is specifically designed for the delivery of chilled and frozen foods such as meat, fish, cheese, fruit and veg. It has been trialled and tested to keep products cold, ensuring our deliveries always arrive in top condition.

This change has come following feedback from our Foodies. We love feedback as it helps us to grow and improve. If there's anything you'd like to share with us, get in touch! Pop us an email at hello@eatthekiwi.com or send us a message in our live chat (in the bottom right hand corner of this page). 

Did you know that over 95% of Hong Kong's food is imported? That's a whole heap of food! With our plates full of food from every corner of the planet, origin becomes more important than ever.

When it comes to farming and growing goods, every country has its own rules and regulations. It's hard to keep up and really know what's good for us. This has led to huge popularity in certified organic goods in Hong Kong, and that's why we're growing our range!

Our latest additions come from Oob. 

At eatthekiwi.com, you'll now find a wide range of frozen organic fruits and vegetables. Oob search far and wide for the world's best certified organic fruit and vegetables. Fresh is a moment in time, and they capture that! Blast freezing their produce means it's available year-round - woohoo!

Oob believe eating organic is better for you and better for the planet. Being certified organic is a commitment to the land, the plants, the farmers and staff, and to you, the fans – yes Oob care about you!

Organic is at the heart of everything they do, from tending to the soil, pest control, processing the fruit and right down to the cleaning products they wash their hands with. Simplicity at its finest. Love the planet? Eat organic.

Click here to shop the Organic Oob Goodness.

 

These steamed buns are super fluffy and slightly chewy—just the way they should be. They're popular in Taiwan but have recently started trending in the west after becoming a popular item on the menu at Chef David Chang's New York restaurant, Momofuku. 

In Taiwan they're known as Gou Bao, which roughly translates to 'tiger bits pig' named after the mouth like shape and the pork filling. You can really play around with what goes inside though based on whatever suits your tastes. 

If this happens to be your first time eyeing this strange-looking bun, the closest comparison is the hamburger. The bun can be gently opened with your hands and fillings popped inside. Instead of ground beef ingredients like braised pork, roast duck or tofu are used along with a sticky sauce, fresh crunchy vegetables and herbs such as coriander.

The buns can be time-consuming to make from scratch and perfecting them really does take practice. Our buns are ready to go, all you need to do is come up with a filling! Here's how we fill our bao:

For the slaw: Thinly slice 1 cucumber, thinly slice 1 carrot into match sticks (or grate) then gently mix with 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of mayonaise, 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds and a pinch of salt. Set this aside to do it's thing while you work on the next step. 

For the protein: Cut the block of tofu into 8 slices. Coat each piece of tofu first in flour, then egg, then flour again. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large fry pan. Cook tofu in batches, 1-2 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel and lightly season with salt. 

For the buns: Ensure your buns are well defrosted. Then, pop buns into the microwave for 15 seconds until warm. Don't take them out right away, leave for another 15 seconds to 'breathe' in the steam to ensure their soft and fluffy.

To serve: To serve, open buns, fill with a slice of tofu, slaw and drizzle with a sticky sweet sauce, like hoisin. Sprinkle with coriander and chopped peanuts.

Cloudy Bay wild surf clams are a native shellfish to NZ’s pristine coastal waters. They exist in the turbulent surf zone, rich in food, up to 10 metres under the sea bed. This environment ensures the shellfish develop an outstanding quality and taste profile.

Cloudy Bay can found in Marlborough. It's located at the north-eastern tip of the South Island in New Zealand. There is an extensive network of coastal waterways, peninsulas and islands, making up the coasts stunning water landscape. A picturesque location filled with rich life means that the region produces some of the best surf clams in existence. 

Cloudy Bay has successfully undergone both their fishery and chain of custody audits and now carry ‘Friend of the Sea’, an international sustainability seal of approval, for our surf clams - nice!

Our Cloudy Bay Clams come in a 1kg pack, they've been cleaned and blanched so they're ready to go. Just shuck them open, and they're ready to eat! Here are 3 of Cloudy Bay Clams favourite dressings to serve them with. We think the Tua Tua or the Diamond Shell is best for these. 

The Diamond Shell is characterised by its sweet, fresh sea spray aroma and clean ‘wild ocean’ flavour. 

The Tua Tua exhibits a delicate, sweet aroma of fresh kelp and toasted nori. The flavour of the clam is lightly oceanic with clean citrus notes. It has a range of savoury characteristics, reminiscent of lightly smoked fish and Japanese soy.

SHALLOT VINEGAR
100ml Chardonnay vinegar
Pinch of sugar
1 Shallot 

Finely dice the shallot and mix with the vinegar then add a pinch of sugar to balance. Drizzle over freshly shucked clams. 


SOY & GINGER
50ml Soy sauce
5ml Sesame oil
1 Lime, juiced
Knob ginger, grated
Drizzle of oil, peanut or olive oil
Chili, finely chopped - optional Chopped coriander

Mix the soy, sesame oil and lime together, then add the ginger, oil and chili of using and finish with the coriander. Drizzle over freshly shucked clams. 

CUCUMBER & APPLE
1/2 Cucumber
1 Granny smith apple
1/2 Lime, juiced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Chopped mint

Finely diced cucumber and apple. Blend the cucumber, apple and lime in a food processor until juiced, strain the add the mint and very finely diced apple and cucumber for texture. Place a small teaspoon on top of freshly shucked clams. 

1,000km through the Himalayas. 7 days. 3 Kiwis. 1 Tuk Tuk.

Sounds like the intro for a Bear Grylls TV special, but in reality, this was the adventure taken on by Eat the Kiwi’s very own Johnny Stokes!

You might be wondering why anyone would want to embark on a challenge like this, an activity which is advertised on its OWN website as being the result of ‘pulling the safety net away and burning it in the corner’.  

Well, not only would it be one epic story to tell for many years to come, but it was also done to raise money for a pretty special school in Uganda.

Kaaso School is a 600 pupil primary school located in the Rakaai district of Uganda, Africa. In 1999, Kaaso School was opened by Rose and Dominic Mukwaya in order to provide a quality education for orphans in the area – at no cost. Over the years KAASO has grown into so much more than just a school, it is now a community-wide project. They continue to provide free education for those who cannot afford it, while also accepting students, whose parents are willing to pay for the high level of education that KAASO provides, in order to help fund the school. On top of this, they grow their own food to support the school and they have set up a medical centre. The children get crucial access to healthcare for free, while the community can also use the centre for a fee. While Kaaso School does so much for the pupils and the surrounding community they receive no government funding, which is why they must rely on generous donors to cover the costs that they cannot. Eat the Kiwi sponsor a girl called Winnie, without the sponsorship her family would not have been able to continue to pay her school fees and she would have had to drop out. 

Now that you understand the purpose, it’s time to get a glimpse into the mayhem that was the ‘Rickshaw Run’. The Eat the Kiwi team, along with 15 other tuk-tuks (with teams hailing from all over the globe), had seven days to travel 1000km from Leh to Shimla through the Himalayas. The event is run by theadventurists.com, who organise a range of crazy adventures all with the purpose of raising money for charity. Over the seven days, the team had to sleep in abandoned buildings on concrete floors, suffer through altitude sickness at an altitude of 5,380m and push the tuk-tuk through rivers, amongst other things… Tuk-tuks are not otherwise present in the area, so the Kiwi covered tuk-tuk was one of the only to ever drive through the Himalayas.

As you can see not only was this trip the journey of a lifetime for the Eat the Kiwi team, the money raised will positively impact the lives of the students of Kaaso School. Enjoy the feel-good factor of knowing that when you shop with Eat the Kiwi your dollars make a difference.

Pizza's best at it's freshest, right out of the oven. While making your own pizza at home results in the tastiest pizza, it's not usually the easiest task... Living in Hong Kong sends you all over the city trying to find simple, quality ingredients to create a simple pizza. Avoid the Pizza Marathon, order the Eat The Kiwi pizza Kit.

Fresh ✓ Easy ✓ Fast ✓ High-Quality Ingredients ✓ Easy to follow Recipe Card ✓

The Pizza Kit gives you all of the ingredients you need to make your own pizza at home. Along with all of the ingredients, you'll also receive a recipe card. Purchasing the Pizza Kit also gives you 20% off Grove Avocado Oil - nice! 

If your still not sure your pizza can possibly taste as good as your local pizza go-to, below are some tips to help you achieve pizza greatness. You already have the right ingredients, tools and a simple recipe — but a few tweaks in how you handle them can make all the difference.

1. Put down the phone, you can do this. 

2. Make sure your oven is hot (at least 280°C). Also important - make sure the surface you are cooking your pizza on is hot. You need a cooking surface that heats up and stays hot. A pizza stone's great but if you don't have one, flip over an oven tray and leave it inside the oven while it gets up to temperature. Make your pizza on a piece of baking paper and (carefully) slide it into the oven when you're ready to go. 

3. Thick or Thin? The goal is to cook the base through, get it crispy and to ensure the cheese melts perfectly - all without burning it...If you like a thick base, your oven will need to be a little less hot, try 250°C. The thinner your pizza, the hotter your oven can be. 

4. Cold dough is a no no. 30 minutes before cooking, remove your dough from the fridge so it can warm to room temperature. This help's relax the gluten — allowing you to stretch your pizza into shape easily without overworking it (which makes the dough tough).

5. Stretch, don't roll. Once your dough is rested and warmed to room temperature, it will be very elastic and easy to stretch. You want to keep it that way. Skip the rolling pin (which will deflate the dough giving you a cardboard crust). Instead, put the ball of dough on a floured surface and use your fingers to gently pull from the centre to make a round or oval shape with a raised crust at the edge (not a perfect circle? we call that rustic, and everyone knows rustic pizza's always the best).

6. A thin layer of sauce. Unless you want a soggy crust.

7. Slice it thin, let it dry. Fresh mozzarella contains lots of water which can cook down into a milky puddle...To avoid this, slice it thin (no more than 5mm) and pat them dry with a paper towel before placing onto your pizza. 

Enjoy making the Freshest, Tastiest Pizza in all of Hong Kong - your own. We'd love to see your creation - tag us on Instagram @eatthekiwi_hk or pop us an email hello@eatthekiwi.com. 

The humble egg is one of the most versatile foods around. Scrambled, poached or fried, used in cakes, muffins or brownie and even raw in a smoothie (for you health nuts out there), it’s safe to say eggs have many, delicious uses.

Unfortunately, eggs often get a bad reputation. They are associated with pictures of oversized hens crammed into tiny metal cages. Consumers who care about the welfare of animals, the quality of their food and their impact on the environment couldn’t possibly eat eggs, right?

Wrong. Enter Frenz Free-Range, Organic and Non-GMO eggs. The hens freely roam clean and natural pastures and live in small flocks. These favourable conditions result in eggs that are higher in protein, lower in saturated fats and contain three times more natural Omega3. But wait, there’s more! Not only do Frenz Free-range eggs tick the animal welfare and quality boxes, Frenz are also doing their bit for the environment.

10 years ago, Rob Darby (the owner of FRENZ) learnt that mussels that are not fit for consumption, i.e. are broken or cracked, must be discarded by the fishermen. The discarded mussels can either be dumped in landfills or thrown overboard, neither option being very environmentally friendly. Hens love to eat protein, whether it be slugs, grass or worms, and Rob realised the huge potential for utilising the protein-rich mussel waste within his company.  

Now, 10 years later FRENZ announced that after a decade of research, they have developed a process to dry the mussel waste and turn it into chicken feed. This is a huge win, not only for the hens and the improved quality of their eggs, but also for the environment as mussel waste is no longer being dumped into our precious ocean or harmful landfills.

Luckily for you, here at Eat the Kiwi we strive to deliver only the best and it is easy to see how FRENZ eggs are quite simply the best of the best. Order a pack (or case) today and experience for yourself the FRENZ difference.

To see the video about how Frenz do this, click here. 

When it comes to dumplings, no one's fussy: fried, boiled or steamed; we wont(on) them all. We love them, you love them, is it possible to not love dumplings?

In Hong Kong, they often feature pork or prawns, but for the most part, they involve dough with vegetables along with a few other basic ingredients. It's the humble nature of dumplings that steals people’s hearts - so simple, so perfect. 

When buying dumplings to cook at home, things get a little trickier though. Suddenly the trust we have for the faithful dumpling diminishes. Whilst they're a tasty snack, how healthy are they? Where were they made? Do they contain msg, colours, preservatives and additives? Let your worries be put to rest...

Leanne's Dumplings use fresh, NZ sourced produce. 

They're what we called 'nude' dumplings, made without the use of msg, colouring, preservatives or any other additives - just fresh Kiwi goodness. 

They are a satisfying snack or part of a meal. Perfect for little ones too, with no spice and natural ingredients only.

Simply steam, pan fry or boil and serve with your favourite condiment. There are 6 flavours available, click here to see.

In New Zealand, Fish and Chips are a national treasure.

On any given Summer night, you are guaranteed to find a Kiwi family on the beach, huddled around a pile of a newspaper - they're enjoying fish and chips. While traditional Fish and Chips are battered and deep-fried, we've put our own healthy spin on the favourite that we think you will love!

Imagine a juicy portion of oven-baked salmon, accompanied by crispy homemade kumara (sweet potato) wedges and fresh salad.

This recipe is a favourite of ours, we can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

A healthy spin on a Kiwi Classic - Fish and Chips. 

Recipe Serves 4

Salmon

King Salmon Fillets – 1 per person (your little ones will only need half)

3 tbsp Lemon Juice

¼ cup Avocado Oil – We like the Garlic infused flavour

1 Lemon – sliced

1/2 Red Onion – thinly sliced into rings

Wedges

800g Kumara (Sweet Potato) – Regular potatoes can be used instead, try agria. 

¼ cup Avocado Oil

Salt

Salad

100g Baby Spinach

100g 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes – sliced in half

1/2 Red Onion – diced

80g Feta – Optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 180^oC, fan-bake. Line oven tray with baking paper. 

1. Cut kumara into chunky wedges and place on oven tray. Drizzle with oil and season with salt. Bake for around 35-40 minutes until the wedges are fluffy on the inside with a golden crispy outside.

2. While the wedges are baking, place the salmon fillets on individual pieces of oven foil. Rub the salmon fillets with the lemon juice and oil, then top with red onion rings and lemon slices. Wrap the fillets into tight packages and place alongside the wedges for the last 12-15 minutes of baking. The fish will flake when done. We like it slightly undercooked - check it after 12 minutes to see if it's cooked to your liking. 

3. Finally, prepare the salad by tossing the greens, cherry tomatoes, red onion and feta with a dressing of your choice (we like mixing a little dijon mustard, mayonnaise with avocado oil and lemon juice). 

Plate it all up and prepare to enjoy an explosion of fresh, nutritious and delicious flavours.

Don’t forget to let us know if you give this recipe a go and tag us on Instagram @eatthekiwi_hk or Facebook @eatthekiwi. We can’t wait to see your creations!

Image credit to olivemagazine.co.nz

 

Ingredients:
2 cups raw cashews
100g Medjool dates*
150ml Raglan Coconut Yoghurt (Lemon)
2/3 cup lemon juice (approx. 3 lemons)
20g lemon zest (approx. 3 lemons)
100g shredded coconut
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
a pinch of sea salt

*Note: If you can’t get your hands on Medjool dates, you can soak your dates for about an hour in warm water – this will soften them up so that they blend more easily.

Method

1. Grind the cashew nuts in a blender and set aside.
2. Remove the pits from the dates and combine with the lemon juice, coconut yoghurt and coconut oil in the food processor or blender. Blend until a creamy mixture is formed.
3. Transfer to a bowl and add the ground cashew nuts and sea salt.
4. Place the mixture in the fridge for an hour until firm. 
5. Using your hands, roll the mixture into about 20 balls. You’ll notice that this isn’t easy due to the fact that the mixture is quite soft. Try your best!
6. Roll the balls in grated coconut and lemon zest and sprinkle poppy seeds (poppy seeds optional). 

Store the balls in the fridge.

Recipe credit to our friends at Raglan Coconut Yoghurt.