Miscellaneous - Travels for Taste

Pomegranate, caramelised Walnut and baby Kale salad

December 13, 2014 by manjirichitnis 49 Comments

The first time I discovered Hotel Chocolat was when my friend, fellow book worm, tea enthusiast, and impromptu hogging fest companion ND and me collapsed into a warm cosy corner of the beautiful Hotel Chocolate cafe’/ shop at Borough Market ( why not read about what we did, what we ate and discover the sights and sounds of our visit with my blog posts here?)

It was love at first taste for me and ever since I have adored the fabulously creative chocolates from Hotel Chocolat. But did you know that they also make a whole range of delicious products like spreads, drinking chocolates, pasta, pesto, sauces, and even chilli oil all infused with cocoa and chocolate? There is a whole world of both sweet and savoury dishes that can be prepared by adding an extra touch of elegance and decadence with Hotel Chocolat products.

I was sent a bottle of the Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic packaged in a beautiful bag for review.

I made a filling, colourful wintery salad using some fresh ingredients and the result was this gorgeously delicious salad!

Here is my easy recipe for :

Pomegranate,caramelised Walnut and baby Kale salad with Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic

Manjiri Chitnis

Pomegranate, Caramelised Walnut and Baby Kale salad

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe

Servings: 2 people

Course: Salad

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 small Red Onion sliced lengthwise
5 – 6 pieces Smoked Ham sliced fine
1/2 pack Baby Kale Leaves
1/2 pack Baby Spinach Leaves
1 Big Avocado
2 tbsp heaped Pomegranate Seeds
1 Samll Handful Walnuts
2 tsp Chilli Honey
Fruity Balsamic Vinegar as per taste
1 – 2 small Red Tomato sliced into circular discs
1 handful Cherry Tomatoes
Smoked Austrian cheese
1 Boiled Egg

Method

In a small vessel add enough water to place the egg into to boil
Heat a pan on medium heat, when the pan is hot add the chilli jam and throw in the walnuts and stir with a wooden spatula to coat the melting chilli jam on the walnuts
Reduce the flame to a minimum, DO NOT allow the chilli jam to smoke or burn. The caramelised walnuts are done in under a minute. Set aside to cool
Remove the egg from the boiled water, and hold it under running water, when the egg shell has cooled, peel it, halve and set aside
Chop the red onion lengthwise, and the tomato into circular discs and halve the cherry tomatoes
If the baby kale and baby spinach leaves are not washed, add them to a sieve and wash them under running tap water
Then put the leaves in a huge salad bowl and add generous sloshes of Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic
On a huge plate or platter place the seasoned leaves and then place the smoked ham and cheese slices
Then place the avocado slices, tomato discs and cherry tomato halves
Scatter the pomegranate seeds and the caramelised walnuts on top
With a wooden spatula, scrape off the remaining caramelised Gran Luchito chilli honey and scatter on the salad
Again drizzle the Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Balsamic on top of the salad and serve immediately

Feel free to substitute the smoked ham with shredded chicken or chicken sausages, for a vegetarian version why not add boiled baby potatoes halved instead of meat?

The tender roasted cocoa nibs soaked in Italian balsamic vinegar, create a rounded flavour that’s fabulous with avocado, tomatoes, smoked ham and smoked cheese. The caramelised walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds give this winter salad a great crunch and the chilli honey plays hide and seek with your taste buds. The baby kale leaves have a mild and pleasant taste and the spinach works as the good stuff for blood purification thanks to its high iron content.

This salad is fresh, wholesome and healthy as kale is associated with a whole host of health benefits. It contains Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fibre and carotenoids and 45 — different flavonoids with a variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Now for the fabulously FESTIVE GIVEAWAY OF A GOODY BAG FROM HOTEL CHOCOLAT

One lucky winner gets a beautiful Hotel Chocolat gift bag with the following products:

Hotel Chocolat Chilli and cocoa oil
Hotel Chocolat cocoa pasta
Hotel Chocolat cocoa pesto

Hotel Chocolat Chilli and cocoa finishing oil

A special recipe used by Hotel Chocolat chefs in their Boucan restaurant in Saint Lucia – extra-virgin olive oil rounded by rich notes of cocoa nibs and beans, with a kick of red chilli. Shake to wake the chilli flakes, then drizzle and dress lightly over chicken, fish, pasta, pizza and roast vegetables. Try crushing the cocoa for some fabulous bread-dipping.

Hotel Chocolat cocoa pasta

Durum wheat penne with unsweetened cocoa, as made by chefs at our Boucan restaurant in Saint Lucia and recommended by Nigella Lawson. Ideal for adding a thrill to dishes both savoury and sweet. As used by Nigella Lawson in her chocolate pasta with caramel and pecans recipe, and Hotel Chocolat’s very own Chocolate Pasta with Pesto recipe.

Hotel Chocolat cocoa pesto

Outstanding with pasta, risotto, salad, blinis, crusty bread, cold meats or straight from the jar as a dip: rough-chopped basil, crunchy pine nuts, Italian cheese and nutty roast cocoa nibs. A favourite from Hotel Chocolat’s Boucan kitchen in Saint Lucia.

1-Hotel Chocolat Balsamic Vinegar salad RESIZED

How to enter the giveaway:

You too could WIN a GOODY BAG from Hotel Chocolat PACKED with exciting products from the cocoa cuisine range, all you have to do is :

Like my Facebook page and leave your Facebook name as part of your comment.
Follow me on Twitter – @manjirichitnis
Tweet out the following – #HOTELCHOCOLATGIVEAWAY #WIN @HotelChocolat GOODY BAG with @manjirichitnis, winter salad recipe bit.ly/1smP3Kv
Leave a comment below telling me which type of chocolates do you like most and your Facebook name used to like my FB page. 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.

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

Winners will be picked using Random Number Generator.
The deadline for entering this contest is 8th 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.
One lucky winner will be chosen using a random number generator.
The giveaway prize is as mentioned in the post. Neither Hotel Chocolat nor I are liable for any damage to the hamper and/or its contents in transit.
Please allow a minimum of 25 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later. The goody bags will be sent directly by Hotel Chocolat.
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 9th January 2015 on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the winner on Twitter via their Twitter id. If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and Hotel Chocolat to contact you via email id to arrange for the goody bag to be sent out to you.
If the winner fails to respond by 15th January 2015 then another winner will be chosen via Random Number Generator.

CONGRATULATIONS to the LUCKY winner of this fabulous GIVEAWAY of a GOODY BAG from Hotel Chocolat PACKED with exciting products from the cocoa cuisine range !!!

AND The lucky winner is *DRUMROLLS* …….

Mark Johnson – Twitter id @tubbyjpin

Please get in touch with me at fruitsnveg@yahoo.com

THANK YOU to everyone who participated and keep following my posts for more exciting competitions!

*With thanks to Hotel Chocolat and the PR team for arranging the fabulous gifts and beautiful Hotel Chocolat goody bag and sending me a sample of Hotel Chocolate Cocoa Balsamic for review. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. References Wiki & Herald Tribune.

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

CLOSED Win one of TWO Goody Bags from KNORR packed with 2x of EACH Knorr flavour pots and stock cubes to participate click here – CLOSED
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

Easy three peppercorn Baked fish recipe, Knorr Giveaway – Closed

December 7, 2014 by manjirichitnis 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.

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

Pre – Heat the oven to 180 °C. Keep the butter out so that it is not straight from the fridge
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
Place the fish on baking parchment in a baking tray and sprinkle liberally with Maldon smoked sea salt
Wrap the parchment to make a neat parcel
Bake the fish in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 °C
Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottom pan on medium heat
When the pan is at add 2 heaped tbsp of butter
Add in the bay leaf and then finely chopped onion and finely chopped garlic with skins
Then add in the Knorr three peppercorn flavour pots and cook until the onion has gone soft
Once the fish has been baked, remove from the oven and allow for the steam to escape
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!
Plate each fish onto 2 plates
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

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

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 :

Follow me on twitter – @manjirichitnis
Like my Facebook page and leave your Facebook name as part of your comment.
Follow me on Instagram
Tweet out the following – #KNORRGIVEAWAY #WIN with @manjirichitnis 1 of 2 GOODY BAGS with @knorr Flavour Pots & Stock Cubes, Baked fish recipe bit.ly/1s9fRYW
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.

Knorr_Flavour Pots_Mixed Chillies (Copy)

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.

Low calorie, baked white fish, ready in under 30 minutes

NO WASTE FOOD CHALLENGE – November 2014

November 7, 2014 by manjirichitnis 15 Comments

Growing up aai (Mum in Marathi) was always quite good at salvaging leftovers and saving the not-so-attractive beans lying in a corner of the refrigerator tray and making some exotic recipe of her. This habit of not chucking things in the bin or mindlessly stocking up the fridge has stayed with me and thankfully so.

Some of the statistics I read about food wastage made me shed tears … Can you guess how many tonnes of food ends up in landfill every year in the U.K?

A staggering 18 million tonnes! If this is not a criminal waste of food then I don’t know what is. ”Food Poverty” is a very real issue and there are a number of charitable organisations that promote the cause of stopping food wastage. One such campaign known as Love Food Hate Waste inspired Kate over at Turquoise Lemons to start No Waste Food Challenge in a bid to encourage others to do the same.

This challenge is now hosted by the lovely Elizabeth of Elizabeths Kitchen Diary and will be guest hosted by me this month.

It is a simple linky and there are some basic rules to keep in mind while participating:

1. Please link up your url using the linky at the bottom of this post.
2. Feel free to republish old posts just make sure you add a link to the current challenge and add the challenge badge (the blue badge at the top of this post).
3. Make sure you link up before the end of the month (that’s 11.55 pm GMT, 30th November 2014)!
4. Posts will be added to the No Waste Food Challenge Pinterest Board to help spread the food waste prevention love!
5. Please make sure your post includes a link back to Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary and Travelsfortaste.
6. Tweet @TangoRaindrop and @manjirichitnis with the tag #NoWasteFoodChallenge and we will retweet all that we see.

No Waste Food November 2014

This is a Blog Hop!

Grab the linky HERE

Powered by Linky Tools

http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=243212&type=thumbnail ’’>Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Kadhai Chicken Masala

November 3, 2014 by manjirichitnis 116 Comments

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

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

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

Manjiri Chitnis

Kadhai Chicken Masala

5 from 13 votes

Minty Kadhai Chicken in a delicious masala

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 15

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion Indian

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

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

Equipment

Pan
Knife and chopping board

Method

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

The fresh flavours of the minty gravy sauce are enhanced by the delicious umami onion gravy. Lap up the thick gravy and juicy ,tasty grilled chicken cubes with the soft warm naan, scooping up some of the soft boiled yolk as well… ummmmm

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

GIVEAWAY for 2 LUCKY WINNERS !

WIN ONE OF TWO Loyd Grossman GIFT HAMPERS!

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

How to enter the giveaway:

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

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

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

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

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

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

Claire Wilkinson – Twitter id @claire_wilko83

Michelle – Twitter id @mshell1231

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

Spiced Pomegranate cocktail recipe

October 21, 2014 by manjirichitnis 49 Comments

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

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

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

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

POM Wonderful warming cocktail recipe

Manjiri Chitnis

Spiced Pomegranate Cocktail

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Servings: 1

Course: Drinks

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

250 ml Pomegranate Juice
60 ml Gin or Vodka mixed with Vermouth
10 ml Concentrated Cherry Syrup
½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
1 sprig Mint Crushed
1 tsp Lime Juice
1 Green Chilli split lengthwise
Ice cubes

Equipment

1 Cocktail shaker

Method

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

TOP TIP from me:

Chill the washed and dried cocktail glasses in the freezer for about 20 minutes before serving – the frozen glaze on the glass will look beautiful and the cocktail will stay cooler for longer allowing you to sip and enjoy your drink longer
I loved adding the cute heart-shaped ice cubes made in the complimentary ice-cube maker sent to me as part of my cocktail kit, I now have various shaped ice tray to make fun and interesting drinks to please everyone from little ones to adults

POM Wonderful COCKTAIL X 3 Giveaway

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

How to enter the giveaway:

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

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

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

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

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

Terms and Conditions:

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

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

@kerryroberts84

@Gilla01

@angiehoggett

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

Win a pair of tickets to Foodies Festival Christmas 2014 – Old Truman Brewery, London – CLOSED

October 13, 2014 by manjirichitnis 10 Comments

With only a couple of months to go until Christmas day arrives, it’s time to start working through that Christmas list, and there’s no better way to start than surrounded by food, friends and fun at Foodies Festival Christmas.

Join ‘Foodies’ at The Old Truman Brewery, 28-30^th November, for this festive three-day celebration featuring London’s best street food, produce and culinary masters. Here’s what to expect when the UK’s biggest food and drink festival puts on its Christmas jumper:

–Michelin star and top chefs cooking live

-Drink masterclasses with champagne, cocktails and craft beer

–Street food and feasting tents

-Artisan markets, pudding halls and wine and cheese villages

-Hands on cake and bake masterclasses

-Ski bars, pop-up breweries and vintage Soda Bar

-Ceilidh dancing, Christmas quizzes and live entertainment

Foodies Festival have offered me to giveaway a pair of complimentary tickets to share with all foodie fans.

To win simply leave a comment on the blog post telling me what is that you are looking forward to most at the Foodies Festival 2014 AND tweet out the following:

#Win a pair of tickets to @foodiesfestival #christmas at @trumanbrewery ,28-30 Nov, enter at bit.ly/1xLKx6p #sliceoffme #giveaway

For more info visit Foodies Festival here

Terms and Conditions:

Deadline for entering this contest is 10th November ‘2014 midnight GMT.
Entry is open only to residents of the U.K and all entrants must be 18’s old and above.
One lucky winner will get one pair of complimentary tickets.Children under 12 go free.
Tickets are non transferable. One pair of tickets per winner only.
Complimentary tickets are valid or one day’s use on the day of the winner’s choice.
No cash alternative available.
Complimentary tickets obtained through this offer may not be duplicated.
All tickets will be scanned on entry to the show.
Winner will be picked out via Random Number Generator.
Winner will receive tickets directly , I accept no responsibility for any disputes arising out of any anomalies.

CONGRATULATIONS to Veronica Still @ronstil – You have won a pair of tickets to Foodies Festival Christmas 2014 at Old Truman Brewery, London, drop me an email at fruitsnveg@yahoo.com

The Spice Traveller explores Great Britain’s culture and cuisine

October 4, 2014 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Crab Kasoori Methi – sounds intriguing right? If that piqued your interest then there’s lots more in store in the creative repertoire of Celebrity Indian chef Saransh Goila who’s food and travel show aptly titled The Spice traveller debuted on his YouTube channel last week. For the uninitiated Saransh Goila won the hearts of millions of fans when he won the Food Food Maha Challenge which was hosted by Sanjeev Kapoor ( a chef he has watched on T.V in his formative years & greatly admires! ) and Madhuri Dixit ( Bollywood super start, mommy to 2 and possibly the most graceful dancer Hindi films have had in the ’90s!). He then went to host the TV show Roti Rasta aur India on Food Food channel where he travelled 20,000 km of India by road in 100 days – exploring local flavours and cooking feats for a lucky few along the way.

First, of its kind, India’s youngest celebrity Chef Saransh Goila’s digital food travelogue show is a 20 part series where the celebrity chef travels across England and Scotland exploring beautiful travels destinations, local food and culture. He attempts to change perceptions about how people travel across England and Scotland and what they normally expect to eat while they discover new destinations. Goila’s 1000 km journey takes him to exotic locations around Cotswolds, Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Fife where he cooks up finger-licking fusion cuisine.

Chef Saransh at Kellie Castle – Fife

Chef Saransh making cheese in Yorkshire

Saransh also managed to throw in exciting experiences including cider making , also pretending to be ‘Alice in Wonderland’ for a day at what he described as the best cream tea party ever, took over the reins of a Michelin starred kitchen, spent a day at a trout farm in Yorkshire and fell hook,line and sinker in love with fishing – while learning all there is to about fly-fishing and Rainbow trout!

Chef enjoyed some amazing cream tea and warm scones with clotted cream and jam polished off with fresh British strawberries!

And while he was cooking, travelling and making exciting cocktails at the Virgin Atlantic bar in the air at 35,000 ft, he also managed to get a designer kilt made and ermmm pose 🙂

Chef Saransh in a pensive mood, maybe his day out in Scotland left him enamoured with the Scottish Highlands!

So throw away all those musty old travel guides and hop onto an exciting culinary journey through English and Scottish countryside with Chef Saransh!

And what better place to start that journey than in the city I have fallen madly in love with – London city! Watch the second episode of The Spice Traveller as he explores multicultural London – learns to make Britain’s favourite Fish-n-Chips with Chef Micheal Brown at Fishworks, discovers a restaurant that serves 100% vegetarian food in the heart fo Central London, cooks up England’s favourite curry – Chicken Tikka Masala in the kitchen at Cinnamon in Soho, explores the sights and sounds of Covent Garden and wanders the beautiful street markets of London city!

Chef Goila’s 1000 km has only just begun and you have lots more episodes to look forward to and exciting contests to participate in too!

So fasten your seat belts, as VisitBritain – @VisitBritain and Virgin Atlantic Airways – @VirginAtlantic in partnership with One Digital Entertainment and Zenga TV.com – @ZengaTVMedia take you on a fabulous journey – no passport or air ticket required for this one folks!

Hungry for more? Watch this space for an exclusive interview with the charming Chef – COMING SOON!

Disclaimer: With Thanks to Chef Saransh Gola for sharing his fabulous culinary adventures with me and my readers.

All images are courtesy Chef Saransh – Please do not reproduce without seeking prior written permission, feel free to share with due credit.

Giveaway Mornflake Breakfast Hamper – CLOSED

September 20, 2014 by manjirichitnis 117 Comments

GOOD MORNING!

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

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

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

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

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

You could win this fabulous giveaway,courtesy of Mornflake where ONE lucky winner can win all these lovely goodies :

1.Mornflake Organic Oats

2.Mornflake Scottish Jumbo Oats

3.Mornflake Superfast Oats

4.Mornflake super fast cereal pots – 4 packs in different flavours

5.Mornflake Oatbran CEREALS – any 2

6.Mornflake Oatbran Nuts & Seeds Granola

7.Mornflake Hessian bag

How To enter the giveaway :

Leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you like to enjoy oats !
Follow me on Twitter – I will find you on twitter via the hashtag so it’s not required for you to mention your email id in the comments.
Like my Facebook page and leave your facebook name as part of you comment.
Follow me on Instagram
Tweet out the following (simply copy and paste) #Win a breakfast hamper from @MornflakeCereal enter at #sliceoffme blog bit.ly/Z0aXFY #giveaway #sliceoffmelovesMornflake

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

Terms and Conditions:

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

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

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

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

Dead Easy Desserts – 30 minutes or less – August’2014

August 1, 2014 by manjirichitnis 13 Comments

Hello Everyone! I know I have been MIA for a while but just been attacked by a terrible tummy bug amongst other things…

But am over that now and can’t wait to get back to sharing some great recipes .But before that I have some exciting news! I will be hosting Dead Easy Desserts for Sarah of Maison Cupcake for August .AND there is a theme this time around , yes a theme, ! Last month the theme was Raspberries .

To me nothing screams summer like Strawberries do right?So the theme for August 2014 is STRAWBERRY

So put on your thinking caps and get creative in the kitchen!

Errrm… just need to rattle off a few rules , don’t worry nothing scary just a few steps to bear in mind which will make life easier for all of us.

Dead Easy Desserts – 30 minutes or less – August 2014 – Theme Strawberries

How to enter your blog post into Dead Easy Desserts:

Blog any dead easy dessert, pudding BASICALLY anything sweet , all you need to do is ensure it can be whisked up in well 30 minutes!
Dead Easy Desserts runs from 1st Aug to 29th Aug with full round ups of all entrants who have mentioned the challenge in their published post.
Short cuts and cook ahead elements are actively encouraged i.e. using sauces, frozen fruit, left over bits and pieces as a component. So long as assembling/the bit where you actually cook it takes under 30 minutes that’s fine. Chilling/setting time need not be included within the 30 minutes.
Add the URL of your post to the linky below. This a blog hop so feel free to add the code to your own post so your readers can admire the entries received so far.
Please be mindful of copyright, we don’t mind if you’ve adapted something from elsewhere or you made it from scratch. But if you submit something found online or in a book, just tell us where you found it rather than tapping it all out in your post.
I don’t mind you submitting your entry elsewhere to other challenges but please be mindful of other events’ rules.
We will try to retweet any posts using #deadeasydesserts that @ mention @maisoncupcake and @manjirichitnis BOTH.

Thats all! There is a linky at the bottom of this post but if there is a gremlin in the system and you are not able to link ,please drop me an email with your entry at fruitsnveg@yahoo.com

Now that we have the nitty-gritty out of the way how about some inspiration ? Have a look at the yummy entries in last month Dead Easy Desserts on Sarah’s blog Maison Cupcake with the theme Raspberries ummmm don’t you just love the pop pink- red colour of those delicate summer berries just waiting to be eaten !

Dead Easy Desserts – 30 minutes or less – July 2014 Round Up – Theme Raspberries

Wonderful quick & easy French Summer Dessert :le vacherin glace’ by Croque Maman blog

No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake mousse by Family Friends Food Blog

Sweet Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Quickie Raspberry Chia Jam by TasteSpace blog

Triple Berry Parfait with Cashew Cream by Style Nectar blog

Lemon Bavarois with Raspberry Syrup by Style Nectar blog

And last but not the least this No Churn dairy free vegan raspberry ice cream by Sarah of Maison Cupcakes who created the #deadeasydesserts challenge.

In my Veg Box – May 2014 Round up – Theme – Cauliflowers

June 4, 2014 by manjirichitnis 14 Comments

Ok, it is that time to share the roundup for the May linky for ”In my Veg Box” an event run by Nayna Kanabar of Citrus Spice UK. The theme was Cauliflowers and I am happy to say that a large variety of recipes were created by you and shared. Read on and enjoy, there’s even an award-winning recipe in here by Nayna!

First up is a very easy and tasty recipe for Cauliflower and green peas curry by Nayna on her blog Citrus Spice UK. This robustly flavoured curry is a fabulous addition to any menu, just as good with a hot roti as it is with rice or pulav, a very worthy addition on the menu when hosting a vegetarian dinner party I think.

Another cool link-up from Nayna, her recipe for ‘Spicy Cauliflower Tempura’ won her the runner up prize in the National Vegetarian week- Betta Living, held during 19-25 May 2014. Nayna winning entry got her whopping prize money of £250 prize! woohoo! Well done Nayna! Proof that cauliflowers rocks and vegetarian recipes are far from boring and actually require more creativity and culinary expertise to create flavour from simple ingredients! I also think the photo below is really beautifully done, agree?

Linsy who blogs at Real Home Cooked Food has shared a tangy pickle-based recipe for Aachari Cauliflower, Chana and Corn / Cauliflower , Chickpeas, and Corn in Pickle spices. I love using pickles as a marinade for my meat dishes and cauliflower take sup the flavours so readily it is satisfying to eat this dish am sure.

After a stew and tempura, a Manchurian recipe is up next.Cauliflower(Gobhi) Manchurian in Knorr Chinese Schezuan Sauce from the blog Hobby Chef uses a store-bought powdered packet sauce. Though the Manchurian sauce is from a packet it looks really yummy and I’ve always like Knorr’s recipe mixes, a quick fix for days when you just can’t be bothered with making a sauce from scratch I guess, with my current crazy schedule and a head cold from hell! I could do with some warm soup which I hopefully won’t have to make for myself 😉

When I was in North Wales, my husband and I had fish and chips with a curry sauce at a dingy little place, the chips were blah but the curry sauce was super fab, ever since it’s stuck in some corner of my brain and every time I pass by a fish and chip shop that does a fairly decent job I wonder if they have curry sauce on their menu. This Cauliflower Curry Sauce by Linzi of Lancashire is a minefield of all things good and wholesome. Its no fat, high fibre, can be made ahead and frozen for saving the day at a later date, and is a fabulous way to hide veggies in a tasty sauce if that wasn’t enough it is a versatile sauce which will go with meat, fish or veggie curries.

Up next another fabulous sauce this time a Hidden Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Sauce by Elizabeth of Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary. I just happened to read her ‘About me’ section on her blog, in great detail, and discovered that we have both done our B.Sc in Lifesciences! I also went on to do a year of Masters in Biochemistry which I ditched and went for an MBA in Marketing when I realised I didn’t want to sit in a lab and talk to test tubes which I had named with characters from a fav sitcom 😉 Another beautiful food photo for the roundup and another great recipe for making in extra portions and saving a mid-week meal!

Shobhas Bengali style recipe for Bengali Style Cauliflower with Poppy seeds & Mustard Paste is simple curry but packed with earthy moreish flavours. I thoroughly enjoy Bengali food and a big fan of seafood which am sure you know by now if you are reading my posts regularly.

Nayna innovative recipe for Spicy Cauliflower Couscous is a clever way to use this versatile vegetable with a small number of spices and get something yummy on the plate for everyone to enjoy.

Another cool link up by Shobha who blogs at FoodMazaa, her Punjabi Pickle recipe is a lovely traditional recipe from the northern part of India. Pickles are to be stored for flavours to develop. I remember eating this with great relish at a Punjabi friends place when I stayed over during my MBA final exams, I always tried to sneak in some extra pickle on my plate 😉

Another recipe from Helen this time a Cauliflower with anchovy and garlic, very unusual combination with anchovies I must say!