Helmed by a group of six celebrity chefs, the 30Minute Cookin’ series shows viewers how to achieve a two to three-course meal within 30 minutes through online cooking videos. It is the perfect platform for inspiring home cooks, complete with recipes from celebrity chefs with distinctive cooking styles. Through the use
of popular brands like Unicurd, Oki Cooking Oil, Prima Taste and
Heavenly Rice and the help of Panasonic kitchen appliances, cooking
delicious food in the comfort of your home has never been easier.
Thanks to
Alvin’s invitation,
Grace and I attended the launch of 30Minute Cookin’ by Rolleyes earlier this month, where we had the privilege of picking up cooking tips from celebrity chef Eric Teo.
Held at Chef Teo’s studio, we knew that we would be in for a feast. Little did we know that it was a feast not just for our stomachs, but for our eyes as well.
An interesting mix of eclectic knick knacks, framed pictures and accolades decorated Chef Teo’s studio, providing deeper insights into his personality and tremendous achievements over the years. It was quite an eye-opener indeed.
Chef Teo is someone who pays a lot of attention to details and his penchant for the art of food plating is evident from his exquisite collection of tableware and serving bowls.
Before the actual cooking demonstration began, Alvin shared with us some personal tips on food photography. The food pictures were so enticing that I couldn’t stop thinking about the delicious meal that Chef Teo was going to prepare for all of us.
It didn’t take long for the action to begin. Here are the dishes that Chef Teo prepared for us that day:
1. WILD MUSHROOM FRITTERS
INGREDIENTS
120g Enoki mushrooms (sliced)
120g Shimeiji mushrooms (sliced)
120g Oyster mushrooms (sliced)
A pinch of salt and pepper
Batter
100g self-raising flour
200ml Taiwan Fruit Beer (the Lychee Flavoured beer was used)
1 litre OKI Corn Oil
Aioli Dip
100g Mayonnaise
1tbs lemon juice
20g garlic (chopped)
A pinch of paprika powder
A pinch of salt and pepper
Fresh Enoki mushrooms, Shimeiji mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are the key highlights of this dish.
The batter for the fritters is made using a unique mix of self-raising flour and Taiwan Fruit Beer.
After the batter is prepared, mix it into the mushrooms and deep fry them in batches till they turn golden brown.
The aioli dip is prepared by mixing mayonnaise, lemon juice and chopped garlic, folding them in till you achieve a smooth consistency. Then, sprinkle a dash of paprika on top and you’re done!
As Chef Teo was preparing this dish, he shared that the visual presentation of a dish is just as important as its flavour. Food plating is an art in itself, and with so many food pictures circulating around the internet these days, being able to stand out from the crowd is no mean feat. We are all drawn to beautiful things, and food is certainly no exception.
These wild mushroom fritters are my personal favourite out of the 3 dishes. The fabulous bursts of flavour and crispness with every bite left me wanting more. Most importantly, the recipe seems easy enough even for beginners like me and I think I can actually recreate this at home!
2. STEAMED SILKEN BLACK TOFU AND SEAFOOD IN SPICY COCONUT SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
2 pcs of Unicurd Silken Black Tofu
100g prawns and scallops
100g bell peppers
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1tbs lime juice
70ml thick coconut milk
3 pcs green chilli (seeded and chopped. If the green chilli is too spicy for you, replace with freshly ground black pepper)
1 egg
A pinch of salt
The special ingredient for this recipe has got to be the black silken tofu. I have never heard of black tofu, much less seen one for myself till that very day. Black tofu is a new product from Unicurd. It is made from black soy beans and packs a punch of antioxidants! Antioxidants fight against disease and aging, hence foods that are rich in antioxidants are definitely good for you and me.
The beancurd is first mashed in a large mixing bowl together with all the ingredients (except bell peppers, prawns and scallops) and then steamed in little serving cups. For those of you who are interested, Chef Teo used the Panasonic Steam Inverter Microwave Oven.
Then, cook the bell peppers, prawns and scallops separately before tossing them into the pan together to soak in the goodness of the juices. Finally, add the seafood and bell peppers to the steamed tofu mixture and the dish is ready to be served!
One useful tip for cooking scallops is to dry them on a paper towel before cooking them.
The rationale behind this step is to prevent the scallops from shrinking in size after they are cooked. I was quite amused when Chef Teo shared that some hotels actually dry the scallops using hotel towels!
Again, I was impressed by how flavourful and aesthetically pleasing the dish was, in spite of the easy peasy recipe. The scallops in particular, were extremely fresh and succulent.
Notice how garnishing and plating have the ability to enhance a dish’s aesthetic appeal? Sometimes, plating does not necessary have to entail the use of intricate serving bowls. In this case, a transparent glass could very well do the trick too. I, for one, was immediately won over by the elegant presentation of this dish.
3. STIR FRIED BROWN RICE WITH SAMBAL BELACHAN
INGREDIENTS
2 pkts Prima Taste Sambal Belachan Paste
500g Heavenly Brown Rice (cooked)
120g white onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
4tbs OKI Cooking Oil
300g white round cabbage (shredded)
100g carrot (diced)
4 eggs (beaten)
80g Japanese Cucumber (diced)
The brown rice was prepared beforehand by first soaking it in water for 20 minutes, prior to cooking it in the Panasonic Micom Rice Cooker.
Heat up some oil in the pan over medium heat and stir fry the garlic and onion till fragrant, then add in the sambal sauce.
After that, add in the carrots and shredded cabbage followed by the brown rice. Continue to stir fry till everything is well mixed.
Well mixed, piping hot brown rice with sambal belachan, fresh from the pan!
But before we dig into this fragrant dish, let’s take a look at how Chef Teo chose to garnish and plate it.
I was wowed by Chef Teo’s excellent knife skills as he sliced and diced the cucumber with utmost precision.
Finally, here’s presenting the final dish to be served. It is amazing what a little cherry tomato and a dash of sauce did to bring this dish to life by adding a touch of colour to the otherwise neutral colour palette. Taste-wise, the rice was a tad too spicy for me and I am not very used to the texture of brown rice, but I give this dish top marks for health and nutritional benefits.
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