Monday, September 30, 2013

Delightful Recipes with Berries

Who does not love a dish or desert made with berries? Be it strawberry, blueberry or raspberry there is hardly anyone who would not love to get a taste of it. And why should it not be so? Apart from the delicious taste and texture, berries have other pros to encourage being included in the menu. Berries have various health related benefits to offer that are undeniable. And the very look of a well-made dish with berries would bring anyone on their knees!

Different Recipes

There are so many recipes available with different kind of berries that it becomes difficult to handpick even a few of them. And yet, it is worth mentioning some classic as well as new age recipes any time. Following are some recipes for you to try your hand and teeth at.

Strawberry Pie
You could start with the strawberry pie; it truly is a classic. What you need is a fresh stock of ripe pies for this recipe. The other ingredients would include sugar in powdered form, soft cream cheese, sugar in normal grain form, Karo syrup, strawberry mixed in jello format and water as well as some salt along with cornstarch. You have to start by mixing and stirring Karo syrup, cornstarch salt and sugar with water. Cook it at a moderate level of heat. Once the solution thickens up, take it away from the source of heat and blend it with the jello format of mixture. Stir it for some time and then keep it at one place to cool down a bit. Meanwhile add sugar in powdered format to cream cheese and beat the mixture. Once done place the strawberries over it and add the first mixture which should have cooled down by now. And you get an amazing strawberry pie! The best thing about this recipe is that it can be made with any other kind of berry too.

Raspberry Mixed Salad
While salad dressings are great for health as well as taste, too much of the usual can be pretty boring. But now you could make a mix of berry, onion, pickle and blue cheese salad. The name says it all; you already know the key ingredients. Its preparation is easy to go with. You need to mix water, agave, onions and vinegar and make sure it is well marinated. Once that is done add more vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and slowly put some oil in the salad while stirring it. Add the salad ingredients in it with raspberries.

Blackberry and Blueberry Galette
You will love the idea of more than one kind of berry in one dish. And this is why the concept of the blackberry and blueberry galette along with cornmeal in a crust format should entice you completely. As the name suggests, the ingredients are simple. The rest of the preparation is the usual one for a galette dish.



Blackberry Cobbler
If you are in need to prepare something in less than 15 minutes and if your choice is to use berries, then the blackberry cobbler is meant for you. Sprinkle lemon juice over well-placed blackberries in pieces and create a combination of sugar, eggs, flour to stir it well. Keep stirring the combination till it appears like a coarse meal. Sprinkle the combination over a collation of fruits. Spread butter in liquefied form over the topping. Mix up all that you have together and bake the result in the oven at 375° for a while till you find bubbles being generated and a light brown color appearing. It is now ready to be presented with a touch of whipped cream.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Courgette (Zucchini) Sweet Cream - Plantalicious

post courtesy of Plantalicious - make sure to check out Plantalicious for more recipes like this

Now bear with me on this one. Do you trust me? This is delicious. It really is. Honestly it is.

This recipe is for my friend Frederique who came to my inaugural cookery demo and has kindly offered me lots of their courgettes and Sara who doesn’t eat dairy. I hope you both like this.
I know it might sound odd but if you do not eat dairy and you don’t want to eat Tofu, here is a tasty alternative that can be used as cream. Either plain or flavoured with orange zest, a little lemon or lime. It is so utterly yummy.

I discovered the idea in the book “My Beef with Meat” by Rip Esselstyn.

I have changed the recipe a little. If you don’t have or use guar gum then decide how thick you want it, as it acts as a thickener. Plus it stops the water leach out of it. If you store it in the ‘fridge and find it splits (water on top). Just stir to re-combine.

It keeps in the ‘fridge for at least 5 days. Remember this is not fat free so use it as a treat. It is great with fruit, or used in a parfait. If thicker it can be used to frost or ice a cake.

It’s a good recipe for autumn when there is a glut of courgettes. They can also be added to hummus and other dips or salad dressings in a similar way to this recipe, as they really do add a creamy texture when used raw as they do here.

By the way you do not have to soak the cashews but I find that they blend better if you do.
This recipe makes about 3-4 cups of cream that can be stored in the ‘fridge.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of Raw Cashews (soaked for at least 1 hour or ideally overnight and drained)
2 Medium Courgettes (Zucchini for the Americans), thoroughly peeled, topped and tailed.
2 Tbsp of Maple Syrup or Agave
Flavour – 1 tsp Vanilla extract or citrus zest and 1 Tbsp of juice.
1/2 – 1 Cup of Plant Milk (I used vanilla rice milk, depending on how thick you want this).
1/2 Tsp of Guar Gum (Optional – thickens and stops water leaching out when stored).
I combined the vanilla and some lemon to give a tangy yet rich flavour but feel free to flavour as you feel fit. Just thought that rose water might be nice if serving with strawberries.
Method:
Place all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor. Process until thick and creamy. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
Chill and serve.
Prior to blending:
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Now, who knew that courgettes would make a delicious healthy dairy alternative to cream? Here it is being poured into its container.
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Earlier this week I served this as a dipping sauce for fruit at a dinner party. It went so well with the strawberries, passion fruit and plums. Delicious.

Check out more at Plantalicious

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Steer List mobile app is genius!

Have you ever stepped into the grocery store only to realize you left your list in the car? Did you go back, or did you think “That’s okay, I know what I need”? We all know how this ends, because we’ve all done it at least once before. It ends with you putting your groceries away only to realize you forgot something. Steer List to the rescue!

Steer List is the smart list app that is on the one item you won’t forget—your cell phone. It’s free, and available at the iTunes store today. Location-based reminders allow you to set a notification for the local farmer’s market, so you don’t forget to drop by on your way home to score all the freshest produce; or set a restaurant recommendation from a friend so you don’t forget what life-changing side dish they ordered. Steer List will even give you a notification in the morning so you can remember to pack reusable bags, coupons and rewards cards… a bigger belt… whatever you may need later in the day!

It’s simple— you just pick a date, the location, and make your list. Anything you need to pick up from that specialty grocery store, Steer List will remind you of when it’s most convenient for you. Instead of having to make an extra trip, Steer List will notify you when you drive or walk near your set location during your normal day. With Steer List, you’ll never feel the bitter sting of getting excited to try a new recipe only to realize you don’t have a key ingredient. With the easy, user-friendly interface, you can also cross off ingredients with a simple flick of the finger as you go, so you don’t have to stop and think “Did I already put in the salt?”


The next time you throw an awesome party, everyone will be amazed by not only your food, but the fact that you’re cool as a cucumber. It’s not food sorcery, it’s just Steer List! Download it for free today, and get cooking!


Website: http://www.steerlist.com/
iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/steer-list/id661605663?ls=1&mt=8
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steerList
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteerList


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

My California Delicious Photo Contest

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