Tag: cooking

Satay Noodle Soup

I’m not a huge fan of peanuts, but these noodles are amazing! The broth has a delicious flavor and it’s so quick to make. It doesn’t use any specialty ingredients as well. I first saw a similar recipe on YouTube and it had been on my must try list for a while. I also bought ramen noodles to add to the broth. I always make this dish when it’s raining or when I have too much Bok Choy! The recipe is also completely vegan!!

Servings: 2, Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the broth

  • Canola oil 1 tbsp
  • Garlic cloves 3
  • White button mushrooms 8 oz
  • Baby Bok Choy 2
  • Soy sauce 1 tbsp
  • Smooth peanut butter (preferably no sugar added) 3 tbsp
  • Salt a pinch
  • Water 4 cups

For one serving (to be added to the bowl)

  • Dry noodles (I used ramen) 2-3 oz
  • Sugar 1 tsp
  • Vinegar 1 tsp
  • Chili oil 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Sesame oil 1/4 tsp (optional)
  • Salt if needed

Instructions

  1. Finely chop the garlic cloves and roughly chop the mushrooms and Bok Choy
  2. Add canola oil to a heavy bottom pan set on medium heat
  3. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the chopped mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté till the water released from the mushrooms evaporates
  5. Add the chopped Bok Choy and sauté for a minute.
  6. Add the peanut butter and sauté for a minute. Then add the water and mix while scraping the bottom to make sure any stuck on peanut butter is dissolved
  7. Add the soy sauce and stir. Allow the broth to come to a simmer, then keep warm on a low heat
  8. In the meantime, cook the noodles according to package instructions
  9. In a deep bowl, add the sugar, vinegar and chili oil. Mix well and add the noodles to the bowl. Repeat in another bowl
  10. Divide the broth and veggies between the two bowls and enjoy hot!

Tips

  • I used ramen noodles here, but you can use anything you have on hand. Fresh noodles will also work here. I’ve made the dish once with spaghetti noodles as well abd it tasted just as good
  • The recipe requires using mushrooms, but any kind of mushroom should work here. As for other vegetables, I think anything that cooks fast can be used like spinach etc.
  • While the chili oil is optional, it does give this a nice kick. We make our own chili oil. Let me know if you want a post on that too!
  • If your peanut butter has sugar, eliminate the sugar from the serving process.

This dish is the ultimate comfort food for cold days. It’s also a quick lunch to put together when you’re working or just don’t have the time. So I hope you give this a try and as always let me know how it goes!

Crispy Tofu with Slaw

This recipe was more of an attempt to make something good with whatever I had in my fridge and pantry staples. I’d never made any of the elements of the dish on their own, let alone trying them together. I shouldn’t have worried too much though. It turns out that improvising like this can also yield a pretty good lunch.

I know the dish doesn’t look too appetizing, but I promise that’s because I suck at plating. It’s something I’m still working on… 😅 The dish is packed with flavor and it’s all vegan!

Servings: 2, Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crispy Tofu

  • Extra firm tofu 4-6 oz
  • Non dairy milk (I used oat) 3/4 cup
  • Cornstarch 1/2 tsp
  • Salt 1/4 tsp
  • Pepper 1/4 tsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Garam masala 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • All purpose flour/ whole wheat flour 3/4 cup
  • Bread crumbs 1 cup
  • Canola oil 1 tbsp

For the Gravy

  • Canola oil 2 tbsp
  • All purpose flour/ whole wheat flour 2 tbsp
  • Salt according to taste
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 2 tsp
  • Garam masala 1 tsp (optional)
  • Lemon juice 1-2 tsp (according to taste)
  • Non dairy milk (I used oat, but others would be better) 1 cup
  • Water 1/2 cup

For the Salad

  • Cabbage 1/4 head
  • Tomato 1 medium
  • Carrot 1 medium
  • Pear 1/2 medium
  • Vinegar 1 tsp
  • Olive oil 1 tsp
  • Salt and pepper according to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the over to 350 F (180 C). Pat the tofu dry using a paper towel and cut it into bite sized pieces
  2. Set up a dredging station with a bowl of milk, a container with flour and a container with breadcrumbs. Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk and mix the spices in the flour. To dredge, coat the tofu pieces first with the flour mix, then dip them in the milk and then coat with the breadcrumbs
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dredged tofu pieces on it with plenty of space between the pieces. Drizzle the canola oil on the tofu pieces. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway
  4. In the meantime, heat 2 tbsp of canola oil in a pan. Then add 2 tbsp flour and sauté till the raw flour smell goes away, about 1-2 minutes
  5. Slowly add 1 cup milk while mixing vigorously to make sure there are no lumps.
  6. Then add 1/2 cup water and all the spices listed under the gravy ingredients and mix well
  7. Bring to a simmer and cook till desired consistency is reached. You can also add more water if the gravy is too thick. Set aside till serving
  8. Finely slice the cabbage and julienne the carrot. Halve the tomato and scoop out the seeds, then slice thinly. Cut the pear into thin bite sized pieces
  9. Dress the salad with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper just before serving
  10. In a plate, arrange the tofu and salad. Pour the gravy on the tofu and enjoy!

Tips

  • I use oat milk in most of my recipes, but other milks would work better here. Oat milk tends to turn slimy when heated, so it’s not a great choice for gravies unless you don’t mind the texture
  • The salad can be made of any vegetables you have on hand. Just add at least one fruit to the mix for sweetness, or 1/2 tsp sugar in the dressing

This is the perfect meal for a weekday and doesn’t take that long to make. You can also pre cook the tofu and freeze it for future use, so all that needs to be done is making the gravy and throwing a salad together. I hope you give this a try and as always, let me know how it goes! 😬

Vegan Jjajangmyeon

As with everyone else during lockdown, I’ve been obsessed with Korean dramas as well. I’ve hinged watched everything from Mr. Sunshine to Crash Landing on You. I couldn’t help but notice that everyone was eating some delicious looking dark colored noodles in most of these k-dramas. So of course I had to find out what these were and how I could get some.

I used to follow Seonkyoung Longest for a while, and remembered she makes a bunch of Korean food. I was hopeful of finding a good recipe on her website. I was right, and what’s more she has a vegan version of jjajangmyeon! I adapted her recipe to things I had available and to suit our taste. This turned out so well, I recommend it to anybody who likes noodles. Here’s a link to the original recipe if you’d like to try that out: https://seonkyounglongest.com/vegan-jjajangmyeon/#tasty-recipes-26914

Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • Fresh jjajangmyeon noodles or udon noodles 10 – 12 oz
  • Yellow onion 1 medium
  • Green onions 3-4
  • Green cabbage 1/4 head
  • White button mushrooms 8 oz pack
  • Garlic 5-6 cloves
  • Ginger 3/5 inch piece
  • Chili pepper 1-2 whole (optional)
  • Canola oil 3 tbsp
  • Chunjang or black bean paste 1/3 cup
  • Sugar 1 tbsp
  • Vegetarian oyster sauce 2 tbsp
  • Cornstarch 1 tbsp
  • Salt and pepper as required
  • Water or vegetable broth 1 cup plus more as needed
  • Cucumber 1/2 medium (optional)

Instructions

  1. Chop the onion and cabbage into large chunks and slice the mushrooms
  2. Finely chop the garlic, ginger, green onion and chili pepper
  3. Heat the canola oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic, the white part of green onions and chili pepper
  4. Add the chunjang and sauté well, about 2 minutes
  5. Add all the chopped veggies and stir fry for 3 minutes
  6. Add the water, oyster sauce and sugar. Cover and cook till vegetables are tender. Then uncover the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  7. In the meantime, cook the noodles in boiling water as per package instructions. Drain and wash with cold water to remove any excess starch
  8. Once the veggies are cooked, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water. Add this to the sauce and cook till it thickens
  9. Add the green part of the green onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required
  10. Add noodles to a bowl and top with the jjajang sauce. Julienne the cucumber and add to the noodles if you like cucumber…
  11. Mix well and enjoy hot…

Tips

  • Stir the sauce frequently and keep a close eye on it. It can burn quickly and it’s very hard to judge by color since chunjang is black
  • You can add any veggies you like, but onion and cabbage are required. I’ve made these with zucchini and carrots.
  • Fresh jjajang noodles are the best and I’ve found them in most Asian stores. The same goes for Chunjang and vegetarian oyster sauce. I know that H-mart has all these things for sure. However, udon noodle would work as well if fresh noodles are not available
  • I add chili pepper since we like a little spice, and the noodles are on the sweeter side. However, skip these of you want.. They’ll still taste great!

There is only one drawback to these noodles, it’s very very hard to stop eating them. Also, they’re not the healthiest of noodles out there. However, they’re so worth it! So I hope you give these a try and let me know how it goes… 😬

Upma

Upma is an Indian dish made with fine semolina. It’s commonly eaten in a number of Indian states, but everyone has their own spin on it. The South Indian version has ginger, Maharashtrians add turmeric to it, and Oriya upma has a bunch of veggies. I didn’t like upma when I was younger, except when my grandmother cooked it.

My grandmother’s upma was famous in our entire family. Nobody could come close to how soft, but rich and crisp around the edges her upma was. One day, she told me what her secret. It was so easy, I never could have guessed it on my own. It was just boiling hot water and a generous amount of fat. Since then, my upma has turned out perfect every single time. This particular recipe is our favorite, and it is not authentic to any single cuisine in India. It’s just my own take on the upma I remember from my childhood.

Servings: 2, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cooling time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • Fine semolina flour (suji/rava) 1 cup
  • Boiling hot water 1.5 cups
  • Whole green chili 1 medium
  • Ginger .5 inch piece
  • Salt as required
  • Curry leaves (kadhi patta) 6-7 leaves
  • Whole cashews 8 (optional)
  • Yellow moong dal 2 tsp (optional)
  • Clarified butter (Ghee) 4 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Instructions

  1. Finely chop the green chili. Peel and grate the ginger root.
  2. Add 1 tsp ghee to a pan and allow to heat on medium heat
  3. Add the cashews and moong dal to the hot ghee and sauté till light golden. Remove to a plate
  4. Add the remaining ghee to the same pan and add mustard seeds once the ghee is hot
  5. Once the seeds have spluttered, add the curry leaves, grated ginger and chili pieces. Sauté for 2-3 minutes
  6. Add the semolina and sauté on low heat till lightly golden and fragrant. Make sure to stir continuously, or the semolina can burn
  7. Add salt and mix properly. It is important to add salt at this point since it is difficult to mix it in after adding water
  8. Slowly add the boiling water to the roasted semolina while stirring vigorously.
  9. Cook till all the water has been absorbed. Cover, switch off the heat and let rest for 4-5 minutes.
  10. Mix in the cashews and moong dal and serve hot!

Tips

  • If you like yogurt, add it right before adding the water. It will give a nice tang to the upma
  • Cashews and moong dal are optional, but provide a good crunch. In the picture added to this post, is did not add any and it tasted just as good!
  • Any kind of fat can be used, preferably one with a high smoking point. I prefer using ghee since it gives a good nutty taste and I always have it on hand
  • I finely chop the chili since we like a bit of spice, but large pieces can be added and removed before eating for a less spicy version
  • This recipe needs to be made with constant attention. The semolina burns really quickly towards the end of roasting if we don’t pay attention. Additionally, constant stirring makes sure the water is easily and uniformly absorbed
  • You can also add any veggies you want to the recipe, like carrots and peas. These should be added right before adding the semolina with a small pinch of salt. Cook them completely before adding the semolina.

This is a nice and easy breakfast recipe to have in your repertoire. It’s also very quick to make. We eat it at least once every two weeks! I hope you give this a try and let me know how it goes! 🙂

Vegan Creamy Kofta

The kofta is a favorite among all ages and cuisines in India. It arrived in India much like kebab did, and quickly became a staple. The flavorings, sauces and base ingredients were changed to suit the sub continent tastebuds. Today, anything which is cooked in ball form is called a kofta. Everyone has their own recipes, but of course there are the more commonly known varieties like Malai Kofta, Nargisi Kofta etc.

In my house, kofta is made out of ingredients nobody likes otherwise. This includes all squashes for sure. This recipe was born out of the need to use up some acorn squash I had, and we didn’t want any soup. Once we ate it though, we realized we were going to keep making it. I switch up the gravy I use with these, but the one included here is hands down the most decadent of the lot and it’s vegan!!

Servings: 6, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Kofta

  • Acorn squash 1 small
  • Yukon gold potato 1 medium
  • Cornflour 1 tbsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric 1/4 tsp
  • Salt according to taste
  • Oil for cooking

For the Gravy

  • Onion 1 large
  • Cashews 8-10
  • Ginger 1/2” piece
  • Garlic cloves 5
  • Fennel seeds (saunf) 1 tbsp
  • Cardamom seeds (elaichi ke dane) 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Garam masala 1 1/2 tsp
  • Oat milk 1/4 cup
  • Canola oil 4 tbsp divided
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Water as needed for consistency
  • Salt according to taste

Instructions

  1. Add 2 tbsp oil to a pan and set it on medium heat.
  2. Roughly chop onion, ginger and garlic. Then add to the hot oil and sauté till translucent
  3. Add the fennel seeds, cardamoms seeds and cashews. Cook for 2-3 minutes
  4. Add all the spices to the pan and sauté until fragrant, maybe 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool completely
  5. In the meantime, roughly peel and chop the squash. Then funky mince it using a food processor
  6. Prick the potato all over with a fork or toothpick. Microwave in 5 minute intervals till a knife slides in easily
  7. Peel the potato once cook enough to handle and mash in a bowl
  8. Add the minced squash, cornflour, salt and the spices to the potato and mix well
  9. Make golf ball sized patties (kofta) out of the mix and flatten slightly
  10. Add a thin layer of oil to a pan in medium heat, then cook and sear the kofta till crispy on the outside
  11. Once the gravy mixture is cool enough, blend with a little water
  12. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil to a the pan in which you cooked the gravy mix, then add cumin seeds when hot
  13. Add the blended gravy mixture to the pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes
  14. Add the oat milk and mix well. Then add salt and water as needed.
  15. Let the gravy come to simmer and then it’s ready to be served. Place a kofta or two in a bowl, too with gravy and enjoy!

Tips

  • This recipe with work with any squash, but excess water will need to be removed. You can also skip the squash entirely and use carrots, or just potatoes!
  • I like to on fry the koftas and that’s why they’re flat. You can definitely deep fry them as well. Add another teaspoon of cornflour if they start to collapse in the fryer
  • These also taste amazing in the gravy I made in my post on paneer gravy: https://everything-nothing.home.blog/2019/10/03/paneer-curry-and-butter-naan/
  • The gravy in this recipe is also super versatile and I can eat it by the spoon. Just add tofu or paneer if you aren’t vegan and it’s ready to go! This will also taste good with any other koftas you might make.. 😬

Anyone who loves Indian food knows how delicious koftas are, and this recipe is doubly amazing because it’s vegan! I hope you give this a try soon and let me know how it goes!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed bell peppers is of those dishes which people tend to overlook. It is so versatile and so easy to make. It is also one of the oldest recipes in the world, and most cuisines have their own version. My mom used to make an excellent potato stuffed bell pepper dry curry. I’ve also eaten the traditional meat stuffed American version. I’ve made several different versions of these over the years, but this one is my favorite. It’s vibrant, packed with flavor and vegan!

Servings: 2 Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour, including the time to release pressure

Ingredients

  • Dry rice 1 cup
  • Water 1.5 cups
  • Tomato 1 medium
  • Tomato paste 2 tbsp
  • Sugar 1 tbsp
  • Cumin powder 1 tbsp
  • Green chili 1 whole
  • Black beans 1 can
  • Canola oil 2 tbsp divided
  • Bell peppers 4 medium
  • Salt and pepper as needed
  • Breadcrumbs 1/2 cup

Instructions

  1. Wash the rice 2-3 times until water runs clear and set aside
  2. Finely chop the tomato and chili
  3. Add 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add the chopped tomato and chili. Cook for 3-4 minutes
  4. Add the tomato paste, cumin powder and sugar. Cook for another 3-4 minutes
  5. Add the washed rice, salt and water. Close the lid and set heat on high till first whistle.
  6. Reduce temperature to low and cook for 10 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release naturally before opening the lid
  7. Once the lid is open, fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the canned beans. The beans will need to be drained first.
  8. In the meantime, halve the bell peppers and remove seeds
  9. Arrange bell pepper halves cut side up on an oven safe tray which has been lightly brushed with oil.
  10. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over the peppers and sprinkle salt and pepper according to taste
  11. Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 12-15 minutes, until a knife slides in easily
  12. Remove bell pepper from the oven and fill the halves with the prepared tomato rice mix.
  13. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for another 5 minutes. Then switch to broil for 2-3 minutes.

Tips

  • Any color bell pepper can be used here, but the more the colors, the more vibrant the dish
  • The rice can be cooked in advance and frozen. In fact, I gave frozen the whole dish in portions. Then all you need to do is pop it in a microwave or oven for a few minutes!
  • The rice can be eaten all on its own as a meal too.
  • Herbs like parsley and coriander can be a nice fragrant addition to the dish
  • If you don’t need this to be vegan and you’re not watching your fat intake, add a bunch of cheese instead of breadcrumbs. Of course, vegan cheese can also be added, but I haven’t found one which tastes amazing in this dish
  • I used a stove top pressure cooker for the rice, but an instant pot or a plain old pan with a lid will work as well. Cook the rice on the rice setting in the instant pot with the recommended amount of water. For the pot version, cook the rice with lid on till it’s done. Add more water if required.

Bell peppers are a favorite with people of all ages. This dish is also a fun way to eat a balanced vegan meal for picky eaters. I hope you give this a try, and as always let me know how it goes! 🙂

Pineapple Summer Salad

I love adding fruits to my salads. It’s a nice way to get a serving of fruits added to the meal and provides a natural sweetness to the salad. This one is one my favorites, and it’s perfect for a nice sunny afternoon. It also has a crunchy element and a tangy dressing to balance out the dish. Usually, I don’t add any green to this salad, but the lettuce worked so well here. A big perk of this salad is that all ingredients are low FODMAP. This means you can eat a LOT of it and not worry about gas!

Serving Size: 2 Prep/ Assembly Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • Bell pepper any color 1 medium
  • Green Leaf lettuce 3-4 leaves
  • Cucumber 1 small
  • Diced Pineapple 1 cup
  • Sunflower seeds 2 tbsp
  • Olive oil 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice 1 tbsp
  • Water 1 tbsp
  • Honey 1 tsp
  • Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

  1. Slice the lettuce, cucumber and bell pepper into bite sized pieces
  2. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, water, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified
  3. Mix all the vegetables, the pineapple and the sunflower seeds in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.

Tips

  • I like to buy a whole pineapple and cut it myself. It seems daunting, but a sharp knife gets the job done super fast!
  • Any kind of lettuce will work for this recipe, but green leaf is one of the most nutritious
  • Agave syrup or other liquid sweetener can be used in place of honey to make the recipe vegan!
  • This salad should not be made ahead, but precutting vegetables and mixing it all up when needed works really well
  • I don’t discard the seeds of the cucumber, but it can be done to reduce the amount of moisture in the salad

I hope you give this recipe a try, and as always please let me know how it goes!

Air Fryer Sabudana Vada

Sabudana vada is a fried delicacy made out of sago (sabudana) and potatoes, with herbs and spices. It originated in the western state of Maharashtra in India, but it has become a favorite everywhere. It’s also very easy to make. It can be served with chutneys, sauces or eaten on its own! For me, sabudana vada means nostalgia. I get bad cravings for these sometimes, but I also try to avoid fried food if I can. So, I tried using the air fryer this time.

Servings: 2 Prep Time: 12 hours soaking, plus 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Dry Sago or sabudana 1/2 cup
  • Boiled Potato 1/2 cup
  • Chopped Coriander 1/4 cup
  • Dry roasted peanuts 1/4 cup
  • Salt 1/2 tsp
  • Chopped green chili 2 tsp (optional)
  • Lime juice 1/2 lime’s worth
  • Canola oil as needed

Instructions

  1. Soak the sago overnight or at least 12 hours in enough water to reach about 1/4” above the sago. The sago with absorb the water and almost double in size
  2. Coarsely grind the roasted peanuts in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle
  3. Drain excess water from the sago, then mix it with the rest of the ingredients except the oil
  4. Shape the mixture into 12 equal sized balls and flatten them into discs using your palms. You can use a little oil on your hands to prevent sticking if needed
  5. In the meantime, preheat the air fryer to 350 F for about 5 minutes
  6. Brush both sides of the sago discs with a little oil and place in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure the discs to not touch each other to ensure proper air circulation.
  7. Cook at 350 F for 7-8 minutes, then flip the discs and apply another coat of oil on both sides
  8. Cook for another 7-8 minutes after flipping.
  9. Serve with spicy chutney it sauce and enjoy!

Tips

  • Please don’t skip the coat of oil since that’ll make the badaa moist and crisp them up
  • If you don’t have an air fryer, heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the vadas till golden brown. I haven’t tried baking these, and I expect they’ll dry out too much in the oven
  • For these kind of recipes, I cook potatoes in the microwave since it’s quicker
  • People can also make these while fasting for religious purposes. Replace the salt with sendha namak (rock salt) and eliminate ingredients which are not allowed to eat.

We have a 3.5 Liter air fryer and I can make 12 vadas in two rounds. You’ll need to do more or less rounds depending on the size of your air fryer. So, I hope you give these a try soon and as always let me know how it goes!

Vegan Chocolate Cake

New Years was quite subdued everywhere this year, but we brightened ours up with this amazing cake! I’d been dying to try baking Pick up Lime’s chocolate cake since I saw it online. If you haven’t seen their recipes, please check them out! They’re completely vegan and always work out. Here’s a link to their chocolate cake: https://www.pickuplimes.com/single-post/2020/02/27/easy-vegan-chocolate-cake.

This recipe is uses a combination of vinegar, baking powder and soda for leavening, which is very common in depression cakes. During the Great Depression, common cake ingredients were not available easily or were too expensive. Therefore, depression cakes use very little or no dairy and eggs. Most depression cake recipes are vegan, and work out quite well.

I baked the cake in a sheet pan and then cut it up to the desired size for easy layering. I also halved the recipe and it worked fine! A word of warning though, the cake doesn’t hold together as well as traditional cakes do. It’s a bit crumbly since it only has applesauce as the binder. The frosting holds the cake together for you, so this isn’t really an issue. Also, the cake is delicious even if it crumbles. I’ve included my recipe for whipped coconut cream below, so feel free to use it on this or any other cake!

The cake was fluffy and moist on the inside!

Yield: about 2 cups of frosting Preparation Time: 24 hours for chilling plus 3-4 minutes for whipping

Ingredients

  • Coconut cream 1 can
  • Granulated sugar 2 tbsp or according to taste
  • Vanilla Essence 1/4 tsp

Instructions

  1. Place the coconut cream can in the fridge for 24 hours or at least overnight undisturbed
  2. Carefully open the top of the can and scoop out the solidified cream on the top into a bowl. Reserve the liquid at the bottom in the can
  3. Add the other ingredients to the cream and whip for 3-4 minutes using an electric mixer.
  4. Add 1 tbsp of the reserved liquid at a time if the cream is too thick to whip.
  5. Place in the fridge till needed. Simply reshiyo the cream for a minute of so before using after pulling it out and it’s ready to go!

Tips

  • Use the left over liquid in the can for smoothies or add it to stews etc. Its full of flavor!
  • Coconut milk can also be used, but it will yield less frosting since it’s more diluted than coconut cream
  • The amount of sugar can vary depending on your preference. We generally prefer less sugar, so 2 tbsp was enough for us
  • This whipped cream goes with anything, so use it on pancakes, waffles, crepes or just eat it with a spoon!
  • You can use honey instead of sugar, but the flavor will be milder
  • You can add other flavorings like coco powder, freeze dried strawberry powder or instant coffee to this recipe as well!
  • This also pipes well, but it needs to chill in the fridge for an hour or so first

I hope this whipped cream will make Sunday brunches and frosting a cake a breeze. I hope you give give this a try and let me know how it goes!

Beetroot and Asparagus Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

I’m was not a huge fan of salads, but I’ve realized that I didn’t like them because they were poorly made. This salad is packed full of flavor and nutrients. It makes boring veggies like beetroot and asparagus into something great! I did some research online and then mixed and matched a bunch of recipes to create this..

Servings: 2 Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients

  • Beetroot 1 medium
  • Asparagus 1 16 oz bunch (or 0.5 kg)
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Olive oil 1 tbsp + more for drizzling
  • Lime juice 1 tbsp
  • Water 1 tbsp
  • Chili powder 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F (around 180 C)
  • Wash the beetroot and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
  • Cut the ends off the garlic cloves, but DO NOT peel them
  • Place the beetroot and garlic on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.
  • In the meantime, wash the asparagus and remove the woody ends
  • In the last 12 minutes of beetroots getting cooked, add the asparagus to the pan. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and bake for the remaining time
  • Check if the vegetables are done by inserting a fork
  • Peel the beetroot and chop the veggies into bite sized pieces.
  • In a bowl, squeeze out the garlic from the skin. Mash thoroughly with a fork
  • Add the olive oil, water, lemon juice, chili powder, salt and pepper according to taste and mix vigorously.
  • Mix the dressing with the veggies and enjoy!

This is not very hands on and very easy to make. I hope you give this a try and let me know how it goes!