Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

The Instagram Foodie Bag – Must have for all Food Photographers

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Let me introduce you to my latest find The Instagram #Foodie Bag. I also have a super exciting Giveaway for this fabulous piece of kit on my Instagram.

The Instagram Foodie Bag – Must have for all Food Photographers

Are you passionate about food photography?

Do you collect food photography props?

Are you an avid food blogger, food writer, Instagram foodie?

Then the Instagram Foodie Bag from Paper Bag Co is just the thing you need to add to your photography kit!

*Disclaimer: I was sent an Instagram Bag for review

A mobile food photography kit for all foodies

As a food writer, blogger, and freelance Marketing and PR manager, I am often at events where I need to carry my DSLR camera and photograph food. This bag is just perfect for carrying not just my camera bag but also a few essentials that will help me take better photographs. Basically, the #FoodieBag is your mobile fully equipped photography studio

So what does the #FoodieBag contain?

The Instagram Bag comes filled with the following Food Photography essentials:

  • A limited-edition, stylish and very large (12 oz i.e. 340 grams, ) cloth bag – with zip closure. The bag has a handy internal pocket and a mesh closure.
  • 4 beautiful photography backgrounds by Black Velvet Styling, they are portable as they come rolled-up in a sturdy carboard case – very handy!
  • 5 in 1 pop-up reflector and diffuser in a portable zip closure case
  • A set of beautiful postcards with stunning food photos and top tips by phone photographer Matt Inwood to inspire even the most seasoned photographers

The #FoodieBag

This bag is a great piece of kit for all food bloggers and foodies. What I like most about this bag is that it looks trendy and is perfect for carrying all the things one could need for clicking really good photo photos. It is an eco-friendly cotton bag in a very large size. You can easily carry a light laptop in its case and a compact camera case in this spacious bag, along with the portable diffuser. The inner zip pocket is perfect to store valuables like your travel tickets, bank card, a small hand sanitiser, and a face mask ( essential everyday items in a post-pandemic world)

If you need inspiration then the 8 postcards that come included have some stunning food photos by renowned phone photographer Matt Inwood and some handy tips too.

The 4 photographic backgrounds are just the right size for food photographs and are designed by stylist Sophie who set up the now popular company Black Velvet Styling.

I am most impressed with the compact, portable reflector and diffuser that comes in a smart zip closure carry case. It is so handy and can be used to adjust the lighting for your food photos.

Instagram Giveaway of The #FoodieBag

I was sent this beautiful limited edition bag to review and now two lucky winners can get their hands on this limited edition kit! Head to my Instagram now and find out how you could be one of the two lucky winners who can win this fantastic piece of kit worth £39.95 for free.

Win The #FoodieBag!

Head to my Instagram account now! My #FoodieBag was shipped out very promptly so the two lucky winners will not have to wait long once my giveaway ends and the lucky winners are announced on my Instagram feed.

*With thanks to Paper Bag Co for sending me a review sample product. All my reviews are always unbiased based on my personal experience.

Restaurant quality meat – Swaledale Online Butchers – a review

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Grass-fed, free-range, heritage breed meat from the Yorkshire Dales – home delivered

Looking for exceptional tasting, restaurant-quality British meat? Let me introduce you to Swaledale Online Butchers. Swaledale Butchers have built their business on the foundation of working only with native rare breed livestock, farmed sustainably and ethically. Their experience of working with some of the leading chefs in the country will ensure that the meat you purchase is not just restaurant quality but premium.

Exciting meat boxes specially for the BBQ season

Swaledale Online Butchers offers a large selection of meat and chicken. For the BBQ season, I would highly recommend their Spring BBQ box. This box will give you a good range of wholesome cuts from their heritage breeds. You can get creative and serve up a meat fiesta to please a crowd!

All you need to do is fire up the BBQ and get cooking!

What is inside the Swaledale Online Butchers BBQ Box?

  • 2 x 180g Denver Steaks
  • 4 x 135g Free Range Herb-fed Chicken Drumsticks
  • 4 x 120g Lamb Chops
  • 2 x 220g Pork Ribeye Steaks
  • 1 x 495g pack of 6 Yorkshire Breakfast Chipolatas
  • 1 x 480g pack of 6 Lamb Merguez Sausages

Priced at £44 this is a tempting deal for premium quality heritage breed meat.

Keep Calm and get your BBQ on!

Summer, sunshine, great weather, BBQ parties, and cocktails – that for me is the essence of these glorious few months. I have just the recipe for you to create a fabulous meal with less fuss and a few ingredients. I used the Swaledale Online Butchers Yorkshire breakfast Chipotlas from their Spring BBQ box for this recipe.

Grilled Masala Sausages served on a bed of puy lentils and enjoyed with a side of greens

So far, I have used the following cuts of meat from my meat box delivery from Swaledale Online Butchers to cook up the following dishes:

  • Free Range Herb-fed Chicken Drumsticks – Juicy Lemon Chicken traybake. Ross chicken, that hand-fed a rich diet of ten varieties of fresh herbs, it was a joy to work with these drumsticks
  • Diced Mutton – Traditional family recipe for a mutton curry – deep, intense flavours that work so well with the beautifully aged mutton. The ewes graze on a variety of wildflowers, herbs and grasses in the Yorkshire Dales. The older age of the animal – 2 years plus – gives it a complex flavour that reflects the diet of the ewes
  • Free-range herb-fed whole chicken – Traditional Sunday Roast dinner – the diet of these slow-grown free-range chickens gives a depth of flavour that is noticeable. The hens enjoy a locally milled, additive-free, cereal-based diet in addition to a mix of at least ten herbs that also come from a local farm. I noticed that meat is darker and takes up more of the flavour from a marinade in a much shorter marination period.
  • Merguez sausage Meat – I cooked up an easy One-pot Merguez sausage casserole using this very flavourful sausagemeat and the flavours were dancing on my palate, so so so good!

Rare, traditional breeds

Based in the stunning Yorkshire dales, Swaledale partners with the local farming community to bring the ultimate and most delicious ingredients directly to your kitchen.

How are they able to do this? By only working with farmers who rear traditional breeds.

Breeds like the Belted Galloway or Highland cow, which graze on the local landscape all year round and the result is beautifully marbled beef. Ross chicken, that are hand-fed a rich diet of ten varieties of fresh herbs – Imagine how this impacts the flavour of your herb-fed whole chicken roast! Delicious pork with a high-fat content that comes from the local Yorkshire bred Middle white pigs

Swaledale Butchers believe that everyone should be able to trace the exact provenance of their meat. As a consumer, to me, this means a lot because I know for a fact that important things like animal welfare, support of the local farming community, and a return of traditional heritage rare breed animals are assured.

Benefits of eating grass-fed, organic, traditional meat

  • Purely grass-fed, free-roaming traditional livestock is bound to produce superior quality meat. Taste that reflects the natural environment where the animals have grazed. So essentially what you cook and plate up has beautiful natural flavours that stand out on their own even when combined with vibrant spices
  • Ethical farming practices that benefit the local farming community means a sustainable system that benefits everyone in the chain
  • Pesticide-free grass and animals that are not pumped up on antibiotics. A perfect example is that Swaledale cattle take 4-6 years to mature whereas commercial animals take up to 14 months or less, I shall leave you to do the math for yoursef!
  • Grass-fed meat is higher in antioxidants, has a higher number of healthy fats, is packed with vitamins, and is, therefore, better for you.
  • Cows, pigs, sheep, and poultry heritage breeds that are suited to survive outdoors and feed on the grass produce the best tasting meat.

Online ordering FAQ’s for Swaledale Online Butchers

  • All the meat comes to you fresh and not frozen. It is suitable for home freezing and needs to be unpacked immediately. Everything reached me in pristine condition.
  • The packaging is recyclable and designed to provide thermal insulation.
Summary

Swaledale Online Butchers have a strong ethos towards traditional rare breeds and their selection is a great example of the perfect field-to-fork experience. Expert butchery, 100% grass-fed, traceable provenance, and ethical practices are the hallmarks of their business. They work with top chefs and highly respected restaurants in London and across the U.K

I have sampled a large variety of their meats and will not hesitate to recommend them. As always my reviews are honest and based on my personal experience. This means that you can go ahead and buy with confidence.

*With thanks to Swaledale Online Butchers. I pride myself on providing unbiased reviews based on my personal experience.

BBQ pulled pork and aromatic Noodle soup

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Enjoy summery flavours mixed with a warming aromatic bowl of spicy noodle soup with Iceland Foods new BBQ Mississippi pulled pork from the World Famous Foods range

Winter evenings in February are always unpredictable, even though some days are warm, evenings are always chilly. During transition periods the trio of cold, cough and flu makes an appearance. At such times I mostly crave a hearty filling bowl of soupy noodles with a spicy zing and yesterday I had the perfect excuse – a chilly evening -and a freezer full of frozen delights from Iceland Foods World Famous Foods range. I cannot resist juicy BBQ pulled pork and thought an aromatic warming noodle soup topped with BBQ pulled pork was an apt choice – soup to warm your cockles and BBQ flavours to welcome the new season which is just around the corner.

Isn’t it great that you can enjoy summery flavours from across the world at any time you please by just stocking up your freezer with these delightfully diverse and flavoursome foods? The sheer convenience of having the #PowerofFrozen at your fingertips allowing you to create a whole host of budget-friendly, tasty meals that not only you and your family can enjoy but are perfect crowd-pleasers.

To make their frozen range even more convenient is the Chilled Life on the products, which clearly states how long a product can stay in the fridge to ensure that its high quality and taste are not impacted. The smart way to free up precious freezer space especially in the summer!

To make the meal healthy I used zero fat, low calorie and low carb, gluten-free noodles, and very little oil on high heat. You could swap the oil for a 1 cal oil spray too.

BBQ pulled pork Soup with aromatic low-carb, GF noodles

Iceland Foods has re-christened their slow-cooked range as the World famous foods range.

BBQ pulled Pork and aromatic noodle soup

Manjiri Chitnis
Easy recipe for Smoky BBQ pulled Pork in a delicious aromatic noodle soup
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2 People

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Wok

Ingredients
  

  • 550 grams BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork
  • 350 grams Beef stock from a 450 gm shop bought jar
  • 240 grams gm of mixed tender stem broccoli green beans, pak choi
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 pack bared naked noodles
  • 1/2 thumb-sized Cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 thumb-sized Ginger – peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 Thai red chilli – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 a stick of fresh fragrant lemongrass
  • 1/2 a medium sized red onion sliced lengthwise
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic deskinned and smashed roughly with the flat end of a knife
  • a pinch of brown castor sugar
  • Handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped
  • Some fresh chopped spring onion to garnish
  • 1 lime sliced into wedges
  • 2 medium boiled eggs

Instructions
 

  • Defrost the BBQ Mississippi pulled pork in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use
  • Place for 40 mins at 180 °C in a pre-heated oven
  • While the pork is heating in the oven, start with the noodle preparation
  • Heat a wok on medium heat
  • When the wok is hot add sesame oil and add the cinnamon, garlic, ginger and red onion
  • Cook on medium heat until the garlic and red onion turn a nice brown, then add the green beans and broccoli
  • Stir fry the green for about a minute on medium low heat before pouring in the beef stock
  • Add some water to thicken the stock if it is too thick and then added the cooked noodles. Throw in the sliced lemongrass stalk and sugar
  • If you are using noodles that need to be cooked beforehand, simply follow pack instructions.
  • I used Barenaked Noodles as they are zero fat, low in calories and extremely low carb
  • Add the pak choi and cook covered on a low heat for about one minute
  • To serve, add the noodle soup in each bowl then garnish with fresh coriander and some chopped spring onion. Place about 2 heaped tbsp of pulled pork in each bowl
  • Serve with a wedge of lime
  • Serve hot
BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork
BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork
BBQ Pulled Pork aromatic spicy noodle soup

Both hubby and I loved the thick and flavourful rich BBQ sauce and used some of the leftover sauce to drizzle over mushrooms stuffed with mature cheddar and oven cooked with just a spritz of chilli garlic oil – the result was mouth watering!

BBQ Pulled Pork spicy noodle soup

The entire range of World famous foods is available in stores at Iceland Foods from 20th Feb’17. The World famous range includes: Hoisin Duck Wings, OHSicilian Half Chicken, BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork, BBQ Texan Down & Dirty Pulled Brisket, BBQ Memphis Baby Back Ribs, Minted Lamb Shanks, Garlic & Rosemary Lamb Leg. To find out more head to the Iceland Foods site here.

LOOKING FOR EASY TO MAKE, DELICIOUS SOUP AND STEW RECIPES? WHY NOT BROWSE THROUGH SOME OF MY EASY TO FOLLOW RECIPES:

This post was commissioned by Iceland Foods. As always all opinions are always my own.

Celebrate Caribbean Food Week with Grace Foods

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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. 

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

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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.

A slice of Costa Rica – Casado

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With summer firmly on it’s way out and Autumn settling in, the chilly nights demand some great comfort food. I wanted to try something different so I choose a popular Costa Rican dish – Casado. Why? Well, it’s the ideal comfort food, easy to put together and tastes amazing! Best part is it’s very easy on the pocket and if you plate it well, it looks like a posh meal – no one would guess what went into making it!

Costa Rican Casado

Costa Rican Casado

Casado literally means a ‘married man’ and it is said that the name probably originates from how the local men expected food to be served when they were eating outside so that it reminded them of familiar tastes of a home cooked meal. An authentic Casado which is served at ‘sodas’ or local cafes is accompanied by what is known as a Lizano sauce. The brand name Lizano is now generic and retails in N. America.  Since this sauce is yet to hit UK shores ( believe me I did a fair bit of looking around in shops that sell Mexican ingredients, Asian, Carribean and most of my local supermarkets) I finally decided to make my own ,which was a great decision – why ? Well scope to experiment and innovate for one, coupled with freedom to incorporate easy to procure, local ingredients – resulting in a deliciously moorish creation! A traditional root vegetables dish from Costa Rico called Picadillo is a popular side dish with rice and tortillas. You can safely say that the gravy sauce is a marriage of sorts between the Lizano sauce and the Picadillo. I have done a fair amount of customisation and the most interesting part of cooking Casado was creating the gravy sauce, combining it with root vegetables and serving it as a wholesome gravy side dish. Let’s get started with the sauce aka gravy as this will take the most time to cook of all the other sides.

Costa Rican Casado

Costa Rican Casado

Recipe is good for 2 with generous helpings.

Root Vegetable Gravy Side

Prep & Cooking Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium juicy tomato – finely chopped
  • 2 small red onions finely chopped
  • 3 medium carrots chopped into tiny cubes
  • 3 small sweet fresh peppers finely chopped
  • A handful of cauliflower florets
  • A handful of very finely chopped sweet potato
  • 1 heaped tbsp of finely grated celeriac
  • A pinch of garlic puree
  • Half a dry red Kashmiri chilli
  • ½ tsp of thick tamarind puree
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
  •  1/2 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Salt as per taste
  • A handful of finely chopped coriander

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and add the chopped onions, add the garlic puree and cumin powder and stir well.
  2. When the onion starts to reduce add the bay leaves, the chopped tomato and chopped sweet peppers, stir the the tomato & peppers around vigorously bit to get them to release their juices and reduce the flame to a minimum.
  3. Throw in the finely chopped carrot cubes, sweet potato, grated celeriac, tomato puree and add enough water to cover this mixture.
  4. Cook with lid on till the sweet potato and carrots begin to soften, then it’s time to toss in the cauliflower florets, season with the dry red chilli,tamarind,cracked black pepper, salt and sugar and give it a good stir.
  5. Let this cook on a low flame with lid for about 25 minutes.
  6. Keep opening the lid, stirring and adjusting the water if it becomes to run dry, we need a gravy like consistency.
  7. When it done, add some finely chopped coriander in the tamarind should give it a bit of tangy twist, while the dried Kashmiri chilli gives it colour and mild heat, the sweet pepper and tomato puree work their magic together and the gravy is delicious and wholesome what with so many veggies hidden inside!

Root Vegetable Gravy Sauce

Red Kidney bean side

Prep and Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of red kidney beans
  • 1 medium sized red onion
  • 2 large tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp garlic puree
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté the chopped onions, add the garlic puree and stir well.
  2. After the onion has sautéed, add the tomato puree and stir then add the beans and mix well.

Red onions for Kidney Beans

Red onions for Kidney Beans

  1. Add some water to the mixture and reduce the flame to a minimum, cook with a lid on but check often so that it does not burn or run dry.
  2. 4.Since the canned and ready to eat red kidney beans are preserved in salty water, check the taste before adding in any more salt, chuck in some dry red chilli flakes for flavour and set aside.

Red Kidney Bean side is done

Red Kidney Bean side is done

Boiled white rice

  • Cook 1 cup rice using exactly double the water and a pinch of salt

Fried Plantain

  • Peel and chop the plantain into large chunks and fry in hot oil in a kadhai or wok until they are a light brown. It’s easy for them to char so get them out as soon as the colour turns a golden shade of brown, allow to cool on a plate on a bit of kitchen roll to soak excess oil.

Plaintains peeled

  • Don’t fret if like me you can’t peel the plantain I simply use a knife and remove the thick green skin, even if that means that the plantain pieces are hexagonal or cubes now, well I never was too good at geometry 😉

Frying Plantains in Kadhai

Fish

  • Casado can be served with meat, fish or chicken. Chop one large fillet of fresh salmon and pan fry both sides till done in about 1 tbsp oil.

Salmon Pan Shallow Fry

Cheese Tortilla

  • Heat a large flour tortilla –shop bought on a pan and adds a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese on tortilla. Just as the tortilla heats up and the cheese shows sign of melting fold the tortilla in half and flip over and toast each side till you have a crispy yum cheesy tortilla, slice into neat triangles ready to be served.

Tortilla on pan with grated cheddar

Cabbage Salad

  • Chop a fresh cabbage fine to get one large handful of cabbage, add half a red onion and a small handful of finely chopped cucumber, squeeze half a lime, sprinkle some cracked black pepper, a small amount of fresh finely chopped coriander and toss all these together. Easy-peasy right?

Folded Tortilla

Serve the steaming hot rice with the salmon on the side, topped with some of the root vegetable gravy. Mop up the beans with the cheesy tortilla and munch on the sweet fried plantain with generous bites of the tangy cabbage salad in between mouthfuls of everything else.

Costa Rican Casado

Costa Rican Casado

Häagen-Daz rings in Spring Summer 2015 with captivating new flavour combinations

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Last week may have forced us all to crank up the heater and go back to stews and soups, but hopefully if the weather today was any indication Spring is finally here – fingers crossed!

After a lazy Sunday spent lounging around after a stroll in the park where it felt amazing to feel the sun on my face, I deiced to allow myself a bit of indulgence. Sitting in my freezer and waiting to be eaten were 2 new flavours from Häagen-Daz – a limited edition exotic flavour  – Yuzu Citrus & Cream and a dreamy Chocolate Salted Caramel.

They were sent to me in a goody bag with a yuzu lemon juice from Waitrose which I used to season a whole fresh sea bass for dinner last Friday and some yuze scented bath bombs from Lush. Those am saving up for a quite dip in the tub sometime this coming week.

Yuzu Lemon is definitely the new citrus craze in town and in ice cream form its creamy tangy taste is quite irresistible. It’s good to know then that Häagen-Daz handpicks the exquisite Yuzu fruit from the Japanese mountains of Kôshi.

The sour hybrid of mandarin and ichang papeda is pressed fresh to deliver a juice with crisp flavour notes, reminiscent of mandarin and grapefruit. The juices are then mixed with sweet oranges to create a refreshing sauce that twists into Häagen-Dazs’ original ice cream recipe for a uniquely intense taste.

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The die hard chocoholics also have reason to celebrate as the new Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Caramel combines the delicious chocolate ice cream with generous silky ribbons of salted caramel and delicate brittle, delivering a moment of decadence with every satisfying crunch.

To really enjoy your Häagen-Dazs allow it to rest for a while before you dive into it, just when it starts to melt is the the time when you will relish it the most. Like all their flavours, these new flavour combinations are made using 100% real milk and cream and yolks from free-range eggs.

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**Häagen-Dazs Yuzu Citrus & Cream is now available to purchase from Sainsburys and Waitrose and Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Salted Caramel is now available to purchase from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.

*With thanks to Häagen-Dazs  and the  PR team for sending me samples for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Easy Ham and cheese tart recipe

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Hello Everyone!

I have been away on a long holiday in Indian for almost four weeks. I got back last week and it has taken my system a few days to throw off the jet-lag completely and my internal thermostat to acclimatise to the massive difference in the weather.But am back now all refreshed and raring to go! So expect a lot of new and fun recipes, LOTS of travel posts and many photographs from my foodie and travel adventures – oh yes not to mention more exciting competitions, fabulous restaurant reviews and events that I will be going to soon – woohoo!

While I was in India I did a fair bit of travelling to Chennai, Pondicherry and shuttling between Mumbai and Pune. So all the resulting fatigue has taken it’s toll too.

Besides have discovered that I do have a fair amount of catching up to do with my blogging as well. hummm

So dinner the day after I landed had had to be a simple affair, because my body clock was still following IST. We decided to make a quick and super easy yet delicious Turkey, Ham and cheese tart using my own recipe. Hubster and me are both big fans of Jus-Rol as it really can save the day when things are crazy busy or plain lazy 😉

I have made a few minor tweaks to the original recipe but other than that it was smooth sailing. Here is my version:

Prep. Time: Less than 10 minutes
Makes: 2 servings
Total Time: 35 mins
Ingredients:
  • 320 gm Jus-Rol™ puff pastry ready rolled sheet
  • 2 medium onion peeled & chopped fine
  • 100 gm cooked ham diced
  • 1-2 tbsp oil
  • 3 heaped tbsp Gran Luchito smoked chilli honey
  • 250 gm cooked turkey diced
  • Salt & black pepper
  • 75 gm grated Parmesan Cheese

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a large pan, gently sauté the onion until it is translucent, then add the diced ham and cook on a low flame for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile remove the Jus-Rol™ puff pastry ready rolled sheet and allow it to rest while the filling is being prepared.
  2. Add the turkey,season to taste and then add the smoked chilli honey. Stir continuously to ensure the chilli honey does not burn and cook on a gentle, low flame for a further 2 minutes.
  3. Prepare a baking tray by lining with a baking sheet and carefully place the Jus-Rol™ puff pastry ready rolled sheet onto the baking sheet.
  4. Preheat oven to 220°C/(200°C for fan assisted ovens)/Gas 7.
  5. Spoon out the turkey and ham mixture onto the baking sheet and sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the mixture.
  6. Bake in the preheated for 20 minutes and serve hot.

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I remember going to buy Jus- Rol at a supermarket two years ago post Christmas and it simply wasn’t available anywhere. Clearly people had been smart and stocked up on this lifesaving fridge fav for all those leftover meals after the big day. And have since then made a mental note to stock up well in advance for future occasions. There have been numerous dinners and surprise tea time treats for unannounced but welcome visitors who have been fed piping hot treats with several hot cuppas thanks to that pastry roll lying in my fridge! So like many of my store  cupboard essentials this is one of my life savers and will almost always be found living in my refrigerator.

I loved this recipe and now am looking forward to more experiments with Jus-Rol .

If you need more inspiration to get creative with Jus-Rol why not check out these gorgeous recipes on the Jus-Rol website ?

*With thanks to Jus-Rol and the  PR team for sending vouchers to buy some samples of Jus-Rol  for review . No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Amur Beluga Caviar – a Review

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The beauty of any food and consuming it is in also understanding the history of its origin and the aura and mystique surrounding the food especially if it is Caviar.

My family and me hail from the western coastal parts of India – namely Konkan and fish was always a part of the daily diet , over the years of course the consumption of fish daily is not practical due to various reasons but the love for all things seafood is deeply ingrained in all of us.So when I was offered a chance to review Amur Beluga Caviar by Caviar Classic, London, I could not refuse.

Caviar classic is a small London based Caviar Company, owned and run by Darren Pedersen. They pride themselves on sustainably farmed products that are guaranteed to live up to the highest standards.

Amur Beluga is a hybrid of the Acipenser Schrenkii (Amur Sturgeon) combined with the Huso Dauricus Sturgeon (Freshwater Beluga) resulting in a gold green egg with a bit of a harder shell that pops in your mouth, the aftertaste is light and creamy. This combination of the two of the best Sturgeon in the world, not only takes 10 years to mature, but also produces a magnificent sizeable shimmering silver Roe. Naturally then this is a favourite amongst caviar connoisseurs around the world.

At the moment the Amur Beluga is in many ways considered a better product than most Iranian/Russian Beluga’s as the eggs are bigger (3mm in size) and the quality is in most ways of a higher standard.

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Caviar is served with mother of pearl caviar spoons to avoid tainting the taste of the caviar. I was also sent this beautiful spoon along with the Caviar and Caviar classic always try to go that little bit further to ensure that their customers receive their purchase at it’s best, such as chilled boxes with small ice packs and an extra gift – like this lovely spoon – in most packs.

We ate the caviar on wafer thin slices of toast with a fresh juicy salad tomato sliced in half – I wanted an absolutely neutral and fresh base to feel the caviar on my tongue …the little gems popping in my mouth …exploding with flavour…

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I paired the caviar with a fine Chablis from Waitrose as dry whites work as well as Champagne. Caviar can be had with a good creamy cheese too.

I have stowed the remaining away in the coldest part of my refrigerator where it should stay upto a month but ideally wouldn’t keep it for more than 3 days. And no matter what happens never freeze caviar as it can damage the delicate membrane.

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For me this post would be incomplete without mentioning how much consuming this Caviar reminded me of a scene from Casino Royale where Bond he is seen enjoying Beluga Caviar on toast as he sips on his nth Vesper Martini and seduces femme fatale Vesper after his big win at the casino.

James Bond 007 eating caviar

“The problem is not how to get enough caviar but how to get enough toast with it.” – James Bond in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royal

Image Credit: Aston from the Bond Lifestyle Forum

Thanks to my Baba, who is a great fan of 007 and the movie series, the craze for the books, movies and trivia has been passed down to my sister and me and till date the best movie marathons we have at home are when we watch Bond Films back to back with Sean Connery and Daniel Craig as our top Fav Bond actors with Pierce Brosnan as a hot favourite amongst the women in our family 😉

The fictitious and very Charming James Bond lives the high life and one his many expensive tastes is for the most exclusive and expensive – Beluga Caviar. No one rocks the Champagne and Caviar for dinner combination like Bond does, isn’t it ?sighhhhh

Hope that all of you enjoy the party tonight – Bond style with some splendid Champagne – hopefully Bond’s Fav – Dom Pérignon for the lucky few with lots of Caviar and toast to go around and hope you have great company to ring in the New Year.

Adios, dear readers, and off I go to ring in the New Year and dance the night away, here’s wishing all my readers a very Happy New Year where I shall continue to share my adventures in the kitchen and outside, a lot of travel stories and yes loads of other great c0ntent – stay tuned folks but for now – au revoir!

Caviar Classic

Image Credit: Caviar Classic

 *With thanks to Caviar classic and the  PR agency for sending me a sample of Amur Beluga for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Caviar and Champagne

Introducing Britannia’s Nutri Choice Heavens – India’s new delightful healthy cookie – Guest Post

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Guest Post by my sister Dr. Mrs.Monika Tandon 

Recently Madison PR gave me a packet of Britannia’s Nutri Choice Heavens to review. A new arrival on health food market; the cookie is filled with cranberries and made of whole grain oats. Mildly sweet and chewy with a fresh baked flavor it’s a great accompaniment with green chai or a health drink like cold veggie juice.

Nutri Choice 1

Each cookie is individually foil sealed and the entire pack is an enchanting mauve. The taste and presentation are appealing to both kids and adults.

A truly healthy and tasty way to say Good Morning.

 

Nutri Choice 2

About the Author – Dr.Mrs.Monika (Chitnis) Tandon – who resides in Mumbai, India

Reviews, research, ratings…all invaluable tools for a working mom who wants to keep up with all that’s healthy, tasty and best for her family. That’s what keeps me going too and adds fun to all my food cooked as a Monday morning tiffin or as a weekend treat. Travel trips with overnighters and client meetings and family vacations are all fun with my meticulously researched itineraries and DSLR. Hope you enjoy my two bits in ink…Writing straight from me to you, Monika.

 

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*With  thanks to Britannia,India and Madison PR for the invite and sending a sample. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

 

 

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