Announcing event "Flavours of" ~ The world- Grand Finale

 The “Flavours of” series started on 1^st August 2010 which began in India in Flavours of Series 1. From there we travelled from India to Flavours of series 2 to Asia, we sampled wonderful delights here after which we travelled to Africa in our Flavours of series 3 and finally we journeyed to Europe in Flavours of series 4. Over the last three years we have travelled the world from East to West on a taste tickling and tantalising culinary journey. The monthly events were wonderfully supported by all my fellow bloggers who supported the series and helped by guest blogging the events or  by participating. I appreciate everyone's support.

For me personally it has been the most inspiring virtual culinary journey I have  ever made. I have learnt to cook and sample so many different types of cuisines which were once unknown to me. Together with all the rich flavours, I came across many wonderful new ingredients which are now part of my pantry. My culinary palate has most certainly broadened and I have lots of inspirations for new dishes now.

Sadly our travels around the world journey in "Flavours of" series has come to an end after 34 amazing destinations all over the world  but as a grand finale I would like to now present the last event in “Flavours of” series ; “Flavours of the world -Grand Finale”

How to participate:

Rules:
Event ends 18th February 2014

1.Choose one country or region FROM THE LIST BELOW which you would like to revisit from the "Flavours of"  series and cook a dish from that region or country. Vegetarian dishes only. ( eggs allowed)

Choose from any one of the places listed here:

Flavours of series 1

Gujarat, Punjab, Goa, Maharashtra, Bengal, Rajasthan, South India

Flavours of series 2

Malaysia, Thailand, Lebanon, Turkey, Russia, Nepal. Srilanka, Singapore, China, Indonesia

Flavours of series 3

South Africa, Mauritius, Tunisia, Kenya, Morocco,

Flavours of series 4

Italy, United Kingdom, Greece, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Caribbean, USA, Canada

2.You can submit multiple entries but you can only submit one entry per country.

3.Please put in the post title which country you are cooking from, if you send more than one entry from any country only the first entry will be counted.

4.No archived recipes allowed, I would prefer that you cook a new recipe to link up.

For inspiration and ideas please check out the round ups for the whole series here.

5.You must link this event post in your entry, this is mandatory. Event logo is not compulsory but using it would be nice as it helps to spread the word.

6.Please link your post using Recipe Name and URL  in Linky below.

Announcing Event ~Lets Cook with Green vegetables

After the christmas and New year festivities we have all indulged in rich fatty foods and lots of carbohydrates. The month of January is the perfect time to start eating healthy once again. This event is all about cooking with green vegetables.

To Participate:

1. Prepare any  vegetarian recipe  using green vegetables  (eggs allowed) please link your dish using the linky below by entering your Dish Name and Post URL
2. Please link this event announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3.Use of logo is  not mandatory but it helps to spread the word if you can use it.

4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.

4. In the event of problem using linky you can email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please use this format:

Your Name: Recipe
Name Recipe URL
Image no larger than 300 pixels.
Event Ends 31st Jan 2014

A word of thanks and a Chocolate cook book giveaway.

2013 has been a wonderful year for simply.food. I have had much recognition in the virtual food world with interviews and features on various sites. The site has seen a substantial growth in its twitter followers, google plus followers and goggle friends connect followers. Each and every reader is very precious to simply.food and I appreciate all your visits, comments that my visitors leave. Each and every visitor has motivated and inspired me to continue creating great recipes to share with everyone. It is this love that finally made 2013 the best year for simply.food. This is because in October my dream of finally publishing two cook books Easy to cook potatoes and Easy to cook snacks came true.

Thankyou to each and every one of you who has been part of simply.food I really appreciate your support and request that you continue to drop by, comment, inspire and motivate me.

To celebrate this success and to start the new year I would like to host this giveaway to thank all my visitors.
The prize is a book Chocolate by Gina Steer containing an assortment of chocolate recipes.

How To Enter

• Simply complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries
• Entries can be via blog comment, Facebook, Twitter etc
• Please read the rules they form the terms and conditions of this Giveaway
• Closing date – 5th February 2014 12.00 am
• Open to over 18 years old and UK residents only.

How Rafflecopter works:

• You will need to complete the mandatory entry first – usually making a blog comment. You can do this by clicking on leave a comment at the bottom of the post and leaving your reply in the comment box. Please note your comment will not show immediately as it needs to be moderated however rest assured it will appear on the site, so carry on with rest of entries.
• Login to Rafflecopter – click to see what the question is. Make a comment answering the question on the blog.
•  Go back to Rafflecopter and click the green button to tell me you have made a comment, this will unlock all the other options. All entries are checked to see that the mandatory question is answered, if its not all bonus entries will become void. 
• Rafflecopter will tweet, like and follow on your behalf.
• For information on how to find the URL of your tweet click here. 
• For bonus entries you can return to this page and enter the daily bonus entries. 
• If you are still unsure as to how Rafflecopter works please do check out this short video.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coconut delight snowballs

Delicious coconut and mint treats perfect for christmas presents.

Ingredients:

White balls

100g coconut flour
5 tablespoons  sweetened  condensed milk
60g mixed tutti frutti fruit (papaya, mango, pineapple and cherries)

For covering balls

30g coconut flour
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate balls

100g coconut flour
6 mint crisp chocolates crushed
2-3 drops green  food colouring
5 tablespoons condensed milk

For covering balls

100g milk chocolate
50g mint chocolate aero crushed
1 tablespoon coconut flour

Method:

White balls

1.Mix together the coconut flour, condensed milk and tutti frutti and form a dough.
2.Roll walnut sized balls from the mixture  and chill for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes dip the balls individually  in condensed milk and roll them in the coconut flour. Chill the balls for half an hour.

Chocolate Balls

4. Mix together the coconut flour, condensed milk, green food colouring and crushed mint chocolate crisp and form a dough.
5. Roll walnut sized balls from the mixture  and chill for 10 minutes.
6.Melt the milk chocolate in a double boiler, when it has melted stir in the crushed chocolate aero and  stir until it has melted.
7. Dip the individual chilled mint  balls into the melted chocolate and then roll them in coconut flour.
8.Chill for half and hour.

Submitting to:

Lets cook Christmas party food  event by simply.food

Spotlight -Continental by recipe Junction.

Four seasons food December event by Delicieux & Eat Your Veg 

Christmas no croutons required event by Jac at Tinned tomatoes
Christmas recipes by Zesty south Indian Kitchen
UK Rasoi christmas and new year giveaway.

Sweet potato Halwa

Aromatic and  rich a royal dessert to tickle your tastebuds

1 large sweet potato

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter)

Pinch saffron (from Alchemic larder)

Pinch nutmeg (from Alchemic larder)

few flaked Almonds

Method:

1. Cut the sweet potato into 4 and place in a microwaveable dish with 2-3 tablespoons on water.Cover and cook in microwave on high for 7-8 minutes until sweet potato is cooked.

2. Remove from microwave and peel the skin off and mash the sweet potato, ensuring there are no lumps.

3. Heat the milk in cup and add a few strands of saffron to it and keep aside to infuse the flavour.

4. In a pan add the ghee(clarified butter) and heat it up.Add the mashed sweet potato, the saffron milk and cook on a low heat for 6-7 minutes.Keep stirring the halwa.

5. Add the sugar and nutmeg and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until all the sugar is has melted the moisture has evaporated. Keep stirring the halwa at all times.Stir in a pinch of nutmeg.

6. Transfer the halwa to small serving bowls and garnish with flaked almonds and a couple of strands of saffron.

The spices used in this recipe were from the Alchemic larder that was sent to me by Harvey Nicholls.

You may like;
Pumpkin pudding

Submitting to:

Lets cook party food for christmas event by simply.food

Javelin warriors -Cook with love
In my veg box ~Potatoes event by citrusspiceuk guest hosted by Give me some spice

Submitting to:
In my VEG BOX ~Sweet Potatoes event by citrusspiceuk , guest hosted By Heidi Roberts Kitchen Talks

The Alchemic Larder- Review

Having Indian roots I grew up with an abundance of spices. I love the smell, aroma and the fragrance each one exudes, so when I was asked by Harvey Nichols if I wanted to sample an Alchemical Larder containing 16 little colourful jars with unique spices, salt, rubs and dusts, all beautifully boxed how could I turn down the offer?
Now you may ask if my larder is full of spices why I would want more. The Alchemical Larder is very unique  and it has an assortment of spell binding flavours with the  most unusual names and blends that I have ever come across. The spice kit consists of 16 little colourful jars with unique spices, salt, rubs and dusts, all beautifully boxed with suggestions for their uses. The jars are rainbow coloured and almost like a magical spice kit.

There are jars of:

• Persian rose petals
• Mediterranean lavender
• Carnal sin made with Persian rose, magenta beets, sumac and hot peppercorns
• White mischief - smoked china tea blend with jasmine and Orange flowers, chilli and Sichuan peppercorns
• Nutmeg
• Devil's penis chilli- fiery small chilli from hell
• Grains of paradise-similar to black peppercorn
• Saffron
• Salt of the earth- made with wild flower petals and sea salt
• Smoked Paprika
• Cacao Nibs-Roasted cacao beans
• Bitter Orange-sun burnt orange zest
• Renaissance stardust- a blend of salt, sugar and cinnamon
• Bay rose peppercorns-berries from Baies rose plant
• Furikake- a blend of black and white sesame seeds, shiso and nori
• Sumac

A few of the spices I have already used in my cooking but some are very new to me and I am very excited to try out the many unusual rubs in the spice kit.
The Alchemic Larder by Laura Santtini is available at Harvey Nichols and retails at £ 29.95. It is a very unique collection of spices and beautifully gift wrapped. They would make the perfect foodie gift for someone who loves cooking.Harvey Nichols also offer beautiful christmas hampers and gifts that would make Ideal Christmas presents. You can check their range here.

I would like to thank Harvey Nichols for sending me the Alchemic Larder to review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and are my own and they not influenced in any way.

I created my sweet potato halwa recipe and used the saffron and nutmeg from my Alchemic larder.You can see the recipe here.

Autumn Fruits Chutney and Ideal Home Show seasonal cook book review and giveaway.

On Thursday 14th November I attended the VIP press event at Ideal Home Show at Christmas at Earls Court -London.The event was to launch the Ideal Home show seasonal cook book. 

This cook book has over 100 recipes covering all the four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter. Recipes range from simple weekday suppers and leisurely weekend treats, to food for friends and swanky dishes for big occasions.Together with mouthwatering recipes the book has a section on simple how to section on simple preparation techniques,easy cooking methods,what equipment should be used and finishing touches advice.

There are useful sections on how to choose meat and fish and preparation techniques.There is a section on pulses and grains and how to buy, select and store fresh produce. I particularly found useful the section on preparing basic sauces which can be the base of any dish and a section on food plating and finishing touches. 

The selection of recipes are good and would be perfect for an amateur cook or advanced cook as the recipes are simple and easy to follow with beautiful photography that is mouthwatering and inviting.

Although the majority of recipes are non vegetarian there are some vegetarian recipes in the book and a lot of the non vegetarian recipes can be adapted for a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The book is a perfect keepsake book, it would make an ideal christmas present for a foodie and is available from the ideal home show website at a special price of £ 15.00.

The book launch was wonderful and I really enjoyed the drinks and the canapes and meeting all the persons behind the book launch. It was a very enjoyable evening. I would like to thank Ideal Home show shop for inviting me to the wonderful VIP event where I met the celebrity chef Mark Lloyd who signed my copy of the book. 

 I love my signed copy of the Ideal home show seasonal cookbook which is proudly sitting on my recipe shelf in the kitchen.

I have already tried a few recipes from the Ideal Home show seasonal cook. Some of the recipes I cooked are cherry tomato and onion tartlets, carrot and parsnip rosti, the strawberry cupcakes and the chocolate truffles.I also made the apple, tomato and plum chutney from the book and it has become my favorite recipe out of the book.

I made this amazing Autumn Fruits Chutney from the book:

Ingredients:

500 g cooking apples peeled and diced

500g tomatoes diced

250g plums stoned and diced

250g  red onions finely chopped

100g sultanas

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

350 ml white wine vinegar

250 g demerara sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

 1 teaspoon chilli flakes(optional)
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Method:

1. In a large pan add the chopped tomatoes, apples, onions, plums, sultanas, cinnamon stick and mustard seeds.

2. Cook the mixture on a low/ medium heat for about 30 minutes until all the fruit has softened and turned to pulp. Stir the mixture intermittently to avoid it sticking to the pan.

3.Add the vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes, ground coriander and salt and bring the mixture to a simmer. 

4. Reduce the heat and cook the mixture for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened and when you draw a spoon through it no access liquid remains.

5. Remove from heat and leave to cool. 

6.Sterilise some glass jars and fill them with the chutney once it reaches room temperature.

NB- I followed the recipe from the cook book but have adapted it by adding chilli flakes, cinnamon and ground coriander.

As a christmas gift for simply.food readers I have a copy of the Ideal Home Show season cook book  to giveaway.

How To Enter

·         Simply complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries

·         Entries can be via blog comment, Facebook, Twitter etc

·         Please read the rules they form the terms and conditions of this Giveaway

·         Closing date – 19th December 2013 12.00 am 

• You have to be over 18 to enter and competition open to UK residents only.

How Rafflecopter works:

• You will need to complete the mandatory entry first – usually making a blog comment. You can do this by clicking on leave a comment at the bottom of the post and leaving your reply in the comment box. Please note your comment will not show immediately as it needs to be moderated however rest assured it will appear on the site, so carry on with rest of entries.
• Login to Rafflecopter – click to see what the question is. Make a comment answering the question on the blog.
•  Go back to Rafflecopter and click the green button to tell me you have made a comment, this will unlock all the other options. All entries are checked to see that the mandatory question is answered, if its not all bonus entries will become void. 
• Rafflecopter will tweet, like and follow on your behalf.
• For information on how to find the URL of your tweet click here. 
• For bonus entries you can return to this page and enter the daily bonus entries. 
• If you are still unsure as to how Rafflecopter works please do check out this short video.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Submitting to:

Lets cook Christmas party food  event by simply.food

Spotlight -Continental by recipe Junction.

Four seasons food December event by Delicieux & Eat Your Veg 

Christmas no croutons required event by Jac at Tinned tomatoes
Christmas recipes by Zesty south Indian Kitchen
UK Rasoi christmas and new year giveaway.
Javelin Warriors Cook with love

Oreo Cheese Cake

Italian mascarpone with a delicious crunchy base and creamy topping makes this delicious cheesecake irresistable.

Ingredients:

Base

100 g digestive biscuits
50 g butter (melted)
75g oreo biscuits
30g  butter (melted)

Topping

250 g Mascarpone cheese
100 ml Double cream
100 g Icing sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

Garnish

12 chocolate stars
6 oreo biscuits whole
2 oreo biscuits broken into crumbs

Method:

1. Crush the digestive biscuits and add them to 50g melted butter, mix to form a sand like texture.
2. Spoon the mixture into 6 small glasses and flatten out with the back of a spoon to form a thin layer (about 2 cm thick) Chill for 10 minutes
3. Crush the oreo biscuits and add to the 30 g melted butter, mix to form a sand like texture.
4. Spoon the mixture on top of the digestive biscuit layer and smooth with the back of a spoon to form an oreo layer. (about 1 cm thick) Chill for 10 minutes.
4. Whip the double cream until its stiff..
5. Add the mascarpone, vanilla and icing sugar to a large bowl and mix together until combined.Fold in the whipped cream.
6. Fill a piping bag with the mascarpone mixture and pipe a layer on top of the biscuit base.
7. Chill the cheesecakes in the fridge for 2 hours.
8. After two hours sprinkle some crushed oreo and chocolate starts on top of the mascarpone cream layer and serve with a oreo biscuit.

Submitting to:
Christmas recipes by Zesty south Indian Kitchen
Lets cook Christmas party food  event by simply.food

Spotlight -Continental by recipe Junction.