Thoughts on a quiet afternoon

Life as we know it changes so rapidly that we sometimes need to stop, take a step back and see ourselves from outside ourselves to even realise what an amazingly beautiful gift we have been blessed with. This warm cup of tea as I write this, the pretty tunes I can hear playing in the background, the giggles and chatter of my beautiful little daughter as she joyously plays, all these sensations bring nothing but a smile from my heart.

Being a full time Mum and juggling a part time business on the side means my days are even busier than the recent past when my life was a full time management career. However it's through this new lifestyle that I've learnt to love everyday and appreciate every task no matter how mundane. A sense of gratitude towards the little things sometimes gives you so much inner peace that it's almost impossible to feel anything else but happiness.

Blessed we all are, whichever station we are at in the journey of life and really, just a few times it's beautiful to pause, observe and feel what is so wonderfully NOW. 

Sauteed Okra

Okra or 'ladies fingers' is as delicate as its name, bringing a true gourmet feel to any dish. We love the unique texture and taste of this seeded beauty and this quick and easy dish is a regular for us. 

Being a nutritious vegetable that is low in calories yet rich in folate and fiber, it is perfect for a light side dish! 

Ingredients: Fresh young okra, few curry leaves, chilli flakes or fresh chilli, dessicated coconut. For tempering, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Make: Slice okra into half vertically after washing and completely drying them. In a hot pan, temper the chilli flakes, cumin seeds and mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add in sliced okra, curry leaves, salt to taste and lightly saute until insides look golden brown. This will mean the slimy consistency will have evaporated leaving a nice crunchy texture. Sprinkle dessicated coconut on top. Remove from heat and serve hot with your favourite bread or rice! Enjoy :)

Eggless & Gelatin free Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is a traditional Italian dessert famous for its creamy, jelly like deliciousness. Traditionally gelatin is used to allow the creamy mixture to set into desired shape. I wanted to try a vegetarian version of Panna Cotta, so tried my own recipe with corn flour as a replacement.

Well, not only did it set beautifully but it tasted delicious with its smooth texture too! Bonus being the quicker time to prepare and set.

Ingredients (for two): 1 cup full cream milk, 4 tablespoons caster sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla essence, 1 tablespoon cornflour, cooking chocolate and fruit of your choice of decoration.

Make: Heat milk and caster sugar  with vanilla essence. Once hot, add corn flour stirring continuously. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken to a custard kind of texture - it should take around 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into cups or moulds. Place in fridge immediately and allow to set for half an hour. Once set and jelly like, take out and flip upside down on serving plate. Decorate with melted chocolate or fruits as desired. 

Enjoy your smooth, delicious, egg and gelatin free Panna Cotta!

Here is another version - Pink Panna Cotta Shots! (just add food colour)

 

And another version of eggless & gelatin free Vanilla Panna Cotta - it's about the decoration :)

 

Pastry Sev Puri Chaat

It's always when it's cold that you want to snack on something to make you warm and give your taste buds a savoury kick it really needs! Technically an Indian street food dish, "Sev Puri" is a popular quick snack with its combination of spicy, tangy and sweet flavours.

We tried a little twist on this yummy snack, as we wanted something hot to warm up our cold afternoon - Puff Pastry Sev Puri Chaat.

So simple to put together and tastes as delicious as it looks!

Ingredients: 
Sheet of puff pastry, tomato, onion, corrainder, Indian "chaat" paste of your choice, Sev (available in Indian stores).

Make:
Cut pastry into bite size portions and lightly spray with oil. Smear chaat paste on each piece as the base. Sprinkle chopped onions, tomoato and corriander and give it another light spray of oil. Place in oven at 160 degrees until you can see the pastry has risen and looks golden (should take 15 minutes). Remove and finish off with a sprinkle of Sev. Enjoy nice and hot!

Fruit Salad - All Dressed Up!

Who thinks fruit salad is a boring dessert? Not any more, when your fruits can look as great as this! With your favourite fruits of the season and just a few fancy party skewers you can create a magical looking fruit salad even kids will love to grab.

Here is one created with crimson grapes, watermelon and pomegranate. Delicious and healthy.

Ingredients: 
Two or three different fruits of your choice, also can colour coordinate to look prettier!

Make: 
Simply chop your fruits in desired size and load on to small skewers. Present as shown and enjoy.

There's something about good looking food that tastes better than normal :)