Healthier Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Recipe

A lighter but rich and delicious hot chocolate, flavored with peanut butter (a killer combo!)

Ingredients

1 cup milk of choice I used almond milk
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp sweetener of choice: honey, maple or coconut sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
0.5 oz / 15 grams dark chocolate optional but recommended
Optional toppings:
homemade whipped cream
drizzle of melted peanut butter
drizzle of melted dark chocolate

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until it's warm but not boiling. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sweetener, and then peanut butter and dark chocolate, if using.
2. Ladle in a mug, top with whipped cream and drizzle with melted peanut butter and dark chocolate. Serve immediately!

*Notes
FOR MORE SERVINGS: Double or tripe the ingredients.
TO MAKE VEGAN: use a plant-based milk like almond or cashew, sweeten with coconut sugar or maple syrup, use a dairy free chocolate and top with coconut whipped cream.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Who could say no to a good bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup? The cold winter nights are the perfect season to enjoy the chicken noodle soup. Imagine a steaming hot bowl of flavorsome chicken noodle soup, couch, fireplace and your favorite movie on the screen. It could be a blissful winter experience. A warm, delicious chicken soup is a comforting sight for the freezing winter nights. Anyways, it is one of those easy chicken recipes that are in demand throughout the year irrespective of the season.

Ingredients for the Stock/Broth

500 gram of boneless chicken (preferably thigh portion)
3 - 4 garlic cloves roughly smashed
an inch piece of ginger peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
Water as required
2 tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients for the Soup

1 medium-size onion diced
1 medium-size carrot fine chopped
1 Cup of sliced button mushroom
200 gram noodles
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon red chilli chopped (optional)
1 Cup shredded chicken
4 Cups of chicken stock/broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon spring onion greens

Instructions

1. To prepare the stock heat olive oil in a deep saucepan.

2. Add bay leaf, pepper, ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute.

3. Now add the chicken into the pan. Saute till the chicken turn pale white.

4. Add approximately 1 litre of water in the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Mix nicely.

5. Cover the saucepan with the lid. Simmer the stock over low heat till the chicken is cooked. This usually takes 20 - 30 minutes.

6. If you see scum on the surface, scoop it off with a ladle. Strain the broth into a large bowl using a fine strainer. Press out excess liquid from the veggies.

7. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred it into fine pieces.

8. To prepare the soup, heat olive oil in the same saucepan.

9. Add chopped onion and saute till the onion turn translucent.

10. Next add the chopped carrot and mushroom. Saute till the mushroom soften and turn brown in color. Keep stirring them while sauteeing.

11. Add soya sauce, red chilli and stir to combine.

12. Now add the chicken stock and once it starts boiling add the noodles. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13. Once the noodles are cooked add the shredded chicken and spring onion greens.

14. Serve homemade Chicken Noodle Soup warm.

Mini Cannoli Recipe

These mini cannoli are the easiest, most delicious and may I say cutest mini desserts ever. Easy to adapt with your favourite chocolate and flavourings, use fun sprinkles or keep them classic.

Ingredients

20 mini cannoli shells
14.1 oz (400g) good quality ricotta cheese
1.7 oz (50g) dark chocolate
1.7 oz (50g) white chocolate
1/2 cup (110g) extra fine caster sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup (80g) dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp chopped candied orange peel

Instructions

1. Place a heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water and the water doesn't boil). Break the chocolate into pieces and melt, you'll need to do this twice if using two different types of chocolate.

2. Once melted, dip each end of the mini cannoli shells into the chocolate and set aside on baking parchment to set and dry.

3. Whip the ricotta with a hand whisk until smooth. Add the sugar, around 2/3 of the chocolate chips and orange, stir everything together.

4. I prefer to use orange zest but lemon zest works great too. Also, you can use whatever flavoured chocolate chips you prefer. For these mini cannoli I used dark chocolate chips and reserved some for topping.

5. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a smooth or star-shaped nozzle and place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the mixture into the fridge if you're not using filling them straight away.

6. When the mini cannoli shells have dried, pipe the ricotta filling into each one and top each end with candied orange peel and remaining chocolate chips.

Easy vegan potato pea curry served with dosa.

My Fridays are always a bit full - I teach two yoga classes and work at the jewellery atelier, and usually come home in the evening and work on the blog as well. It's my most social day of the week, because I work from home and don't see anyone, hah. My cousin is doing her high school practicum at the atelier right now so I taught her how to make a ring today and worked on some pieces to send home as a prize for our friend's wedding social back home next month. When I come home in the evening, then, I always crave a big plate of potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coconut oil
500 grams small potatoes, cut into 2cm pieces
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Juice of a lemon
125 ml / 1/2 cup water
200 grams / 1 1/2 cups frozen peas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and onions, then cook for a couple of minutes, or until the onions are softened.

2. Add the potatoes and cook for another five minutes to brown, stirring occasionally to keep them from sticking to the pan. Stir in the ginger and garlic, cook for an additional minute, then add the spices and stir for 30 seconds.

3. Pour the lemon juice into the pot, followed by the water, and stir to release any spices from the base of the pan. Cover and reduce the heat to low, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Stir in the peas, then turn off the heat and place the lid back onto the pan.

4. Let it sit for five minutes to heat the peas, and serve hot with dosa or on its own.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY POP TARTS RECIPE

This Chocolate Strawberry Pop Tarts Recipe calls for 11 ingredients. Flaky pie crust filled with vanilla strawberry jam. Made from scratch.

Ingredients

*Filling
1 heaping cup chopped strawberries (200g)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar (100g)
1 tbsp orange juice
2 vanilla beans* (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
pinch of salt

*Pie crust
2 cups flour (240g)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter (226g)
1/2 cup cold sour cream (115g)
1 egg (for brushing)

*Glaze
1 cup chocolate, melted (180g)

Instructions

Filling: Blend strawberries with a hand blender until smooth. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and set a fine mesh strainer on top. Pour strawberries through the strainer into the saucepan. Press fruit and liquid through the strainer and discard solids. Bring to a boil for about 5-10 minutes until it has thickened to a jam-like consistency. Stir in vanilla and salt. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pie Crust: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into cubes and work them into the flour mixture with your fingers until large pea-sized flakes are still visible. Add sour cream and fold into with a rubber spatula to combine. Knead a few times until it comes together.

1. Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface. Roll the dough into an 8x10 inch rectangle and fold into thirds like a business letter. Rotate dough 90° and roll dough again into an 8x10 inch rectangle and fold like a business letter. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Roll dough out into square or rectangle with a 0.12-0.15 inch thickness (3-4mm). Cut out pop tarts sized rectangles. You will get around 16-20 rectangles. Place one heaping tablespoon filling in the middle of a rectangle. Place another rectangle on top. Seal the edges by using the tins of a fork. Cut 2-3 thin slits into the tops that the steam can escape throughout baking. Repeat until you run out of dough and filling. Brush with egg. Bake for about 22-24 minutes until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Drizzle melted chocolate over the pop tarts. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.