Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

by 12 Comments

As spring begins to unfold and the weather changes to beautiful sunny days and chilly evenings, I like that we can still enjoy warming and wholesome soups. Butternut squash is so versatile and there are various ways to use it in soups, curries, salads, etc.

Soup and stews are a great meal option for so many reasons, here are my top 5 reasons why I enjoy cooking both:

  • Delicious, hearty and wholesome
  • Easy, fuss-free one-pot style cooking, saves time
  • Great for batch-cooking
  • Ideal for busy mid-week meals
  • Easy to please fussy eaters!
  • Just combine with bread, various toppings and add an extra dash of something special
  • Add lentils to bulk out soups and stews

This recipe is created by Chef Annie James at Sunrise of Tettenhall for Sunrise Senior Living who make sure that all of their recipes are nutritious and tasty, making them great for everyone, not just the elderly. Of the many recipe options, they sent me I choose to make this one because I simply adored red lentils as those who read my blog will know. The buttery aroma of onions sauteing which filled my kitchen was simply amazing and very satisfying. Needless to say, the soup went down and treat and even normally fussy hubster greedily licked his bowl clean – no better compliment than that folks isn’t it? I must admit I couldn’t resist adding a bit of my own personal finishing touches as my palate is so used to all the spicy and tangy little add-on’s that I normally use 😉

Chef Annie James at Sunrise of Tettenhall for Sunrise Senior Living

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

5 from 2 votes
Hearty and delicious Butternut squash soup with added protien and taste with quick cooking red lentils
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 400 ml vegetable stock
  • 150 gms Butternut Squash – peeled and diced into bite-sized bits
  • 60 gms Dried red lentil i.e. masoor dal – split without skin
  • 3 Carrots – peeled and diced into small bits
  • 2 Red onion – peeled and chopped fine
  • 12 gms Unsalted butter
  • Sea salt with a hint of garlic
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • A small quantity of fresh coriander to garnish

Equipment

  • Saucepan

Method
 

  1. In a large saucepan or stockpot melt the butter on a medium flame
  2. Sauté’ the finely chopped onions in the butter for just under 4- 5 minutes till they turn a beautiful golden-brown colour and reduce
  3. Then add in the chopped carrots, squash, and sauté’ for a further 2- 3 minutes.
  4. Now stir in the vegetable stock and the red lentils
  5. Reduce to a low flame and let the soup simmer gently
  6. Cook until the vegetables and lentils are tender
  7. Allow the soup to cool down to room temperature, then using a hand blender puree’ until smooth, or as I did, give it a whizz in your food processor
  8. Season with sea salt with garlic or plain sea salt and add a generous sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper
  9. Garnish with just a small amount of finely chopped fresh coriander
  10. Serve hot ideally with a slice of warm crusty bread with a dollop of butter. If your conscience allows it stir in a small amount of fresh cream into the soup or smother your crusty bread with some freshly made garlic butter

Looking for easy to make, delicious Soup and Stew recipes? Why not browse through some of my easy to follow recipes:

*With thanks to Sunrise Senior Living and the  PR team for reimbursing the expense for ingredients. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. 

Easy Moroccan Chicken one pot meal

by 22 Comments

The chill in the air is just right for warming one-pot meals. Make them healthy, quick, and easy to put together and you have a winner on your hands. Last year at the Cake and Bake show which I attended with a dear friend and fellow blogger,  I ended up spending a bomb (£££!!!!) on four different sized pots – non – stick being one of their biggest virtues. One of them is a huge wok which I intend to use to make a stir fry over the weekend. The coating is said to last for years and each vessel comes with a glass lid. I can apparently also shove them directly into the oven but haven’t tried that yet. The big and rather saucepan is what I use as my crockpot for making one-pot meals in. In fact, there is something very comforting watching a warming curry or gorgeously tasty and nutritious one-pot meals!

heaven in a saucepan - healthy , happy meals begin here!

Ok so coming back to my one pot recipe. I had a bag of baby spinach leaves in my fridge and was craving a wholesome soupy stew with lots of vegetables. So managed to gather a few things that I think would taste great together and then added in Knorr onion gravy pots and Knorr mixed chilli pot for flavour and the result was so very satisfying.  But the best part was adding in Ras El Hanout a delicious and fiery moroccan and North African fragrant spice mix. The delicate dried rose petals look so pretty , that’s why I decided to name my dish Moroccan Chicken one pot.I also devoured it for lunch today – umm.

Moroccan Chicken one pot meal

Make this in a large quantity and it will freeze well. Batch cooking is highly recommended as it saves you time and ensures that you do not eat things that you will end up regretting when you are hard pressed for time and simply cannot cook.The freezer is a wonderful boon, use it!

I purchased a beautiful Red Leicester and Pumpkin seed batard to go with my meal – it is soul-satisfying to mop up the thick gravy with the bread while sitting on the couch watching my fav crime show on the telly, feeling all warm and happy.

The best part of this recipe is I haven’t added in potatoes or extra sugar to taste and yet the flavours are so well balanced. (Though both gravy pots do contain sugar) I love stocking up on these tiny Knorr flavour pots they are life-savers!

A recipe with enough spinach to make Popeye jump with joy! Spinach has several health benefits and is known to be a great source of folic acid and several essential vitamins and great levels of iron too. Best part is a big bag of spinach can be consumed in no time as the leaves are high in water content and it reduces in size when cooked.

Moroccan Chicken one pot meal

Easy Moroccan Chicken one pot

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp Olive oil
  • 1 Large Red Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 270 Grams Mixed – Broccoli, Carrot and Cauliflower
  • 500 Grams Chicken thighs
  • 75 Grams Trimmed green beans
  • 4 or 5 Chestnut Mushrooms
  • 1.5 Knorr onion gravy flavour pot
  • 1 Knorr mixed chillies flavour pot
  • 4 tbsp spinach leaves
  • 3/4th Cup Red lentils – without skin and halved
  • 1/2 tsp Ras El Hanout
  • 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water

Method
 

  1. Remove the skin from thechicken thighs after washing thoroughly under running water
  2. Chop the chicken thighs to make strips of the flesh leaving just enough on the bone
  3. Wash and cut the broccoli, carrots,cauliflower, green beans and chestnut mushrooms bitsinto bite sized pieces
  4. Slice an onion lengthwise into fine strips
  5. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and chop into tiny bits
  6. In a large saucepan or stockpot heat olive oil on a medium flame, when the oil becomes to heat up add the finely chopped garlic and saute’ until they turn a golden brown then add in the sliced onion
  7. Stirring occasionally allowthe onion to sweat and just when it begins to brown add in the chopped vegetables and saute for half a minute
  8. Then add in the chicken thighs and saute for another minute
  9. Then wash and add the red lentils , add enough water to create a thick gravy – enough to allow the lentils to cook and not soak up all the water. Then add in the Knorr flavour pots and mix well
  10. Then add the washed spinach leaves, cumin powder and cover and cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes
  11. By now the lentils will have cooked and the chicken will almost be done too
  12. Then taste the soupy water and if it is too spicy add just a very tinypinch the Ras El Hanout , I added 1/2 a tsp as the tastereminded me of garam masala. Ras El Hanout is a moroccan mixture of fragrant spices with rose petals and gives the stock pot a gorgeous full bodiedflavour
  13. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes on a gentle low flame
  14. Serve in large bowls with a big portion of the pumpkin batard bread
Big, beautiful pot of healthy goodness - absolutely irresistible!
Gorgeous Bowl of goodness with immunity boosting spinach and delicious veggies
Moroccan Chicken one pot meal recipe

Avocado,Spinach and fruity Green Smoothie

by 23 Comments

It’s a relatively bright and sunny but chilly February morning and the bright sunlight streaming through my kitchen window is not letting me sit down work due to the blinding light getting into my eyes. I have now moved to a cozy spot on the couch but it’s making me drowsy…

While I was away in India and eating all the wonderful local food, I also started reading up on a lot of things related to food, what we eat and how it affects us and how our body reacts to it all.

Now let me share some facts about myself – I am lazy – very lazy and not the type who will ever go the gym even twice a week – I have ended up wasting money in 2 currencies and 3 cities so I should know that however fabulous the gym it simply does NOT work for me.

Nor does dieting – I feel deprived and end up stuffing my face even more.

So what’s the way out when I have finally made a decision to eat sensibly and loose as much weight as I can without going mad. Well, past 2 weeks I have broken down my meals to smaller portions, trying to eat 5 small meals instead of 3 every day and have drastically cut down on sugar consumption. By sugar I don’t mean granulated sugar but sugar hidden in various food.

I have procured a chart about which foods are high in carbs and thus break down into sugar while they are being digested. Am consciously trying to read up more and steer clear of obviously sugar laden foods and any sugary foods are out. Thankfully I quit sugar in my tea years ago so that is not a problem but yes saying no to alcohol and other foods is not going to be easy. But then nothing good come by too easy does it?

Avocado, Spinach and Fruity Green Smoothie - Bursting with the goodness your body NEEDS every day!
Avocado, Spinach and Fruity Green Smoothie – Bursting with the goodness your body NEEDS every day!

So here goes, my morning smoothie recipe – an attempt to start the day on a healthy note :

Avocado,Spinach and fruity Green Smoothie

5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Banana
  • 1/2 Pear
  • 1/2 Big Avocado
  • 1 Apple
  • 8 tbsp Baby Spinach Leaves
  • 2 tsp Ginger

Equipment

  • 1 Blender

Method
 

  1. Chop the ginger into small bits after roughly removing the skin, if the ginger is super fresh you can use the back of a spoon to easily peel of the fine layer of skin
  2. Roughly chop all the fruitsinto chunks. Break the banana half by hand
  3. Simply chuck all the aboveingredients into a food processor and add very little water just to give the smoothie some movement and consistency

I prefer a thick consistency the type you can scoop out using a spoon as it is simply more satisfying and increases the feeling of being full.

This made 2 small glasses and I had both of them , simply double up the quantity for 2 people and so on and so forth.

Avocado, Spinach and Fruity Green Smoothie - Bursting with the goodness your body NEEDS every day!
Avocado, Spinach and Fruity Green Smoothie – Bursting with the goodness your body NEEDS every day!

Leafy, green, tasty, bursting with fruity goodness and taste, this smoothie is an immune system booster and full of all things good for your body. It will definitely boost sagging energy levels and induce a feel-good factor. The smooth creamy taste added by the avocado is a bonus!

I have linked up my recipe with Credit Crunch Munch which is a frugal food recipe sharing challenge developed by Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla over at Fab Food 4 All and guest hosted by the lovely Elizabeth who blogs at Elizabeth’s Diary,  linked up for Feb 2015 on her blog post too.

Easy Ham and cheese tart recipe

by 12 Comments

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:

Manjiri Chitnis

Easy Ham and Cheese Tart recipe

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 320 Grams Puff pastry ready rolled sheet
  • 2 medium-sized Onions peeled & chopped fine
  • 100 Grams Cooked Ham diced
  • 1 – 2 tbsp Oil
  • 3 tbsp heaped Smoked Chilli Honey
  • 250 Grams Cooked Turkey Diced
  • Salt & Black Pepper as per taste
  • 75 Grams 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
  2. Meanwhile remove the puff pastry ready rolled sheet and allow it to rest while the filling is being prepared.
  3. 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
  4. Preparea baking tray by lining with a baking sheet and carefully place the puff pastry ready rolled sheet onto the baking sheet
  5. Pre heat the oven to 220°C or 200°C for fan assisted ovens or Gas mark 7
  6. Spoon out the Turkey and Ham mixture onto the baking sheet and sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the mixture
  7. Bake in the pre heated 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.

Beetroot and Chickpea salad

by 19 Comments

Who doesn’t love a salad that you can put together in no time? This easy to make and super quick to put together Beetroot and Chickpea salad recipe is just the thing when you want to eat healthy and not compromise on taste at the same time.  I have added in amchoor powder which is a tangy  dried mango powder which will give this salad a fabulous twist when combined with balsamic vinegar.

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If possible try and buy baby beetroot cooked in vinegar as these would be the perfect size and also have the right amount of vinegar. If you are not sure of how much balsamic vinegar you can handle, add 1?2 tbsp first and then if you feel brave add another half. I have a whole collection of flavoured vinegar and if you can get your hands on cranberry infused vinegar, I highly recommend adding that in as it will totally elevate the flavour of your salad.

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Manjiri Chitnis

Beetroot and Chickpea salad

Print Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Salad
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Can Boiled and Cooked Chickpeas
  • 250 Grams small beetroot cooked and peeled
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 small Red Onion slicedl ength wise
  • 2 tsp Amchoor Powder
  • 2 tsp Heaped Pomegranate Seeds

Method
 

  1. In a large mixing bowl add the chickpeas
  2. Chop the cooked and peeled beetroot into bite-size chunks. Add them to the chickpeas. Add the chopped onion and pomegranate seeds
  3. Add the vinegar and the amchoor powder and mix well
  4. Serve and sprinkle with more pomegranate seeds if desired
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I have found the perfect linky to add my virtuous yet superbly delicious salad to. It’s this month’s Spice Trail with the theme ‘ Temple Food‘ hosted by the lovely Vanesther on her blog called ‘Bangers and Mash’. The whole concept of respecting your body by treating it like a temple is really apt for the way I have recently begun to think about food. I have to re-think and re-align what I feed my system and actually begin to ‘listen’ to what my body is speaking to me. It’s important that after years of neglect I FINALLY pay attention to what is entirely my own – my body.

By linking to this challenge I take heart in knowing that I am not ALONE. There are other like-minded foodies who are re-thinking their ways of eating. I do hope my recipe is one of the many delicious, innovative, and beautiful ones that will help my readers on their journey to eating healthy and feeling more energetic.

Easy three peppercorn Baked fish recipe, Knorr Giveaway – Closed

by 48 Comments

After the masterclass with Master Chef Marco Pierre White, where he cooked us steak in Knorr Beef stock cube and served it with a creamy three peppercorn sauce – I was hooked onto the taste of the Knorr three peppercorn flavour pot. This mix of 3 peppercorns will add a depth of flavour to your dishes. Whether used in a straightforward steak sauce or a luxury pork stroganoff, this little pot will instantly add a touch of indulgence to your meal.

Unilever has agreed to Giveaway TWO lucky winners a chance to WIN one of TWO goody bags PACKED to the brim with Knorr flavour pots and stock cubes. These stock pots have been created by Chef Cameron Healy who is part of a team of dedicated professional chefs, based at Knorr Headquarters, who work together to develop Knorr’s culinary creations, with good food, convenience and innovation as the main thought process behind these products.

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As you know by now I love seafood and I simply cannot resist buying fresh fish. Last week on my way home from work I saw fresh herring at the supermarket and just had to bring home some for dinner. I wanted a very light quick and easy fish dish which I could have with a heavy creamy soup so I rustled up this easy baked fish. Since we were already going to consume a creamy soup I wanted to avoid using single cream to make any gravy sauce.

This baked fish recipe is a super quick and easy meal idea with very few ingredients and makes for a delicious meal. Served with a fresh leafy baby kale and cherry tomato salad it makes a refreshingly light choice. No oil is used in this dish and though the butter is 2 tbsp it is the only thing that you will add other than the flavour pot. Besides Herring are very high in the long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, they are also a source of vitamin D.

A low – calorie meal for two readies in under 25 minutes – can it get any better? Think not!

I have used the Knorr three peppercorn flavour pot that was in my goody bag which all loggers received at the end of a day packed with masterclasses spent at the Unilever headquarter in the U.K at Leatherhead.

If you love cooking with the flavour of fresh herbs and spices, but prefer the convenience of dried, Knorr flavour pots allow you to create delicious meals infused with aromatic and fresh flavours in no time at all AND with the very same convenience that dried products offer.

Knorr three peppercorn Baked fish recipe

Manjiri Chitnis

Easy three peppercorn Baked fish

Print Recipe
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole Herrings fresh – with the head and tail removed
  • 1.5 Three peppercorn flavour pots
  • 1 Large Red Onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp heaped Butter
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
  • Smoked sea salt as per taste

Method
 

  1. Pre – Heat the oven to 180 °C. Keep the butter out so that it is not straight from the fridge
  2. Wash the herring fish under running tap water. I asked the fishmonger to slit it through the middle and clean it from the inside for me after removing the head and the tail
  3. Place the fish on baking parchment in a baking tray and sprinkle liberally with Maldon smoked sea salt
  4. Wrap the parchment to make a neat parcel
  5. Bake the fish in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 °C
  6. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottom pan on medium heat
  7. When the pan is at add 2 heaped tbsp of butter
  8. Add in the bay leaf and then finely chopped onion and finely chopped garlic with skins
  9. Then add in the Knorr three peppercorn flavour pots and cook until the onion has gone soft
  10. Once the fish has been baked, remove from the oven and allow for the steam to escape
  11. When you can hold the fish in your hand without scalding remove the skin which should come of pretty easily and remove the bone, it comes straight off which is great, one clean sweep. Don’t worry if the fish falls apart, it will still taste amazing!
  12. Plate each fish onto 2 plates
  13. Place the onion onto the fish and serve with baby kale and chopped cherry tomatoes. If you wish to sprinkle some sea salt on the salad leaves
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WIN one of TWO goody bags PACKED to the brim with Knorr flavour pots and stock cubes

Each GOODY BAG from KNORR contains :

  • 2 x Mexican Flavour Pot
  • 2x Garden Herbs Flavour Pot
  • 2 x Paprika Flavour Pot
  • 2x Ginger and Lemongrass Flavour Pot
  • 2x Curry Flavour Pot
  • 2x Garlic Flavour Pot
  • 2x Mixed Chillies Flavour Pot
  • 2x Fish Stock Cube
  • 2x Pork Stock Cube
  • 2x Ham Stock Cube
  • 2 x Chicken Stock Pot
  • 2 x Beef Stock Pot
  • 2 x Veg Stock Pot
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How to enter the giveaway:

You too could WIN ONE of TWO of these GOODY BAGS from KNORR PACKED with exciting products from the flavour pots and stock sauces range, all you have to do is :

  1. Follow me on twitter – @manjirichitnis
  2. Like my Facebook page and leave your Facebook name as part of your comment.
  3. Follow me on Instagram
  4. Tweet out the following –  with 1 of 2 GOODY BAGS with Flavour Pots & Stock Cubes, Baked fish recipe
  5. Leave a comment below telling me which is your favourite herb, your Facebook name used to like my FB page, your Instagram handle. I will find you on twitter via the hashtag so it’s not required for you to mention your twitter handle in the comments. Do not share your email id in the comments, please.
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Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

  • Winners will be picked using Random Number.
  • Deadline for entering this contest is 15th January’ 2015 midnight GMT.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K except for Scotland and Ireland.
  • All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
  • Two lucky winners will be chosen using a random number generator.
  • The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post. Neither Knorr or I am liable for any damage of hamper and / or contents in transit.
  • Please allow a minimum of 15 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later. The goody bags will be sent directly by Knorr.
  • The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available.
  • I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the 3 steps mentioned above.
  • The winner will be notified on 16th January’ 2015  on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the 2 winners on Twitter via their twitter ids. If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and Knorr to contact you via email id to arrange for the goody bag to be sent out to you.
  • If the TWO winners fail to respond by 18th January’ 2015   then other winners will be chosen.

*With thanks to Unilever and the Knorr PR team for arranging the fabulous gifts for the two goody bags. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. References Wiki.

While you are here why not have a look at the other giveaways on my blog and increase your chances of winnings cool freebies!?!

  • Win one beautiful Hotel Chocolat gift bag with fabulous cocoa cuisine products, to participate click here.
  • CLOSED Win a box of Chef Inspirations Saveurs Du Monde Box of 16 chocolates from Godiva, to participate click here– CLOSED.
  • CLOSED Win 5 delicious sauces from the WORLDFOODS Asian Fusion Flavour Sauces, to participate click here – CLOSED.
1-Knorr flavour and stock images
Low calorie, baked white fish, ready in under 30 minutes

Reblochon Cheese, Onion, Swiss Chard and Mushrooms Tart

by 2 Comments

I had been eyeing this beautiful red Swiss Chard at the Chapel market on a street vegetable vendors stall for days and today I finally managed to buy myself a bunch of these beauties.

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I also purchased a gorgeous beefsteak tomato, chestnut mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sweet baby carrots, 2 avocados,and guess what ?All this booty came at £6.50 only ,woohoo! Totally amazing right, beautiful fresh ingredients purchased from a very friendly lady from a bustling vibrant market over lunch hour – I mean what more could I ask for ?

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Since it was Thanksgiving on Thursday, a treat was in order and with my beautiful vegetable bounty a vegetable tart smothered in cheese was what I would be making! I was sent a lovely french cheese to sample a few days back and it was begging to be used , perfect!

I was sent Reblochon de Savoie AOC, which is an artisanal cheese from the Haute-Savoie and Val d’Arly region. Reblochon was the first of the 46 AOC cheeses in France to receive that stamp of quality in 1958. It contains only 22% fat which makes it as light or lighter than other cooked pressed cheeses including Gruyère or Emmental. Reblochon is packaged individually by the producer, it is placed onto a thin spruce-wood board, thus regulating its moisture content and allowing it to mature.

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Autumnal swiss chard which I have used in my recipe  is rich in vitamins A,K and C and is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber, and protein. All parts of the chard plant contain oxalic acid. Packed with good stuff this tart is!

Manjiri Chitnis

Cheese, Onion, Swiss Chard and Mushrooms Tart

Print Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 block Cheese – I used Reblochon
  • 320 Grams Ready made Puff Pastry
  • 4 Medium sized Eggs
  • 5 leaves Swiss Chard
  • 8 Chestnut Mushrooms
  • 3 stalks Spring onions
  • 1 medium-sized Red Onion
  • 2 tbsp heaped Chilli Honey
  • 5 – 6 slices Beefsteak Tomato
  • 2 small Potatoes
  • 1.5 tsp Red chilli flakes
  • 1.5 tsp Garlic puree
  • 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Method
 

  1. Peel the potatoes, slice them wafer-thin
  2. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil on a pan and place the potato slices of the pan, brown on each side till they are really crisp
  3. Chop the red onion fine and cut the spring onion as fine as possible
  4. Roughly cut the mushrooms into chunks
  5. In a small saucepan add 1 tsp of olive oil , when the oil is hot add the chopped red onion & spring onions and when they begin to sweat add in the mushrooms
  6. Cook on a medium flame till the onions turns a nice light brown colour and add in the chilli honey
  7. The heat from the pan will create the perfect environment for the honey to melt just enough to coat the onion and the mushroom and impart a fabulously warming sweet and hot flavour
  8. Place the puff pastry on a baking tray lined with baking parchment
  9. Add the onion and mushroom mixture on the puff pastry
  10. Then add the roughly chopped swiss chard leaves, season with some sea salt
  11. Place the slices of beefsteak tomato on the top
  12. Scoop out the nutty and delicious cheese from the rind with a spoon and scatter it onto the chard and tomato slices
  13. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add some sea salt and red chilli powder as per taste
  14. Whisk the eggs with a fork till they foam so as to aerate them
  15. Pour the egg mixture onto the chard and tomatoes
  16. Pre-heat the oven to 200° C
  17. Place the baking tray into the pre-heated oven
  18. Bake the savoury tart for 35minutes, for the first 15 minutes at 150° C and then at 180° C – 200° C
  19. The egg and cheese mix will cook and release a beautiful aroma which will just rush through when you get the tart out of the oven
  20. Place the crispy potato slices on top and if you wish scatter a few chopped nuts on the top for added crunch

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I really liked the texture of the cheese and the floral, nutty and herbal flavours it imparts to this gorgeous vegetable laden tart which reflect its Alpine provenance.

Serve the tart with fruity red wines such as those made with Gamay or Pinot Noir grapes, or a lively and refreshing white such as Chasselas which complement the cheese.

*With thanks to Reblochon for sending me a sample of their delicious artisanal cheese for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Festive Hot Chocolate Vodka Martini with chilli Cocktail Recipe

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A girl needs a good Martini at times and I like mine with Vodka rather than the classic gin, although there are times I would be found sipping on a Gin based Martini too. My recipe for Festive Hot Chocolate Vodka Martini with chilli,  is sure to be an instant hit at your cocktail parties and your friends and family are going to beg for more so stock up on the ingredients and learn to shake that cocktail with some style aka Tom cruise from the flick Cocktail!

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House of Fraser sent me a very elegant set of 4 Pied e Terre Martini glasses  with REAL GOLD spiral detailing ,yes you heard that right , for review , so a Chocolate Martini was in order.I do have a large bottle of Smirnoff Vodka Martini but this Martini recipe had to be special and befitting these rather special martini glasses.

Hubby was equally excited to contribute towards this fab Martini evening I planned for a lazy Sunday with some friends, so when I sent him out to buy Vanilla flavoured Vodka he came back with a beautiful bottle of M&S ”HOT” Chocolate Vodka with chocolate flavouring and a hint of chilli for warmth – Perfect!

It’s often by such happy coincidences that something really fabulous can be conjured. I have been using rather sparingly the Baileys Chocolate Luxe Limited Edition Creamy Irish liqueur which I purchased at the Chocolate Festival in April this year.And just like an opportunity to experiment with the liqueur has presented itself – aha!

So folks before I share the recipe for my Festive Hot Chocolate Vodka Martini with chilli  served in the Pied e Terre Martini glasses with REAL GOLD sprial detailing, let me bestow upon you – my unsuspecting readers my newfound knowledge about chocolate liqueurs acquired after spending  a few hours browsing the net and harassing several people including a very sweet gentleman who makes a living mixing drinks.This will ensure that you do not endure the angst that poor hubster and I experienced, as we searched high and low for Crème de cacao before realising that a creamy chocolate liqueur can be used instead and gives a creamy consistency to the martini which the Crème de cacao does not. Crème de cacao was not to be found on supermarket shelves and believe you me, we went into most of the big ones, they are available to buy online though – but that for me amounts to hassle and a longer wait than just grabbing whats on the shelves ,right ?

Since Crème de cacao can be replaced by the chocolate liqueur and I had the Baileys Chocolate Luxe Limited Edition Creamy Irish liqueur , I was quite relieved. Or else I would have had to either order the Crème de cacao online or spend ££ on Godiva’s Chocolate liqueur which does sound so very sinfully delicious ummm

A bit about the Pied e Terre Martini glasses with REAL GOLD spiral detailing – these sophisticated glasses are available to buy from House of Fraser and are rather reasonably priced at £30 for a set of 4, they surely make for a fabulous gift idea for the festive season or any special anniversary or birthday or simply to spoil a martini lover.

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Festive Hot Chocolate  Vodka Martini with chilli recipe

Manjiri Chitnis

Festive Hot Chocolate Vodka Martini with chilli recipe

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings: 2 drinks
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 75  ml  Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur
  • 120 ml Chocolate Vodka
  • Powdered Lindt Chilli chocolate for rimming
  • Shavings of Lindt Chilli chocolate for garnishing
  • Ice

Equipment

  • 1 Cocktail shaker

Method
 

  1. Wash, wipe dry the Martini glasses and place them facedown on a kitchen roll with the powdered Lindt Chilli chocolate to line the rim of the glass
  2. Place these lined-rim glasses to chill in the freezer
  3. Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with the ice cubes
  4. Shake vigorously
  5. Strain into chilled martini glasses lined with Hershey’s chocolate syrup
  6. Garnish with Shavings of Lindt Chilli chocolate to get the extra chilli kick going

Notes:

  • 1 ounce = 29.5 ml approx half a peg
  • 1 peg = 60 ml
  • I used Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur, you can use any supermarket brand
  • I used M&S ”HOT” Chocolate Vodka with chocolate flavouring and a hint of chilli
  • You can substitute any chocolate of your liking instead of the ones I used
  • You can also experiment with using any other type of Vodka to make this cocktail, there are many flavoured Vodka’s now available and it is also easy to add in spices to flavour your vodka.
  • If you really want to up your game with flavouring spirits then add your slection of herbs and spices and infuse plain vodka in glass bottles and leave them to soak in all the flavours for a few mont
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Enjoy with friends and family for a fabulous festive feast guaranteed to satisfy ANY chocolatey cravings !

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Inspired to try your hand at some fun cocktails at home? Why not have a look at my other recipes below:

*With thanks to House of Fraser for a complimentary set of 4 Pied e Terre Martini glasses with REAL GOLD spiral detailing. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

*Recipe inspiration from Cocktail expert Colleen Graham’s recipe and  Murrye Bernard’s recipe.

Indian Masala Egg Omelette

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Weekend mornings demand a good breakfast, especially if you have had a tad too much wine on Friday evening 😉

I love making a simple Indian omelette and my dinner guests who stayed with us for the night, last Friday, had to be fed a hearty breakfast before they set out to go home. Like my aai I am obsessed with feeding people and cannot imagine sending off guests on an empty stomach.

Luckily, now that I am part of the Happy Eggs Taste 100 Blogger network a  #happyeggtastemakers, I had 2 boxes of these lovely Happy eggs at home, red onion or the Mumbai pink onion which I buy from my fav Indian-Pakistani grocery store and loads of frozen coriander.

Egg Recipes from Travelsfortaste
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This is a very basic recipe for the Indian masala omelette- with a bit of twist , added in my me . I also love adding in cheese and bulking it up with ham or sausages which I did for my guests, but hubster is a purist of sorts when it comes to the masala omelettes (read fussy hehehe) and so made 2 huge omelettes , one using the recipe that follows and another with the cheese, sausages and Parma Ham – so… so… so… good !!

Indian Masala Omelette

Manjiri Chitnis

Indian Masala Egg Omelette

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1 medium – sized Red onion or Pink Mumbai onion chopped fine
  • 3 medium – sized Eggs
  • 2 Green chillies chopped into fairly large chunky pieces- easy to pick out for the faint hearted!
  • A pinch of Turmeric Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) Leaves
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Pan
  • 1 Chopping Board
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Whisk / Fork

Method
 

  1. Finely chop the red onion
  2. Chop the green chilli into fairly big pieces sothey can be picked out by those that don't want to chew on them
  3. Crack the eggs into the bowl
  4. Add in the chopped onions, green chilli chopped,red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Whisk with a fork till the mixture foams and is well aerated , this will give you a beautifully 'fluffy' omelette
  5. Then add the chopped coriander and mix again
  6. I add in the turmeric as it has loads of healthbenefits – it has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strongantioxidant, and our guest who do not consume turmeric on a regularbasis loved the idea
  7. Now add in the cheese – torn roughly if it using acheese single or crushed if using a soft cheese or crumbly cheese, sausages andParma Ham. Lightly beat the egg mixture once more with a fork to mix well
  8. Place a big pan on medium heat and when it beginsto heat up melt the butter
  9. When the butter begins tosizzle and pan resembles what you see in the image then it's the right time toadd the egg mixture
  10. Move the pan around so that the mixture spreadsevenly and cook on a low flame for about 2 minutes
  11. When the omelette leaves the sides of the pan ,slightly lift it with a wooden spatula and check , if it has browned it's time to flip it over. You can tell by the aroma wafting around too
  12. With a big wooden spatula gently flip over and cookon the other side, I place a lid over my pan at this stage to trap the steam and it also gives me a really fluffy omelette, of course it will fall flat if you don't serve immediately
  13. Once done, turn off the heat and cut in half using a wooden spatula. Fold and place in between hot buttered toast for a fabulous breakfast
Masala Egg Omelette

Notes

Additional Ingredients that can be added in to bulk up this delicious Indian Masala omlette:

  • Sliced mushrooms, button mushrooms go really well with this recipe
  • A sliced cheese single, ideally Cheddar, I also love adding in cheese that comes flavoured with garlic and/or chilli flakes
  • 2 Pork sausages
  • 2 thin slices of Parma Ham
  • Adding the garam masala is something I like to do as it gives the omelette a fabulous amped up flavour but feel free to leave that out if you aren’t a fan
Masala Anda Omelette recipe by Travelsfortaste
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An Indian masala omelette, served at breakfast with hot buttered toast and hot cups of masala chai, I think is a breakfast fit for a king – Made better with Happy Eggs I say!

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I am so egg-cited to be part Happy Eggs Taste 100 Blogger network, they  sent  me this beautifully packaged cute box with a massive chocolate cookie made using Happy Eggs and a lovely picture of the latest campaign – Top of The Flocks – where Happy Eggs produced an original album of classical music following a study by the University of Bristol looking at the positive benefits of music on hens.The results showed that Happy Hens prefer Bach to Beyonce – they have refined taste these hens! Happy Hens produced 6% more eggs in nest boxes playing classical music compared to pop! Awesome or what?! – always good to know where your eggs are coming from isn’t it?!

Ahem… as you can that by the time I actually got around to taking a photo of the welcome kit , hubster and me had managed to devour most of the cookie …well , don’t blame us  – it was soo yum!

Egg recipes from travelsfortaste

Well a new year and a new beginning and with tomorrow being the first day for getting back to work, I will be making us egg omlettes and devouring them with freshly ground coffee and buttery toast – after all Monday mornings are never kind especially in the winter and more so after a long break!

Make Ahead – perfect for a make ahead style breakfast, this mixture can store in the fridge very easily.

Linking my savoury Indian Masala egg omelette recipe with the monthly link up at Belleau Kitchen for the Simply Eggcellent recipe link-up – love the name!

Also linking up with #BrilliantBreakfasts at Made with Pink blog by Andrea, for I think without a doubt a masala omelette makes a darned good breakfast!

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*With thanks to Happy Eggs for taking me on as part of their Exclusive Blogger Network and  for a complimentary voucher sent with their cute welcome pack . No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Indian Masala Omelete

WHY NOT TRY MY OTHER RECIPES WITH EGGS AS THE STAR INGREDIENT?

I VISISTED A BUSY EGG FARM WHERE HENS ROAM IN RURAL ENGLAND, HAVE A READ AND BROWSE THROUGH SOME PICTURES FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR

Behind the scenes at an Egg Farm

Chickpea and sweet Chilli Paneer salad

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Chickpeas are comfort food especially when used to make chole , a spicy chickpea curry best devoured with steamed rice. But chickpeas also taste great in salads and because they take up various flavourings so easily , they are perfect ingredients to be used in quick ,filling salads like my Chickpea and Olive salad with sweet chilli Paneer.

On a very rainy weekend , I was alone at home and curled up reading a very good book . Though my tummy was rumbling by mid- day I didn’t really want to let go off my book and cook an elaborate meal. So a hunt around the kitchen cabinets and fridge resulted in the following finds – a an of chickpeas sitting around and some soft paneer in the fridge , half an onion chopped – perfect.Now all I needed was some inspiration…

Sitting in the corner was a brown paper carton sent a few days ago by Olives et al – a few interesting bottles staring at me with beautiful labels and rather interesting names – a quick unpacking of the box revealed the following contents –

  • Smoky Chipotle Chilli Olives – marinated in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil naturally infused with Chipotle chillis.
  • Mojo Pink Grapefruit dressing and  marinade
  • North African Style Red Chilli Harissa sauce
  • Sweet Chilly Billy Jelly Chilly and Ginger Relish

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I decided to rustle up a quick salad in a jiffy using some of the samples and these ingredients and the result was a very punchy ,pleasing salad that I am sure to recreate soon! Especially on another rainy evening or afternoon when I won’t be able to tear myself away from yet another gripping novel …

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Serves : 2

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Olives et al Sweet Chilly Billy Jelly Chilly and Ginger Relish
  • 1 tsp Olive et al Mojo Pink Grapefruit dressing and  marinade
  • 397 gm Chickpea can
  • 267gm Paneer /Cottage cheese
  • 1/2 red onion medium size chopped
  • Few Olives et al Smoky Chipotle Chilli Olives
  • Sea salt to garnish

Method

  • Cut the slab of paneer into large chunks so that they do not crumble.
  • Heat a  griddle pan on a low flame and add 2 tbsp of Olives et al Sweet Chilly Billy Jelly Chilly and Ginger Relish to the pan , spread using a  wooden spatula . Place the paneer gently on the chilli relish and allow the relish to caramelise and harden then flip and give the the other side of the paneer cubes the same treatment.

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  • This will give the paneer a delicious sticky and crunchy coating with just the right flavouring.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the entire can of chickpeas and pour some of the salty water it is preserved in over the chickpeas.
  • Toss in a few olives and pour a small amount of the chilli oil they are marinated on over the chickpeas. Garnish with sea salt to taste.Mix well.
  • Then add the sticky paneer cubes . Mix gently using a wooden spatula.
  • I then poured a very small amount of the Olive et al Mojo Pink Grapefruit dressing and marinade  over the salad – a perfectly beautiful dressing described on the Olives et al site as – ‘Inspired by a Caribbean sauce from the Cayman Islands known locally simply as Mojo Sauce ….Happily unusual, wonderfully versatile and loved by all’ Now I know why its a best seller !

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I would have loved to garnish with finely chopped cucumber but sadly my vegetable tray was quite bare that day but do feel free to add a generous amount onto the salad . Coriander marries well with chickpea in any form.

All this salad now needed was a fork and I fell back into the pages of my novel in like 15 minutes flat, how’s that for a quick and easy filling recipe that tastes fab and makes you go back for seconds and thirds ? Super I say 🙂

While browsing the website I noticed the beautiful logo for Olives et al and read the fabulous story of how this multi award winning company was born In the early 90s , brain child of Annie and Giles Henschel  who embarked on a year-long adventure that would be the inspiration for Olives Et Al. Travelling on motorbikes through the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, they fell in love with the food we ate along the way and gathered many precious recipes along the way.

It is this motorbike journey that is hidden as a story in their beautifully intricate logo , reminds me so very much of my days in Pune spent zipping across the city in a black Honda Activa scooter that I prefer to call a bike , it had fantastic pick up, was gearless and because of it’s heavy errr ‘bottom’ on which the seats rested it didn’t shake like an autumn leaf even at high speeds on the highway – sigh… seems like a whole lifetime away …

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They launched Olives Et Al in 1993 to satisfy their own culinary cravings and to share quality olives with a wider audience. They began producing Marinated Olives using some of their “souvenir” recipes. Over time, their range of products has grown and now includes, Oils and Balsamics, Speciality Olives, Sauces, Snacks, Kiln Roasted Nuts and Dressings and Marinades – all made in Dorset and free from  free of artificial colouring, flavours or preservatives.

Their products can  be purchased directly from their website or in delis across the country and in  various food stores.

With  thanks to Olives et al  for the complimentary samples. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review . As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

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