“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
Jim Davis
That Ottolenghi cookbook has me completely smitten! I think it follows me around, planting itself on a table near me, calling me softly. It will not rest till I pick it up! It’s not just a book, it’s a trend, a passion, is addictive and it’s making 2010 a wonderful foodie year for me. All thanks to Hilda who gave it to me when I met her at the FBC’09.
You see mentions of the book popping up in blog posts and twitter ever so often,. Joy! It is tone of the most satisfying books that I own! So inspired by the book, I bought some nice red juicy carrots and set off to bake my first ever carrot cake.
Happiness was eating this beautiful cake. It looks good, it smells good , and tastes even better. There’s something about it! Ever so satisfying! Something more… yes good as good can be, and yet no butter! I decreased the butter in the frosting, and used mascarpone instead of cream cheese . This was also probably my first cake with just a splattering of rosting on top, leaving the sides unfrosted! Charming! I even added home made marzipan carrots on top to complete the picture.
The son came by and asked ‘Why carrots Mama?‘ In panic I answered, “Because I mixed these colours and all I could think of was carrots!” He gave me a weird look, and said, “OK, but you could have made butterflies or something with the same colours!” Didn’t want to risk telling him at the outset that it was carrot cake. Can’t trust their reactions to veggies in cake! Eventually, they loved it!
Carrot & Walnut Cake Adapted minimally fromOttolenghi, The Cookbook Cake: 200g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 2 egg whites 250g sunflower oil 350g vanilla sugar 60g chopped walnuts 175g roughly grated carrot (1 large approximately) Pinch salt Frosting: 50gms soft butter 1 1/2 tbsp honey 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar 1/3 cup mascarpone 1/3 cup roasted walnuts, chopped
Method: Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease a 9″ loose bottomed ring baking tin. Grease it lightly, and line the base with baking parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and spices. Separate 2 of the eggs and lightly whisk together the two yolks with the 1 whole egg. Set the 2 egg whites to one side. Using a mixer or electric hand whisk, beat together the oil and sugar for about 1 minute. Continue to beat on a low speed and slowly add the egg yolk/egg mixture. Add the walnuts, carrot and then the sifted dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix. Now transfer the mixture into another large bowl. Thoroughly wash and dry the original bowl before adding the egg whites along with a pinch of salt. Then whisk the egg whites on a high speed until they form firm peaks. Next, gently fold the egg whites into the carrot mixture in 3 additions. Again, be careful not to over mix; it is fine to have streaks of white remaining in the mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1-1/4 hours, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. If the cake starts going dark before the middle is cooked, cover the top of it with kitchen foil. Let the cake cool completely, then remove from the tin. You can freeze the cake at this stage, if you like. Just wrap it in a double layer of parchment paper and put it in a polythene freezer bag.
Frosting:
Beat the mascarpone with a whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl,beat the butter, icing sugar and honey in the mixer until light and airy.
Fold together the mascarpone and butter mixture. Finally, spread the frosting on top of the cake and sprinkle with the chopped, toasted walnuts.
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
I got a comment on my facebook from Sherry in CA who said… “Love this cake and it is so perfect since Easter is coming and that means bunnies! and bunnies mean carrots! and so this will find a nice place on the Brunch table.“
Baby Mumble: [tap dancing] I’m happy, Pa! Memphis: Whatcha doin’ with your feet? Baby Mumble: [looks down] They’re happy, too!”
Happy Feet, the movie
Time to ring in the new year, and what better way to ring it in than with ‘FEET‘. Yes indeed, in our little macobssessed world, it’s still all about finding our feet! We’re down to our next MacAttack #3 at our other blog MacTweets.
Jamie and I had rung out the theme and rules for the January 2010 challenge some time back. Can you hear the bells peeling? It’s time to RING OUT THE OLD, AND BRING IN THE NEW! Yes indeed, with a brand new year staring us in the face, we thought up something for the next challenge…
Something about your macs should be NEW.
DO SOMETHING OR ADD SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE BUT HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY!
I did just that. Jumped into the fray of things on morning in a sudden gust of excitement. Figured I was suffering from macamania and just had to have a go at an idea that suddenly grabbed my fancy. I was looking at this bag of milled nut flour from Linswood UK, part of the goodie bag giveaway from gorgeous Beth at the Food Blogger Connect ’09 in London in November, and suddenly wondered if I could use some to make macarons. Not an easy exercise for me, one who has suffered many mac failures in the past, but was still game to have another go. You never know, one day I might just get them right on the first attempt.
Milled Nut Flour = NEW! Mom had got me a lovely digital scale from the US recently = NEW Hilda @ Saffronberry gave me the awesome Ottolenghi, The Cookbook in November = NEW Ottolenghi had a recipe for macarons which I wanted to try = NEW!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR… I giggled at all the NEW I was ringing in with my macs in the new year, and soon set off. Weighing on a digital scale after so many years of a regular hit and miss scale brought alive the kid in me. I was tickled pink and weighed to the last gram…even added a drop of egg white for the scale to hit 60gms…amazing!
The story of my macs of course is something good and something not. I found feet on some of the macs, and some cracked on top, others were smooth, but look ‘NO FEET’!! I have no idea how one lot of macs on the same cookie sheet can have different results individually; a bit like siblings and nature I figured!
Anyway, I was happy to have baked out of the preciously exciting book where the authors, YotamOttolenghi andSamiTamimi refer to their recipe for macarons as one that makes homely macaroons (that’s what they call them). To quote them from the book, “As such, they don’t have the same dazzling effect but they are still wonderfully tasty – soft, with a slight crunch, richly flavoured and stunning to look at.” Mine were absolutely delicious, even though they didn’t all have FEET!
As usual 170C didn’t suit my macs one bit on my test batch of 2 ( I have learnt from past experience that with any new recipe try a set of 2 macs to see how they react to oven temperature). So the next batch was baked at 140C, but no feet still. Batch nbr 3 was baked at 170C for 1 minute, and then at 140C for the remaining 12-13 minutes, and funnily enough I saw the teeniest of feet. My heart skipped a beat as I had just about given it up as a failed batch! New Year surprise… and I am happy to show off my few feet. Experiment is the name of the game!
I have begun collecting and aging egg whites again as the flavour combinations are infinite and these fiddly finicky creatures are a source of constant intrigue for moi! Mr PAB loved this batch of macarons, and I have to say I did too. They are growing on me, and this combination wasn’t too sweet! The texture was awesome too, and seemed to become better and better as they matured in the fridge. I experimented with keeping 2 for 10 days in the fridge…still fab!!
Do you want to join us making MACARONS?? If you do, you are most welcome to join the challenge. You can find all the information at our dedicated macaron blog MacTweets. The rules for Mac Attack #3 can be found here. You still have until the 15th of January to join us with happy feet!
Milled Nut Flour Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache Adapted from Ottolenghi – The Cookbook 110gm icing sugar 60gm nut flour 60gm egg whites (of 2 eggs) 40gm Castor sugar 10gms nut flour for sprinkling on top Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling 100gm dark chocolate 2-3 tbsps low fat cream
Whiz the nut flour and icing sugar in the coffee grinder and sift 2-3 times
Whisk the egg whites and Castor sugar till it forms a thick aerated meringue, firm but not too dry.
Turn the nut mixture into the bowl, and fold gently to get a lava type batter.
Hold the tray firmly and tap the underside firmly. This should help to spread and smooth out the macarons.
Leave out, uncovered for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 140C (the original recipe has 170C).
Bake in preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes. They are ready when they readily leave the paper when lifted with a palette knife. Remove from oven as soon as this happens, and leave to cool completely.
Ganache
Melt half the chocolate and the cream on simmer in a pan, stirring constantly. Once melted and bubbling, take off heat, and add the rest of the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Coo.
To assemble
Match equal halves of macarons, and keep together.
Use a small spoon or piping bag, deposit a tiny amount of ganache on the flat side of the macaron, and sandwich with another of the same size. sandwich them, squeezing gently. Leave to set in fridge. Note: They taste much better after maturing for 24 hours, and I am happy to say that the two I kept for over 1 week in the fridge tasted brilliant too!
Baby Mumble: [tap dancing] I’m happy, Pa! Memphis: Whatcha doin’ with your feet? Baby Mumble: [looks down] They’re happy, too!”
Happy Feet, the movie
Time to ring in the new year, and what better way to ring it in than with ‘FEET‘. Yes indeed, in our little macobssessed world, it’s still all about finding our feet! We’re down to our next MacAttack #3 at our other blog MacTweets.
Jamie and I had rung out the theme and rules for the January 2010 challenge some time back. Can you hear the bells peeling? It’s time to RING OUT THE OLD, AND BRING IN THE NEW! Yes indeed, with a brand new year staring us in the face, we thought up something for the next challenge…
Something about your macs should be NEW.
DO SOMETHING OR ADD SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE BUT HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY!
I did just that. Jumped into the fray of things on morning in a sudden gust of excitement. Figured I was suffering from macamania and just had to have a go at an idea that suddenly grabbed my fancy. I was looking at this bag of milled nut flour from Linswood UK, part of the goodie bag giveaway from gorgeous Beth at the Food Blogger Connect ’09 in London in November, and suddenly wondered if I could use some to make macarons. Not an easy exercise for me, one who has suffered many mac failures in the past, but was still game to have another go. You never know, one day I might just get them right on the first attempt.
Milled Nut Flour = NEW! Mom had got me a lovely digital scale from the US recently = NEW Hilda @ Saffronberry gave me the awesome Ottolenghi, The Cookbook in November = NEW Ottolenghi had a recipe for macarons which I wanted to try = NEW!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR… I giggled at all the NEW I was ringing in with my macs in the new year, and soon set off. Weighing on a digital scale after so many years of a regular hit and miss scale brought alive the kid in me. I was tickled pink and weighed to the last gram…even added a drop of egg white for the scale to hit 60gms…amazing!
The story of my macs of course is something good and something not. I found feet on some of the macs, and some cracked on top, others were smooth, but look ‘NO FEET’!! I have no idea how one lot of macs on the same cookie sheet can have different results individually; a bit like siblings and nature I figured!
Anyway, I was happy to have baked out of the preciously exciting book where the authors, YotamOttolenghi andSamiTamimi refer to their recipe for macarons as one that makes homely macaroons (that’s what they call them). To quote them from the book, “As such, they don’t have the same dazzling effect but they are still wonderfully tasty – soft, with a slight crunch, richly flavoured and stunning to look at.” Mine were absolutely delicious, even though they didn’t all have FEET!
As usual 170C didn’t suit my macs one bit on my test batch of 2 ( I have learnt from past experience that with any new recipe try a set of 2 macs to see how they react to oven temperature). So the next batch was baked at 140C, but no feet still. Batch nbr 3 was baked at 170C for 1 minute, and then at 140C for the remaining 12-13 minutes, and funnily enough I saw the teeniest of feet. My heart skipped a beat as I had just about given it up as a failed batch! New Year surprise… and I am happy to show off my few feet. Experiment is the name of the game!
I have begun collecting and aging egg whites again as the flavour combinations are infinite and these fiddly finicky creatures are a source of constant intrigue for moi! Mr PAB loved this batch of macarons, and I have to say I did too. They are growing on me, and this combination wasn’t too sweet! The texture was awesome too, and seemed to become better and better as they matured in the fridge. I experimented with keeping 2 for 10 days in the fridge…still fab!!
Do you want to join us making MACARONS?? If you do, you are most welcome to join the challenge. You can find all the information at our dedicated macaron blog MacTweets. The rules for Mac Attack #3 can be found here. You still have until the 15th of January to join us with happy feet!
Milled Nut Flour Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache Adapted from Ottolenghi – The Cookbook 110gm icing sugar 60gm nut flour 60gm egg whites (of 2 eggs) 40gm Castor sugar 10gms nut flour for sprinkling on top Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling 100gm dark chocolate 2-3 tbsps low fat cream
Whiz the nut flour and icing sugar in the coffee grinder and sift 2-3 times
Whisk the egg whites and Castor sugar till it forms a thick aerated meringue, firm but not too dry.
Turn the nut mixture into the bowl, and fold gently to get a lava type batter.
Hold the tray firmly and tap the underside firmly. This should help to spread and smooth out the macarons.
Leave out, uncovered for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 140C (the original recipe has 170C).
Bake in preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes. They are ready when they readily leave the paper when lifted with a palette knife. Remove from oven as soon as this happens, and leave to cool completely.
Ganache
Melt half the chocolate and the cream on simmer in a pan, stirring constantly. Once melted and bubbling, take off heat, and add the rest of the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Coo.
To assemble
Match equal halves of macarons, and keep together.
Use a small spoon or piping bag, deposit a tiny amount of ganache on the flat side of the macaron, and sandwich with another of the same size. sandwich them, squeezing gently. Leave to set in fridge. Note: They taste much better after maturing for 24 hours, and I am happy to say that the two I kept for over 1 week in the fridge tasted brilliant too!
“And When You Least Expect It, You Will See the Mountain Move…”
… lines from my little red book
All through my university days, and even while I worked, I had this little red book with a checked Scottish cover, in which I penned down quotes and poems I liked. I’d always had this thing for ‘words‘, and I still do. The quote, which formed part of a poem I’d saved, seemed an instant click with my battle of making the kids eat their veggies.
As they grow up, it’s becoming an uphill task. They are increasingly fussy about not eating their ‘greens‘, their vegetables and the outright ‘healthy’ stuff! The rebellion is quite strong, but Mum’s resolve is stronger, and we often find ourselves back at the bargaining table. No veggies = No dessert! Have now decided to make sure that the veggies get into them by gently coaxing them, and am on the look out for appealing and fun recipes!
Look no further shouted the gorgeous Ottolenghi cookbook … a cookbook which Hilda presented to me in London. It is my current firm favourite. I love Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s style of narrative, love the pictures, love the stories, love the way they credit the recipe when needed … and love the refreshing flavours they present. It’s a happy mix of cultures, of childhood influences, of sharing with each other, of evolving tastes, and yet at times, touching roots! Passionate book!
The chargrilled broccoli is one such interesting recipe from this beautiful book. It’s as simple as it is good looking. My kids enjoy eating food that looks good! Judge a book by the cover, or rather, a dish by it’s looks? Yes, fortunately or unfortunately, that is what they do! So the chargrilling ensured half the battle won. The flavours of garlic won the rest, and now I don’t have to cajole them into finishing the broccoli. Least expected to see this mountain move, but they will eat about 6-8 florets happily. Then the adults fight to finish the rest of this finger licking good salad!
My only addition to the recipe is a squeeze of lime juice to the garlic & oil as I enjoy the twang of citrus! The good thing about this salad is that you just need to blanch the broccoli for ONLY 2 MINUTES, and then leave it to drain. I do this much earlier, and then chargrill it just before serving. On a hot grill this takes just 5-7 minutes, and offers a fun and flavourful addition to the table. As the authors say, “In all honesty, broccoli is a boring vegetable and you need a magic touch to bring it to life.”
This magic is en route to Sudeshna of Cook Like A Bongwho is the guest host for this months Monthly Mingle. She has chosen a great seasonal theme for the new year – Winter Vegetables and Fruit, and this fits in perfectly with my Ten in 10 plans!!
Chargrilled Broccoli with Chilli and Garlic Minimally adapted fromOttolenghi – the Cookbook About 500gms of broccoli, broken into florets 4tbsp olive oil 4-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced Coarse sea salt and black pepper Juice of 1 lime
Method: Bring a large saucepan of mildly salted water to a boil, and blanch the florets for only 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and quickly transfer to a bowl of ice cold water to stop cooking. Drain and allow to dry completely. Toss with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a grill pan till extremely hot. Grill the broccoli for a few minutes till they get chargrill marks, turn over and repeat for the other side. Don’t cramp the pan, and do it in several batches if need be. In a small pan, heat the remaining olive oil with the garlic and chillies, and keep over medium hat until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Take off heat, add juice of 1 lime. Pour the flavoured oil over the hot broccoli and toss together well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: You can garnish it with toasted flaked almonds or thinly sliced lime just before serving, if you like.
It’s time for a savoury break… short & crisp recipe as most of my family has been bitten by the flu bug. We have a house full of sniffles & coughs, and this soup is the call of today. This is also my Mom’s fave soup which she now makes more often than me. I put together this simple recipe ages ago, yet had to call her for the recipe yesterday because amnesia struck me!!
It’s off for Meeta’s Monthly Mingle which is rightfully calling for warming soups this time. I think I am just about making it in the nick of time. The mingle this month is being hosted by SunshineMom @ TongueTicklers. I used some wonderful superfood milled nut flour in the soup, which I got from my FBC09 goodie bag. This Linswood milled nut flour is about the most versatile superfood I have come across. easy to use & a great larder necessity, I find myself reaching out for it all the time.
I used it here in this wonderful French Fougasse, a beautiful bread which has become a firm favourite in our house. I make this bread often, with different fillings to keep the monotony at bay.… This time it had a little lingering taste of themilled nut flour within, and the filling was of roasted red bell pepper, mature cheddar cheese and chopped walnuts. You can find a Red Bell Pepper, Walnut & Gouda French Fougasserecipe here, & aFrench Fougasse with Ricotta, Walnuts & Romescohere. I brushed the top of one loaf with sea salt, and used roasted sesame seeds for the other.
Our meal was yummier with the addition of this beautiful , deep flavoured char grilled broccoli salad from a book that my sweet friend Hilda of SaffronBerry recently gifted me in London, the Ottolenghi – The Cookbook. I have been eyeing that salad from day 1, and today was just the right day to make it. I will share the recipe at a later date… but here is a picture of how robust and delicious broccoli can get!
Quick Mushroom Soup Ingredients: 200gms button mushrooms, sliced 2 spring onion, chopped with greens 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 tbsp butter 250ml cold milk 1 tbsp cornflour 250ml chicken/vegetable stock; or milk (I used milk this time) Dash of cream 1-2 tbsps milled nut seeds, optional Salt and pepper to tateMethod: Saute onions and garlic in butter til they become translucent. Add mushrooms and stir fry till they release thier liquid
Dissolve the cornflour in cold milk and add to above, stirring constantly till it begins to thicken. Add chicken or vegetable stock and stir till comes to a simmering boil. You can grate some cheese in if you like, or add a dash of cream/half and half if you like. Season with salt and pepper. Cool and blend with immersion blewnder to keep slightly chunky consistency. Before serving, heat through, add a tbsp or 2 of milled flour seeds. This adds a wonderful nutty texture and flavour. Serve hot with a swirl of cream, sprig of fresh basil and wholewheat, oven baked croutons.
Oven baked croutons
Cube 2 slices of whole wheat bread, toss in 1 tbsp of olive oil / canola oil, 1 tbsp of milled nut seed flour, and a dash of salt. Make sure it is mixed well. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes till crisp and golden. Cool and store in an airtight box.
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
I’d like to offer some holiday gift suggestions too for a season which is full of the spirit of goodness, joy & sharing. It has been my ultimate pleasure to work with BloggerAid for the following cookbook which has now become a reality. It’s a wonderful book to gift for the holiday season, more so because 100% of the proceeds from sales will go to the UN World Food Programme. About the book…
Available from createspace at https://www.createspace.com/3405882.
Recipes from bloggers around the world making a differenceBy BloggerAid-CFF, Rhonda Renee, Mark Haak, Peter Georgakopoulos, Deeba Rajpal
Food does not simply nourish the body; food also celebrates what makes the world diverse, as well as, what unites us. The BloggerAid Cook Book is a collection of international recipes illustrating that we can work together and unite for a greater cause. The authors of this cookbook are food bloggers from around the world who have endeavored to make a difference by raising funds for the World Food Programme and encompassing their passion for “all things foodie” at the same time. Through these recipes they share their traditions and insatiable curiosity about new flavours. They pay tribute to the home cooking of our grandmothers, while celebrating the exoticism and richness of a world brought closer together by their hopes to make a difference. With recipes such as Tomato-Cheese Ravioli with Eggplant Sauce, Spicy Serundeng Tuna and Peanuts, Serrano Ham Paella with Oyster Mushrooms, Raspberry Mascarpone Bites and Triple Layer Orange-Passion Fruit Tart we are doing our part to say that bloggers can change the face of famine.
We chose the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) to receive the funds generated by the cookbook because of the wonderful work this organization does. The WFP has touched the lives of our members, many of whom are from countries where poverty is often a way of life. More specifically, 100% of BloggerAid’s proceeds from the cookbook will benefit the WFP’s School Meals Programme, which benefits an average of 22 million hungry children each year. School meals are important on many levels. In countries where school attendance is low, the promise of at least one nutritious meal each day boosts enrollment and promotes regular attendance.
This book is a virtual way for all of us, wherever we may be and however rich or poor we may be, to pull up a chair at the same table and share what we have.
Publication Date: Nov 10 2009 ISBN/EAN13: 1449561926 / 9781449561925 Page Count: 224 Binding Type: US Trade Paper Trim Size: 8″ x 10″ Language: English Color: Full Color Related Categories: Cooking / General
I was thrilled to see the BloggerAid Cookbook being offered by Meeta @What’s For Lunch Honey as part of her bidding package for Menu For Hope. Do stop by at WFLH to see what more the package includes… you will not be disappointed!
A few days ago I was pleasantly surprised to receive a beautiful package ,via Val’s blog More Than Burnt Toast which had an assortment of pretty glass bottles filled with spice blends. They are from an artisanal food company, ‘Made With Love, whose product range includes ‘Spice Blends and Delectable Edibles‘. Made with Love is a family run business with a back to basics focus on integrity, insight and simplicity. We create our Spice Blends & Delectable Edibles from whole dried foods blended and packaged with care and attention to detail.
It was a beautiful gift to receive. Do stop by and take a look at what they have to offer. Their vision and commitment reflects that they work hard to source earth-safe packaging and organic materials.
Another great gift idea for foodies would be this excellent cookbook software from The Cookbook People. I received my own copy of this fantastic software from BloggerAid for winning an in house competition, and am really enjoying building my own cookbook page by page. The cookbook people are “committed to helping families keep their cherished recipes, so they designed their own family cookbook software.Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Softwareprints your home-made family cookbooks. One copy…or as many copies as you want. Whenever YOU want. Because you make it yourself on your own computer!”
There is always place for yet another cookbook on our already stuffed bookshelves. One book I have immensely enjoyed reading, drooling over & planning to cook from is the ‘Ottolenghi – The Cookbook’ that Hilda gave me. It’s a book from the heart. It has history, it has stories, it has beautiful pictures & it has the ‘pick me up & cook‘ urgency in it! (I just cooked from it this afternoon; a char grilled broccoli salad … irresistible!)
In the author’s words “The Cookbook is our first attempt at “summing up” Ottolenghi food for the home cook. The 140 recipes cover everything we do: our prominent salads and roast vegetable dishes, cold meat and fish, substantial main courses from our dinner menu in Islington, some of our wholesome breads and savoury pastries, and a good mixture of the sweets that distinctively adorn Ottolenghi’s windows. We encourage you to use this open window into our world.
My last gift suggestion for today is a blend of foodie goodies like what we got in out goodie bags at the FBC09. Linswood has a wonderful array of super foods on offer. Throw into the bag some matured cheddar cheese, some quality organic olives, some Maldon sea salt, & you will be thanked forever!
