Vanilla Tahini Ice Cream - Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 1

Woot!!! Vegan Month of Food 2014 has begun! :)

This is my 4th time participating in MoFo. Even though there's a lot going on in my life this time around, I couldn't help but sign up for the event yet again because I've really enjoyed it each and every year! Blogging on an almost daily basis is one part of the excitement, but also visiting the various participating blogs, drooling over the delicious foods and interacting with my fellow MoFo-ers is a truly delightful experience.

For Vegan MoFo 2013 I had chosen a Raw Foods theme. I created and shared a bunch of video tutorials using an app called HowDo and they were a big hit. Unfortunately HowDo closed. :( I'm going to miss that app terribly this year. But once the Vlogging bug has bitten, it's hard to let go. So I plan to shoot at least a few YouTube videos through MoFo this time around.

My theme for this time is ICE CREAMS!!! :D I'm expanding that to include other frozen desserts too so there's a lot more variety.

Today's recipe is a Vanilla Tahini Ice Cream. I made it at Carrots as soon as I signed up for MoFo. Everyone who tried it absolutely loved it. So now our bakery chef Kanchan makes it often. :)

This ice cream does not require an ice cream maker (but if you have one then feel free to use it). It melts quickly and has a light, soothing feel to it. The roasted sesame and pure vanilla flavours go together beautifully.

I've used Merry Whip (commercially available non-dairy whipping cream) in this ice cream. But if you'd like to avoid this, you could use whipped coconut cream in it if you like. However, it might takeaway from the flavour a bit.

I've also used whole vanilla pods as the flavouring because I can't stand the artificial vanilla essence that's available locally. Besides, we don't use any artificial colours or flavours at Carrots so I couldn't have used it in this recipe anyways.

Getting good, pure vanilla extract that's vegan isn't easy here. But if you have the patience and inclination, you could make your own extract at home by putting chopped vanilla beans into rum or vodka for about 6 months. I have tried this at home (again, not at Carrots because we're an alcohol-free restaurant) but compared to that, I am in *love* with the depth of flavour and texture that whole vanilla beans give. So I recommend using them.

Vanilla Tahini Ice Cream

40 g Cashews
20 g Toasted Sesame Seeds
150 g Commercial Vegan Whipped Cream (Rich's or Merry Whip)
1.5 pods Whole Vanilla Beans
200 g Sugar
1 litre Water

- Grind cashews, sesame seeds and broken vanilla pods into a fine powder
- Add a little water at a time and blend into a creamy paste
- Add the remaining water, sugar and whipped cream and blend well
- Freeze in an airtight box for 8-10 hours
- Re-blend this icy mixture
- Freeze again for 8-10 hours
- Scoop and enjoy! :)

Pan Baked Hazelnut Mocha Crunch Cookies aka Tava Biskut and Vegan MoFo 2014

Howdie howdie howdie! Hope all you awesome people are doing great!!! :)

I miss you all and I've been wanting to blog for a long time now. But as I've mentioned in my previous posts, I've been super duper busy ever since I became the Countess of Cuisine and Jollification at Carrots - the bestest, wonderfulest place to work ever!

I did something a few weeks ago in one moment of sheer madness...I signed up for Vegan MoFo!!! *gasp* Now as September is around the bend (tomorrow, to be precise), I'm beginning to freak out just a teeny tiny bit. I should probably be freaking out a lot more, but I think I'm still in denial. :P

What's more, I signed up for a theme. A verrrrry specific theme (thanks to hubby's bright idea *grumble grumble*)...Ice Creams! And guess how many new ice cream recipes I have ready and under my belt? Exactly ONE! *gaaaah*

So my master plan is keep making new ice creams and other frozen desserts on an almost daily basis. I'll make many of these at home yes, but also plenty at the restaurant, because that's where I have all my minions to help out. :D

Bangalore peeps, whenever you visit Carrots, remember to ask about the "special edition ice cream made by Susmitha". If you're lucky, some of the recipes you see on the blog here through September might just be available on the menu the day you visit. :)

Now on to today's recipe - Pan Baked Hazelnut Mocha Crunch Cookies, which I lovingly refer to as Tava Biskut. :D



These cookies can be baked in an oven at 200C/400F for 20 minutes, but they're special because they can be quickly made on a pan too. :)

Hazelnut Mocha Crunch Cookies

140 g / 1 C Hazelnuts
110 g / 1 C Quick Cooking Oats
5 g / 1/2 t Salt
140 g / 1/2 C Sugar
2 g / 1 t Instant Coffee Powder
10 g / 2 T Cocoa Powder
5 g / 1 T Flax Seed Powder
3 T Water

- Grind hazelnuts to a buttery consistency in a dry grinder jar and transfer to a mixing bowl
- Grind oats to a coarse meal and add to hazelnut butter
- Mix in the remaining ingredients with your hands
- Shape into flat cookies
- Cook on a pan on medium heat for a few minutes, press gently with a flat spoon
- Flip and cook the other side while gently pressing down again
- Cool on a rack
- Store in an airtight box
- Enjoy! :)

Raspberry Wasabi Tofu and how my work has taken over my life

Most of my friends are probably sick of hearing this, but I love my job, I love my team and I love, love, love the fantastic food I get to eat at my super awesome workplace. :)

Before I joined the Carrots family, I insisted that I have a flexible work schedule so that I have plenty of time to pursue my existing passions - the primary ones being my blog here and my artwork. But a week into the start of my career as Countess of Cuisine and Jollification (yes, that's my real designation) my world started to revolve around my life at Carrots. On the days I was at home, I often found myself thinking, "oh it would be so nice to be at Carrots right now." I figured that once the novelty wore off I'd get back to being myself again. Four months down the line, I've begun to accept that nothing of that sort is about to happen. :P

Of course the downside to all of this is that certain other areas of my life have begun to suffer. I barely make jewellery anymore and I haven't touched my favourite toy, polymer clay, in forever. I don't spend time experimenting in the kitchen as often as I used to and as a result there's a lack in blog-able content.

I've been feeling a little more guilty about my fairly silent blog than any of the other stuff. So you can imagine my delight when I was going through some old food photographs and found this recipe that I had created long ago but missed sharing here. Two recipes within a span of one week. Yes! :D

Raspberry Wasabi Tofu

1/2 block Silken Tofu
3 T Bread Crumbs

For the marinade:
3 T Raspberry Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp Wasabi Paste
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Sugar or Liquid Jaggery
Salt

- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a wide glass bowl
- Drain the tofu and slice it into large squares
- Place the tofu in the marinade and gently toss to coat
- Cover and keep in the fridge overnight (about 8-10 hours)

- Heat a pan or skillet on medium heat
- Put the bread crumbs on a plate
- Dip the tofu into the bread crumbs and coat it on all sides
- Toast the tofu on the hot pan

- Keep a close watch and flip carefully a few times during the toasting
process to ensure the bread crumbs don't stick to the pan
- Once the crumbs are browned to your liking, the tofu is ready
- Serve with your favourite hot sauce (you know it's Tabasco Chipotle for me) drizzled over the tofu
- Enjoy! :)

Pumpkin Tofu Rosemary Methi Roti Ravioli

Want to guess why this ravioli is heart shaped? Yep, I made it at the beginning of February with the full intention of posting it here on Valentine's Day. But life got crazy, time zipped by and now I suddenly find myself in April, remembering I had to share this recipe with you all.

Ah well, heart shaped food on April Fool's Day? I'll just file it under the Love Fool theme and call it a day. ;)

Now let me type the recipe while I'm still in the mood to do so. As always, adjust the flavours to suit your tastes and ingredient availability. Serve the ravioli with some freshly crushed pepper on top and it's pure heaven!



Pumpkin Tofu Rosemary Methi Roti Ravioli

For the Pasta Dough:
2 C Whole Wheat Flour
½ C Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
½ tsp Sesame Seeds
¼ tsp Turmeric
Salt
Water

- Mix everything into a soft, elastic dough
- Cover and keep aside

For the Stuffing:
½ kg Tofu - water pressed out and crumbled
1 Small Onion - finely chopped and lightly stir fried (preferably without oil)
1 Japanese Pumpkin (small, orange kind) - de-seeded, chopped and steamed or nuked
1 C Spinach - chopped roughly
¼ tsp Dried Rosemary
Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
Salt

- Place everything in a large bowl and roughly mash together with your fingers or a fork
- Taste and adjust the flavours
- Keep aside

For the Sauce:
5-8 Tomatoes
7-10 Cloves of Garlic
1 Green Chilli
½ tsp Jaggery
Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
Salt

- Blend everything as smoothly as possible (few chunks are okay)
- Transfer to a pan and simmer for a few minutes while stirring
- Cover and keep aside

How to proceed:

- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
- Roll out the dough into 2mm thick sheet
- Cut out hearts (or any other shape of your choice) using a cookie cutter
- Place a spoonful of stuffing between two hearts
- Gently and firmly press the sides to seal completely
- Keep aside on a plate and use the same procedure to make more ravioli hearts
- Gently drop the ravioli into the boiling water in batches for four or five
- They will rise to the top in about 3-5 minutes
- Lift them out with a slotted spoon and keep aside on a plate
- Prepare the rest of the raviolis in the same way
- Serve hot with lots of sauce ladled on
- Enjoy! :)

VGF is Great Fun! - Sunday, 23rd March

VGF is back! :)

For the past two weeks, hubby and I have been working hard on organising our favourite vegan fair once again. If you're in Bangalore this weekend, this is an event you don't want to miss. If you're vegan, aspiring to be vegan, or simply curious about a vegan lifestyle, VGF is an opportunity to taste a variety of delicious vegan foods and enjoy some vegan art and bath and body products all under one roof.

***No entry fee. All are welcome!***
Date: Sunday, 23rd March 2014
Time: 12 noon to 7 p.m.
Venue: #28, Penthouse, 3rd Floor, 'Citi Centre', Church Street, Bangalore - 560001

~~~To reduce wastage:~~~
* We will be providing a biodegradable disposable plate to each person. Please reuse the same throughout the event.
* We also encourage you to bring your own plates, spoons and cups if possible.
* We will have carton parcel boxes available but we request that you bring your own reusable containers and bags.

We'll have two vegan food demos this time around - Arun (of Samabhava) will show you how to make Coconut Mylk Coffee and at Chef Ram (our bakery chef at Carrots) and I will show you how to make Cashew Mylk and quick Chocolate Truffles. Plus, a special guest, Jeremy Occhipinti, will be there with his guitar, singing for us and uplifting the atmosphere. :)

Here is the list of items that you can grab at VGF this time:

Cakes and Cupcakes:
Edible Flower Cake - Taantraa // Organic Handbaking
Pineapple Pastry - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen
German Chocolate Cake - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen
Mango Almond Cake - Paradigm Shift
Chocolate Rum Cake - Paradigm Shift
Chocolate Truffle Cake - Paradigm Shift
Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes - Paradigm Shift

Muffins:
Crunchy Moong Dal Muffins - Taantraa // Organic Handbaking
Aromatic Orange Almond Muffins - Taantraa // Organic Handbaking
Rose Coconut Muffins - Taantraa // Organic Handbaking
Chocolate Muffins - Taantraa // Organic Handbaking
Strawberry Muffins - Taantraa // Organic Handbaking

Cookies:
Whole Wheat Cookies - Samabhava
Oat Cookies - Paradigm Shift
Coconut Cookies - Paradigm Shift
Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies - Veganosaurus

Desserts:
Tiramisu Cheesecake - Peace of Cake
Cashew Chocolate Fudge - Samabhava
Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen

Snacks:
Samosa - Sharmila
Peanut Dahi Puri - Sudha
Gluten Free Bread with Coconut Butter - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen
Mini Burgers - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen

Main Dishes:
Peanut Curd Rice - Veganosaurus
Special Khichdi - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen
Thai Tofu Red Curry - Paradigm Shift
Basil Fried Rice - Paradigm Shift
Thai Chilli Garlic Tofu - Paradigm Shift
Spicy Rice with Raitha - Samabhava

Salads:
Raw Papaya Salad - Paradigm Shift

Spreads and Dips:
Plain Cheese - Millie's Vegan Cheese
Herbed Cheese - Millie's Vegan Cheese
Garlic Cheese - Millie's Vegan Cheese
Peas Pâté - Millie's Vegan Cheese

Beverages:
Spicy Lemon Juice - Veganopia
Cashew Mylk Strawberry Coffee - Veganopia
Soy Buttermylk - Carrots, The Healthy Kitchen

Miscellaneous:
Lazy Bum Cake Mix - Veganosaurus
Lip Balms - Burst of Happyness
Handmade Soaps - Burst of Happyness
Kitchen Art - Scatter the Batter