Pistachio & Rose Dark Chocolates … sweet bites made simple for times when you need a tiny guilt free indulgent nibble anytime of the day. These came about when someone asked me to make them a vegan recipe using chocolate and nuts. The request was a simple one – vegan, no added sugar, chocolate, healthy, easy to make, easy to carry, easy to gift, easy to share, make ahead!These simple Pistachio & Rose Dark Chocolates tick off all the boxes. Make ahead, simple, healthy, vegan, chocolate of course! Add to this gluten free and in so many ways these just might be the guilt free sweet snack you crave. Infinite possibilities on this very basic no fail recipe too. Pretty too, but then again, rose petals makes everything look pretty, don’t you think?Use roasted nuts of your choice. If you’re OK without them being vegan, maybe use honey instead of maple syrup. Also, clarified butter/ghee works just as well as extra virgin olive oil. More options – halve the nuts and add some granola. Else skip the nuts altogether and use only a nice crisp granola instead. You could flavour the truffles with your favourite essence too. Or maybe, some orange zest? I’ve tried them in a so many ways and they always come out great. Pistachio & Rose Dark Chocolates also a great way to begin kids off with the basics of simple no bake desserts. Tiny little hands whisking the chocolate, making their own truffles is so much fun. Can see their eyes open in amazement and wonder as the set truffles pop out of the molds. It makes me feel so pleased, so you can well imagine their joy!One key point before I sign off here. As with all recipes, please try and use only good quality ingredients. That way the end product really shines specially since this recipe has just a handful on simple ingredients.
Pistachio & Rose Dark Chocolates ... sweet bites made simple for times when you need a tiny guilt free indulgent nibble anytime of the day. These are simple - vegan, no added sugar, chocolate, healthy, easy to make, easy to carry, easy to gift, easy to share, make ahead! Did I forget delicious?
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 2 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour7 minutesminutes
Servings 15truffles
Ingredients
150g52% couverture chocolate pellets {or chopped}
15gpure maple syrup
5gextra virgin olive oil
50gpistachiosroasted, chopped
To garnish pistachio sliversrose petal
Instructions
Place the chocolate pellets or chopped chocolate in a large heat proof bowl.
Microwave for 30 seconds on high power. Stir, then repeat.
Whisk with a balloon whisk until the chocolate melts. Stir in extra virgin olive oil, then the remaining ingredients.
Put a few pistachio slivers and rose petals into each cavity of a 15 hole silicon mold. Then divide mix between the cavities.
Set in fridge for a couple of hours. Demold and store in a cool place.
Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Wholegrain Shortbread … a cookie that is taking Instagram by storm, and a darned dangerous idea to wake up to. I woke up this morning to find this post on The Bake Feed staring me in the face. Before I knew it, I had hit the ‘take me to the recipe‘ button, and within minutes I had the KitchenAid stand mixer buzzing away. Any eye catching recipe with chocolate does that to me. I want to bake it immediately!
So many things in the recipe call your name, leave alone that description! I love shortbread in any form, mostly because it reminds me of time spent in the UK several years ago crunching through the most divine shortbread ever! Rich, buttery, indulgent, my most favourite the one we had while staying at a mansion with friends in Edinburgh. The experience stayed in my head forever, maybe the reason why I’m partial to shortbread!
Then again, who wouldn’t be?Alison Roman, a cook, writer, and author of Dining In, says ‘Less chocolate chip cookie, more brown sugar shortbread with chocolate chunks— they just might be the cookie you’ve been looking for.’ It was only after I got the dough together and chilling that I read on The Bake Feeds post “The #cookie recipe that has taken over #Instagram ? We have it, and you’ll want it. Packed with #salted butter and #chocolate chunks, @alisoneroman‘s shortbread #cookies deserve a standing ovation.”
And of course they were right. It does need a standing ovation, even after all the changes I made to the recipe. In line with my current favourite obsession #makehalfyourgrainswhole, I played around with the recipe using half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour. Few changes to the brown and white sugar too, some baking powder thrown in for good measure!
Also in the general morning confusion {read so much to do, so little time}, in one go, I measured everything but the chocolate {that I still had to chop} into the bowl of the stand mixer. Big oops! Then again, nothing I could do about it so everything had a good stir together, and then in went the chocolate. If you compare the two, my cookies are a lot darker not least because the phone rang and they got a few extra minutes in the oven. They are darker because of the wholegrain and using more brown sugar as compared to white.
I can’t say I’d do anything different next time other than making sure I get them out in time! They turned out drop dead crunchy delicious, resonating everything Alison says about them. I skipped rolling them in egg white to keep the cookies egg free and vegetarian. Do try her version, The Bake Feed version, or then my version. Cookies are meant to be shared, so here you are!
Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Wholegrain Shortbread
Buttery, crisp and delicious this Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Wholegrain Shortbread adapted from a recipe by Alison Roman offers you everything and more you might want in a cookie! My version is partly wholegrain and egg free.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 12cookies
Ingredients
1/2cup+ 1 tbsp salted buttercut into ½-inch pieces, 125g
1/4cupgranulated sugar25g
1/2cupbrown sugar50 g
1/2tspvanilla extract
1/2cupsall purpose flour75 g
1/2cupwhole wheat flour75 g
1/2tspbaking powder
100g72% dark chocolatechopped into chunks
Demerara sugarfor rolling
Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Cookie Dough
Place all the ingredients except the chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer and process until it comes together to form cookie dough.
At the lowest speed, stir in the chocolate chunks.
Turn onto the counter and bring together, then roll into a log about 2-2 1/4" in diameter. Wrap in clingwrap and smoothen the roll if you like. See detailed instructions in the Bake Feed recipe. {link above}
Chill for about 2 hours
Bake
Preheat oven to 170C
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slightly wet your hands and moisten the outside of the roll. Roll in vanilla sugar. Slice the log into 12-13 1/2" thick rounds. Lay on the baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for about 18-20 minutes until golden at the edges and firm. Let them sit on the cookie sheet to firm up, then enjoy!
Roasted Cauliflower Salad … not sure why it took me so long to discover this. There was a time that I disliked everything cauliflower other than a cauliflower based lamb curry or Gobhi Gosht that my mother made every winter. Cauliflower was the most boring vegetable at our place, and we looked in wonder as the literal truckloads that the farms around our place produced.Then I began gently trying a few things. First the raw nibble,then a quick stir fry, a vinegar based raw ferment. Then soup. Hmmm, now so bad. The big breakthrough came when I began making stuffed parathas {flatbreads} and everyone at home began enjoying them. Next a quick Indian stir fry that became one kids favourite. Yes, there was hope!Then one day I thought the oven is on, let me toss a quick lot of sliced cauliflower in olive oil and grill it. Turned out quite delicious and I couldn’t stop eating them off the tray. Be warned that this is addictive as it comes out of the oven, especially the bits that are crispy brown on the edges. Also be warned that the cauliflower shrinks quite a bit while baking, so a medium head of cauliflower might yield enough for 2 servings only.This Roasted Cauliflower Salad a great salad for winter, and also for spring. I have served this warm from the oven, as well as chilled overnight. It’s addictive good both ways. I have to say I love it because the garlic just shines. I usually up the garlic quite a bit. If you love garlic, you might consider doing that too!
Grilled Cauliflower Salad is a great salad for winter, and also for spring. I have served this warm from the oven, as well as chilled overnight. It's addictive good both ways. I have to say I love it because the garlic just shines. You can play around with the dressing as you like.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 2
Ingredients
1medium cauliflower
Dressing
3tbspextra virgin olive oil
3-4clovesgarlicminced
1tspred chili flakes
Sea salt
Juice of 1/2-1 lime
Garnish
1/2cuppomegranate pearls
fresh rocketbeet greens etc.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Slice the cauliflower vertically to get a cross section of florets.
Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, red chili flakes, sea salt and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Place cauliflower in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.
Lay the florets out on a baking tray in one flat lot. Do not overlap else the baking will be uneven.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.
Serve warm or chilled pomegrabate pearls, rocket, beet greens etc.
Bitter Kumquat Marmalade … when so little gives you so much! This is a marmalade I’ve been making for years each time the shrub in the yard gives me this citrusy fruit. We grew up playing with these beauties that caught the glad eye with their bright oranges. Referred to as Chinese oranges, tangerines or narangis, they had little use other than just being an ornamental fruit.We live and learn from others, and that’s just what I love about community. This recipe came to us several years ago from my mother’s neighbour who once sent across a jar of homemade marmalade. Of course we descended on the poor unsuspecting lady, quite fascinated that something as good could be made at home. The rest as they say is history! Jars of marmalade are constantly stirred in season, at least twice or thrice a year, then distributed among friends and family.Jam making is very therapeutic and rewarding. This one much more. Seldom does so little yield so much. In this case, these are just homegrown non-commercial fruit from a shrub widely found across North India, one which is quite sturdy and loves a good dose of sunlight. The secret is the setting agent, or pectin, which is found in the seeds of these bitter-tart fruit. So all you need for this glorious colour in this Bitter Calamondin Marmalade is fruit, sugar and water. Loads of patience to snip the peels and some time for stirring the pot! It’s always to do this when you have free time, no distractions etc. It can take a few seconds of neglect to get the jam catch the bottom. Once the marmalade is almost done, do a plate test to see if the pectin has done its job. Else cook a little longer, check again. I added the juice of 2 limes too but it’s not necessary. You can add ginger if you like, maybe a red chili for slight heat! This recipe of Bitter Calamondin Marmalade is for all those folk who asked for it on Instagram when I shared an image in stories. A kilo of fruit yields 4-5 jars, enough to dig into, enough to share around!
Bitter kumquat marmalade is one of the best ways to use up this tart fruit. Makes a for a great gift, and is also a wonderful addition to cake batters, frosting, pies etc. Makes about 5 jars.
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 4jars
Ingredients
1kgkumquat {chinese oranges, narangis}
1kggranulated sugar
250mlWater
Instructions
Sterilize 5 X 250g jam jars. Place a metal spoon in each jar {this ensures that the glass jar will not crack when the hot jam is poured in}.
Stove Top method
Halve the kumquat. Place the sieving bowl over a bigger bowl, and squeeze the seeds to deseed the fruit. We need to collect the seeds as they contain the pectin to set the jam. Make a bouquet garnet of the seeds.
Snip the peels with scissors into strips. {I got lazy and gave them a quick spin in the Thermomix}.
Place the cut peels, with the pouch of seeds and any collected kumquat juice, in a heavy bottom pan on full heat. Boil for a few minutes till the peel is tender, stirring constantly.
Add the water and continue to cook on high for 2-3 minutes. Now add sugar, stirring constantly.
Continue to cook over high heat for a further 20-25 minutes until the mixture thickens & the strips becomes translucent. Stir often else it'll catch the bottom. Don't leave unattended.
Do a plate test by dropping some marmalade on a cold metal plate to check if the jam is setting properly. After 30 seconds, it should congeal and look jellylike.
Put off the flame, discard the muslin pouch with the seeds and allow the jam to cool for 10-15 minutes. Stir to distribute the strips.
Now pour the marmalade into the jars, and seal after 10-15 minutes. {I refrigerate my jars}
Thermomix method
Place the peels in the TM bowl and slice at speed 10 for 2-3 seconds. Add the reserved juice to the TM bowl, with 250g water, and run on Reverse at 100 for 10 minutes, speed slow.
Add 800g sugar and the bouquet garni {which holds the seeds}, and run at reverse at speed 2 for 2 minutes. Add a further 450g sugar {small calamondins tend to be very bitter}, and continue to cook at reverse speed 2 for a further 8 minutes.
Now turn power to 100C, place the lid at an angle, and cook until the gelling action kicks in and the jam begins to set. {Do a stainless steel plate test. Drop some marmalade on a cold plate to see if it sets in under a minute}. Mine took about 7-8 minutes.
Put off the TM, discard the muslin pouch with the seeds and allow to stand in TM jar for about 15-20 minutes, and then pour into prepared jars. I refrigerate my marmalade.
Mushroom Cashew Rosemary Soup, yet another favourite soup I created with available pantry ingredients a few days ago. Simple to make, beautifully flavoured and quite creamy because of the cashews within, I’m going to make this often. Like an earlier soup I recently made, this one too is thickened with oats {and cashews this time} making it healthy, delicious and gluten free too. I’m sure you’re going to love this one as it is a great winter warmer, just right for the current cold spell we are experiencing.
I’m not a huge soup person and don’t have great expertise in making them. I stick to a few basics, and really make soups in a hurry, often throwing in whatever I can salvage in ten minutes. Yet with these brrrrr freezing cold days and the mercury dipping day after day, sometimes soup is all that warms the soul. I like subtle flavour in my soup. I also prefer them creamy to clear possibly because I don’t know how to make a good clear soup.
Maybe it’s time to sharpen my skills as I had a really good miso soup a few days ago, and that was amazing. Until I get there, sharpen my skills a little, here’s one of my favourite soups for now. With cauliflowers literally falling off carts this winter, it’s a great way to use the humble vegetable.I did make a finger licking good roasted cauliflower salad the other day. So garlicky, so good! I loved how well the cauliflower roasted in the dressing, how beautifully the fresh beet greens and rocket from the garden complimented it. And oh, the pom pearls that add fresh flavour and a burst of colour. Would you like the recipe?
Mushroom Cashew Rosemary Soup ... truly a winter warmer!
Simple to make, beautifully flavoured and quite creamy because of the cashews within, Mushroom Cashew Rosemary Soup is a winter favourite. Thickened with oats and cashews makes it healthy, delicious and gluten free too.A great winter warmer!
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 2people
Ingredients
2tbspbutter
1larger onionchopped
5-6clovesgarlicchopped
1/4cupcashews
200gbutton mushroomssliced
1TSP dried rosemary
1sprig fresh rosemary
1cupWater
1cupmilk
2tbspquick cooking oats
Salt & pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Heat butter. Saute onions and garlic, then add cashews, saute.
Stir in mushrooms and saute on high for minutes.
Add rosemary, saute for 10 seconds, then add water andilk.
Bring to simmer, add oats, bring to a boil, them simmer 5 minutes.
Blend slightly for chunky finish (or smooth if you like), then return to pan
Season with salt and pepper, add balsamic vinegar, and simmer for 5 minutes.
If you'd like thicker soup, simmer a little longer.
Dark Chocolate Halloween Pudding with meringue ghosts and fondant pumpkins on cookie dirt. It’s our favourite pudding in yet another avatar. What’s not to love about pudding that comes together with pantry essentials in next to no time! What if I told you the pudding is eggless and gluten free too? All that and more. No refined sugar, and addictive good, it’s a pudding that’s been made often at home.This oat pudding turned out to be very popular and was made several times over when I shared it on Instagram stories. Folk found it addictive, easy to make and comparatively guilt free. Then again, anything chocolate is always popular. The Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Oat Pudding from my previous post was just another version of my original recipe.The pudding was inspired by these beautiful Daniel Wellington watches I was gifted recently. The classic good looks, vintage tans and smooth finish inspired how my puddings looked. I had such a great time bringing these together! It was published in The Hindu a few days ago.The original pudding had walnuts, but this Dark Chocolate Halloween Pudding went fall flavoured with cinnamon to stay in season. I wasn’t too sure cinnamon and chocolate would pair well. Of course I was proved quite wrong. They paired beautifully. The rest of the assembling is quite simple. You can make the meringue ghosts in advance. If you’d like to go completely egg free, skip the meringue ghosts. Maybe use marshmallows, or pipe ghosts out of stiff whipping cream, using chocolate chips as eyes.
