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Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters & Flakes Cereal Giveaway

Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters Flakes cereal has a healthy taste that makes it a wonderful breakfast. 1 cup of Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters and Flakes cereal has 45% of daily amount of fibres we need and it helps lower cholesterol. This cereal is made out of natural ingredients that have crunchy flakes and whole grain oat clusters with sun-ripened blueberries. I wish the cereal had blueberries that are visible so we can taste it and see it in the cereal :) as my children found it to be deceiving that the box showed blueberries but they didn't see the blueberry pieces. The cereal doesn't have artificial flavours or colours and it is free of trans fats and low in saturated fat.
This cereal can be found in most grocery stores and natural food stores across Canada.

Giveaway:
Win your own box and see how it tastes :) This giveaway is open to people in Canada and ends on March 15th. Please enter through the rafflecopter below.
Update: The winner is Areta
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Chocolate Bonbons

This recipe for Chocolate Bonbons (alcohol free) was learned during a media event that I attended at Bonnie Gordon college in Toronto.

345g Cacao Barry Mexique dark chocolate*

250g 35% cream

60g butter

55g honey

80g hazelnut paste

Heat cream, hazelnut paste, butter and honey until it reaches 65C.

Place the chocolate in a bowl then pour the cream mixture over the chocolates. Allow it to sit for a few seconds then stir until it is smooth. Cover the ganache with a saran wrap in contact until it sets.

Scoop the mixture into balls and allow it to firm up for at least 2 hours. The instructor placed the ganache inside a bag and piped it.

This step of placing a hazelnut in the middle before making a ball is optional.

After it sets, we can make it into balls.

Using gloves roll the balls and leave it aside to dip each truffle into tempered chocolates then it can be optionally rolled in cocoa powder, chopped nuts, shredded coconut or icing sugar.

* I learned about different types of chocolates and how to temper chocolates in the microwave without burning it, check out this post for more details. This is a video I took when the instructor at Bonnie Gordon College was tempering chocolates.

Almond Biscotti

1 cup whole almonds skinned
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup vanilla flavoured sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat until it melts and leave it aside to cool.

Remove the skin of the almonds by soaking it in warm water for a few minutes and it will come out easily. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake in a 350F for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly coloured, toss halfway. Allow the almonds to cool and then chop it coarsely.

Sift the flour with baking powder and salt into a big bowl. Stir the sugar and chopped almonds into the flour. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and melted butter then add it to the flour mixture.

Use your hands and bring the ingredients together to form a dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and make 2 log shapes each about 8" long. Place the logs on a baking sheet and bake in the middle rack of a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the logs from the oven and cool slightly then transfer it to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife and then cut the logs diagonally into 1 1/2" to 2" thick slices. Put the biscotti on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes.

Cool the biscotti on a wire rack to let it harden. To store keep the biscotti in an airtight container for over a week.

The biscotti can also be frozen, by placing the biscotti on a baking sheet and freeze until it is solid then transfer it to a freezer bag.

This recipe is from the DK illustrated step-by-step baking book. I really like this book because of its detailed explanations and photographs. This book gives 80 classic recipes and has about 240 variations for these classics. We can use the details and step-by-step photographs from the classic recipes to build on different variations. The book covers a huge range of sweets and savouries such as tarts quiches, pies, breads, cakes, cookies, meringues, soufflés and a variety of party desserts for special occasions.

Oats and rice flour savoury pancakes

1 1/2 cups instant oats
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup yogurt
water enough to make the batter smooth

1/2 tsp salt to taste

oil for the pan

Mix all the ingredients to make a smooth batter. Leave aside and make the seasoning.

seasoning
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp urud dal seeds optional
1 to 2 tbsp shallots or onion
1 tbsp curry leaves
1/2 cup carrot grated
1 green chillie optional
1 tbsp coriander leaves optional

Heat a tbsp of oil and when the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urud dal starts crackling add the onion, curry leaves, green chillie and sauté. Then add the carrots and coriander leaves, mix the seasoning into the prepared batter.

Heat a griddle and when it is hot pour about 2 tbsp batter and make a pancake. When it is easy to turn, turn it and cook the other side. Serve it warm with chutney or on its own.
This recipe is adapted from here yummy tummy.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 - 2013 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Win your own book to Celebrate Cooking with Quinoa

Celebrate the International Year of Quinoa in 2013 with this book Cooking with Quinoa for Dummies written by Cheryl Forberg.
Quinoa is a "super food" that nearly disappeared in the 1500s as Spanish explorers destroyed Qunioa fields to break Incas' morale. Qunioa survived in isolated places in high altitude regions until it was rediscovered and became available in South America in the 1970s. Qunioa is increasingly becoming popular in North America because it is an easy to digest seed that has lots of nutriets, fibre, protein and more.
Cooking with Quinoa For Dummies has over 140 gluten-free recipes, including Thai Quinoa-Coconut Chicken Soup, Quinoa Currant Hotcakes, Grilled Chili Beef with Quinoacado Relish and Quinoa Chocolate Cake. Making quinoa in different ways will help keep it interesting to enjoy it all the time. It is even served in high end restaurants such as in Silks Dining Lounge.
Forberg provides information on how to properly prepare quinoa, it health benefits and on how we can substitute it into our favourite meals. Quinoa will transform our diet, health and life.

There are lots of useful information about nutrition and other food as well, here are a Quinoa specific information from the book.

The white, red and black quinoa have a slightly different taste.
To cook 1 cup of quinoa we will need to use 2 cups of liquid; it is a 2:1 ratio.
1/2 cup of dried quinoa is equal to 1 1/2cups cooked quinoa, it is a 3:1 ratio.
Basic rule is to simmer the quinoa for 15 minutes (maybe a bit more) when it is ready we will smell its aroma strongly and the kernels will be translucent all the way through and germ will spiral out like a short thread on each kernel.

Cook the quinoa with the water in a pan by bringing the water to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook until the water is absorbed. We can also cook the quinoa in the rice cooker. Fluff it with a fork and use it in any recipe.

Asian Quinoa Coleslaw recipe adapted from this book
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion chopped
1 tbsp garlic minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger chopped
4 cups green cabbage finely shredded
1 cup carrot grated
1/3 cup cilantro without stem chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt to taste
2 tsp lightly toasted sesame seeds optional

Heat the oil then sauté the onion. Add the garlic and ginger. Add the cabbage, cover the pan and cook for a minute. Remove the cover and stir-fry the cabbage until it is softened for about 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and grated carrot and cook for 2 minutes until it is heated through. Add the cilantro, soya sauce, salt and sesame seeds. Serve it warm.

Giveaway:
Looking forward to hear if you have you cooked with Quinoa before, if so what is your favourite thing to make with Quinoa?
3 people in Canada or US can win this fabulous cookbook. Giveaway ends on February 10th.
To win enter through the rafflecopter below.
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All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 - 2013 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Healthy sweet moong dal snack or susiyam

Filling
1 cup split moong dal or mung bean *
1 1/2 cups water or more to cook the dal
1/2 cup fresh coconut shredded
1/2 cup grated jaggery or brown sugar to taste
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

*Instead of moong dal we can use split chickpeas or channa dal. Adjust the amount of jaggery and coconut to taste.

Cook the dal until it is tender enough to mash, don't over cook the dal as it will become soggy and will be hard to form the ball shape. Mix the dal with the coconut, jaggery and cardamom then make it into balls.

Batter
1 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp turmeric
coconut milk or water to make the batter

Mix the batter ingredients in another bowl to make a thick batter.

Coat the dal balls in the thick batter and fry in hot oil without overcrowding the pan until it becomes golden in colour.

Serve warm or at room temperature as a snack.

Pickled celery

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 stalks celery thinly sliced

Mix everything together in a jar and leave the mixture in the fridge for about an hour before enjoying it tossed in a salad or on its own :)

The longer the pickle is kept the more tastier it is. This recipe is from The Smitten Kitchen cookbook.

Brownies with Rice Krispies

Happy Holidays!

These brownies with Rice Krispies are delicious and easy to make.

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal crushed

1/2 cup vanilla flavoured sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/8 cup cocoa

pinch salt

pinch baking soda

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

Mix crushed cereal, sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and nuts. Then add oil, eggs and milk. Mix until combined and then spread evenly in a greased 8" x 8" baking pan.

Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Store in a tight covered container at room temperature. This recipe is slightly adapted from this site.

This holiday season Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal has teamed up withe Lisa Sangeuedolce, a top Canadian cake decorator to create dazzling homemade gift ideas on a tiny budget. Lisa's signature Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal holiday ornaments put a fancy twist on Rice Krispies square. Join Kellogg's on Facebook and see a variety of ideas to make delicious treats.

Potato pancake

1 baking or russet potato grated about 1 1/2 cups
1 onion or 1/4 cup
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp or more black pepper
1 egg lightly beaten
oil to fry
fried egg optional to serve
hot sauce or ketchup optional to serve
chives or coriander leaves to garnish

To make the latke use a grater or food processor and shred the potato and onion*. Then put the shredded mixture into a clean cloth or cheesecloth and squeeze to remove the water.
*Instead of grating the onion can add chopped onion to the flour mixture.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, egg and the mixture until everything is well coated.
Heat a cast-iron skillet and put about a tbsp of oil then put about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp mixture. The amount of mixture that is put depends on the size of the pan, how thick or thin you prefer the pancakes. Use the back of the spoon and make a round shape. Cook the latke in medium high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes until the edges are golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for another 4 minutes or more. Reduce the heat if the potato pancakes are becoming brown too fast.
Repeat until the mixture is finished. I served it hot, topped with fried egg and garnished with coriander leaves and hot sauce.
If you are make a batch a head of time, warm the latkes in 300F oven for about 5 minutes. We can also keep the latkes warm in a preheated baking tray in the oven to serve it hot.

Fondant Dinosaur Park Cake

I made this Dinosaur Park Number 4 fondant cake for my son's birthday today, here are the details of how I made the cake. Looking forward to your thoughts :)

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