“My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate. That’s my philosophy.”
Thornton Wilder
They don’t call the MANGO the king of fruits for nothing! We are well & truly into mango season here in North India, and this luscious, juicy fruit is keeping us happy! To keep in tune with the dieting divas low fat diet, this turned out to be a perfect fit … a Mango Frozen Yogurt which tasted every bit like an ice-cream, rich, smooth & divine, but was sans the cream!Maybe it was the magic of the Thermomix, or maybe this contraption I bought from Sydney recently. Whatever it was, maybe just good proportions, but this was a winner, a perfect fit for July, the National Ice Cream Month.While in Sydney last month, I couldn’t help a quick dash to Victoria’s Basement, a store I love to spend time at. Every nook & cranny is packed with tasteful and exciting things, be it kitchenware, cookware, ceramics, bakeware, small handy gadgets. I got just an hour in the store, and it was like a mad dash. I raced through the store at top speed, grabbing whatever I thought was on my list {and loads that wasn’t}.
One such buy was this Cuisipro – Greek Yoghurt/Yoghurt Cheese Maker. The cheese lover in me looked at it longingly for a precious 10 minutes, then put it back because it was for $20 and I thought it might not be worth it. Mr PAB literally forced me to take it, and that was my best buy this visit. {Disclaimer: I have not been paid to write about the product or the shop. I just love both and thought this worth sharing}.It’s just an innovative little box with a uniquely designed stainless steel strainer that fits within. You ladle your yogurt into it, shut it and leave it in the fridge overnight {or 3 days as in my case} … and voilà! Like magic I got this beautiful very think hung yogurt that I could cut into cubes too.One look at it and I knew there was mango fro yo in the very near future! I had planned on making mango ice cream {with the MacTweets Ice Cream Dreams theme in mind}, but eventually fatless my ice cream was going to be! {I made my hung yogurt with homemade fat free yogurt}.Turned out GREAT! I blitzed frozen diced mango & chilled hung yogurt in the Thermomix which is pure magic for stuff like this. The blades are S T R O N G and result in a mean puree! In the freezer for 3 hours and I was serving pretty yellow scoops! NICE!! I attempted making some pistachio macarons as well, but the high heat and humidity here had other plans … and my feet failed. Not sure if I’ll have time to try baking macarons again this month as our little pooch {Coco} is turning out to be quite a full time job. Look at her. She is the cutest but naughtiest little thing, and currently races around the house like a little rabbit!
Do you want to join us making MACARONS?
If you do, you are most welcome to join us. You can find all the information at our dedicated macaron blog MacTweets. We generally post the round-up by the end of every month, following which a new challenge is posted!
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Recipe: Mango Frozen Yogurt
Summary: A low fat, cream free mango frozen yogurt that celebrates the king of fruits in India. Smooth, refreshing and sweet, this is a great way to indulge guilt free.
650gms mango, diced, {frozen as I made mine in the Thermomix}
250gms hung yogurt {homemade with 2% fat, hung in fridge for 3 days},
100gms powdered sugar
2 tbsps honey
Method:
I made mine in my Thermomix.
Place all ingredients in TM bowl, and run at Speed 10 for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides if required, until smooth and crystal free.
Transfer to freezer safe bowl. Serve immediately or store in freezer.
If making in ice cream maker, chill both mangoes and hung yogurt well, and process all ingredients till smooth and well blended. Adjust sugar if need be. Turn into ice cream maker and make as per manufacturers instructions.
Makes approximately 1 litre.
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Before I go, I’d like to tell you that Chef Jeff is raffling off some free copies of his new e-bookDinner Revolution, and has offered a few copies for readers of PAB. Do head across to Dinner Revolution and enter his raffle to win a book he says will revolutionize how you cook dinner!The e-book has over 200 healthy and mouthwatering dinner recipes, which have less than 10 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to prepare. An amazing variety of recipes including vegetarian and simple side dishes …
Caribbean Chicken Quesadilla
Lasagna Roll-Ups
Vegetarian Pad Thai
Shrimp Coconut Curry
Firecracker Shrimp Salad
Southwest Turkey Burgers
Moroccan Carrots
Thai Cucumber Salad
Hamburger Stroganoff
Blackened Red Snapper Soft Tacos
“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
Louisa May Alcott
It’s the time of the year again that makes me walk towards the oven in a hypnotic trance and want to bake all day long. Its warming and comforting to have the oven on, to fill the house with warm flavours that give you joy. The nip in the air, the apples flooding the market, the big yellow {& green} pumpkins all beckon you. Even though the pumpkin sits there all the year round, it’s once the weather begins to get nippy that I like to roast it.
The ‘make my own pumpkin puree’ madness hit me last year when I made my first pumpkin pie, the Praline Pumpkin Pie from a fabulous cookbook that I reviewed, Park Avenue Potluck CELEBRATIONS. It was the best pie ever, and one that I need to revisit soon this year. My enchantment with this rather under-rated vegetable also showed up in Pumpkin Panna Cotta, and in a less guilty pumpkin pie, the Simple Pumpkin Pie.
I’ve had Pumpkin Pots de Creme on my mind ever since I made Chocolate Cherry Pots de Creme in September, and I thought it would be a wonderful way to use pumpkin puree. So I got this HUGE slice of pumpkin and roasted it, with some unpeeled garlic thrown in to the oven alongside, because I wasn’t sure I’d use all the puree the sweet way. Savoury pumpkin soup was tugging the strings of my heart too, after a rather wonderful one my twin sistah Jamie and I shared at the FBC in London. What I made wasn’t exactly that, but it was darned good.
The amount of puree I finally got ensured I went every which way! Here’s the first thing I made from the puree, dessert which was loved, and screamed everything warm, filling and flavourful. One ramekin later, the lad said ‘Err, can I have another pot please? No? Maybe tomorrow? Well it was yummy!‘ He tried pushing his luck, but it didn’t work!! The daughter was a bit iffy about it initially because she inadvertently had a go at the yellow bowlful of pumpkin puree and almost fainted when I enlightened her. A spoonful of dessert later, she forgot all about the pumpkin puree & dug right in!
I made these pots specially for Barbara @ Winos and Foodies for her LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow event, an annual event held each year. This is my fourth year at the event. The food blogger community is a tight knit, supportive community. Most of us have been inspired by Barbara and her fight with cancer. She is an amazing lady, and a source of inspiration to many, including me. Her story is moving, frightening at times, but a lesson in life ; a must read.
October 2nd has been announced as LiveSTRONG Day 2010, and this year the event has a new theme. Throughout 2010 Barbara has been posting a heart each Saturday. She thought it might be fun to incorporate the hearts in this years LiveSTRONG Day event. I ♥ the idea. She called for everyone to create their own heart photo and post it to their blog on October 2nd, 2010. If you want to join in, you still have time since she’s accepting entries through the week.
Here’s a picture of the roasted pumpkin soup; ’twas certainly a comforting and delicious bowlful. Will post that recipe later. I did intend to put that up today too, but the shift to WP means that each post takes a little longer than before, as I learn the ropes. I did oven bake some heart shaped, turmeric yellowed croûtons out of brown bread too! I still have some pumpkin puree in the freezer, and am debating what not to make with it … there are far too many options I’ve found!
Pumpkin Pots de Creme with Candied Walnuts
Inspired by Canelle et Vanille
250ml low fat milk milk
200ml low fat cream {Amul 25% fat}
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
1 cup vanilla sugar {as the pumpkin wasn’t sweet}
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup candied walnuts {recipe follows}
Method:
Bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean and half of the sugar to a simmering boil. Put off heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes for the vanilla bean flavours to mature.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 160C.
Add the pumpkin puree, pie spice and cinnamon to the vanilla milk / cream mixture, and whisk with a balloon whisk.
In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, yolk and the other half of the sugar. Add the warm pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Strain the custard through a fine sieve.
Pour the custard into the ramekins and place them on a sheet pan and bring this to a preheated 160C oven.
Place the sheet pan in the oven and pour hot water in the sheet pan. Bake the pots de creme in the water bath until the center is set; mine took about 45 minutes. Refrigerate once cool. Chill completely, preferably overnight.
Serve with unsweetened whipped low fat cream and a sprinkling of candied walnuts.
Candied Walnuts
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp butter
Method:
Place all ingredients in a small heavy bottom pan, and simmer until the sugar begins to melt.
Swirl around so the melted sugar coats the nuts. Simmer until the sugar begins to caramelize and turns a golden brown, Don’t let it get dark, else the nuts will taste bitter.
Immediately turn the nuts onto a lightly greased platter and allow to cool.
Break up into pieces, and store in an airtight container in a cool place. I keep mine in the fridge for 5-7 days.
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“For me it was always a simple passion” Lance Armstrong
This is a sunshine post for Barbara of Winos & Foodies. She’s back with her ‘ Taste of Yellow‘ event, and my yolks were screaming yellow at me. In Barbara’s words, “LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow is my way of supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation by raising awareness of cancer issues world wide. It is a way for all food and wine bloggers to share their stories. The happy and the sad, the struggles and the triumphs. If you are lucky and have not be touched by cancer you are still welcome to participate.”The Yellow Wristband Project
For champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, yellow is more than just the color of the Tour de France’s leader jersey. It’s a symbol for hope, courage, and perseverance. Today, more than 47.5 million LIVESTRONG wristbands have been sold since they were first made available in May of 2004 to raise funds for the programs of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF).
I’ve been meaning to make creme brulee or at least creme custard for ages, but my dislike for eggy smells has kept me at bay. No longerthough. Now that I finally had this lovely big bag of vanilla beans that Ria managed to source for me from South India, I had to make the custard right away.
The elegant dessert creme brulee has a thick pudding base of cream and eggs topped by a delicate layer of caramelized sugar. In French, “creme brulee” means “burnt cream,” which refers to the process by which sprinkled sugar gets heated to a temperature that caramelizes it to a delicious brown. The traditional method of cooking this type of custard has evolved many flavored variations.
My custard is a fusion of flavours, Thai I think. I had ginger in the fridge, and lots of lemon grass growing in my little patch outside, so I googled for ideas. There I was – A Ginger Lemon-Grass Creme Brulee I found here. None of the flavours in the custard were overpowering or overwhelming. Just simple subtle flavours, combining elegantly to flavour the custard. Simple enough to be enjoyed by the kids too. I did have trouble with the brulee though since I don’t have a blow torch. It took forever for the sugar to caramelise under the hot grill & I was a bit wary of my custard melting. 4 ramekins later, I cheated a little and took a shortcut for the remaining few. I caramelised some sugar to very brown in a pan & quickly poured it on top of the chilled custard. Tilted the ramekins immediately to spread it, kept it thin… Unauthentic, but it got me to some sort of brulee stage alright! Later even tried to spin some sugar with not very good results!
Ginger Lemon-Grass Creme Brulee Adapted from recipe byEric LanlardfromGlamour Puds Ingredients: 400ml single cream 125ml whole milk 6 large eggs 100g of caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 2 stem of lemongrass, chopped 1 stem of fresh ginger Demerara sugar for sprinkling
Method:
Preheat the oven to 140C. Put the ginger and lemon grass in a pestle and mortar and bruise well to release flavours. In a saucepan add the cream, milk, split vanilla pod and the lemongrass and ginger paste then heat slowly until hot but not boiling. Leave to infuse for an hour. (or overnight which is what I did). Reheat to almost boiling just before use. In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar until white and fluffy. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg mixture mixing continuously. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Pour the cream into lightly greased ramekins bake it for approximately 30 minutes until the mixture is wobbly.
Leave to cool down. Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours, or even overnight. Sprinkle about 2 tsps demerara sugar on the top of each and caramelize with a blow torch for 1-2 minutes before serving. Or set the ramekins on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler. Broil, watching constantly and rotating the pan for even caramelization, until the toppings are bubbling and a rich brown, about 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat.
Read at Susan’s the other day that brave Barbara of Winos and Foodies who was winning her battle with cancer, & had been clear for 2 years, has had to go back for chemotherapy as her cancer has resurfaced. Many of us know Barbara through her ‘Taste of Yellow’ cancer awareness event that she has held for the past couple of years. Now 2 of her friends, Bron of Bron Marshall and Ilva of Lucullian Delights, have organized a secret blog event for Barbara so that we might all give her a “big virtual hug,” to cheer he up, & also post some recipes that she might enjoy now.
I am sending in this vegetarian pasta bake with Barbara in my thoughts…it has an ‘anti-oxidant rich’ home-made tomato sauce, & a load of healthy seasonal veggies – I put in broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & beans.The recipe belongs to my friend Uliana, a very talented Ukrainian girl, who made this for my daughter when she fell ill in Sydney last month. A very, very comforting pasta which I hope Barbara will enjoy. We all enjoyed it immensely. It’s low fat & vegetarian. I made it back home the other day, & really like the recipe for it’s simplicity, & for the burst of flavour the sauce lends to the vegetables. Interestingly, the vegetables are tossed in uncooked, & are baked with the pasta for about half an hour. This way, they get cooked just right, & retain a comforting crunch & slight crispness to them. The little bit left-over tasted as good the next day, so this can be made in advance if you like.
ULIANA’S PASTA SAUCE & BAKE Ingredients: Onion – 1 large, chopped fine Garlic – 1 clove, minced Tomato paste – 2 tbsp ( I used 3-4 tbsps puree) Tomatoes – 4-5 chopped Bay leaf – 2-3 Whole black pepper – 5-6 Oregano – 1 tsp Sour cream – 1 tbsp (I used 2 tbsps of hung yogurt + 1 tsp 20% cream + a squeeze of lime) Salt & pepper to taste Cooked pasta ( Cook it while the sauce is simmering) Chopped seasonal vegetables like carrots, beans, broccoli, asparagus shoots, cauliflower etc. Method:
Saute the onion & garlic till pink, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes & puree, mix well. Add bay leaf, whole pepper, oregano & season with salt & pepper.
Simmer till sauce comes together well. Add sour cream & give it a good stir. Check seasoning.
Add to cooked al dente pasta, mix in raw chopped vegetables, & turn into a baking dish. Top sparingly with grated cheese, cover tightly with foil, & bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 180C.
Chrysanthemums from my garden to cheer you up, Barbara … HUGS!! You are special…
“Come and share a pot of tea, My home is warm and my friendship’s free.” Emilie Barnes
Black Sesame Shortbread Cookies…
You think you’ve kinda lost it when you start dreaming Black Sesame Shortbread! That’s what has happened to me ever since I saw these wonderfully enticing cookies at Diva’s Sugar Bar. Shortbread is my all time favourite sort of cookie, & sesame in a cookie is entirely intriguing.
‘Cookies with a heart, from the heart’!…
So, after reading Diva’s delicious post, pretended to pull on my boots. Further pretended that I was walking down to Sainsburys. In reality, pushed my feet into a pair of slip-ons & drove down to our local Sainsbury…Reliance Fresh, which in all fairness, is an answer to many prayers, including Black Sesame ones! The store can’t be compared to Sainsbury, but has done well to offer much variety under 1 roof. Imagine my sheer shock when I nonchalantly checked out the spice shelf there & found black sesame seeds…thought I was still dreaming!! Have even found slivered pistachios there in the past,which is something unheard of here in India!
A fusion of flavours…shortbread which is so Scottish & black sesame which is so Asian!I’d call this a cookie across cultures……an intercultural cookie? Sesame seed is one of the first recorded seasonings. It grows widely in India and Asia. These tiny seeds come in shades of brown, red and black, but the most common color is a pale grayish-ivory. Sesame seeds have a nutty, sweet aroma. The black sesame seed is less common and has a more concentrated flavor than other sesame seeds. Black sesame seeds are especially good on salmon and other fish.
Black sesame appears frequently in Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes where meat or fish is rolled in the seeds before cooking for a crunchy coating. Black sesame is an ingredient of gomassio, the Japanese tabletop condiment, and other colourful rice and noodle dishes.
The recipe from Diva’s Sugar Bar(thank you Diva, these were great & very different too!) Ingredients: Flour – 2 cups Salted butter – 225g / softened Powdered sugar – 1/2 cup Black sesame seeds – 3 tbs (generous) ; half ground (I did this in the pestle & mortar) Vanilla extract – 1/2 tsp Pinch of salt Vanilla sugar, for sprinkling (Diva used castor sugar)
Method:
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Beat the butter till just soft and creamy. Add the vanilla extract, beat.
Now add all the dry ingredients and mix together.(I find it best to use your hands from here on and mesh all the butter and dry ingredients together, kind of like how you’d make scones but without the rubbing as you don’t want too much air in these guys…Diva’s expert advice).
Press everything together to form a dough ball and then gently form them into discs. Wrap each disc with clingwrap and fridge for 1hr, or until just firm. (Took a lot longer in our 40 degrees+ C…a hot Indian summer?)
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and grease 2 cookie trays.
Roll out flat to your desired thickness on a lightly floured work surface ; keep the thickness preferably just under 1cm. Cut out with cookie cutters.
Place on greased tray and sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
Bake for about 15min or just before the edges get too brown.
Cool on wire rack. Eat them slightly warm with a steaming cup of tea!
Heave ho,heave ho…off to Ruth’s we go!! Another successful bookmarked recipe I’ve managed to try! YAY!! This is off to Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments for her Bookmarked event…
“Hope” is the thing with feathers- that perches in the soul… Emily Dickenson
YELLOW is the colour of hope & we’re here blogging for Bri. Jai & Bee @ Jugalbandi have led the way to spread hope & have embarked on a very inspired edition of CLICK. I haven’t had the good fortune of interacting directly with Bri, but have bumped into her at my dear friend Manggy’s many a time, & at Bee’s too.
In Jai & Bee’s words … “This is a special edition of CLICK, tinged with sadness and filled with hope. Yellow is the happiest colour in the spectrum. It signifies hope and enlightenment. Though the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer. This edition of CLICK is more than a photo event. It is a fundraiser for our dear Briana.
She was 15 when she saw her mother die of breast cancer. Now, she’s waging her own war. Bri is one of the 5% of women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 30. That was two and a half years ago. In August 2007, she started Figs With Bri – a serene, beautiful space where she shares with us her creative experiments with wonderful local organic ingredients. A month and a half ago, her worst fears came true. She learnt that her cancer has returned and metastasized to her lungs, her lymph nodes and several areas in her bones and is at Stage IV. (More at Figs with Bri)”
This is an appeal on behalf of a group of food bloggers who are friends of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri. Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.
She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.
The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.
CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri
Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.
The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.
The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.
There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site.
Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.
This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.
You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign.
