Event announcement Lets cook Valentine Special Dishes

The month of February brings romance and love.This month the theme for February in the Lets cook series is Valentine special dishes. Create and cook any vegetarian dish for your valentime and link it to this event.

To Participate:

1.Prepare a dish vegetarian dish  (eggs allowed) please link your dish using the linky below by entering your Dish Name and Post URL
2.Please link this event announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3.Use of logo is  not mandatory but it helps to spread the word if you can post it..
4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.
4. In the event of problem using linky you can email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please use this format
Your Name:
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
Image no larger than 300 pixels.

An InLinkz Link-up

Bombay Aloo Sandwich

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Bombay Aloo Sandwich

by Nayna Kanabar January 21st-2015

Spicy potato filling encased in delicious Warburtons sandwich thins .

Ingredients:

• 2 medium boiled potatoes peeled and diced.
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspon green chilli paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 6 warburtons sandwich thins of choice

Method:

1.In a pan add the oil, when it is hot add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter.2.Add to the pan the green chilli paste, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and saute the mixture for a few seconds.3.Add the diced potatoes and toss them around in the spice mixture until they are coated with the spices and warmed through.4.Add the lemon juice and the coriander and toss into the bombay aloo.Remove from heat and allow to reach room temperature.5. Split open the warburtons sandwich thins and spoon the bombay aloo mixture onto each slice.Place the top of the thins onto the filling to make a sandwich. You can either serve the sandwich as it is or place the sandwich in a sandwich toaster to toast it.

Details

Prep time:10 mins Cooking Time:4 minutes Total time:16 mins   Yield: 2 servings 

Warburtons created a research that reveals the new food experience and flavours.The 2015 food trends hot list is to have sandwiches that have creativity, contrast and convenience. Sandwiches that are tasty, healthy and made using  more adventurous and  alternative bread bases, wraps and exciting fillings. 

I was sent a selection of  half and half, brown, white and seeded Warburtons sandwich thins and a shopping voucher to purchase ingredients to create a recipe using them. My Bombay Aloo Sandwich, is satisfying, healthy and spicy too. It is simple to make, yet it is packed with flavour and taste.

Microwave Chocolate Cake in a Mug ~ Secret recipe challenge 19th Jan 2015

This is my assignment with the Secret Recipe Club.The aim of the club is that you are allocated a blog from which you have to select a recipe and try it and blog about it. For the month of January my assigned blog was Melissa's Cuisine. Melissa lives in with her husband and cute little baby. She is a baker, photographer and cook and spends a lot of time reading cook books cover to cover.

Looking through her blog was fun and I enjoyed making the white chocolate christmas trees and the single serve Coffee cake in a mug. I couldn't find coffee in the ingredient list so instead I added cocoa to my mix to make it a chocolate cake. I used the measurements in Melissa's recipe but I think my mug was too tall and the cake did not fill my mug to the top so I remade it again and doubled the ingredients so that I could get a photograph of the cake showing  in the mug. The cake turned out gooey and fairly dense almost like a chocolate brownie. I guess this was because the recipe did not have egg in it. I am not complaining though, the cake tasted delicious and was chocolicious and delectable.For sheer indulgence a scoop of vanilla ice cream would have taken it to heaven.

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Microwave Chocolate cake in a Mug

by Nayna Kanabar January 19th-2015

The most chocolicious cake that will melt in your mouth and curb the chocolate craving..

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
• few drops vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chip

Method:

1.In a bowl sieve together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.2.Add the sugar to the flour and stir it in.3.Add the vanilla and the milk and 3/4 of the chocolate chip and mix together to form a cake batter of dropping consistency. 4. Pour the batter into a 10cm tall coffee cup and sprinkle the top with remaining chocolate chips.5. microwave on high for 45-60 seconds.Check the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer in the cake, if it comes out clean cake is ready. Serve the cake straight out of the microwave with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for sheer indulgence. For sheer perfection a dusting of icing sugar would not go a miss.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Baking  time: 45-60 seconds Total time: 6 mins Yield:1 serving

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Spiced Masala Coffee

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Spiced Masala Coffee

by Nayna Kanabar January 11th-2015

Frothy,coffee with delicious aromatic spiced flavour .

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon instant coffee.
• 2 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste)
• 250 ml skimmed milk
• 6 whole cardamons
• 1 small cinnamon stick.
• 6 peppercorns
• 1/2 inch piece of dried ginger

Method:

1.Crush the cardamon pods and remove the seeds and discard the outer skin.2.In a coffee grinder add the cardamon seeeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns and dried ginger and grind it to a fine powder.Transfer the mixture to a small air tight jar, you will only need 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mixture for this recipe.3.Put the milk in a milk pan and bring it to a boil. Once milk is boiled add to it 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mixture, 1 teaspoon of instant coffee and 2 teaspoons of sugar.Mix and slow simmer for 1-2 minutes.If you have a milk frother you can froth the coffee at this stage but its not necessary.4. Pour the spiced coffee into two mugs and sprinkle a pinch of the spice powder on top of each coffee.Enjoy it hot.

Details

Prep time:2 mins Cooking Time:4 minutes Total time:6 mins Yield: 2 servings 

Submitting to:
 Lets Cook / Create Hot beverages event by simplyfood.

Buckwheat Paratha

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Buckwheat Parathas

by Nayna Kanabar January 6th-2014

Healthy and delicious spicy parathas.

Ingredients:

• 120g buckwheat flour
• 1/2 teapoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped fenugreek leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• water for making dough

Method:

1. In a bowl add the flour, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, chopped fenugreek and 1/2 tablespoon oil and mix together.2.Add water  to the flour, a tablespoon at a time until you can form a medium soft dough. Knead the dough and cover and leave it to rest for 20 minutes .3.After 20 minutes divide the dough into 6 balls.4. Using a little bit of dry flour roll each ball into around 6 inch round paratha shape.5. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add the rolled paratha , after 30 seconds flip the paratha over and brush the top side with some olive oil. Flip the paratha the second time and brush this side with some oil too and flip it back. Once paratha has small brown spots on both sides remove it onto kitchen paper and repeat for rest of parathas.

Details

Prep time:10 mins Cooking Time:10 minutes Total time:20 mins Yield:6 

Round up ~Lets Cook savory snacks for Christmas.

Thank You to everyone who sent in their dishes. Here is the delicious roundup.

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My new kitchen helper -VonShef 1200w Stand Mixer

I have had a very busy run up to Christmas, with lots of cooking and baking. I made cupcakes for children in need, followed by red velvet birthday cake, an almond and cherry cake  for a tea party, lemon drizzle cake and snowflake shortbread for my work Christmas table and also some lovely chocolate biscuit puddings and Christmas cupcakes for our Christmas meal dessert. Baking can be very therapeutic but its hard work creaming and mixing all the ingredients, that’s when you wish you had a helper.

My helper came in the form of VonChef 1200w stand mixer from Domu. It is a stylish and sleek mixer in a contemporary silver design with 6 choices of speed and an extra Pulse function. It is able to whisk, mix and knead ingredients into a perfect dough or batter mix in minutes with the help of chrome flat Beater, kneading dough hook and a balloon whisk. The mixer is a good size as it comes with a 5.5 litre dishwasher safe stainless steel bowl with a splash guard to stop that flurry of icing sugar or flour drowning you.

Assembling and using the VonShef was simple as there is only one dial to turn. The attachments click in and out fairly easily. The splash guard is a godsend but only drawback with it is that you have to feed the whisk or other attachment first through the opening of the guard before clicking the attachment in place and its little bit fiddly. Cleaning the attachments is simple and the bowl is dishwasher safe too. I love my VonShef and I must say that its certainly came at the right time and has proved to my best friend in the kitchen when it comes to baking. If you wish to purchase your own VonShef , it retails at £ 77.99 and comes with all the attachments and a lovely recipe book to get you baking straight away.

I would like to thank Domu for sending me my kitchen helper, all the views and opinions in this post are my own and unbiased

Tidbits from my pantry.

The last few weeks  its been Christmas almost every day as the post man has been bringing me lots of surprises for my pantry. I love these receiving these new products as it gives me a chance to sample stuff that are sometimes new on the market or products I would have not thought to try out.

Nib Nibs are premium  baked British nibbles that are made in a North Yorkshire Bakery. Delicious cheddar cheese straws in an array of flavours and  available in mini and full sizes. With flavours such as Cheddar and spicy chilli, cheddar and cheeky onion, sea salt and cracked black pepper or just plain cheddar. These lovely cheese straws are so morish that you will not be able to stop your self from munching the whole tub. These premium baked nibbles are beautifully presented in handy re-seal-able snack tubs so they are perfect for on the go, parties or lunch boxes.

Candy Crate is a monthly subscription service that sends you exciting American Candy treats right to your door.Each month you will get a selection of American candies for just £ 14.99 per month.The selection will vary each month so that you can get a chance to sample  varied candies from America.

Stur Liquid water enhancer. This product is simply delicious.They come in  mini bottles,each bottle has 30 servings and they come in only orange mango flavour, boldly blackcurrant apple flavour, goodness green apple flavour, clearly cranberry pomegranate flavour, real brewed tea and lemon flavour and real brewed tea and peach flavour. You just need to squeeze  a little into 200 ml of chilled water to get your flavoured water. The enhancers are made from natural fruit and tea flavours, lightly sweetened with stevia and are free from sugar, calories and fat and also provide 100% of your daily vitamin c.

All the products featured were sent to me as samples , I was not asked to write any positive review, all the opinions are my own.

Cakes by Robin~A birthday cake.

Cakes by Robin is owned by Robin Green, who creates bespoke cakes for all occasions, be it a birthday, graduation, corporate event,wedding, engagement or Christmas. The cakes are beautifully created styled and are delivered straight to your door.The range also includes cookies, cupcakes and cakepops too.
Browsing through their portfolio of cakes was a pleasure, there with some stunning designs and I am absolutely thrilled that they contacted me to see if I would like to review one of their cakes.

I am not a fan of Christmas cake so I requested the option to  review a birthday cake instead as it was my daughters birthday. The response was very generous and I was offered a birthday cake of my choice. I opted  for a chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream and fondant decorations on the theme of "opticians". (This because the cake was for my daughter who is an optician.)

The day before the birthday , at noon a beautiful birthday was delivered to my house.There was only one small problem and that was that the name on the cake was misspelt. This for us, was not a major problem as I soon scrapped off the incorrect letter and piped a new letter with some icing, however for someone who does not have cake decorating knowledge it may have posed a problem.

The birthday girl was really thrilled with it and we all really enjoyed the chocolate cake and had lots of admiration for the design. The chocolate cake inside was moist and had just the right amount of butter cream on it. The thick layer of fondant was not too hard and the decoration were beautifully hand crafted.
I would like to thank cakes by Robin for sending us such a lovely cake  and making my daughters birthday special.

Announcing event Lets cook/ create hot beverages

The month of January brings freezing weather in The UK . To keep warm we need plenty of hot drinks to keep us warm  inside and out. This months challenge is to create any hot beverage that will help you to keep warm and you can enjoy. Make any vegetarian  hot drink it can be tea, coffee, chocolate , hot cordial. soup, consommé, herbal drinks or anything that you can drink to keep you nice and warm.


To Participate:

1.Prepare a dish vegetarian beverage  (eggs allowed) please link your dish using the linky below by entering your Dish Name and Post URL
2.Please link this event announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3.Use of logo is  not mandatory but it helps to spread the word if you can post it..
4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.
4. In the event of problem using linky you can email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please use this format
Your Name:
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
Image no larger than 300 pixels.

An InLinkz Link-up