Going organic with Ozganics

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a media preview for Ozganics, a leading food developer and manufacturer of organic condiments and sauces based in NSW, Australia.  The session included a cooking demo by the founder herself, Anni Brownjohn. 





For a segment of the food industry that has garnered an unfair reputation as bland, boring and tasteless, organic foods are fast gaining ground as consumers are becoming more informed about the potential danger from consuming chemical/pesticide laced foods. 

According to Wikipedia, organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  Organic foods are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.

The cooking demo cum sharing session with Anni was a very interesting, educational and fun time, held at the cozy pantry of Jaya Grocer in Empire Shopping Mall, Subang.  Anni was an animated presenter, her commitment and total belief in the value of organic foods is evident as she took us through a cooking demo that is punctuated with lots of information about the importance of eating well with organic foods. 

We started off on a informal, relaxed mode as Anni broke the ice with lots of humourous anecdotes about her journey in championing organic meals.  She was ably supported by Chef Ryan Khang and his team, as they prepared a delectable lunch spread for us using selected products from the Ozganics range.  All Ozganics products are certified by the Australian government as well as being gluten-free and dairy-free with no preservatives.

 

Anni with Chef Ryan

The 3-course menu included Thai Pumpkin Soup, Morrocan Lemon Chicken with Quinoa and Watermelon and Feta Salad, plus a bonus Organic Sprouted Multigrain Bread by Chef Ryan. 

For the pumpkin soup, organic butternut squash is cooked in organic chicken broth and sauteed onions for about 20min, before stirring in a bottle of Ozganics Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauce.

When ready, serve the soup with some chopped coriander, squeeze of lime and a dash of organic soy sauce.  The result is a bowl of hearty soup with a gentle spicy kick.  For those who are on a salt reduced diet, the Ozganics line of sauces are all low sodium.  

The main course of Morrocan Lemon Chicken with Quinoa was next.  I absolutely love this dish for the wonderful flavour that comes from the sauce and the olives.  I told myself I must get a bottle of the sauce to replicate this dish at home.   

 
This was also my first time eating quinoa.  Quinoa's nutritional value has long been highly touted; it is rich in calcium, protein, iron and phosphorus.  It is gluten free, and is very suitable for those who are lactose intolerant.

Some described this as bird food due to its tiny seed-like, grainy appearance, but I like it as it has a chewy, nutty flavour - much like a cross between sesame seeds, barley and chopped nuts.  I am definitely gonna start using this more in my cooking.

In between the pumpkin soup and the chicken dish, Chef Ryan also showed us how to knead the dough for the Organic Sprouted Multigrain Bread. 

The raisin and seed encrusted loaf was absolutely beautiful and and perfect to go with the Morrocan Lemon Chicken. 

 

Anni also shared with us that here in Malaysia, we have our very own international standards certified organic noodles manufacturer.  Everprosper Food Industries Sdn Bhd, based in Serdang, Selangor is a local producer specialising in dried and steamed noodles, using quality ingredients sourced both locally and overseas.  I'm glad to say that this is truly a case of Malaysia Boleh :)


The last dish was a refreshing Watermelon and Feta Salad.  Anni opened three different bottles of Ozganics salad dressing for us to try with the salad.  I liked all three, each had their distinctive flavour, but my favourite was Lemon Myrtle.  If you love salads and enjoy trying out different dressings, I encouraged you to get one of these, or better still, get all three.

A BIG thanks to Veronica of Quay Po Cooks for this invite. It has been very educational, and certainly opened my eyes to better appreciate the benefits of organic foods. It was also lovely to have had the chance to meet some fellow food bloggers in person.




Food bloggers love to gather together! 
From left to right: Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover, Ping of Ping's pickings,
Shannon of Just As Delish, Yen of Eat Your Heart Out, Anni Brownjohn,
Veron of Quay Po Cooks, and yours truly. Photo courtesy of Yen of Eat Your Heart Out.



Delectable turkey pies brought by Veron to share with us. 
This lady is one of the most thoughtful persons I know!



Good things must be shared :)

If you have missed Anni at the November campaign, the good news is she will be back from the 3-5th December for more sessions.   For more details, visit www.sccmarketing.com.my or contact the Nourish! team at 016.2001.806 or email them at nourish.enquiry@gmail.com.  To find out more about Ozganics, visit their website www.ozganics.com.au