Hot Chocolate!

A perfect end to a cold night :) HOT CHOCOLATE! :)

Ingredients :
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Method:

In a saucepan, on medium heat, add the whole milk and half and half, and add in the chocolate pieces as well. Stir until combined. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined and boiled once.

Pour in your favorite mug, add a dollop of whipped cream and get cozy and comfortable :)

Almond milk

This Saturday, we went to really nice restaurant in the city of San Francisco, with mediterranean cuisine. The food was really good, and for dessert we ordered doughnut holes with chocolate sauce, and almond milk. The almond milk was the best part of the dessert! Served in a shot glass with a straw and almond pieces on the top, it was simply delicious! I decided to replicate the almond milk coz we both loved it so much! I made the almond milk as below and it turned out to be as delicious as the one in the restaurant.


Ingredients:

1 cup half and half
1 scoop vanilla bean icecream
1/3 cup blanched almonds


Method:

Make a fine paste of the blanched almonds. Blend the paste, with the icecream and the half and half together in a blender. Strain the almond milk through a sieve, and the chilled almond milk is ready for dessert! Yummo!

Watermelon Lemonade

So I tried making another kinda lemonade this past Sunday! Since watermelons are pretty cheap now a days, and in season, and they are so sweet, watermelon lemonade was a refreshing idea. And sure enough, it WAS really refreshing and very tasty!

Ingredients:
1/2 small watermelon
1/2 cup simple syrup
3 cups water
Juice of 3 big lemons
Tray of ice.

Simple Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Method:

To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small pot, and heat it at medium heat, till sugar has dissolved. Let cool.

Blend the watermelon pieces in a blender, and strain the juice through a wide strainer into a big pot. Add in the simple syrup, ice, water and lemon juice.

Watermelon lemonade is READY!! :)

Strawberry Lemonade

Ahhhh... Summer is here, and its time to cool down with a refreshing strawberry lemonade! Yumm...! Since the past 3 weeks, its become a Sunday ritual to make strawberry lemonade, and we have it almost everyday. Its citrusy, yet sweet and so pretty looking!! :) You could even add mint juice to make a mint strawberry lemonade, sounds good ha! :)

Ingredients:

20 strawberries
3 big lemons
Simple syrup(recipe follows)
full tray of ice cubes
8 cups of water

Simple Syrup:
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar


Method:

To make the simple syrup, at medium heat in a saucepan, add the sugar and water, and stir it gently till the sugar dissolves. Let cool.

Puree the strawberries along with the lemon juice. Strain the strawberry puree through a sieve(may not be fine). Add the water and simple syrup and stir. Now, strain again into a pouring jar through a very fine sieve to remove all the strawberry seeds, so that clear liquid comes out.

Add the ice cubes, and its ready to sip and take you all through summer! ;)

Best Cold Coffee!

Raj loves cold coffee, and loves the one that I make. Apparently his frappucino wasn't good yesterday and so he wanted me to make him cold coffee today. He asked me to put the recipe up online, so that he does not have to keep asking me to make it everytime he wants cold coffee. ;) So here it is:

Ingredients:

1 cup 2% milk
4-5 cubes of ice
2 tablespoons vanilla icecream
1 1/2 teaspoons nescafe
1 tablespoon good hot chocolate powder
2 splenda OR 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Method:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend it well, pulsing it a few times to make it frothy!

Pour it in a glass and top it off with whipped cream!

You could also substitute the sugar + vanilla extract with Torani vanilla syrup.

Berry healthy smoothie

I have been gyming more regularly now a days, and me being a vegetarian, I do not get a substantial amount of protein intake, hence I started having this smoothie that I make in minutes! We had gone to the farmer's market on Sunday and we got these really sweet strawberries and raspberries. I love raspberries in any form, icecream, chocolates or even cakes! One can even make this with blueberries or blackberries! Ok now for the recipe...It is simply berrilicious!!;)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups low fat vanilla soya milk(available at Trader Joe's)
1 banana
8-10 frozen strawberries
12-14 frozen raspberries
1 teaspoon sugar(or splenda)
About 5 ice cubes

Method:

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend it until really smooth and well blended!

Enjoy the berry healthy smoothie! ;)