Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

  • Home
  • About
    • In the Press, Published Work and Interviews
    • PR and Disclosure Policy
  • Food
    • Recipe Index
      • Indian
        • C.K.P recipes
        • Curry – Meat, Seafood
        • Curry – Vegetarian
        • Sides
        • Chutneys
      • Healthy
        • Soups
        • Salads
      • Quick and Easy
      • Baking
        • Desserts
      • Meat
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
        • Salads
      • Vegan
    • Product Reviews
    • Events
  • Travel
    • UK
    • India
    • Around the World
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Miscellaneous
  • Giveaways
  • Work with me
    • Meet interesting foodie entrepreneurs here

Celebrate Caribbean Food Week with Grace Foods

August 26, 2016 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

When it comes to Caribbean flavours in the U.K, Grace Foods have bagged the top stop as the numero uno food and drinks company. They have a wide range of sauces, dips, marinades seasonings and tropical drinks to satisfy all palates.

Grace Foods are celebrating their 5th annual Caribbean Food week – Aug 22nd to Aug 29th’ 2016. To spread the word of their celebrations Grace Foods, sent me a cracking hamper stuffed with an assortment of goodies.

Grace Foods hamper

I wanted to try all the sauces but I was cooking for two so choose the following products:

  • Dunns River Ackee
  • Dunns River beans
  • Dunns River Tropical seasoning
  • Dunns River all-purpose seasoning
Grace Foods Caribbean seasonings

I had never heard of Ackee before and was very curious to try working with this ingredient. Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, is consumed in a traditional dish with salt fish. AK is not fond of salt fish though I decided to create a side with vegetables and Dunns River Tropical seasoning. I am so pleased with the results, the dish is truly sunshine in a plate.

Canned ackee

It is always fun to try out new and exotic flavours but mind you this one comes with a warning. The unripe fruit can prove fatal and causes Jamaican vomiting sickness. But the ripe fruit has many nutritional benefits including being a digestive aid, helping to lower blood pressure and is high in unsaturated fats which help to maintain heart health.

Ackee and vegetable side

Manjiri Chitnis
This dishis truly summer in a plate
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
25 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Caribbean
Servings 4 portions

Ingredients
  

  • Dunn Rivers can of ackee
  • 6 tsp Dunn Rivers Tropical seasoning
  • 1/2 a red onion chopped lengthwise
  • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 3-4 small sweet peppers
  • 2 tbsp Rapeseed oil

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a wok
  • Sauté’ the chopped garlic until they brown
  • Add the Tropical seasoning and mix well
  • Add the chopped onions and sauté’ them until they go soft
  • Then add the green beans and stir fry for about 2 minutes
  • Then add the peppers and sauté for about a minute
  • Drain and wash the ackee under running water
  • Add the ackee and cook on low heat for at least 4 minutes
  • Ensure the ackee mixes well with the vegetables and spices and serve hot
Keyword Ackee
Ackee and vegetable side

As the ackee cooks, it breaks down like soft gooey scrambled eggs and takes up the flavours in the seasoning very well. Mix the ackee very gently or it will turn into a lump.

I paired this dish with hearty brown rice mixed with peas and beans.

Caribbean rice with peas and beans

Manjiri Chitnis
Delightful mixture of spices add a different dimension of flavour to this simple dish, make it healthier by using brown rice
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Caribbean
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 cup brown rice
  • 1 can of Dunns River peas and Beans
  • 1 small red onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions
 

  • Chop the onion lengthwise
  • Rinse and soak the rice in a big vessel
  • Heat the olive in a medium-sized vessel
  • Add the bay leaf and then sauté’ the chopped garlic until it browns
  • Add 2 heaped tbsp of all-purpose seasoning and mix well and sauté for under 30-second stirring continuously so that the seasoning does not bu4n
  • Drain the water used to wash the rice
  • Then add the washed rice and sauté it for under a minute stirring continuously
  • Drain the water from the canned peas and beans and transfer them to a sieve and wash them under running water, to get rid of the salt
  • Add the peas and beans and add exactly twice the amount of water as the rice and cook on a medium flame with lid on
  • Garnish with some chopped spring onion
  • Serve hot
Caribbean brown rice with peas and beans

Ideally, I would cook up a fiery chicken curry to go with this rice but I had some white fish in my freezer and decided to grill them with some jerk seasoning.

Grilled jerk fish

Grilled Jerk Fish

Manjiri Chitnis
Spicy grilledfish is great paired with the brown rice with peas and the ackee and vegetableside
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Caribbean
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 fillets of white fish
  • 3 heaped tbsp of Dunns River Jamaican jerk seasoning marinade
  • 2 tsp of olive oil
  • 1/4 th of a lime

Instructions
 

  • Wash the fish fillets and coat thoroughly with the marinade
  • Heat a grill pan and pour the oil
  • Grill the fish until done
  • Ensure you do not overcook as the white fish is generally very delicate and will break easily. Overcooking will render it dry and not much fun to eat!
  • Squeeze the lime and do not be shy with it, the lime will cut through the spice and elevate flavours
Grilled jerk fish

Get creative in your kitchen or just go with the recipe suggestions on the packs, if you need more recipe inspiration head over to the Grace Foods recipe section.

Caribbean street food party

If you are in London join the festivities at Caribbean Food Week Festival at Windrush Square in Brixton.

Caribbean Food Week poster
Caribbean street food party

Disclaimer:  With thanks to Grace Foods for sending me a selection of products to experiment with. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. 

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews Tagged With: ackee and saltfish, al fresco eating, Brixton street food festival, caribbean rice with peas and beans, Celebrate Caribbean Food Week with Grace Foods, Dunns River Ackee, Dunns River all purpose seasoning, Dunns River beans, Dunns River Tropical seasoning, eat outdoors, enjoy the sunshine, Grace Foods, Jamaican recipes, street food party, summer 2016

Lamb Tasting Press event, London

August 20, 2016 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

September first week will ring in the second year for British Lamb Week. A campaign that has been launched to popularise the versatile and tasty meat, especially to make it appealing to a younger audience.

Last year I was invited to the launch of this campaign which was hosted at Chef Cyrus Todiwala’s restaurant Cafe’ Spice Namaste’. As the new Lambassador for ‘ Tasty  Easy Lamb’ Cyrus very passionately demonstrated some quick and delicious ways to cook lamb. Lamb is perfect for the summer season as it can be barbecued or grilled and enjoyed al-fresco. Amongst other dishes, we tried a fabulously juicy Blue cheese stuffed lamb burger. The recipe for this by Chef Cyrus is too good not to share with all of you.

BlueCheeseStuffedLambBurger (Copy)

As expected the incredible spice man has incorporated the use of many wonderful spices in this recipe.

Blue cheese stuffed lamb burger recipe by Chef Cyrus Todiwala

Print Recipe
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 675 gms lamb mince
  • 1 finely chopped medium onion
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 x 2inch piece minced fresh ginger
  • 1 slender minced green chilli seeds included
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin powder
  • 1.5 tbsp ground coriander powder
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 3 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala powder
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp crushed black pepper

Forthe Stuffing

  • 150 gms Blue cheese, crumbled
  • 2 Finely chopped green chillies
  • 1 tbsp Finely chopped fresh coriander
  • 2 Finely chopped cloves of Garlic
  • Rolls or bread, to serve

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl gently mix all the burger ingredients together. Divide into 6 evenly sized burgers
  • In a small bowl blend the stuffing ingredients together and shape into equal-sized balls to stuff the burgers
  • Make an indentation in the centre of each burger with your thumb and fill with a ball of the cheese. Make sure the cheese is completely encased when you form the burger
  • Cook on a prepared grill or barbecue for 6-8 minutes on each side or until any meat juices run clear
  • Serve with your favourite bread or rolls with some sliced tomatoes, onion and lettuce and some relish

We must appreciate that the demand for meat consumption is ever increasing in spite of the many pressures on limited resources of our planet. But as a meat lover myself, I must say, that it is great to know that it is possible to love your planet while continuing to consume meat. One of the ways to do that is to choose to add locally produced lamb to your diet. It is not only easy to cook but also, lamb raised in the English countryside is among the most sustainable in the world.

Sheep and lambs graze on naturally occurring grass which is good for the environment. It helps permanent grasslands to pull in carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. In addition, it preserves water quality and overall helps farms reduce their energy consumption. Along with being sustainable, sheep farming aids employment thereby building communities and supporting the economy.

Here is an easy kitchen cheat sheet to get you started with which cuts of lamb are best for what you want to cook, with handy tips on freezer storage and cooking techniques.

Lamb_Cheat_Sheet

So won’t you be doing to your bit to help protect the lambscape? The results of your kitchen experiments are bound to be lambtastic! Excuse the puns, I couldn’t resist 😉

Disclaimer:  With thanks to AHDB Beef & Lamb and Cyrus Todiwala for having me as a guest. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. Kitchen cheat sheet chart and images provided by AHDB Beef & Lamb.

Filed Under: Events, Food, Meat, Quick and Easy, Recipe Index Tagged With: Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board, AHDB Beef & Lamb, blue cheese lamb burger recipe, Board Bia, British Lamb Week, Cafe' Spice Namaste, climate change, Cyrus Todiwala, eat more lamb, EU, keema, kheema, lamb cheat shet, lamb consumers, love lamb week, meat, sustainability, Sustainable foods, Tasty Easy Lamb, The European Union

Behind the scenes at a free range Happy Eggs Co farm

August 19, 2016 by manjirichitnis 15 Comments

Happy Eggs – Behind the scenes at a free-range farm in rural England

Scrambled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, in an omelette, in a frittata – whichever way you like your eggs, they are an unbeatable source of protein and unsurprisingly, a much-loved way to kick start the day with a power-packed breakfast. I have always loved eggs especially runny scrambled ones like the ones my Baba makes for breakfast. It was hard for me then, to say no to a tempting invitation by Happy Eggs to come visit their farm up in Tring.

Happy Eggs Farm Visit
Happy Eggs Florentine
Happy Egg Co

Travelling to Happy Eggs farm from London

Having read so much, about how Happy Eggs Co like to have their girls roam around freely, this was a chance for me to experience things firsthand. So on a perfectly fine summer afternoon, I set out from London to the Hertfordshire. Arriving from London on the day would have been a nightmare, so I decided to stay one night in the village nearby the farm.

After a rather nightmarish re-routing of my otherwise straightforward journey to Luton, I finally managed to get there only about two hours late, thanks to cancelled and delayed trains. Thankfully, after that bit, it was a just quick drive from Luton station into the picturesque countryside.

No better way to recharge my batteries than a quick getaway out of London city limits. After I checked into the Five Bells Vintage Inn, I met lovely Jane who writes at The Hedgecombers for a quick drink and dinner. It was absolutely fabulous catching up with her after months. Jane is just one of the many amazing bloggers I have met at FBC and over the years we all have become really good friends. While Jane went back to her cute camper van for the night, I settled in early to ensure I got to the farm on time.

120 acres of space at the Bulborne Happy Eggs Co. Farm

Bulborne Happy Egg Farm

Feeling Egg-tastic at the Happy Eggs farm at Bulborne

Breakfast at the B&B with Jane was a quick affair and I even got to ride with her to the farm in that camper van – Woohoo!!! – quite a treat for a city like me! We lost our way a bit and after driving around in circles for a bit we finally made our way to Bulborne farm. We were greeted by a big bunch of bloggers and the Happy Egg co team.

It was a good that we had an early breakfast then, as we missed the morning treats laid out for us. After a quick introduction we all donned fresh blue overalls and sipped into wellies – I have NEVER walked for so many hours in wellies before but it was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Happy Hens at the Happy Eggs Farm

Happy Eggs Farm at Bulborne is an Organic farm spread across 120 acres of open,lush green space

Farmer JP of Bulborne farm is one of the many farmers who work with Noble Foods, the company that owns the Happy Egg brand. Bulborne Farm houses 14,000 girls as the hens are known or VIBS – very important birds in a space spread across 120 acres. This farm is a fully organic farm which means it is audited by bodies such as Organic Food Federation or Organic Farmers & Growers. This is in addition, to being certified and audited by the BEIC Lion Code.

Happy Hens at Happy Egg Co farms

All the Free Range, Barn and Organic farms that Noble Foods works with are also certified and audited by the RSPCA Freedom Food Scheme – a scheme to ensure hen welfare giving them not just wide open spaces to roam around freely but also to ensuring that they have access to dust-baths and specially designed activity kits, exactly like the one you see in my photo below.

Activity Kits for hens at Happy Eggs farm

Specially designed activity kit at Bulforne farm for Hen welfare

The focus on hen welfare and production of free-range eggs is given so much importance that they even sponsor research into work that how to create and maintain a stress free environment for the girls and keep them happy. After all Happy Hens produce Happy eggs!

Happy hens at Bulborne Farm - Happy Eggs

At the hen-house, ( no pun intended!) we saw the hens run outside to enjoy the sunshine, all the while, clucking away very happily. As we stood and took in what Farmer JP told us about a typical day in the life of an egg farmer, the hens roamed around freely around our group, not in the least perturbed by our presence.

Happy Hens at the Happy Eggs Farm

While one part of our group went inside the hen house to look at how it is designed and what facilities are provided to ensure the hens are healthy and happy and feel safe while laying eggs, we took turns holding these handsome birds. The naughty hen I held tried to peck at my hand and escaped from my hands before I could pose for a decent picture – naughty girl!

Happy Hens posing for our cameras - Happy Egg farm at Bulborne

Did you know that a hen lays an egg every 26 hours? Or that hens need dust to keep themselves clean and well-groomed? Hens are very intelligent beings and quite inquisitive by nature. To ensure that they get to satisfy their natural curiosity, each farm ensures that at least 20% of every open area must have trees planted on it.

Space aplenty and lots of trees and foliage at Happy Egg farm in Bulborne

Farmer JP explained that he understands the difference between a happy clucking and would know of his girls were unhappy instantly. One of the indicators as I already mentioned is that the hens are fearless around humans, also the hens at his farm have a very healthy and shiny set of feathers.

Happy Hens at the Happy Eggs Farm

Now that we have established that these eggs truly are free-range, how do we differentiate between the taste of eggs laid by happy hens versus caged hens? Farmer JP told us that the happy state of mind and healthy living conditions of his Happy hens results in tastier eggs. Also, fewer eggs with defects are found. These defects include a thin shell or wrinkled eggshell, which are indicators that the hens are under stress.

Jp explains why Happy Eggs are tastier because they are free range

Ergonomically designed housing for hens at Happy Eggs farm

As I walked into the e hen house, I steeled myself for an assault on my olfactory senses – what with all the pee and poo of hens, but honestly I was quite pleasantly surprised. There was dust flying around, thanks a bunch of excited hens who were jumping around in their dust-bath and cackling loudly as if exchanging some juicy gossip.

JP explained that the feeders, waste management system and egg collection areas are designed to ensure that hens are well-fed, their living space is kept clean, all this also designed to provide privacy for the hens when they want to lay eggs.

Inside a Happy Egg co farm hen house
Happy Hens enjoying a dust bath
Happy Hens have a gossip - cluck cluck!

On being quizzed about an article in the Daily Mail about hens being caged, we were informed that those hens were being treated for an illness and the article was factually incorrect. A claim that was backed by RSPCA. Sadly, as the article was not fact-based, it was followed by an apology later. Unfortunately, bad news spreads like a virus and this affects all the farmers who strive to maintain high standards. I speak from my personal experience of my visit to Bulborne farm which I can assure you, was very clean. To maintain the level of hygiene we witnessed on the day, I am positive that there is a lot of work hard involved backed by careful consideration towards hen welfare. Happy Egg farms at Bulborne contribute to research and have performed better than expected during all their audits, yes, even the ones that happen unannounced and when least expected.

Picking eggs at the Happy Eggs farm

We then picked some of the freshly laid eggs and had a look at the area where the eggs are stored before being shipped out. The stamping of the eggs is a manual process and the unique codes help identify exactly which farm they originate from. The eggs are graded by size and packed into the trademark cheery yellow cartons that are so easily recognisable on supermarket shelves.

Freshly picked Happy Eggs
Happy Eggs of various sizes
Freshly picked Happy Eggs

Famished after all that hard work we headed back to the base where a freshly prepared four course meal awaited. Chefs from Jackson & Rye restaurants in London cooked us a feast of smoked devilled eggs as canapes’ sprinkled with chives and a taste of delicious mayo, creamy avocados and spinach in Eggs Florentine.

Devilled Happy eggs
Happy Eggs Florentine

This was followed by a massive portion of the classic Mexican treat – Huevos Rancheros – loved the perfectly poached eggs on top oozing golden yolk and the fresh tomatoes and guacamole. Dessert was a Pecan tart which I wolfed down at lightening speed.

Huevos Rancheros with Happy Eggs
Huevos Rancheros with Happy Eggs
Pecan Tart at the Happy Eggs Farm

To truly understand the meaning of free range and how gold standards are achieved and maintained one must experience at close quarters how a Happy Egg farm is managed. By no means, an easy task, the passion that the whole team here has towards hen welfare is evident from the love they have for these birds.

Recipe inspiration from my kitchen

While I have you here, can I interest in you in some of my egg-tastic recipes? Have a gander and leave me a comment (or two) if you rustle up any of these dishes :

  • Indian Masala Egg Omlette
  • Egg curry – Anda curry – easy recipe for Uni students 
  • Turkish Poached Eggs – Cilbir
  • Eggs baked in pots with smoky chorizo and chives
  • Soft boiled eggs and asparagus soldiers – one of my Dad’s fav recipes
  • Vintage Frittata recipe

I was so egg-cited to meet some of my fellow food bloggers who came along for this farm visit. They were egg-cellent company! Alex Ryder writes at The Gingey Bites  Heidi Roberts blogs at Kitchen Talk and travels

Visiting Tring? Have a look at my review of the beautiful Five Bells Vintage Inn here.

Disclaimer:  With thanks to the Happy Eggs co for having me as a guest at Tring and Bulborne Free Range Happy Egg Co Farm. Many Thanks to Farmer JP and his team for a fabulous day out. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. 

Filed Under: Events, Food, London and rest of U.K, Travel Tagged With: A day out on the Happy Trail with Happy Eggs, Aylesbury, BEIC Lion Code, Bulborne farm, camper van, chickens, eggs Florentine, free range eggs, hen welfare, Hertfordshire, homepage-slider, Huevos Rancheros, Jackson & Rye restaurant, london, Noble Foods, Organic Farmers & Growers, Organic Food Federation, Pecan tart, smoked devilled eggs, Tring

River Cottage – memories of Blog Camp 2015

August 2, 2016 by manjirichitnis 8 Comments

Farm visits are a great way to spend a sunny day outdoors exploring, learning and eating al fresco. In preparation for my press trip to Happy Eggs farm at Tring, which I leave for today, I decided it was time to re-live some happy memories of last year’s blog camp at River Cottage HQ. It was by far the best day out and short break of 2015 – A mini staycation in Axminster with some friends and a packed day full of great sessions at blog camp on a farm in the picturesque countryside.

Summer this year has been good so far with the weather really holding up. I do hope the weather is just as glorious for the next two days at least as it was last year when I went and spent a whole day at River Cottage. I am ignoring the fact that we have had a really gloomy start today with big scary grey clouds looking over London and a rather wet and chilly evening last night – Gaaaahhh!

Kitchen garden at River Cottage

Visiting River Cottage HQ for a day out, is an excellent idea, especially for fans of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s famous TV cookery show. My blogger friends Heidi, Nayna, and Tina decided to make the most of this opportunity Blog Camp by Foodies 100 and booked ourselves into  B&B called Millwater House in Axminster. (Sylvia who blogs at Happiness is homemade was busy and couldn’t join in the fun but we missed her dearly!) With plans to not just experience a day out in the gorgeous River Cottage, we also made plans to visit the Lyme Regis and drink in the sights and sounds of Devon.

River Cottage views from car park

To kickstart our day packed with a kitchen tour, cooking workshop and photography and blogging workshops all of us made our way to the farm in a large tractor. Yes, the said tractor ferried us in groups from the massive car park area which has sweeping views of the countryside, up the hill to the beautiful grounds. They house a charming 17th-century farmhouse, cookery school and a massive kitchen garden, a yurt and a sprawling few acres of grounds housing all manner of farm animals.

Tractor ride to River Cottage views from car park

Inside the yurt a log – fire welcomed us while we were divided into groups. Settling onto bales of hay we got a chance to mingle while the day’s plan was explained. But before all the ‘hard work began we were treated to some freshly made canapes, pastries and piping hot cups of tea and coffee- after all, what use is a hungry soldier?

 River Cottage
Breakfast tent outside the yurt at River Cottage
Breakfast at River Cottage

Group Cookery Demo at River Cottage

My group started with the cookery demonstration and demo with Chef, Gill Mellor. We made butter and used fresh herbs to flavour and garnish. I used the butter at home for many weeks and it was always great fun because it brought back memories of my mum making ghee at home and sneakily using the by-product into various dishes later.

Inside the kitchen at River Cottage
Cookery Demo at River Cottage

The process of making butter from cream was fairly simple and I choose not to use any fancy equipment. It does take some effort but its well worth it. The buttermilk which is produced during this process went into the soda bread dough. I went a bit mad with the soda bread and added all sorts of delicious things like honey and berries and herbs into the dough. We left the butter to set in the fridge and the soda bread to cool by the huge windows.

Making butter with fresh cream at River Cottage
What went into my soda bread at River Cottage
Soda bread I baked at River Cottage

Doesn’t that vase look lovely? The pretty flowers used in vases come from the grounds and are arranged in vases of all shapes and sizes, spread all over the farm this rustic styling adds a very homely and welcoming touch.

Table decor at River Cottage

Photography session with Lucy

After the cooking session, it was off to practise our food photography skills with Lucy. Lucy’s blog Capture by Lucy is a visual treat and she shared a wealth of knowledge with us all the while patiently answering our many queries. We practised styling fresh produce with flowers and cutlery and various light settings.

Photography session by Lucy at Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage
Photography session by Lucy at Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage

By then we were famished and I was relieved that as we trooped into the large dining hall, we all needed a rest and those gorgeous aromas wafting around had us salivating. So when the mains were served everything went quiet for a while as we hungrily wolfed down our food. It was a great opportunity to catch up with other bloggers between courses and I was glad to see so many familiar faces. It was nice to be finally able to put faces to the names of all the bloggers I ‘meet’ almost daily in cyberspace.

 Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage

Lunch at River Cottage

The beef ravioli was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and was served with summer vegetables. I think we first ate with our eyes – what a pretty plate and the aromas floating around were thanks to the 36-hour slow cooking treatment given to the beef. Naturally, all the produce used came from the farm. Without a doubt, this is the best ever ravioli I have ever eaten – can’t get a better farm-to-fork plateful, I guess! For sides, we devoured slices of freshly baked bread and generous portions of chilli-garlic corn on the cob slathered with swirls of golden butter dripping off the sides, as it melted over the warm corn. Ummm utterly delightful.

Beef raviloi at Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage
Chilli garlic corn at River Cottage
Freshly baked bread for lunch at River Cottage
Beef raviloi at River Cottage

If that didn’t send me into a food induced coma of absolute happiness then maybe it was the gorgeous dessert that followed. Again brilliant plating, for the coffee flavoured ice cream (my absolute fav flavour – yay!) with crunchy salted caramel,  served with meringue infused with delicate fennel, topped with juicy and moreish roasted damsons, crumble and finally slathered with runny honey. Passport to food heaven I say!

Heavenly dessert at River Cottage

River Cottage Kitchen Garden Tour

Tummies full, soul satisfied, we walked out, our batteries recharged, ready to take on the kitchen garden and grounds tour.

Kitchen tour at River Cottage

Head Gardener, Will Livingstone explained how the farm is a self-sustaining ecosystem in itself. A living model of sustainability and growing and consuming local produce the variety of vegetables and fruits produced here is mind-boggling. During this guided tour he gave great tips on growing organic. The best tip he gave which is ingrained into my brain is to plant other plants next to the vegetables so that the bugs can munch on them for example – garlic.

Fruits ripe to pick at the River Cottage farm
Flowers at the River Cottage HQ

The produce from the farm feeds a mind-boggling number of people every year at the various events and cookery classes that are held regularly. Whatever the farm cannot provide is sourced from neighbouring Trill farm and other local producers. No wonder then that they are organic certified as accredited by the Soil Association and are managed under Countryside and Environmental Stewardship; schemes run by Natural England. And this 1.5-acre farmland and the team managing it are also proud to be ambassadors of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Guided tour of kitchen gardens at River Cottage HQ

After the kitchen garden tour, we met the pigs and the hens who became overnight Instagram celebrities thanks to our group of camera trigger-happy bloggers.

Animals at River Cottage HQ
Hens at River Cottage HQ
River Cottage HQ

It was then time to say our goodbyes and head back to our quaint B&B but not before a bumpy but fun ride in the massive tractor – an unforgettable experience.

River Cottage HQ

The team at Foodies 100 and the one at River Cottage cannot be faulted for their organisation skills, their generosity, and of course their wealth of knowledge. To find out what’s happening now at the River Cottage check out their events calendar. I cannot think of a better day out, especially as a corporate team-building exercise than going to River Cottage HQ.

River Cottage HQ

Looking for Travel Inspiration around London or other parts of the U.K, then have a browse through my travel posts below:

  • An insider’s guide to London Bridge and the surrounding area in Central London
  • Top 5 places near London for the perfect day out with family
  • Borough Market, London’s iconic market steeped in history
  • Portobello Market, Notting Hill, London – an insider’s guide
  • Neighbourhood guide to Angel, Islington, London
  • England’s largest Vineyard – Denbie’s Wine Estate, Dorking, Surrey
  • Exploring Guilford town and River Wey Valley, Surrey Hills, England
  • Weekend Getaway, Southampton, England
  • Christmas Lunch at River Cottage
  • Five Bells Inn, Aylesbury, Weston Turville, England
  • A week in North Wales – Southstack Lighthouse and Cemaes Bay

*With thanks to Foodies100 for organising such a fabulous blog camp event and the talented team at River Cottage for an unforgettable experience. As always all opinions expressed are as always my own. No incentive was provided for a positive review.

Filed Under: Events, Food, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: A day at River Cottage, A day at River Cottage HQ, A day at River Cottage with Foodies100, A day in the life of River Cottage, A day inside River Cottage, A day out at River Cottage, a visit to River Cottage HQ, Axminster, beef ravioli, Blog Camp 2015 by Foodies 100 at River Cottage HQ, Chef, chilli-garlic corn on the cob, coffee flavoured ice cream, Countryside and Environmental Stewardship, crumble, dessert, Devon, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, fire, foraged fruits, freshly baked bread, Gill Mellor, guided kitchen garden tour, hay bale, hens, honey, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, lunch, Lyme Regis, Manjiri's first ever farm visit, meringue infused with fennel, Millwater House, pigs, pork stew, River Cottage, roasted damsons, Soda bread recipe by River Cottage, Travelsfortaste visits River Cottage with Foodies 100, veg pasta, yurt

Tandoori spiced Grilled Lobster Tails

June 16, 2016 by manjirichitnis 16 Comments

Tandoori spiced grilled Lobster Tails – Juicy and packed with flavour, try this easy and quick recipe on the BBQ

Although the past few days have been quite rainy and grey, we did manage to catch some sun on Sunday afternoon. It was a great opportunity to get the BBQ out and enjoy some grilled seafood.

Our back garden has a little area at the back which is perfect to fire up the grills, it has the benefit of being sheltered from the wind thanks to a massive pine cone tree.

Iceland Luxury Canadian Lobster Tails

I have been eyeing the frozen Luxury Canadian lobster tails in the freezer at Iceland for many weeks now and Sunday presented just the right opportunity to get them out from the freezer and onto the grill. Though I have cheated and used a ready-to-use tandoori masala mix for my recipe, it is dead easy to create the masala on your own. But when faced with only a 2-3 hour window when the sun is shining down on us, I had to act fast!

Iceland Luxury Canadian Lobster Tails

We are big fans of seafood in our family and last week I had worked on creating a very easy spice rub for grilled fish. You can use this spice rub for prawns on skewers or for dusting onto whole fish like those frozen sardines that you get at Iceland too.

Lobster tails on the BBQ

Now let me warn you that though it may appear that we had the perfect BBQ, it was right after a heavy downpour, which can catch you unawares, so it’s best to not wait for the sun to appear but stock up your freezer with your favourites from the frozen range that Iceland has to offer. I always have frozen kale, green peas, and some fish in our freezer. But the sheer variety of vegetables, fish, meat, and meat all ready to go on the BBQ will leave you spoilt for choice. From juicy prawns to succulent kebabs there is something for everyone to choose from. And if the weather does play spoil-sport then my recipe will give great results even when made using a pan indoors.

Iceland Lobster tails
Iceland Luxury Canadian Lobster Tails

Tandoori Lobster Tails

Manjiri Chitnis
Savour ataste of India with my easy to make juicy tandoori lobster tails, buttery andspicy all at once
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • BBQ

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pack from Iceland Frozen lobster tails
  • 2 tbsp Melted Butter –
  • 1 tbsp Ready tandoori masala mix
  • 1 Onion for the garnish
  • 1/2 Lime for the garnish

Instructions
 

  • Ideally, allow the lobster tails to defrost overnight in the refrigerator, but with our unpredictable weather try my easy method for an instant defrost – hold the lobster tails under running tap water to remove any ice clinging to the tails
  • Then place them into a zip-lock pouch and hold it under running water. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes and then repeat the process twice
  • Use a sharp kitchen knife or scissors and cut a u-shaped piece of the hard shell from the back of the lobster shell to reveal the vein. Ensure you remove the entire vein. Alternatively, after the BBQ, the shell comes off more easily and the vein is visible more clearly as it is dark black in colour and comes off very easily. Either way, just ensure you remove the vein before tucking in
  • Melt the butter in the microwave and add the tandoori masala powder into it
  • Use a brush to apply the spice mix generously to the fleshy bit of the lobster tail
  • Allow the marinade to work its magic while the BBQ gets going
  • Place the lobster tails fleshly bit down first
  • The tails begin to turn a bright orange colour when turned over, just ensure that you do not overcook as the fleshy bit will taste very dry
  • Hot off the BBQ pour some melted butter and squeeze half a lime over the tails
  • Serve with thin rings of sliced red onion and corn on the cob smothered in chilli butter
Lobster tails
Lobster tails

I would recommend serving grilled seafood like fish, lobster tails, or prawns on skewers along with grilled corn on the cob. Iceland freshly frozen mini corn cobs – 625gm for £1 is such a budget-friendly delight to have in the freezer.

 Tandoori Lobster Tails Recipe by Manjiri of Travelsfortaste
Tandoori Lobster Tails Recipe by Manjiri of Travelsfortaste

The Power of Frozen gives you quality and value that is not expected for luxury seafood especially lobster tails. All the natural flavours are sealed in and when you bite into a juicy lobster tail you can rest assured that the nutritional goodness is intact.

Tandoori Lobster Tails Recipe by Manjiri of Travelsfortaste

To complete our seafood BBQ feast, I choose Iceland’s 4 haddock frozen fillets. It was a tough choice compared to the 4 boneless Atlantic salmon steaks but personally, I love haddock and how it takes up Indian spice rub flavours over other fish.

Iceland haddock fillets
Iceland haddock fillets

Find the recipe for my spice mix here

Tandoori spiced BBQ Haddock recipe by Manjiri of www.travelsfortaste.com
Tandoori spiced BBQ Haddock recipe by Manjiri of www.travelsfortaste.com
BBQ haddock fillets
This post was commissioned by Iceland. As always all opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Food, Recipe Index, seafood Tagged With: #poweroffrozen, Barbecued lobster tails and haddock fillets, frozen Luxury Canadian lobster tails, Grilled seafood feast, Iceland freshly frozen mini corn cobs, Iceland's 4 haddock frozen fillets, Power of Frozen

Homemade Spice Rub

June 16, 2016 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Spice rub for everything from Vegetables to meat and seafood

Elevate the taste profile of your grilled or roast vegetables ( or seafood or meat) with this delicious homemade spice rub.

Now I have tried this spice mix on broccoli, kale, and roast potatoes and it always works wonders. But we have loved it most with fish. Grilled, BBQ’ed, fried, steamed, or baked – we love eating fish in our house and I have created my own recipe for an Indian spice rub. I used this on haddock fillets on the BBQ this Sunday and the result was very satisfying. Even with frozen fish fillets straight out of the freezer onto the hot grill, the spice mix hit all the right notes.

Spices - fragrant, warm and fresh

It was incredibly easy to create this spice rub at home using my Optimum G.21 Platinum blender, the panel has six pre-programmed functions which are a real no brainer and one of those functions is ‘Grind’. I try and use my Froothie blender as much as possible and not just for my morning smoothies, it has just made my life that much simpler!

Homemade Spice Rub

Manjiri Chitnis
Homemade spice rub – Versatilespice mix works perfectly well for vegetables like cauliflower, mushrooms,potatoes. Great with chicken chicken , lamb and seafood especially for fishsteaks and prawns
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Total Time 2 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • High-speed blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 tsp Peppercorns
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1 Dry Kashmiri Red Chilli
  • 1 Badi Elaichi or black cardamom
  • 3 Green cardamom – without the outer green pod
  • 2 cloves Garlic peeled
  • Cinnamon stick – roughly the length of the tip of your thumb
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Cumin/ jeera
  • 1 tsp Amchoor powder / dried mango powder
  • 1 tbsp Kasoori methi
  • 1 Heaped tbsp fried onion
  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds lightly roasted on a pan
  • 1 Whole round Red Chilli
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • a tiny pinch of Asafoetida

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients into a grinder and blend till you get a grainy consistency
  • Do not grind to a very smooth paste because the texture this consistency will lend to the fish, will hit the right spot on your palate. A finer texture I think would work better for meat
  • Though this spice rub is suitable for freezing, since it contains garlic and fried onion, I would not advise keeping in the freezer for over 10-15 days
  • If you make a small batch and little remains, try adding into your curry for a lift in flavour
  • If you do not deal well with spicy red chilli flavours, then rule out the whole round red chilli completely and instead add a small pinch of paprika just for a hint of flavour
Keyword Spice mix

Homemade spice rub for grilling vegetables, meat, and seafood

These quantities yield enough spice mix for 2 medium-sized fillets with a little leftover. If you want to use it for 4 or 6 fillets simply double the quantities.

Fresh spices

Why not try my recipes for Tandoori spiced grilled Lobster tails and Haddock fillets with this spice rub?

Homemade spice rub

*This post has affiliate links.

Filed Under: Featured Food and Drink, Food, Indian, Recipe Index, seafood Tagged With: cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin, dried red kashmir chillies, fried onion, garlic, Homemade Spice Rub, kasoori methi, recipe development, red chilli, special spice rub for sea food, travels for taste recipe development

Tomato and Coconut Chutney

April 27, 2016 by manjirichitnis 18 Comments

Tomato and Coconut Chutney recipe, a perfect little treat to scoop up with your soft idlis and crispy dosas

A freshly made coconut chutney served with steaming hot idlis or a crisp dosa hot off the pan is a thing of delight.

There are many varieties of this coconut chutney, but I prefer the one with tomatoes. It just adds that much more depth of flavour and dimension.

This easy recipe becomes even more fun to create when using a powerful blender like my new Optimum G.21 Platinum blender. Why? Because the speed and convenience of having a pre-set function to grind means the job is done at the press of a button.

Besides the consistency and texture of the chutney is perfect.

Ingredients for tomato coconut chutney

If you are using frozen grated coconut as I do, it will look like this

Frozen ready grated coconut

Tomato and Coconut Chutney

Manjiri Chitnis
Fresh and delicious this tomato and grated coconut chutney adds a pop of colour and vibrancy to your dishes
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Cook Time 2 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Blender/Mixer-Grinder

Ingredients
  

For grinding the chutney

  • 55 gm Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 large Tomato or 1 small
  • 3 Kashmiri red chillies dried
  • ½ Green Chilli
  • 1 tsp Chana dal or yellow Bengal gram split and without skin
  • Ginger – a small knob about the size of your thumbnail
  • 2 Small cloves Garlic – without skin
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water – add according to consistency

For the tadka or tempering

  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 5 Curry Leaves
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Urad dal (split black lentil without skin)

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pan on a medium flame and pan roast the chana dal till it turns a dark brown colour, do not allow it to burn, gently keep moving it on the pan with a wooden spatula. Set aside to cool
  • Halve the tomato and add into the blender
  • Add the freshly grated coconut, I buy a frozen packet from my local Indian store, have a look at the photograph in my post
  • Remove the skin of the ginger – this is best done using the back of a spoon if the ginger is fresh – it will come off easily, of not use a knife
  • Now add the garlic cloves, Kashmiri red chillies, and salt. You can increase or decrease the number of Red Chillies depending on how hot you want the chutney to be
  • Add the roasted chana dal which should have cooled down by now
  • Add about one and a half tbsp water and grind to a thick coarse paste-like consistency.
  • The water level depends on how you would like the consistency to be. I generally add a little more water after the first grind and give it one more pulse in my Froothie to get a better pouring consistency
  • Decant the chutney into a bowl
  • Heat the oil in a kadhai or saucepan and add the mustard seeds in the hot oil
  • Once the seeds begin to pop add the urad dal and let it brown, then throw in the fresh curry leaves
  • Pour this hot tadka mixture onto the chutney and serve fresh with steaming hot idlis or dosas
Keyword Chutney

A peek inside the blender ..

Ingredients for tomato coconut chutney

If you are not using the Froothie power blender, then chop the chillies roughly into small pieces, repeat with the ginger and garlic too.

This is because the sharp blades of the Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender will be able to easily grind the whole ingredients, a task that a regular mixie will struggle with.

I add the dried red Kashmiri chilli for its colour as well as flavour. In many of my curries I just these chillies whole to add a hint of flavour. But remember once made into a paste these chillies release their hidden potency – it’s a very different beast then and the heat can be really intense. So if you don’t deal with heaty – spicy chillies well then use only a half of a Kashmiri chilli in this chutney. It will still add a dash of colour and flavour without scathing your palate

And the green chilli gives it necessary flavour which I find very distinctly pungent and traceable when I eat this chutney, if it was missing I would know instantly and would miss it.

Tomato coconut chutney

The fresh taste of the chutney and the crunch of the curry leaves is simply irresistible, the tomatoes add just the right amount of tang to this beautiful chutney. Typical to the South of India this recipe is something that most families make with variations of their own. Some even prefer to add some onion or roast the coconut before adding to the blender. whichever recipe you use this chutney will never go out of fashion.

Tomato coconut chutney

Need an easy recipe for steam idlis, check out my recipe here

*I am an ambassador for Froothie and was sent a Froothie Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender for review. This post has affiliate links.

Filed Under: Chutneys, Food, Indian, Recipe Index Tagged With: chana dal, curry leaves, dosa chutney, freshly grated coconut, garlic, ginger, grinding with Froothie optimum G2.1, idli chutney, Ingredients for tomato coconut chutney, south indian recipe, tomatoes

Steamed Idli batter recipe + Froothie Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender review

April 14, 2016 by manjirichitnis 14 Comments

When I first moved to the U.K the one kitchen appliance that I really missed was my ‘mixie’ I relied heavily on my old beat up noisy mixie or mixer as it is popularly known as, especially, when I wanted to make chutneys or grind soaked grains. In the past five years, I have tried several blenders and food processors and never really had satisfying results.

So I ended up buying many different types of blenders, right from a handheld blender worth £15 to an expensive and large, space-occupying food processor with several attachments, most of which I never use for various reasons. One of them being the pain involved in washing up – yes am lazy that way 😉

Fast forward to 2016 – When I was offered the opportunity to become an ambassador for Froothie UK and sent the new and shiny high-speed Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender to test and review, the very first thing I wanted to try was making an idli batter with homemade coconut chutney.

Optimum G2.1 power blender

Perfect kitchen companion for dry and wet grinding

I am delighted to announce that the results are really very satisfying. The 6 blade assembly makes it very easy to grind grains so my soaked rice and urad dal mixture reached the right consistency in no time!

I am so relieved that I do not have to keep blending and adding more water than required to reach the right consistency for my idli and dosa batters. Even bigger relief is in knowing that freshly grated coconut can be turned into a fabulous chutney within seconds. This especially is a blessing, considering that my parents had to lug a heavy mixer all the way from India, just so that I would stop complaining about how difficult it is to grind dals or make coconut chutney. Sorry, Baba for all the trouble you had to go through to lugging that device all the way to London!

6 blade assembly

When you are looking to purchase a high investment appliance like a power blender, comparisons are a part of the process. Froothie has made it easy for you to make that decision with this table comparing the  Optimum G 2.1 Platinum blender to a Vitamix – Pro series 500.

Optimum G.21 vs Vitamix

Ease of Use, sturdy jug, and intelligent overload protection best part about the Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender though is the ease with which the sturdy Eastman Tritan Copolyester BPA Free jug sits on the base – no twisting and turning and waiting to hear a click – just simple fit, plug and play. I recollect the horror I felt when the plastic edge of my food processor chipped while I struggled to fit it into the grooves of the base, only days after spending quite some money buying it, about three years ago. What a nightmare that was.

The Optimum G.21 also comes with intelligent overload protection meaning the built-in sensor automatically switches off the motor in case, over-heating is detected. This prolongs the Optimum’s operating life while pre-empting and avoiding breakdowns. If the blender should ever trip, all you have to do is simply switch it back on.

6 pre-set functions

Hot soups, frozen desserts and healthier smoothies in minutes

The idea of making a bowl of soup in minutes is so appealing and especially to a person like me who is trying very hard to loose weight. Not only am I trying to loose weight by eating healthier am also helping my husband throw off excess weight faster by making better food choices. It is a boon to be able to relish fresh homemade soups every single day in less than ten minutes thanks to the heat created by friction.

Nothing beats smoothies packed with fiber and that is something you can enjoy daily, fruits go into this beauty with skin and without chopping  – yes you read that right. Brilliant, isn’t it? A heavy-duty tamper tool has also been provided for improved processing and mixing.

If you need recipe inspiration your blender comes with a recipe book with 80 inspiring ideas for you try at home.

Nut butter, sauces, dips, flours – make everything at home

Throwing a party and need hummus now? I made a large bowl of smoked red pepper hummus over the weekend for a big party we threw for our dearest friends (recipe for humus coming up soon)

I am yet to make any flour in new Optimum G2.1 but that is because I have been so obsessed with soups, smoothies, and chutneys! Buckwheat flour is ready in 10 seconds flat – need to see a demo? Watch this video on the Froothie TV channel, they have a whole host of fab videos from recipes to comparisons with other brands and tests too.

The optimum now comes with a free nut milk bag too as part of the package.

Complete control at your fingertips

I am quite smitten with the latest offering from Froothie, and it’s not just the smart good looks but the 6 pre-set programs on a fabulous modern digital panel, pulse and timer settings that allow me to be in total control at the push of a button, that make this vortex blender so very appealing. It truly is the only blender you will ever need. Especially, if like me, you too have spent a lot of money on experimenting with various types of blenders. The 10-year warranty is an added bonus. You can order this fabulously stylish and highly efficient power blender via this link

Why not make the most of a great limited time offer which expires on the 30th of April 2016 and save £170 on your purchase? Get the Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender for £429 instead of £599. To ensure that the ordering is smooth and delivery process hassle-free Froothie U.K uses a next day courier service and you get your blender delivered with 24-48 hours. There’s also a 30 day trial with a money-back guarantee which includes return postage costs, but I am pretty sure that won’t be necessary!

Ok now for my recipe, I have followed the late master chef Tarla Dalal’s easy to follow recipe, for my Steamed Idli’s recipe but have adjusted the proportions to make approximately 15 idlis – the number will vary based on the size of the moulds.

Idli moulds

Steamed Idlis

Manjiri Chitnis
A Quintessential south Indian delicacy which makesfor a guilt free meal considering it is steamed and wholesome
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 15 Idlis

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Urad dal – split black lentils without skin
  • 2 cups Par-boiled rice/ idli rice
  • 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds- methi seeds
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water to adjust consistency
  • Low-calorie oil spray to grease the idli-moulds
  • Coconut chutney to serve with the idlis

Instructions
 

  • Soak the rice in water in a bowl and the fenugreek seeds and urad dal in another. Add enough water to allow the dal and rice to absorb the water and then some
  • Soak for a minimum of 4 hours
  • Drain the excess water from the rice and add in the blender – enough to get a pouring consistency
  • Repeat with the urad dal and fenugreek seed mixture – this mixture will get very thick while blending so you may need to add in more water as required. This mixture gets frothy while blending which is perfectly natural
  • Mix both batters and set aside in a warm place to ferment – it took my batter 24 hours to ferment. Fermentation slows down when the temperature is low
  • Season the batter with salt after it has fermented
  • Grease idli-moulds and spoon the batter into the moulds
  • Steam the idlis in a pressure cooker or idli-steamer for about 12 minutes.
  • Take care while removing the hot idlis from the pressure cooker, to avoid steam burns. Serve the steaming hot idlis with coconut chutney
  • Serve as a breakfast dish for a weekend treat, actually, this is dish ideal for any meal
Steamed idli recipe by Manjiri of www.travelsfortaste.com
Steamed idli recipe by Manjiri of www.travelsfortaste.com

*I am an ambassador for Froothie and was sent a Froothie Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender for review. This post has affiliate links. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and I only endorse products that I love and have experimented with.

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Product Reviews, Recipe Index Tagged With: Steamed Idli batter recipe + Froothie Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender review

Recipe round-up for #CreditCrunchMunch for March 2016

April 1, 2016 by manjirichitnis 7 Comments

March was a whirlwind crazy month where I was swamped with lots of work. I am most happy that I have set in motion something I had planned for years – getting rid of unused and unwanted things from our house on an ongoing basis, key words being ‘ongoing’. Which means I don’t wait to spring clean and do not feed my habit of procrastinating. As both my husband and I, are working together to get into a healthier lifestyle one of the aspects involves yoga,meditation and learning to create and maintain a harmonious home – a zen-like space that is not cluttered and filled with things we will never use. It is almost like a soul-cleansing exercise, that we plan to continue to – clutter you see has a way of building up. It makes managing our space and keeping it clean, easier and we feel so good about donating things that we will never use but will surely help someone in need.

With that motto in mind, spring cleaning was actually an enjoyable experience and not the annual nightmare that we dread. This also meant taking a stock of my kitchen and what followed is a series of activities involving labelling, rearranging and donating things to our local food bank too. I was also able to create some really great meals using ingredients that I had forgotten I possess and ensuring that even the most dreary looking vegetable or fruit is not wasted. That is the reason I find all the recipes shared with #creditcrunchmunch this month, hugely inspiring.

I do hope that you, in turn, are inspired to create delicious meals and inspire others too to eliminate food wastage and work together in creating a more balanced and conscientious society where we respect and value what we have.

Chicken, prawn and mango recipe by Sarah who blogs at From plate to pen, is such a warm and inviting dish. Her post screams nostalgia! Frankly, I would never have thought of adding prawns and mango to a chicken curry but now am willing to try.

Chicken, prawn and mango curry

Reggae potatoes by Kate who blogs at The gluten-free alchemist are infused with coconut milk. Tropical tasting, delicious crispy potato skins seem so irresistible and a very entertaining post by Kate where she shares how she came about to creating this recipe – a must-read!

Reggae Potatoes by Kate - The GF Alchemist

5 a day cake – yes you heard that right cake it is by Michelle who blogs at Utterly scrummy and is mum to two teenagers, a tween and an adorable toddler – Michelle how do you do it?! If you are looking to make a sweet treat and use up overripe bananas and even carrots and courgettes than look no further – try her recipe now!

5 a day cake 2 - Michelle - Utterly scrummy

Cheeseless vegan pizza? Yes, please! Kate from the Veg space has an easy-peasy recipe idea which results in a pizza with crunchy toppings that guarantee you won’t miss cheese – great for all those who are watching calories and want to eat light but don’t want to miss out on flavour or for when you want a pizza night in.

Broccoli-Kale-Chilli-Hazelnut-Pizza Kate of The Veg Space

Green vegetable galette with flaky pastry using ready prepped frozen vegetables from Iceland made by Choclette of Tin and Thyme is a perfect example of a speedy healthy meal idea when you are running low on fresh veggies.

Green-Vegetable-Galette- Tin and Thyme

I am trying to lose weight and eat healthily, so I do end up stocking up on many ingredients, so that I can easily rustle up a healthy salad, often that means a lot of lovely ingredients left in small quantities that need using up and fast, this Healthy superfood and smoked salmon salad recipe by me is an attempt to do just that.

Healthy superfood and smoked salmon salad

I absolutely love this thrifty and fabulous soup recipe by Hanna who blogs at Arctic Cloudberry, easy to make when you are pressed for time and when faced with an almost empty fridge. Try her chickpea, potato and coconut soup recipe if you are in a similar situation – or not – for a healthy and light weekday meal.

Chickepea potato coconut soup by Arctic Cloudberry

Stunning GF quiche recipe with roast dinner leftovers by Kate of The gluten-free alchemist – a very innovative idea and sure to please even the fussiest diner.

roast dinner quiche GF by The GF alchemist Kate

Caramelised Sesame Peanuts by Pro kitchenware looks so moreish and is for everyone who stores nuts for topping salads and making several jars of nut butter – like I do!

Caramelised-Sesame-Peanuts-Pro Kitchen ware

I always have some frozen veggie sausages lurking in my freezer and one lazy weekend afternoon when I was faced with an almost empty fridge tray I had a few minutes of utter panic. Not in a mood to eat anything elaborate my frozen veggie sausages and frozen organic GF pizza bases came to the rescue. I loved making the sauce and I hope you enjoy trying my recipe for Gluten-free pizza with vegetarian sausages

Celia organic GF beer with Genius GF pizza base

As an Indian born and bought up in Mumbai in a Maharashtrian family, I grew up eating dals with chapatis for most of my main meals. It is for me the ultimate healthy meal and very easy to make. That’s why this frugal version by The Veg hog is a recipe that I fell in love with the second I saw it. A different way to cook dhal!

Dhal and chapati by The Veg Hog

Cooking with lamb is great fun and I have wanted a slow cooker for myself for the longest time now. Both reasons why I love this next recipe so much. Hopefully, I shall be able to get a slow cooker soon for my experiments. Sarah over Tales from the kitchen shed shares an interesting recipe for slow-cooked citrus lamb shanks.

slow cooker lamb shanks - Sarah - Talesfromthekitchenshed

Homemade Doritos? Oh yes! Any homemade versions with low or no sugar and less oil are always a fabulous idea and Shaheens green chilli Doritos are just the thing when you are feeling peckish. Check out her easy recipe on her blog Allotment2kitchen

Homemade green chilli doritos Shaheen allotment2kitchen

And another great recipe by Shaheen of Allotment2kitchen – this time, it’s jacket potatoes but she has used sweet potatoes in her vegan version called Super loaded sweet potato jackets

Super Loaded Sweet Potato Jackets Shaheen - Allotment2kitchen

I am very excited about the next recipe and not just because it has koftas but because it has been blogged a very dear friend Nisa on her blog Flavour Diary. We were neighbours and I dearly miss all the time we spent together over cups of chai discussing food!

cabbagekoftacurry_flavourdiary_2

Next up is a spicy beef and chickpea stew with ras el hanout, orange and dates by Emma of De tout cour limousin blog. What a great way to spice up some leftover beef!

beef and chickpea stew -detoutcouerlimousin

A very refreshing and colourful spring kale salad by Jane of The taste space perfect way to use up any vegetables that are just asking to be used in an innovative dish.

spring kale salad by Janet at The taste space

Gorgeous and moreish, these frugal Polish cheese buns by Margot of Coffee and Vanilla blog are such a delicious way to make a tasty snack perfect with a big hot cuppa tea.

polish-buns-drozdzowki-Coffee and Vanilla

Thank you to everyone for linking up this month and happy cooking to all of you. Hope these recipes inspire everyone to cook more frugal meals and do their bit to stop food wastage.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Batch cooking for the freezer, Dishes using cheaper ingredients like cheap cuts of meat or vegetarian, Faster cooking for example dishes that take less oven time or using a pressure cooker, Food you have grown yourself, Meals from reduced food in the supermarket, Meals that use less energy to cook, Meals using leftovers, Meals using up the ends of packets, Packed lunches, Pressure cooking, Recipe round up for #creditcrunchmunch for March 2016 by Manjiri of travelsfortaste blog, save money on 5 essential ingredients with my ideas at travelsfortaste, Slow cooking, Substitutions of cheaper ingredients, Sustainable foods, Thrifty recipe ideas

eINDIE Launch of Handmade Chutneys by budding Momtrepreneur Sonal Sher

March 22, 2016 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

I have always endeavoured to get the word about for foodie entrepreneurs via my blog. I am passionate about food and love talking to people who share my passion. That’s why I was really happy to be at the launch of  eINDIE -Chutneys & Relish and am so glad I can share with all you the story behind the big day and some glimpses from the launch party.

eINDIE range of handmade Chutneys and Relishes

eINDIE was launched at a grand opening last month at Tante Marie located on Woking high street. The launch was attended by some very high profile guests like Lord Dolar Popat (Conservative Peer), a leading businessman and former Minister for Small Businesses & Transport who was the Chief Guest. The other special guest invitees were Mayor of Woking Borough Council and Cllr Derek McCrum while Local MP Jonathan Lord was not able to attend he sent his good wishes in support of eINDIE.

Lord Dolar Popat at the launch of eINDIE
Lord Dolar Popat at the launch of eINDIE
Special guest of honour at the launch of eINDIE
Special guest of honour at the launch of eINDIE

Sonal’s close friend and ardent supporter Lakshmi Kaul, was at hand to introduce the guests of honour and introduce us to the delicious range of chutneys. Lakshmi Kaul, for the uninitiated, is the Founder and executive member of the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society. She recently has also elected as Deputy Chairman (Fundraising) for the Hounslow, Chiswick, Brentford & Isleworth Conservative Association.

Lakshmi Kaul at the launch of eINDIE
                                                        Lakshmi Kaul at the launch of eINDIE

These dignitaries were there alongside Sonal’s loyal friends and family to encourage her and share in the joy of her new start up.

Sonal's friends at the launch of eINDIE
                                                      Sonal’s friends at the launch of eINDIE

I honestly think that conceptualising a new brand and launching is nothing short of giving birth to a baby. The labour pains being no different to all the hard work, blood and sweat that am sure have gone into getting eINDIE to a larger audience and out in the market.

So how was this product line born? eINDIE is the brainchild of gorgeous ‘Momtrepreneur’ Sonal Sher.

Sonal Sher - creator of eINDIE range of handmade Chutneys and Relishes
 Sonal Sher – creator of eINDIE range of handmade Chutneys and Relishes

To hear it in her own words ‘ The idea for eINDIE came about when my chutneys were appreciated by those who tasted them and this prompted me to think of upscaling the production. I am pleased to say that my chutneys and relish are enjoyed by many households in Surrey. Having informally become the provider of a ‘magic ingredient’, I am now launching this ‘magic ingredient’ to reach out to a wider discerning market.’

What is even more fascinating to me is Sonal’s story of how Woking became her second home after Kashmir, India where she was born. Sonal has lived in the UK for 17 years (in Woking for nearly a decade), which is now home. Originating  from a region that celebrates food and boasts of unique flavours, she has experimented with world foods and varying culinary techniques over the last decade.

Delicious nibbles at the launch of eINDIE
                                                            Delicious nibbles at the launch of eINDIE

Sonal Sher is a trained and qualified chef and believes that her creation eINDIE Chutneys and Relish reflect the variety of food she likes, where different flavours work together in harmony. Designed to make everyday meals exciting by providing a boost of flavours into pretty much all cuisines, eINDIE are guaranteed to be a great accompaniment to any party food. A true reflection of the best of British and Indian flavours brought together.

 eINDIE is a great accompaniment with cheese
                                                              eINDIE is a great accompaniment with cheese

On the menu at the launch and food tasting were many delightful tasty tidbits prepared by the enthusiastic team at Tante Marie which also has a teaching academy.

eINDIE Hot chilli relish with chicken skewers
                                     eINDIE Hot chilli relish with chicken skewers
eINDIE Hot chilli relish with sauteed paneer and sweet cherry tomatoes
                                    eINDIE Hot chilli relish with sauteed paneer and sweet cherry tomatoes

Currently, eINDIE Chutneys and Relish are available to try at a local wine bar at Woking high street called Cellar Magneval and they will soon be sold online. To place orders get in touch with creator Sonal at orders@eindie.co.uk

Why not follow eINDIE Chutneys and Relish on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

*With thanks to Sonal Sher for the invite and samples. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review.  As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. 

Filed Under: Events, Food Tagged With: boasts of unique flavours, Chief Guest. special guests, Cllr Derek McCrum, Dolar Popat (Conservative Peer), eINDIE - Chutneys and Relish, experimentation with flavours, invitees, leading businessman and former Minister for Small Businesses & Transport, Local MP Jonathan Lord, Mayor of Woking Borough Council, Momtrepreneur Sonal Sher, the best of British and Indian flavours, varying culinary techniques, world foods

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 17
  • Next Page »

Food,travel and lifestyle writer. Photographer.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

  • Baking
  • Breads
  • C.K.P recipes
  • Cakes
  • Chutneys
  • Cocktails
  • Curry – Meat, Seafood
  • Curry – Vegetarian
  • Desserts
  • Events
  • Featured Food and Drink
  • Featured Lifestyle
  • Featured Travel Adventures
  • Food
  • Healthy
  • Home
  • India
  • Indian
  • Kitchen
  • Lifestyle
  • London and rest of U.K
  • Meat
  • Miscellaneous
  • Product Reviews
  • Quick and Easy
  • Recipe Index
  • Rest of the World
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Salads
  • seafood
  • Sides
  • Smoothies
  • Soups
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

Featured Blogger on Great British Chefs

GBC_blogger-badge_150x300px    

Need a New Power Blender?

13076814_10154185434898293_7387808474266473605_n

Read Travelfortaste’s interview on Gourmandize UK & Ireland

 Sliceoffme interviewed by Gourmandize UK & Ireland

Travelsfortaste is Featured on Expats Blog

England expat blogs

Read Travelsfortaste reviews on Zomato

View my food journey on Zomato!
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Squaremeal.co.uk - Restaurant Reviews

About me

Writer and Photographer. Food,Travel & Lifestyle, Blogger and Digital Marketer. Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Easy Spinach and Pea Soup
  • Grenada Chocolate Festival – Festive Giveaway
  • Royal British Legion Centenary Cookbook – Cooking with Heroes
  • The Instagram Foodie Bag – Must have for all Food Photographers
  • Restaurant quality meat – Swaledale Online Butchers – a review

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT