Recipes> Homemade Chocolates

Image: Homemade chocolates

Image by: Darwin Bel

Text by: Tanya Munshi

If someone offers you gourmet chocolates, relish the chocolates but don’t throw away the plastic moulds. You can use them again to make your own chocolates. Here’s how –

Ingredients:

• 300 gms/ 1 bowl of cooking chocolate chunks 
  
• 100 gms/ 1/3rd bowl of coco butter
  
• 4 tsp – powdered sugar
  
• 1 small bowl – almonds, raisins, cashew all finely chopped
  
• Liqueur of your choice
  
• Mint oil
  
• Moulds 
  
• Colorful foil paper

Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl add the coco butter and the chocolate chunks and heat them on low medium power for three to four minutes.
   
2. You can stop the heating process in between to check whether the chocolate and coco butter are melting and give a stir.
   
3. After completing the heating process, take it out from the microwave.
   
4. Now mix the melted chocolate and coco butter well and add powdered sugar.
   
5. Sift the sugar first, to prevent any lumps forming in the chocolate mixture.
   
6. Since we add coco butter, there is no need to grease the moulds.
   
7. Fill the moulds half with the liquid chocolate mix.
   
8. You can now add 1 drop of mint oil or a liqueur of your choice.
   
9. Now add some more melted chocolate on top.
   
10. For other flavors, you can simply fill the chocolate completely in the mould and add a cashew for one, a raisin for another and an almond for another. It is entirely up to you what kind of flavors and fillings that you desire.
    
11. Now place the chocolate filled mould in the deep freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
    
12. Tap the moulds from the bottom and the chocolates will come out with ease.
    
13. You can wrap each chocolate with a different color foil paper, or simply serve it as an accompaniment with deserts. Better still, gift this to someone special.
    

Note – Never overheat the chocolate, else it becomes hard.

Published in CookingGoddess.com, on July 6, 2007
Link: http://www.cookinggoddess.com/category/Recipes/Homemade-Chocolates/

Food & Health> Three Nutritious Juice Recipes

Image: A refreshing mocktail of fruit juices

Image copyright: Tanya Munshi

While the argument on whether certain fizzy drinks should be banned continues, we recommend some great alternatives that are tasty and nutritious.
Samyukta Ganesh, a consultant dietician based in Cochin, offers three low-cal fruit juices. These are made from fruits that are available throughout the year, ensuring that you quench your thirst and fill your tummy.

Apple, pomegranate 'n' tomato juice
Serves: 1 glass

Ingredients
~ 1 apple
~ 1 cup pomegranate seeds
~ 1 medium-size tomato
~ 1 cup crushed ice

Method
~ Wash, peel and dice the apple.
~ Dice the tomato and add it to the apple and pomegranate in the blender. There is no need to de-seed the pomegranate, just remove it from the skin and put it in the blender.
~ Add water for a fine consistency. Do not strain the juice.
~ Add crushed ice and serve

Health tip: Apples and pomegranates are rich in iron and potassium. Apples are also rich in fibre that gives a feeling of fullness, while tomatoes are a great source of vitamin A. "This juice contains essential vitamins and minerals which are required by the body," says Samyukta.

Sweet lime and pineapple juice
Serves: One glass

Ingredients
~ 1 sweet lime
~ 4 pineapple slices
~ Crushed ice

Method
~ Remove the skin and seeds from the sweet lime and put it in a blender.
~ Clean and chop the pineapple and it to the blender.
~ Blend well and add enough water for fine consistency.
~ Do not strain the juice.
~ Add crushed ice and serve.

Health tip: Sweet lime and pineapple juices are good sources of Vitamin C and are rich in fibre. "This juice is delicious, refreshing and contains essential micronutrients such as potassium, magnesium and zinc, which are necessary for proper growth and development of the human body," says Samyukta.

Papaya, orange 'n' carrot juice
Serves: 1 glass

Ingredients
~ 1 cup papaya
~ 1 medium-size orange
~ 1 small carrot

Method
~ Wash the carrot and dice it. Remove the seeds from the orange and papaya and dice them.
~ Add the diced carrot along with the papaya and orange in a blender.
~ Blend well.
~ Add water for fine consistency.
~ Add crushed ice and serve.

Health tip: Papaya, orange and carrot juice are rich in beta carotene and vitamin C. Samyukta adds, "Beta carotene is an essential nutrient for healthy eyes. Yellow fruits such as papayas and oranges are anti-cancerous and are also rich in vitamin A."

Quick tips
~ Add sugar if you're not watching your weight. In case of a weight control programme, add a low calorie sweetener like Equal. Add only one tablet.
~ Straining the juice will result in loss of fibre which is the real part of the juice. You throw it away; most of the nutrients are gone.
~ Use fruits bought freshly from the market, as the juice will stay fresh and not spoil under humid conditions.
~ Wash them thoroughly and deseed wherever necessary.
~ Fruit juices should be consumed within a day of preparation.

Juice versus fizzies
"Fresh fruit juices contain essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and are rich in fibre, hence they are healthy. Colas are carbonated beverages and should be consumed only in limitation or be completely avoided as they lead to obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and nutritional deficiencies of protein, vitamin, calcium and iron in the body. In fact, colas contain large number of empty calories as compared to fruit juices and their high acidic content lead to acidity that eventually leads to ulcers in the longer run," concludes Samyukta.

Published in Rediff.com, on September 12, 2006
Link: http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2006/sep/12juice.htm