vegetarian Archives - Sugar et al

Eggless Mango Mousse

4|07|2018

Mango season!!! Alas, not here. But everywhere else it is mango season. Yeah being down under sometimes does make me feel a teeny bit isolated from the rest of the world in terms of food and seasons. But the virtual world more than makes up for it and I am able to share my favourite recipes for the northern hemisphere to enjoy. I had shot a few mango creations back in our summer days for my stock photo agency. Food images however, don’t make sense to me without a delicious recipe or the story they narrate. So I always take the opportunity to make something quick and easy that I could photograph as well as serve to my friends. And of course, any excuse to eat mangoes or for that matter, even mousse!

This is one of the easiest mousse recipes I have tried out. Actually, I’ve eaten this kind of mousse a number of times back in India where patisseries and cafes would usually avoid the egg in desserts as they would cater to many vegetarian customers. Since the quantity of fruit puree is significantly higher to the quantity of cream, the fruit literally sings in your mouth. The cream is only there to give the eggless mango mousse a body and some extra creaminess. The colour and sweetness of this mousse will vary according to the type/variety of mangoes used.

I miss summer a lot and keep telling myself that Spring is around the corner. Hope you guys on the other side of the world are getting to eat heaps of mangoes and cherries. Enjoy them for me too:-)

Eggless Mango Mousse
Serves 3

1.5 cups pureed mango (about 2 large mangoes)
1/3 cup castor sugar (or according to taste)
1 tsp powdered gelatine
1/2 cup whipping/heavy cream

Place the mango puree, sugar and powdered gelatine in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until gelatine dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks (peaks start to form but fall back in the bowl when lifted with a whisk/spoon). Add the mango puree to the cream and fold in till well blended.
Pour into serving glasses. Chill for 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream, fresh mangoes, fresh basil or grated white chocolate. Enjoy!

Beetroot And Feta Fritters

1|03|2016

Healthy, quick and easy fritters made with roasted beetroot and feta cheese, Perfect for breakfast, lunchbox or a nutritious snack.

This recipe is a regular in our house. The basic fritter gets made, remade, revamped in multiple ways by every single member of the house. In fact last year, the boys (then 5 years old) had to do a little cooking demonstration at school and guess which recipe they chose? It is that easy and versatile. And healthy and quick and portable and really delicious. The only thing it is not? It is not sweet. It is s a savory recipe so I guess it was just awaiting it’s turn quietly behind all those sweet recipes that make it to the blog. The great thing about the recipe is that you can use any vegetable of your choice. I’ve made it with mashed peas, shredded carrots, corn, tomatoes, kale, you name it!

It is no secret that I LOVE beetroot. I like the way it complements the saltiness in feta and it just happens to be an amazing pairing whether it’s in a tart, salad or fritter. And of course, the colour! Naturally vibrant and so pretty. These fritters make a healthy snack and a great lunchbox treat. They also make pretty canapes with a cream cheese topping. Yes, I’ve tried that too for a ladies gathering and they stole the show. At home, I usually serve them with plain greek yogurt and a swirl of basil pesto. Easy and good for little tummies!

I use cooked beetroot for the recipe that is available in all major supermarkets in Australia. The baby beets are preserved in their natural juices so I add that as well to the batter to get that lovely pink colour. You could use canned beetroot as well or just roast the beets at home. If you are not able to do any of the above, just add finely grated beetroot to the batter.

Beetroot and Feta Fritters
Serves 4

2 eggs
1 cup wholemeal, self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
250 g cooked beetroot, pureed in a food processor to a coarse texture (not finely pureed)
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
A few fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped OR 1/4 tsp mixed dried herbs
salt and pepper, for seasoning (be careful about the quantity of salt as feta itself will add a degree of saltiness to the fritters)
olive oil, for shallow frying
Greek yogurt and basil pesto, to serve

Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the flour and milk and stir to blend. Add the beetroot,feta cheese and herbs and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. add 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes or until cooked through. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Serve with greek yogurt that has a teaspoon of basil pesto swirled in to it.

Chocolate Cream Tartlets

28|01|2016

I notice a connection between tarts and Australia Day in my house. Whether simple or complicated, I seem to be making a tart/tartlets every year on this holiday. I think its because tarts are a great way of serving and eating summer fruits. Last year I made an Ice Cream Tart with an Anzac crust and was pleased with myself for coming up with a make-ahead dessert that took away a lot of stress from my lunch menu. This year I wasn’t as planned or organised after returning from my holiday so I decided to keep things really simple and make these Chocolate cream tartlets.

Using store bought tart shells, I filled them up with a chocolate whipped cream first thing in the morning. They were in the refrigerator until lunch time and I added cherries and raspberries just before serving along with a sprinkling of finely chopped almonds and pistachios. I was surprised that they went down a treat. To be honest I was feeling guilty and expecting everyone to be disappointed that there wasn’t something more exotic on the table. There were cupcakes too that I’ll post next but then again cupcakes are not considered dessert at my place.
These tartlets are not just simple to put together, but also egg free and no bake.

Well, I love Australia Day for many reasons! This is a country I have been in love with since the day I stepped foot into it. It is also the first holiday of the year and right in the middle of a spectacular Australian Summer. In recent times, this day stands as a reminder that it’s time to get ready for school, holidays are officially over and the little munchkins will be on their way to another New Year filled with exciting adventures. So school reopened today! Yay…I have the house to myself…yet this empty feeling.

Will I ever outgrow this feeling in the years to come…I wonder!

Chocolate Cream Tartlets (chocolate cream adapted from Joy of Baking)
Serves 6

6 small tart shells (store bought)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 – 4 tablespoons castor sugar (or as per taste)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch processed)
1 cup cold whipping cream
fresh raspberries, cherries, grapes or other fruits
finely sliced pistachios and almonds, to dust

Place your mixing bowl and wire whisk in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes. Place the vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and cocoa powder in the cold bowl. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the cream to form a thick paste (this will dissolve the cocoa powder).
Then add the rest of the cream and beat just until stiff peaks form. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups (480 ml) whipped cream.
Fill up the tart shells by using a spoon or by piping the cream into it. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve with berries, cherries and stone fruits. Sprinkle with nuts.

Roasted Garlic-Maple-Mustard Pumpkin

25|10|2015

When planning meals in the last few years, I realize that my attention to side dishes have gone from little to none. I am mostly trying to include my 5 serves of vegetables and fruits in my main dishes. Most of the times, that would be a salad. My mind is somewhat distracted in thinking of sweet combinations and hence between main course and dessert, there is very little room for appetizers and side dishes. Yes, in a past life (before kids), my meals were perfect, my planning was immaculate but today my imagination is restricted to kids lunchboxes and desserts. I am on a mission lately to look for side dishes that are big on flavour, nutritious and most importantly, require little or no effort. Roasted vegetables is one of them. I like the way pumpkin gets a golden and charred appearance on the outside while the inside is all soft and mushy.

The glaze is a quick and simple maple-mustard glaze. Garlic is always great on roasted vegetables. Onions pump in more flavour and taste great themselves when charred. Since, there is hardly any chopping/cubing required…I find that this is becoming a go-to dish for me on weekdays. I usually buy butternut pumpkin as it’s quite versatile to cook with but I am pretty sure that the recipe can be adapted to use other types of pumpkin as well. This dish is a great option for people on a gluten free diet.

Roasted Garlic-Maple-Mustard Pumpkin
Serves 3

1/2 butternut squash
1 red onion, peeled, quartered
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp oilve oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
salt and pepper, to season
Micro-parsley (or finely chopped parsley), to serve
Edible Nasturtium flowers (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan forced). Scoop out and discard the seeds from the butternut pumpkin. Slice them into 1 inch pieces (leave skin on).

In a large roasting pan, arrange the pumpkin slices and onions in a single layer. Sprinkle the chopped garlic over the pumpkin. Combine olive oil, maple syrup and mustard in a bowl and add to the pan. Season. Toss to coat evenly.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Plate and stir through micro-parsley (or finely chopped parsley) just before serving. Garnish with edible flowers, if using.