Simple Chickpea Hummus … some things are good when kept basic. It’s nice to master the simplest form of a recipe, then treat is as a canvas and build on it. This is my simplest hummus, absolutely no fuss and finger licking good. It uses basic pantry ingredients if you don’t count the tahini that is. You could always skip it, or make your own. However, a bottle of tahini in the fridge is always handy, and lasts for absolutely forever.I am probably the laziest cook you’d ever find even though I do everything from scratch. So whenever I soak chickpeas overnight for a chana masala the next day, I make sure I soak LOTS! That way I have a cooked batch ready for this, that, AND everything in between. Think savoury chickpea parfaits, oven roasted spicy chickpeas {great snack by the way}, chickpea pumpkin salad, falafal … and so much more.Just toss a handful of cooked chickpeas in any salad to get a hearty helping of plant protein and fibre too. If you are like me, a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of chaat masala or sea salt, maybe chopped onions, green chilies & fresh coriander and my meal is done! Layer this with a nicely spike garlic Greek yogurt, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, maybe some nice crispy topping to finish it off … and you have a parfait you can carry to work!
Simple Chickpea Hummus ... some things are good when kept basic. It's nice to master the simplest form of a recipe, then treat is as a canvas and build on it. This is my simplest hummus, absolutely no fuss and finger licking good. It uses basic pantry ingredients if you don't count the tahini that is.
Keyword eggless, gluten free, glutenfree, no bake
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Total Time 5 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Chickpea Hummus
2cupscooked chickpeasroom temperature
3clovesgarlic
1tbsptahini
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1tspSea salt
1tsproasted cumin powder
Juice of 1 lime
a little aqua faba if required
Garnish
Pomegranate pearls and fresh mint to garnish
A glug of extra virgin olive oil to pour over
Instructions
Place all ingredients except aqua faba in jar of food processor. I used the KitchenAid artisan blender
Process until smooth, adding a little aqua faba if required.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer to a bowl. Top with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate pearls and fresh mint.
Chocolate Walnut Granola & a Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart … yes it’s two recipes in one post today because one thing led to another. The chocolate walnut granola I made is minimally adapted from the recipe at Minimalist Baker was fabulous and needed to be celebrated. I thought it might fit straight into a tart, yet I didn’t want to do a breakfast tart. The chocolate walnut granola needed some hard core coffee something and that’s just what the tart turned out to be.
It was just one of those days where I began sorting out the larder, and bits and bobs of leftovers were strewn across the counter. Some popped amaranth, a bag of flax seeds, a 1/4 tin of cocoa powder, some coconut sugar. Just looking at ingredients like this reminds me of granola, possibly cookies, and before I knew it I hit Google search! Easiest way to find a delicious end to small portions of leftover ingredients. In so many more ways than one, Google is still God! Always has an answer.
One of the first results was the granola from Dana who has one of the most fun pages on Instagram, a place where you can literally bookmark every recipe to try! Thought her feed is vegan and gluten free, I adapted her recipe to use things I had on hand. I just had to bake the granola a little longer as it took forever to crispen up. Of course, that was quite expected since I had lowered the baking temperature since I’m quite wary of chocolate burning in the oven. Also, as with any altered recipe, ingredients tend to behave differently, so it’s best to keep an eye out!
Both the Chocolate Walnut Granola & a Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart are relatively healthier and you get good plant fibre and a hearty dose of protein. The coffee cream is as simple as it gets. Whipping cream, mascarpone, instant coffee, sugar & Kahlua which nestles luxuriously in the baked chocolate granola walnut tart base. It’s eggless, it’s vegetarian and it’s gluten free. It can be easily turned vegan too if you follow the basic sea salt dark chocolate granola recipe. Also, for the filling, maybe use coconut cream? You could also make a vegan lemon curd if you like, and top the tart with berries! All yours!
Chocolate Walnut Granola & a Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart
This Coffee Chocolate Granola Tart is a relatively healthier tart since you get good plant fibre and a hearty dose of protein. The coffee cream is as simple as it gets. Whipping cream, mascarpone, instant coffee, sugar & Kahlua which nestles luxuriously in the baked chocolate granola walnut tart base. It's eggless, it's vegetarian and it's gluten free. It can be easily turned vegan too.
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 Walnut Gateau … baking up for when the world’s lightest full frame DSLR comes over for a review. Well it’s a Canon, more specifically a Canon 6D Mark II, and you just know it’s time to add to the wishlist. Light, at a mere 685 grams, wifi enabled, a touch screen technology, good in low light, not sure what more you can ask for?Did they say adequate weather sealing too? YES!!Yes indeed, it’s a model that won me over even though I already use the Canon 5D Mark III. It seems a matter of luxury to have touch screen auto focus and even a shooting option with the touch screen. For a fleeting moment you might feel redundant since it’s a camera that appears to frame, focus and even shoot on auto! Yet once you get past that initial awe and excitement, this is a good feel, full frame snappy camera with a powerful processor.I speak from quite the non tech point of view but because I have always used Canon as a brand, I am a huge fan of the brand and quality products. I set off with a Canon PS40 when I began shooting, graduated to a G9, then an EOS 50D, and now use a 5D Mark III. Ever since I cut over to the DSLR beginning with a 50D, I used a Canon f/2.8 100mm lens for food photography. I’ve now graduated to an L series lens of the same specs and for me that’s the best lens to shoot food.The Canon 6D Mark II on review came with a kit lens, the 24-105mm f/4 which is pretty decent for a kit lens and the full frame camera. It has the image stabilisation feature that I find so useful, especially in low light conditions. Since I am used to shooting with the 100mm f/2.8 lens and used to the results that gets, it was only a matter of time before I snapped that onto the 6D body.
The images above are all with the kit lens and the ones that follow with the 100mm f/2.8. Such an absolute pleasure to shoot with the 6D. It’s snappy, it’s quick and has a great new processor and a large sensor. These relate to less noise in your images. The live view focus is also really fast and enviable, and the colours are great. The wifi function also means that you can instantly share images to different devices without the hassle of downloading to another device tethered, or via a card reader etc.For the modern day digital lifestyle, this is an amazing feature. It takes the ease of what the cellphone camera can do, and places it in a camera. You might argue that carrying a camera is cumbersome, and these days cellphones produce amazing images too. Then again, If you are like me and are used to a DSLR to take pictures, then there’s nothing else that can offer you the same satisfaction.For you then, the 6D is a good choice if it’s in your budget range. It begins at INR 1,32,000 and if you are a serious photography enthusiast, then it’s a great investment. Though it is always the eye that frames the shot, the person that visualises the frame, you need great equipment to deliver the result. With a full HD capability and an LCD that shoots upto 4 frames a second with less shake in a video, this just might be the camera to consider.I have this Canon 6D in my view even though I love my 5D Mark III to bits. I love the innovative approach Canon has. The latest features are a sign of responding to the ever changing dynamic times, making life simpler while improving on quality, and largely responding to user feedback. How else would you find built in smart device pairings, remote control functions via a smart phone and instant transfers to devices?
If you have questions do let me know. I’ll try and answer them. Canon is my brand of choice as I’ve used no other, and find it meets my requirements and more.
And for the record, I barely do any post processing as most folk who know me are aware. So with minimal fixes {if any}, these are basically just images straight from the camera. I’d love to play around with it more, figure out white balance better etc, but for now I’ll say adieu!
… oh, and before I forget, the Dark Chocolate Walnut Gateau is a delicious healthy alternative for dessert. It’s flourless, it’s wholesome, and chocolate of course! You could actually serve it without the topping, yet who wouldn’t mind added indulgence?
Chocolate and walnuts are a marriage made in heaven. Giving a favourite an even healthier twist, this cake comes with a serving of oats too. It’s flourless, gluten free, moist and delicious. Make it ahead as a tea cake or dessert.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours35 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Walnut Oat Base
30gclarified butter {ghee}
150gwalnuts
40gquick cooking oats
15gbrown sugar
Dark Chocolate Filling
4egg yolks
50gbrown sugar
1tspvanilla beanscraped {or 1vanilla extract}
15gcoffee powder
100gdark chocolatemelted
2tbspWater
4egg whites
1pinchcream of tartar
50gbrown sugar
30goatmeal
1/2tspbaking powder
10gpowdered sugar for sifting
Mascarpone Caramel Cream
200gmascarponechilled
2-3tbspsalted caramel sauce
Salted caramel sauce to drizzle
Instructions
Flourless Gateau
Preheat oven to 180 C. Butter an 8" springform tin. Line the base with parchment paper
Walnut Oat Base
Run walnuts, oats and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in food processor till ground. Add the clarified butter/ghee and pulse till it all comes together.
Gently press this into the bottom and up the sides of the baking tin to form a base.
Dark Chocolate Filling
Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer. Add 50g brown sugar, pinch of cream of tartar and beat on high speed to stiff peaks. Reserve in a separate bowl.
Place the egg yolks in the same bowl of the stand mixer. Beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes until thick and mousse like. Add the remaining 50g brown sugar, coffee powder and scraped vanilla bean, and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Gently stir in the oats flour and baking powder.
Fold in the melted chocolate and water.
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites, beginning with a quarter at a time.
Turn the filling over the walnut base and spread uniformly. Sprinkle over with 1 tbsp brown sugar
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, cool in the pan for another 15-20 minutes
Loosen sides, and leave to cool completely for about 2 hours. The centre will drop/sink
Chill, then top with the mascarpone cream.
Topping
Whisk the mascarpone until smooth.
Take 2-3 tbsp and whisk in the salted caramel sauce to loosen, the gently fold this through the remaining mascarpone. Taste and add more sauce if desired.
Top the chilled cake with this, add some salted caramel popcorn if you like.
Slightly warm a little more salted caramel sauce and drizzle over to finish.
“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”
W.C. Fields
Wine marinated chicken taco bites turned out to be such fun little bites, and a great snack to serve, with wine perhaps? Though not traditionally used in a marinade, wine adds nice flavour to meats. It acts as a tenderizer too of course, the acidic component in wine replacing or adding to vinegar or lime juice. Experimenting is always good, and this was real fun. I decided to do mini tacos as finger food. There’s something about small portions that is very charming!I used a Sauvignon Blanc from Big Banyan Wines, a crisp dry white wine with herby undertones. It’s a nice summery wine, perfect for warm summer days like these. The addition of wine to the marinade worked quite well here, and blended in brilliantly with fresh coriander and lime juice. I also threw in a ripe, red tomato into the marinade while blending to draw in some salsa flavours. It’s tough to load mini snack bites with too much I thought, so better add as much to the marinade. The tomato worked well too, with the wine adding perfect acidity. Other flavours that complimented it were lime zest, a dash of lime juice, a small fresh chili, some roasted cumin powder {bhuna zeera powder} and a nice smoked paprika. Ooooh and finally a load of fresh finely chopped coriander. All staple pantry ingredients inspired by Mexican cuisine. You can always experiment with other ingredients or cuisines. Makes life interesting!It’s always fun to cook with wine, and it never disappoints. These lamb chops in red wine are firm favourites at home, and I’m adding the chicken tacos to the list. It’s simple, it’s flavourful and so versatile. I’ve made the marinade for the filling several times already because it is so simple and convenient. With just a 10-30 minute marinade {if you don’t have more time}, the chicken is cooked in about 15 minutes and you’re good to go.I did mini wholegrain tacos with the wine marinated chicken, also normal tacos, quesadillas, a salad, a grilled sandwich, even topped a quick pizza with it. Just what I mean by versatile!Make a batch, cook it and keep for a couple of days. Use as you go. In this fast paced life, where if you are like me, laundry, grocery, dogs, kids, everything demands attention. I haven’t even begun talking about working on recipes, food styling projects, photography etc. Did I really forget social media? Yes, a chunk of my times disappears on Instagram which I find so inspiring. Are you there yet? You can find me on Instagram@passionateaboutbakingSo, to cut a long story sort, this wine marinated chicken is the perfect make ahead or quick prep thing to make if you’re looking for new ideas to work with chicken, or new snack ideas. I like to finish it off the taco bites with a generous glug of garlic infused olive oil, a dusting of smoked paprika, and a drizzle of sour cream. I also brushed the mini tacos with the garlic oil and grilled them until crisp. You could always serve the wine marinated chicken in lettuce wraps too.
Wine marinated chicken taco bites turned out to be such fun little bites, and a great snack to serve, with wine perhaps? Though not traditionally used in a marinade, wine adds nice flavour to meats. It acts as a tenderizer too of course, the acidic component in wine replacing or adding to vinegar or lime juice. There's something about small portions that is very charming and these mini tacos as finger food are just right.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Tomato Wine Marinade
1/2cupBig Banyans Sauvignon Blanc wine
1tomato
1tspsmoked paprika
3clovesgarlic
Salt & pepper to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1tbsproasted cumin powder
1/2cupfresh coriander, finely chopped
500gboneless chicken breastcut into strips
2tbspGarlic infused extra virgin olive oil
6Wholegrain tacos
Topping
2-3tbspjalapeno cheese spread
salad greens, bell pepper, garlic greens
2tbspsour cream
Garlic infused extra virgin olive oil and smoked paprika
Instructions
Tomato Wine Marinade
Blend all ingredients for marinade until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix the chicken with finely chopped fresh coriander and lime zest strips well into the marinade. Leave for at least 10-15 minutes/ one hour.
Wine marinated chicken
Heat garlic infused olive oil in a heavy bottom pan. Once hot, add the chicken in one flat lot. { Don't overcrowd the pan. Do it in 2 batches if required}. Sprinkle over with fresh chopped coriander, cumin powder, lime juice, smoked sea salt. Cook until done. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more lime juice etc if you like. Keep warm.
Assemble
Cut out 2-3" circles out of the tacos using a cookie cutter. Brush with garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, and place for a minute or two on a very hot grill pan.
To each mini taco circle, add a spread of cheese spread, top with lettuce, juliennes of bell pepper. Top with cooked chicken.
Sprinkle over smoked paprika, a drizzle of garlic infused olive oil, a scatter of garlic greens. Finish off with a drizzle of sour cream. Serve immediately.
“I use a lot of spices, fresh veggies and fruit, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, avocado, soybeans and organic ingredients as often as possible. We need fat in our diets and using the healthier fats is key.” Todd English
Polenta Cheese Crackers {and canapes} and a cracker of a dip. The oh-so-delicious smooth Eggplant Melon Seed Dip comes together in seconds. Both the crackers and the dip are beautifully flavoured by an earthy, deep, aromatic organic garlic infused extra virgin olive oil from @Azafraninfusions.If you’ve been here often, you might have heard me say that garlic is my most favourite ingredient of all time, and more often than never, savoury is what my palette yearns for. I might bake a lot of sweet stuff, but when it comes to my taste-buds, it’s savoury all the way. I’ve attempted to infuse extra virgin olive oil a couple of times but I find the process tedious. I also find particles that get left behind which I fear might carry bacteria in the long run. So when Azafran Infusions came into my life, I was absolutely delighted.What’ s not to love about an infused olive oil? The flavours/aromas are rich, deep, earthy and add oodles to the dish. Also, the range is really nice. In the sense, I would use garlic, chili and basil most often and Azafran offers all three. However the brand scores even more brownie points. The infusions use organic products which is probably why the aromas are so deep. Great branding too.With this wonderful olive oil on hand, it was time to put it to test. Quick check of the pantry and fridge and I knew just what I wanted to make. Polenta crackers and a nutty eggplant dip. Both are simple, quick one bowl sort of recipes. A good handy stand mixer and blender can work magic in any kitchen. That magic can only come alive with quality ingredients. Both the crackers and dip turned out flavoursome and delicious. Paired together they created magic!!To get the cracker dough together, I threw in some grated cheddar. I love cheese in crackers. I always add garlic to crackers and this time my work was cut out! A generous glug of the garlic infusion from Azafaran and I was sorted. Gentle flavours of earthy garlic escaped from the oven the minute the crackers were done. So yum!!And what is dip without garlic. Yes indeed, another convenient glug into the blender brought out beautiful flavours. Make both the crackers and dip in advance. I have a mini pie pan so made some canapes as well. I love how pretty they look, and that they add an interesting dimension to a snack platter. I always try and make some while rolling out crackers. The dip gets thick once chilled, thick enough to pipe into canapes. Top the dip with slivers of fresh garlic, pomegranate pearls, fresh basil and a drizzle of the infused oil. Then sit back and enjoy!Other ways to enjoy oil infusions are in salad dressings, stir fries, marinades, over pizza, in bread, drizzled over bruschetta, as a dipping oil to serve with bread. Extra virgin olive oils in prettily packaged glass bottles are a charm. Always works for me. These make great gifts as well, don’t you think? I’m hoping the future sees more beautiful flavours added. On my wishlist might be rosemary, Italian herbs, orange, lime, sage …
…until then, I’m really loving using these three!
Polenta Cheese Crackers {and canapes} and a cracker of a dip. The oh-so-delicious smooth Eggplant Melon Seed Dip comes together in seconds. Both the crackers and the dip are beautifully flavoured by an earthy, deep, aromatic organic garlic infused extra virgin olive oil from @Azafraninfusions.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Polenta Crackers & Canapes
1/2cuppolenta
1cupall purpose flour
1tspbaking powder
1tspsmoked sea salt
1/4cupAzafran infusions (garlic)
50ggrated cheddar
1/4cupwater {as required}
Eggplant Melon Seed Dip
1eggplant, roasted, cooled
1/4cupAzafran infusions (garlic)
1/2cupmusk melon seeds
1/4cupyogurt
1limeJuice of
1/2tspsmoked paprika
Smoked sea salt to taste
Fresh basil, pomegranate pearls, garlic slivers and roasted chilli flakes to garnish
Azafran organic garAzafran infusions (garlic) to drizzle over
Instructions
Polenta Crackers & Canapes
Place all ingredients except water in bowl of stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
Add in enough water to make firm pliable dough. Leave to rest covered for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Roll out as thin as possible on a lightly floured surface and cut out with fluted cookie cutter {or in any shape you wish}.
Reduce oven temperature to 180C. Transfer cutout crackers to a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges begin to get slightly golden.
Cool completely on cookie racks.
Note: You can make canapes the same way but in a mini pie pan if you like.
Eggplant Melon Seed Dip
Place all ingredients in bowl of blender and process until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a bowl, cover firmly and chill until ready to serve.
Garnish with fresh basil, pomegranate pearls, garlic slivers and roasted chili flakes. Drizzle over Azafran Infusions (garlic)
Serve with crackers, or pipe into canapes.
Note: makes 1 1/2 dozen crackers + 1 dozen canapes
