Senin, 18 Februari 2013

Watermelon Milkshakes

Throughout the history of cooking, there has been one essential tool in the hand of every chef the knife. Without it, we couldnt cut through meat or vegetables to get them down to the right size for cooking and eating. I suppose we could just gnaw on a whole, roasted chook or a huge head of cauliflower, but that would look kind of .. weird. No, we definitely need knives in our kitchens!

Ive been a little bit on the cheap side of things when it comes to knives. I will admit that the three big cooks knives that I have, I bought from Kmart. I do have 2 Scanpan colored knives (green santoku and pink paring), however, and use at least one of them at least once per day. Ive never owned a real official cooks knife before, that is until Kitchenware Direct, my go-to online shop for kitchenware supplies in Australia, offered to send me one to review. And not just any knife; a world-renowned Global brand 20cm cooks knife. I was ecstatic!

watermelonknife

This Global knife looks so professional in fact, this exact knife is the one used in the MasterChef Australia kitchen. Its lighter than it looks, feels good in my hand and glides effortlessly through meat and veggies. I chose to slice through a watermelon for my review post, as during the summer our family basically survives on watermelon. Slicing through whole watermelons is often a tricky, and dangerous, task with our cheap Kmart knives and I always tell the kids, who are at the ready to grab fresh, juicy slices of watermelon, to stand far back! With my new cooks knife, however, cutting through a whole watermelon is just about as easy as cutting through fresh apple pie.

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There is no way on Earth I could be more happy with my new cooks knife. Its sharper than any knife Ive used and basically slices my vegetable-cutting time in half (no pun intended, really!). I also love the fact that the knife is entirely stainless steel, which means that its easy to clean (although the knife is not dishwasher friendly) and more hygienic than knives with wooden handles.

Note that it is not recommended that this particular knife be sharpened with regular/traditional knife sharpeners; youll need a ceramic sharpener/stone or a water stone. I dont have either of these, but if I want to keep my knife sharp, Id better invest in one soon.

cutwatermelon

Okay, so Ive told you how much I love this knife, but this review post wouldnt be complete without a recipe. I could make a bunch of things with sliced watermelon, but Ive chosen my familys favorite summertime milkshake to share with you.

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You might not imagine that watermelon and milk would be a perfect combination, but I can assure you, it is. Its a match made in heaven and the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day. Not only does it taste lovely, it also looks lovely with its light pink color and a layer of bubbly froth!

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This is so easy to prepare, but you will need to start the recipe about an hour or two before you want to enjoy it. Youll need to cut watermelon into cubes (3 cups of watermelon cubes & remove any black seeds), place them in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper and freeze them for 1-2 hours. If you want to have a thin consistency milkshake, freeze for about an hour. If you want a thicker consistency, freeze for about two hours. I usually freeze them for about 1.5 hours, for somewhere in between!

When your watermelon cubes are ready, place them in a blender along with 1 cup of very cold milk (whole or skim is fine, whatever your preference is, but I havent tried this with rice or nut milk yet so cant advise on how that would taste) and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (although I usually use vanilla bean paste). If your watermelon isnt ripe/not very sweet, add up to 2 tablespoons of sugar. If your watermelon is nice and sweet, you can skip the sugar (I usually dont add sugar unless I really need to). Then, turn on your blender until the milkshake is completely smooth. The white seeds should break up and you shouldnt be able to see any pieces of seeds at all.

Just a side note. I dont have a blender, so I use an immersion/stick/hand blender which works just as well.

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How gorgeous and delicious does that look! We love these milkshakes so much and couldnt imagine summer without them! Now the preparation for this recipe is made heaps easier with my new Global cooks knife. And yes, Im constantly making excuses to slice food now, just so I can use my knife!

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A big thank you to Brad from Kitchenware Direct for sending me the 20cm Global cooks knife!

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Kamis, 14 Februari 2013

No-Bake Espresso Walnut Brownies

Valentines Day isnt really very special in our family; its just any other ordinary day. My daughter made everyone a heart-shaped card this morning, though, and I stuffed heart-shaped watermelon pieces and heart-shaped sandwiches into my kids lunch boxes for school today. Otherwise, I hadnt planned on making anything to celebrate the occasion.

However, a failed attempt at raw brownies yesterday pretty much meant I had to re-attempt the recipe the next day. They had potential, but I wasnt happy with the cocoa powder I used (it was Dutch-processed and too dark, ie Valrhona!) and I had to substitute pecans for the walnuts. I just didnt like the brownies, and they left my mouth and tongue with a powdery feeling that wasnt very pleasing. I decided to try a different recipe, so I turned to Minimalist Bakers 5-minute espresso walnut brownies. They looked absolutely delicious. And you know what? They taste awesome!

rawbrownies1

You may have noticed, especially if youve been following me on Instagram, that Ive had a thing for raw (or in my case, no-bake) recipes lately. I cant officially call them raw, even if the original recipe is raw, because Im not using officially raw ingredients. For example, in the case of these brownies, I just bought a bag of walnuts from the grocery store. They werent roasted or anything, but I still dont think theyre officially raw. I havent jumped on the raw bandwagon as of yet, but the recipes are healthier and so much more easier and delicious than I ever imagined.

This recipe is perfect for vegetarians and vegans, and is also gluten-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free. And if youre just looking to eat healthier, definitely give this recipe a go. Its the best alternative to the real thing!

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These brownies, while they do require a rather large amount of ingredients, can be prepared in almost 5 minutes flat (Id say 10 minutes, tops), just as the title of the recipe suggests. No baking necessary!

I substituted almond meal for the chopped almonds in the recipe, as I knew this would result in a smoother texture. I also used non-Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which eliminated that powdery feeling I experienced after my first go with raw brownies using a different recipe. I didnt use a pan to press the brownies into, but instead just shaped the mixture into a square on a piece of baking paper. I didnt measure it, but it was probably between 6 and 7 inches square. What Ive also found is that you really need to press the mixture together firmly and tightly, otherwise the slices of brownies that you cut will crumble.

The original recipe would have you transferring mixtures from food processor to bowl a couple of different times (transfer nut mixture to a bowl, process the dates, put them in a bowl, add the nut mixture back to the processor, then add dates one a time), but I skipped all that to make it less time-consuming and also to save on washing up; I had already chopped the dates in half when I removed the pits, so I just simply threw them down the chute one at a time after processing the nut/cocoa mixture.

Since its Valentines Day, I decided that these healthy guilt-free brownies would be my chocolaty sweet treats for today!

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How sweet do they look! This would be a perfect (and quick!) treat for any Valentines Day gift as you know that what youre giving your special Valentine is super healthy! If you follow the original recipe and use all raw ingredients, itd be even healthier!

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They are so delicious that it feels like Im being naughty by even eating just one slice. I have to keep reminding myself that its okay to indulge in another slice these brownies are not full of sugar, butter, oil, eggs and flour; theyre full of good stuff!

I might also note that this mixture would probably make nice truffles! :)

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Kamis, 07 Februari 2013

Chili-Lime Popcorn

Did you know that popcorn has been around since 4700 BCE? Popcorn sure has a long history, with the knowledge of it having spread north from Guatemala to the Native Americans, who then taught the practice of making popcorn to the English in the 16th century. Little did they know, back then, how popular popcorn would become; Americans alone shovel in 17 billion quarts of popcorn every year!

I, myself, have a sort of love-hate relationship with popcorn. I have to really be in the mood for it to actually like it, and you probably wouldnt find me with a box of popcorn at a movie theater. Recently, however, Ive seen a lot of homemade flavored popcorn and I decided to have a crack at it and see what I could come up with. I first tried cinnamon-flavored popcorn, but we didnt like it. For my next go, I decided to go all out with a flavor that would have its own bite chili and lime!

This was also a perfect opportunity to try out and review my new Microplane zester that Kitchenware Direct sent me last week! Ive never owned a real zester before and have been barely scraping by (so to speak) with a dull $2 grater. Microplane boasts a range of graters to deal with any kind of grating, shredding or zesting you may need to do. Theyre pretty much top of the line and sharper than any grater youd find at the dollar store.

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I was awed by how easy it was to zest this lime, compared to my old, dull grater. In fact, I kind of zested my thumbnail a little (oops).

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Chili and lime is one of my favorite combinations, and really make a batch of popcorn come to life. Its much healthier than a lot of other flavored popcorn out there, as it is coated with a sprinkling of olive oil, rather than soaked in melted butter.

Popping your own popcorn at home is actually really easy. I use my biggest stainless steel pan to cook it in, and just as cooking it in the microwave, it only takes a few minutes. Youll end up with 8 cups or so of an empty canvas where you can create any flavor combination you currently desire. Itll also be healthier because there wont be any additives, preservatives or a sinful amount of butter.

zester

A bit of lime zest, easily sprinkled on top with my new zester (minus fingernails), completed this healthy snack.

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In conclusion, this post contains two wonderful things delicious popcorn and a very useful kitchen tool. Im now sold on Microplane and look forward to many zestings in the future; itll also prove to be a big help with my favorite citrus French toast! Note to self: cut fingernails before zesting.

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A big thank you to Brad from Kitchenware Direct for sending me the Microplane classic zester!

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Selasa, 05 Februari 2013

Nutella-Stuffed Browned Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Its that special day of the year again, when people around the world unite to share their love for Nutella thats right, its World Nutella Day!

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Almost everyone loves a bit of Nutella now and then (or all the time). Personally, I havent enjoyed anything with Nutella in it for a while, except a lick of the knife when Im making a sandwich for my children, who sometimes even indulge in a slice of Nutella fairy bread! So Ive used the excuse of World Nutella Day to make something absolutely extravagant.

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Extravagant, and also humongous, at over 3-inches across. These beauties are bursting at their seams with warm, gooey Nutella. Surrounding the sweet center of Nutella is a browned butter and sea salt-infused chocolate chunk cookie, made with pure Lindt 70% chocolate chunks. On top of each morsel is a sprinkling of sea salt.

So extravagant, its not even funny. I actually felt guilty making these.

What I loved about the cookies: they are delicious and bursting with amazing flavors of toffee-ish brown butter, dark Lindt chocolate, gooey Nutella and flecks of sea salt. The flavor simply could not be improved on as its absolutely perfect. What I didnt like about the cookies: crispy edges. I know how not to overbake a cookie, and trust me, I didnt overbake these. The edges were just crispier than I prefer. The middles, though, were lovely and gooey.

I saw these cookies originally on FoodGawker, posted by Annies Eats, and this is the recipe that I used. I only made some minor alterations, which were using vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract, chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips (although admittedly, I dumped in about a tablespoon of leftover chocolate chips that I had in the pantry), and lastly, letting the dough flavorize (is that a word?) in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

It appears that the original recipe originated from Ambitious Kitchen, which is a perfect place for such an ambitious cookie like these.

nutellacookies

This is one amazing cookie and I would highly recommend making these when you really feel like indulging in something so delicious. Sure, theyre packed full of unhealthy things, but come on, its World Nutella Day. Live a little.

I used my new double-layer cookie sheet for the first time to make these, and the cookies baked up gorgeous and puffy, unlike my first test batch on a regular old baking tray. However, accidents do happen.

spilledcookies

A batch of these cookies fell straight on to the floor, bending the corner of my brand new cookie sheet. I was just setting the tray down from taking it out of the oven, when I realized my 8-month-old baby had used the knobs of the kitchen drawers to stand up; I knew that in one second his little hand would accidentally pull the drawer out and hed crash down on to the hard tile floor, and probably would hit his head very hard. I sat the tray down, not even looking where it was going, but just going by feel that it was on the trivets on the counter, and not taking my eyes off that little boy. I reached him in time, but as I pulled him off the drawer knobs, I heard the tray crash. I must have set the tray off-balance on the trivets, and as I turned to get bubba, it made its way off the trivets and over the edge of the counter. Sigh. Oh well, I didnt need a full 2-dozen of these cookies anyway, but I am a bit upset about my bent cookie sheet.

For the recipe, I will refer you to either Annies Eats or Ambitious Kitchen. Enjoy!

World Nutella Day is brought to you by Ms. Adventures in Italy and Bleeding Espresso.

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