Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

OXO stock pots- ‘All you need to make great soups’ GIVEAWAY

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Though we are having sunny spells, chilly and windy evenings still seem to be getting in the way of spring season. At ours, both my OH and I are obsessed with hot soups and one-pot stews and casseroles.  A hearty soup can be just the thing for a cold chilly evening and works as a complete meal that can be rustled up in no time.

Most of February, I was fighting off a terrible viral and bacterial flu and cold bug which just didn’t seem to go away. Naturally, I tried all sorts of home remedies and made lots of different varieties of soups.

Around this time OXO sent me a fabulous goody bag with some OXO stock pots, a good quality stainless steel Ladle with a sturdy handle, a Mackie’s Soup Mug – handy for eating soup in and looks very cheerful too, a Sistema Microwaveable Travel Mug – handy for carrying soup for a working lunch and an OXO Cookbook for recipe inspiration to make some delicious meals at home.

And now, I would like to share the joy with all of you with an opportunity to win this generous goody bag from OXO. To win this giveaway from OXO all you need to do is answer a simple question and follow some easy-peasy instructions.

One lucky winner gets this lovely bundle of goodies worth  £50 : OXO Cookbook and a selection of OXO stock pot x5, 1x odour & stain resistant Ladle, 1x Mackie’s Soup Mug and 1x Sistema Microwaveable Travel Mug.

CONGRATULATIONS to Laura Z Banks!

Oxo Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

CONGRATULATIONS to Laura Z Banks! Kindly check your email

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

  • One lucky winner will be picked automatically by Rafflecopter.
  • Deadline for entering this contest is 1st June’ 2016 midnight GMT.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K, except Scotland and Ireland.
  • All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
  • Increase your chances of winning by visiting daily and tweeting out the pre-recorded tweet, provided they have done all other steps the first time when they enter.
  • ONE lucky winner will be chosen using random number generator.
  • The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post – OXO Cookbook and a selection of OXO stock pots x5, 1x odour & stain resistant Ladle, 1x Mackie’s Soup Mug and 1x Sistema Microwaveable Travel Mug.
  • Neither OXO, nor I am liable for any damage of giveaway prize and / or contents in transit.
  • Please allow a minimum of 15 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later. The giveaway prize will be sent directly  by OXO.
  • The prize is as stated: it is non- transferable and no cash alternatives is available.
  • I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the steps mentioned above.
  • The winner will be notified on 4th June’ 2016  on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the winner on Twitter via their twitter id. If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and OXO to contact you via email id and share your details with OXO who will arrange for the goody bag to be sent out to you, to have your name announced here on my blog post and on Twitter.
  • If the winner fails to respond by 8th June’ 2016 then another winner will be chosen at Random.

*With thanks to OXO  for arranging these fabulous gifts and sending me a similar set to sample and for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Please note photograph is post is only representative and actual OXO products and other goodies sent may differ.

Kadhai Chicken Masala

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As the nights close in, Indian comfort food tops my list of things I crave. And nothing spells comfort food louder than a warming curry and some rice with some spicy kebabs on the side. The problem is when these craving hit mid-week and I am simply too exhausted to make elaborate meals. That’s when I turn to my store cupboard for some help.

Loyd Grossman has come up with a new Limited Edition Mint Masala gravy sauce which I was sent to review along with some delicious naan , a bottle of Chicken Tikka Masala and boil in the bag Basmati rice all packaged in this beautiful box !

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I wanted to create something easy to make using the Mint Masala Gravy sauce and came up a recipe for Minty Chicken Masala Kadhai  – best served with some buttery warm naan!

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Kadhai Chicken Masala

Manjiri Chitnis
Minty Kadhai Chicken in a delicious masala
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Fusion Indian
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Pan
  • Knife and chopping board

Ingredients
  

  • 450 grams Diced chicken breast
  • Loyd Grossman Limited Edition Mint Masala
  • 1 medium-sized red onion
  • 2 tsp Umami paste
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 2 Dried Kashmiri red chillies
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp Butter for the naans
  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 2 Sprays Oil for greasing the griddle pan
  • 1 Boiled egg
  • 1/2 Red onion sliced lengthwise to serve with the naan

Instructions
 

  • Wash and cut the chicken breasts into cubes
  • Coat the chicken with 300 gm of the Lloyd Grossman Limited Edition Mint Masala for about 30 minutes
  • The yoghurt in the Mint Masala speeds up the way the spices are absorbed into the chicken
  • Chop the red onion fine
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and when it is hot add the bay leaves and red chillies and sauté till the bay leaf begins to change colour, then add the onions.
  • Sauté the onions till they turn pink and reduce
  • Then add some of the umami paste and 2 large tbsp of the Lloyd Grossman Limited Edition Mint Masala gravy sauce and sauté for 2 minutes on a low flame
  • Keep stirring to ensure the onion does not burn. Season with salt
  • Take off the flame and set aside
  • After 30 minutes heat the griddle pan till it’s very hot and place on medium heat.
  • Spray some oil onto the griddle pan, it will sizzle and smoke
  • Drop the marinated chicken cubes on the pan
  • ‘Bruise’ the chicken cubes on the pan till they are grilled, flip and grill on the other side.
  • Repeat until chicken cooks through
  • Ensure chicken pieces are not too large as they will remain raw in the middle
  • Once cooked add them into the sautéed onion thick gravy sauce
  • Mix well and sauté on a very low flame for half a minute
  • To serve heat some butter on a large pan and heat the naan till they are soft and buttery
  • Transfer the Minty chicken kadhai into the shiny balti serving dish and place the halved boiled egg on top
Keyword Kadhai Chicken
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The fresh flavours of the minty gravy sauce are enhanced by the delicious umami onion gravy. Lap up the thick gravy and juicy ,tasty grilled chicken cubes with the soft warm naan, scooping up some of the soft boiled yolk as well… ummmmm

Vegetarians needn’t feel disappointed . Try the same recipes using Paneer or Indian cottage cheese, only thing is while ‘bruising’ the paneer on the griddle pan it has to be handled gently so as not to break the cubes and also while mixing it into the thick onion gravy it should be mixed with care.

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GIVEAWAY for 2 LUCKY WINNERS !

WIN ONE OF TWO Loyd Grossman GIFT HAMPERS!

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Each Gift Hamper contains  LIMITED EDITION Loyd Grossman Mint Masala – 1 bottle , Loyd Grossman Chicken Tikka Masala 1 bottle, Pack of 4 naans from Loyd Grossman , one packet with 4 boil in the bag basmati rice pouches and a SHINY new BALTI serving dish – dishwasher proof.

How to enter the giveaway:

You too could WIN ONE of TWO of these beautiful hampers from Loyd Grossman , all you have to do is :

  1. Follow me on twitter – @manjirichitnis
  2. Tweet out the following – WIN 1 of 2 LIMITED EDITION Mint Masala Hampers with , Minty Chicken Masala Kadhai recipe
  3. Leave a comment below telling me what is your favourite Indian food

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

  • Winners will be picked using Random Number.
  • Deadline for entering this contest is 8th November ‘2014 midnight GMT.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K except Scotland and Ireland.
  • All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
  • Two lucky winners will be chosen using random number generator.
  • The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post. Neither Lloyd Grossman or I am liable for any damage of hamper and / or contents in transit.
  • Please allow a minimum of 15 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later.
  • The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available.
  • I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who do not complete all the 3 steps mentioned above.
  • The winner will be notified on 9th Nov’14 on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the 2 winners on Twitter via their twitter id’s . If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and Lloyd Grossman to contact you via email id  to arrange for the gift hamper to be sent out to you.
  • If the TWO winners fail to respond BY 12th Nov’14  then other winners will be chosen.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2 LUCKY winners of this fabulous GIVEAWAY of LIMITED EDITION Loyd Grossman Mint Masala Gift Hampers!!!

AND The lucky winners are: *DRUMROLLS* …….

Claire Wilkinson –  Twitter id 

Michelle – Twitter id 

*With thanks to Loyd Grossman for sending me a complimentary Loyd Grossman LIMITED EDITION Mint Masala Hamper . No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

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Minty Chicken Masala Kadhai

Spiced Pomegranate cocktail recipe

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POM-Wonderful Giveaway

Pomegranates – have always been tempted to buy them off the wooden fruit vendor handcarts at street markets in Mumbai. Growing up my mum would keep me engaged in her kitchen by assigning me the important job of peeling the fruit and collecting the shiny ruby red juicy insides in a clean bowl – waiting to be sprinkled over her many creations.

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In supermarkets shelves here in London, it reminds me of home and I cannot resist buying the peeled ones for salads but making pomeo juice at home has always resulted in a rather messy end result.

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Now highly coveted as a highly nutritious super food, packed with antioxidant vitamins C and K, minerals, antioxidants, and other unique plant phytochemicals – pomegranates are firmly a delicious part of our modern day diet.

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POM Wonderful sent me a cute cocktail kit and I came up with this recipe for a warming cocktail with a kick of chilli :). My complimentary kit contains a cocktail shaker, measuring beaker, 2 cocktail glasses, cocktail muddler, 2 stirrers, ice-cube maker and bag of Wonderful pistachios.

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POM Wonderful warming cocktail recipe

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Serves :1 – Double up measurements for 2

Ingredients

  • 250ml or 1 cup freshly squeezed pomegranate juice* or
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Preparation

  •  Shake all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and add a few of the chilli seeds from the split green chilli.
  • Place a slit green chilli on the side of the glass and add a long stem sprig of mint inside the glass for garnish and style
  • Serve chilled.

TOP TIP from me: Chill the washed and dried cocktail glasses in the freezer for about 20 minutes before serving – the frozen glaze on the glass will look beautiful and the cocktail will stay cooler for longer allowing you to sip and enjoy your drink longer.

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POM Wonderful COCKTAIL X 3 Giveaway

POM Wonderful have agreed to give 3 of my lucky readers one POM Wonderful Cocktail Kit each. Each kit will contain a cocktail shaker, measuring beaker, 2 cocktail glasses, a cocktail muddler, 2 stirrers, an ice-cube maker, and a bag of Wonderful pistachios.

How to enter the giveaway:

  • STEP 1: Leave a comment on this blog post telling me which is your favourite cocktail
  • STEP 2: Like my Facebook page – travelsfortaste and leave your Facebook name as part of your comment.
  • STEP 3:  Follow me on Instagram (click on the hyperlink to find me on Instagram) and leave your Instagram handle  as part of your comment
  • STEP 4:  Follow me on Twitter  (click on the hyperlink to find me on Instagram) AND  Tweet out the following (simply copy and paste !)   #Win a #COCKTAILKIT from @pomwondeful enter at #sliceoffme blog http://bit.ly/1CStoJ9  #giveaway #sliceoffmelovesPOM

(I will find you on twitter via the hashtag #sliceoffmelovesPOM , so it’s not required for you to mention your Twitter id  in the comments)

I will be verifying entries ,please ensure that you follow all of the of the above 4 steps , any step missed and you will be disqualified. All the steps are mandatory!

Please have a read through the T&C’s – will take just a teeny weeny minute !

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Terms and Conditions:

  • Deadline for entering this contest is 30th November ‘2014 midnight GMT.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K and all entrants must be 18’s old and above.
  • THREE lucky winners will be chosen using random number generator.
  • The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post and will be sent directly as a free delivery to the winner by POM Wonderful and I, Manjiri, accept no responsibility for any disputes.
  • Please allow a minimum of 28 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later and is the sole responsibility of POM.
  • The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available.
  • I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who do not complete all the 4 steps mentioned above.
  • The winner will be notified within 15 days of the closing date via the email id provided by the entrant .Winners names will be announced on this blog post and by me via Twitter.  If you are declared as the winner you agree and allow me to pass on your email id  to POM , and  agree and allow POM and me to contact you to notify you in case you win.
  • If the THREE winners fail to respond within 15 days then other winners will be chosen.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 3 WINNERS WHO HAVE WON THEMSELVES A FABULOUS COCKTAIL KIT FROM POM Wonderful

@kerryroberts84

@Gilla01

@angiehoggett 

*With thanks to POM for sending me a complimentary POM wonderful Cocktail kit and vouchers to buy POM wonderful juice. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. All images courtesy POM except one watermarked ‘travelsfortaste’.

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Giveaway Mornflake Breakfast Hamper – CLOSED

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GOOD MORNING!

What better way to kick start your day than with a bowl of Oaty goodness ? well ….oat smothered with fruits perhaps! 🙂

Who better to know about the goodness of oats than Mornflake who have been milling oats in the South Cheshire countryside since 1675, making us the longest established miller of oats and cereal in the UK! 15 generations later they have managed to keep the family business within the family started by original miller, William Lea. Year on year have won accolades for the quality, purity and consistency of their oats year after year from International Grand Medaille D’Or, an international quality award. Environmentally conscious, they use local British oats wherever possible, have reused and recycled packaging, and use only certified sustainable palm oil.

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To add to that they have a wide variety of products to choose from – from rolled oats to oat bran cereals ,muesli ,granola ,oat meal and the life saver superfast cereal pots for busy morning when you have to catch the rush  hour and not miss breakfast too!

No matter how you like your oats , plain , warm , cold with or without fruit, in pancakes or in cereal bars there is a great range of products to choose from.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and to all oat lovers ,the folks at Mornflake have a fabulous giveaway for one lucky reader of sliceoffme ! It’s really easy to win ! So why not take part and stock up on pats , perfect time too with the weather all set to turn cold!

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You could win this fabulous giveaway,courtesy of Mornflake where ONE lucky winner can win all these lovely goodies :
1.Mornflake Organic Oats
2.Mornflake Scottish Jumbo Oats
3.Mornflake Superfast Oats
4.Mornflake super fast cereal pots – 4 packs in different flavours
5.Mornflake Oatbran CEREALS – any 2
6.Mornflake Oatbran Nuts & Seeds Granola
7.Mornflake Hessian bag
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How To enter the giveaway :

Please have a read through the T&C’s – will take just a teeny weeny minute !

Terms and Conditions:

  • Deadline for entering this contest is 8th November ‘2014 midnight GMT.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K
  • One lucky winner will be chosen using random number generator.
  • The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post and will be sent directly as a free delivery to the winner by Mornflake and sliceoffme accepts no responsibility for any disputes.
  • By sharing your email id in the comment you allow Mornflake and me to contact you to notify you in case you win
  • The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available.
  • You get one entry by way of commenting on this blog post AND following me on Instagram
  •  OR one entry by following @manjirichitnis on twitter AND following me on Instagram,
  •  OR one entry by liking sliceoffme  on Facebook ( do not forget to mention your facebook name in the comment here , comment once only) AND following me on Instagram .
  • All entries via any of the above modes is valid and you can enter by any one way .
  • All blog comments must mention your email id clearly and without a spelling error so the winner can be contacted.
  • The winner will be notified within 7 days of the closing date via the email id provided an announced on this blog post and on twitter .
  • If winner fails to respond within 7 days then another winner will be chosen.

WE HAVE A WINNER FOLKS !!! And the winner is ….hold your breath…. any guesses ?!:) Ok no more suspense !

It is  TWITTER : @smeethsaysfashion  – I have sent you a TWEET ! Please email me at fruitsnveg@yahoo.com asap. Thanks for participating everyone!

*With thanks to Mornflake for sending samples. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. All images courtesy Mornflake.

GIVEAWAY – ONE whole month worth of Innocent Smoothies!

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Innocent Drinks recently concluded series was very inspiring with each evening planned to a theme and some very inspiring personalities who came and shared their thoughts with all of us food bloggers.

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Innocent Inspires was a series of one-off events where people discussed and debated and were  inspired by the values that INNOCENT DRINKS strongly believe in,with the help of a group of interesting people who do brilliant things everyday.Like the folks at Innocent who invented this – the Wee-o-meter *gasp* hehehe

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I was one of the bloggers that attended the Innocent Inspires evening about Taste.Of the group of achievers who spoke to us , the brilliant and inspiring words by Emilie Baltz, Jellymongers – Bompass & Par and the popular  Ms.Marmite – lodged themselves firmly somewhere in the folds of my grey matter. I pull  out these words at will and re-live the evening in my head, it never fails to make me smile and gives me immense hope,courage and enthusiasm to keep going. No idea is too ridiculous to be ignored – better to have tried and failed than to NEVER have tried at all I say:)

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L – R :Kerstin Rodgers aka Ms Marmite Lover,Bompas and Parr,Emilie Baltz, Florence Knight, , Ollie Dabbous

Their last evening called ”Innocent inspires Creativity” had writer and dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah,world renowned graphic artist Kate Moross,DJ and founder of Bestival Rob Da Bank, writer performer and maker of his own Y fronts John Paul Flintoff and an acoustic treat from the extraordinary Nathan ‘flutebox’ Lee share their inspiring tales.

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L- R :Kate Moross,Rob Da Bank, John Paul Flintoff,Benjamin Zephaniah,Dan Germain – Head of Creative at Innocent

So you were not at the evening? Well, all is not lost, watch the video below, and get a piece of the action and you might just be the LUCKY WINNER to walk AWAY with ONE month worth of delicious INNOCENT SMOOTHIES! Enter the giveaway on blog’s Facebook page.

Will YOU be the  LUCKY WINNER to walk away with ONE WHOLE month worth of  INNOCENT SMOOTHIES???

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Easy entry into exciting Giveaway, simply do the following:

  • Go to my blog’s Facebook page and click on the Rafflecopter widget.
  • A mandatory question will prompt you to leave an answer by posting a comment on this blog post. Please tick the ” Notify me of follow-up comments via email.” while commenting so if you win I can leave a reply to your comment and you can get that on email by default.PLEASE – Do NOT skip this step, it’s one of the most vital steps towards a successful entry into the contest!
  • Then simply like the Innocent Drinks and my Facebook page.
  • Follow Innocent Drinks and me on Twitter.
  • Tweet the video that is in this blog post.
  • Share any of my recipes from my blog on any ONE of the following – Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, or Pinterest and mention clearly which link you have shared and where.

All done! Now just click ENTER on the Rafflecopter widget and Voila! You ARE entered into the giveaway 🙂

The best bit is you are allowed to enter again the next day and as many times as you like – to help INCREASE your chances at  winning!

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(For more information on how to enter giveaways using Rafflecopter please see this short video. You can win more bonus entries by tweeting on a daily basis. It’s EASY! Rafflecopter will tweet, like, and follow on your behalf. For information on finding the URL of your tweet please see this)

Terms and Conditions:

Starts on the 17th of October 2013 and ends on the 9th of December 2013. This prize is offered by Innocent Inspires and I am hosting it on behalf of them. Please note, I am not responsible for posting the prize out or providing it. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received. The winner will be notified within 7 days of the closing date. The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available. This competition is open to UK entrants only. The winner will be selected at random by the Rafflecopter widget on my blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE and you can enter via Twitter on a daily basis to have more chances of winning.

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Good Luck!

Manjiri

P.S:

  • I would like to Thank Karen of Lavender and Lovage who has kindly let me modify the T&C and instructions on how to use Rafflecopter from her blog post.
  • All images and the video in this blog post are courtesy of Innocent Drinks.
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