Passionate About Baking

Cold Cucumber Garlic Soup is what I whizzed up in the Artisan Power Plus Blender from KitchenAid India a few days ago, and marveled at how quick and how well it worked. Did you know it can make blend cold soups and hot soups with equal ease? That got me thinking of how much I have been using this wonder machine the past few months, and in so many ways. The Cold Cucumber Garlic Soup is only one small example {recipe at the bottom}. I use it in sooooooooooooo many ways. Here are a few more…

Smoothies is the easiest way to begin and of course, the first thing that comes to mind! Do you enjoy making smoothies?

I certainly do. My way forward is quite simple like in this Very Very Berry Smoothie made with the Blender. What a fabulous powerful appliance to have on my kitchen counter. Fresh cherries + Frozen strawberries + Tender Coconut Water + Dash of Lime + Honey/Maple Syrup if required. Two minutes to refreshing goodness!

For sweet smoothies, I pick a fruit or more {in season}, a flavour I like {vanilla, cinnamon, saffron, pie spice, coffee, chocolate}, a base to make the smoothie {yogurt, milk, buttermilk, almond milk etc}, a sweetener if required {raw sugar, honey, jaggery}.I often add ingredients to ‘up the nutrition‘. Think cooked chilled quinoa, oatmeal, almonds etc … you get the drift? The rest is taken care of by the Artisan Power Plus Blender. In seconds, you have smoooooooooth Smoothie! You can find this Peach Almond Oats Saffron Smoothie on the KitchenAid blog.

Peach Almond Oats Saffron Smoothie. Then there are Smoothie Bowls.I love doing these since they look so pretty and are fun to build up. Like an empty canvas, you create your own pretty bowl! These are no brainers.

So you basically begin with a thick smoothie { T H I C K } since it’s got to hold up a lot of stuff on the top {so the picture looks good!!}. Choice of toppings could range from cooked quinoa, seeds, nuts, cut fruit, granola, fresh herbs, frozen berries. Smoothie Bowls are great fun to create and a great kids project in the kitchen too. Now that summer’s practically gone, and autumn’s almost here, think apples & pears, cinnamon, maple syrup, walnuts, granola, popped amaranth, pumpkin seeds …

Nut Butters like almond butter, cashew butter, tahini or then this dead easy Smooth Peanut Butter which is a staple at home. I make two jars a week, and it barely lasts. Use it in PB & J sandwiches, to make cookies with , in Thai sauces, in salad dressings, in smoothies {think chocolate peanut butter smoothie}. It is a good way to up your daily protein. My daughter just eats it by the spoonful!! You can make it chunky by keeping a 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts initially before adding the oil and honey.
How to make it – 400g roasted peanuts {I use salted} + 1/4 cup neutral oil + 1/4 cup honey. Place peanuts in jar. Process for 5 seconds. Reserve 1/4-1/2 cup for chunky peanut butter if that’s what you like. Add the oil and honey. Process until smooth. {If making chunky peanut butter, add the reserved chopped peanuts in the end and stir in}.
Note: The peanut butter thickens a bit as it stands.

Did you know you can make super quick Blender Waffles in the KitchenAid Blender too? I always keep my waffles wholegrain, usually oatmeal. I did two versions and both are so fast tracked, even the poor waffle maker needed more time to heat up! One favourite are the Blender Chocolate Waffles which I like to pair with single unsweetened cream and fruit.

Just a few days ago I made Savoury Blender Oat Cheese Waffles inspired by a recipe from Martha Stewart. Those turned out exceptionally well and quite perfect. Low fat, whole grain, cheesy, garlicky too and crisp, those are my best savoury waffles to date. They also had the most perfect little pockets on top. You can find that recipe on the KitchenAid Blog soon.

Dips next. What’s not to love? My two favourites are Chickpea Hummus and eggplant dip. I can’t pick which one I like better, so I make both often. The hummus is smooth as can be, and so is the Smoked Eggplant Walnut Truffle Dip. Both are fabulous to have in the fridge as can be made ahead of time!

If dips are covered, can Chutneys be far behind? I ALWAYS have chutney in the fridge. I still remember my Dad making chutney and butter sandwiches when we were kids and went on road-trips. White bread, loads of butter, the depth of chutney was bliss! Here’s a chutney I made the other day for Vada Pav since I was craving them on returning from a Food Styling Workshop in Bombay.

Hari Chutney {Fresh coriander chutney} – Big bunch fresh coriander roughly chopped stems and leaves, 5 cloves garlic, 2-3 fresh green chilies, juice of 2-3 limes, salt to taste. Place 1/4 the fresh coriander in jar of blender with all other ingredients except salt. process to grind. Add the remaining coriander in 2-3 lots. I use lime juice as my liquid base. You could add a small amount of water in addition if you don’t like your chutney very tangy. Once smooth, add salt to taste.
Note: Ingredient ratios are ‘andaz‘ or eyeballed. Play around with flavours that you like. My mum adds fresh mint and onion to her chutney. Use raw mango instead of lime in summer. Keeps in the fridge for a week.

And talking about chutneys here’s another I love playing around with, a Coconut Chutney. I’ve slowly mastered the art of making perfect crisp dosas {glutenfree savoury pancakes} and there’s nothing I love more. Served with a coconut chutney and quick stir fried potatoes, it’s a meal like no other!
Coconut Chutney {my way}: Fresh coconut diced, 4-5 cloves garlic, 1-2 green chilies, coconut water, Greek yogurt, salt to taste. Place all ingredients except yogurt and salt in blender jar. Process until smooth. Add enough yogurt to get right consistency. Add salt to taste.

From savoury, it’s back to sweet again. Fruit purees! Smooth, delightful, indulgent, this is a quick way to dessert toppers, jams, smoothies etc.

Here’s a Jamum Mousse I made using a jamun {wild Indian Java plum puree}.There are so many ways to use fruit purees. Think breakfast, think dessert, think dessert for breakfast, see what magic fruit purees can create!

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Chia Pots {below left}: Layers – Coconut milk + maple syrup + cocoa powder + chia seeds, Coconut cream + raw sugar, pureed balsamic cherries, Seedy GF maple syrup granola, fresh cherries & mint
Quaker Oat+Milk Chia seed Breakfast Pudding {below right}: Stir heaped 2 tbsp of chia seeds into the oat milk in cognac glasses. Let stand overnight. Top with fresh mango puree, fresh jamun puree, fresh diced mangoes, fresh mint and rose from the garden.

And then Salsas, Pestos and all the fun things in the world. Use a pesto in a sandwich, or toss a pasta into it. Else simply serve it with handcut home made hot chips!!Dahi badas or Lentil Dumplings in garlicky yogurt, the batter ready in minutes. You can do medu vadas, idli/dosa batter and so much more.

Last but not the least, frozen desserts.  Think ice creams, fro yo, sorbets etc.Can your blender do all this {and more}?

Tel me what you love making in your blender the most!

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Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup

Refreshing, flavourful, raw cold soup is just the thing for summer and fresh produce!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 3 slices English cucumbers scrubbed clean {save a couple for garnish if desired}
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small green chili
• juice of 1 small lime
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Handful fresh mint
• Salt to taste
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in jar of KA blender. Process until smooth. Chill for a couple of hours. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.