Auravita.com News

Our crush on garlic thanks to WMF Profi Plus Garlic Press

Balazs Recommends

"Garlic, is a fundamental component of our every day cooking, creating a characteristic sweet and spicy aroma of our dishes. Not to mention the numerous health benefits of garlic. However, to make a perfect dish it is not enough to peel and then chop or mince the garlic with a knife... What you really need is a perfect garlic press! My wife and I have tried tens of garlic presses before we found the best one for our kitchen. We were looking for one that was simple to use, easy to wash and didn't require using too much strength to press. Most of our garlic presses worked well at first but after some time the hinges broke and they fell apart or the metal peeled off. Some of the presses also left a lot of waste or spoiled the flavour of the garlic leaving a 'metallic' tang to crushed cloves. After trying so many garlic presses I have finally found the perfect one!! I purchased a WMF Profi Plus Garlic Press from AURAVITA.COM. The best garlic press we have ever used!! That's what I call a quality GARLIC PRESS (with capital G)!! It is easy to use and feels comfortable in your hands. It is heavily constructed and feels solidly built. It's made out of high quality stainless steel so nothing peels off. It also has a great feature, a hopper that lifts up for easy cleaning. And most of all, it gives a maximum taste and produces regular pieces of garlic to get a nice and consistent distribution of the garlic flavour throughout the dish. We would certainly recommend this garlic press to everyone. It is unbelievable how this little amazing item can make your life and cooking easier and more pleasurable. "

Are you ready to flip on Pancake Day?

Every year, the day before Ash Wednesday, in different regions of the world, people celebrate Pancake Day - also known as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.

But why do we celebrate Pancake Tuesday? Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time linked with penitence, abstinence and reflection. For this reason, people consider Shrove Tuesday as the last day of food binging before 40 days of moderation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This day is famous not just for deliciousness (can you resist a pancake?) but also for traditional pancake races - a good way to burn off the calories! These fun races are hosted in many villages around the UK - the oldest dating back to 1445 in Olney, Buckinghamshire.

The competition sees people running along, holding a frying pan and flipping the pancake, without letting it fall before reaching the finishing line. It sounds easy but it’s not: hard flipping-training is required to become a master and to be able to win the race!

Getting back to the pancake itself, depending on your taste and batter, you can make different versions: sweet or savoury, thick or thin. For all of them the ingredients and technique is the same: mixing together flour, milk, eggs and sometimes baking powder; the batter has to be left a couple of hours to rest and then you can pour it (be careful with the quantity) into a frying pan. When the topside starts to show few bubbles, the pancake is ready to be flipped. 

The good thing about pancakes is that they can make happy a sweet or a salty tooth. In fact, it’s not unusual to find pancakes served as main dishes, filled with savoury ingredients such as meat, veggies or cheese.

Pancakes are very easy to make and they don’t require too much effort. When you have found your perfect batter recipe and your flipping skills are good, you will find yourself preparing them all year round!

Here's a yummy recipe from  Sukrin chef: 

 125g plain flour (or gluten free plain flour)

20g Sukrin Fibrefine

 25g Sukrin Mandelmel organic fat reduced almond flour

10g Sukrin Melis

 350g milk

 Sukrin Gold and lemon to sprinkle

(8 Pancakes)

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk in the egg, and gradually stir in the milk to form a smooth batter.

Melt a little butter or coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan, and when hot pour in enough batter to coat the pan in a thin layer. Cook on one side, and then flip to cook the other.

Serve sprinkled generously with Sukrin Gold and lemon juice, or other topping of your choice.

Good to know: Sukrin Pancakes 100g contain 157kcal, 8g protein, 21g carbs, 3g fat, 4g fibre instead of regular pancakes, which 100g contain 180kcal, 7g protein, 27g carbs, 3g fat, 1g fibre

 Sweet & Savoury Toppings Ideas

Butter; Maple Syrup; Sugar; Whipped Cream; Creme Anglais; Creme Fraiche; Grand Marnier; Raspberry Jam; Strawberry Jam ; Orange Marmalade; Caramel; White Chocolate Sauce; Goat Cheese and Strawberry Jam; Mashed Banana and Brown Sugar; Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce; Blue Cheese; Lemon Curd; Caviar; Cranberry Orange Relish; Hot Fudge Sauce ; Rum-Glazed Bananas; Chopped Peaches; Blackberry Sauce; Sour Cream, Smoked Salmon and Chives; Apples and Cranberries; Peanut Butter and Jelly; Apple Sauce; Honey ; Cocoa Powder ; Cinnamon; Apple Cider Syrup; Apple Cinnamon Syrup; Apple Ginger Syrup; Ice Cream; Chocolate Spread; Bananas and Walnuts; Lemon Juice and Sugar; Banana and Honey; Bluberry Jam and Greek Yoghurt; Greek Yoghurt and Honey; Orange Juice and Brown Sugar; Bacon; Tofu; Peanut Butter and Honey; Chocolate Chips; Orange-Honey Syrup; Cottage Cheese; Cream Cheese; Sour Cream; Chocolate Peanut Butter; Cinnamon Honey Butter...

So, pick the perfect pan and tools, the best ingredients and toppings from our Pancake Day Shop and get ready to flip!

 

 

 

A place for everything, and everything in place...

Caroline Recommends

"With busy lifestyles, rarely we have time to cook from scratch when coming home from work, so it’s immensely convenient to have things prepared ahead of time - taking only minutes to prepare a decent meal. I like to prepare things as such, so marinated meat, chopped veggies, pre-cooked ingredients etc… all need suitable containers to be stored appropriately. I also like to cook certain foods in a big batch to share with friends and family, or freeze for later. Then there are the dry ingredients and store cupboard essentials. I cook many cuisines, and my cupboards are laden with all sorts of grains, seeds, powders & whatnots. Whatever won't fit into a suitable size canister or jar will be left in the bag with the top scrunched up and clipped - trying (but failing) to ensure it’s airtight. The many odd-sized bags with colourful bag clips are an eyesore, while some re-sealable packs are left with more packaging than content. So, with a never-ending list of things to store ‘properly’, my larder, fridge and freezers are jam packed with every type of container imaginable. Over the years, I've accumulated every different kind - from recycled glass jars to the high-end branded ones. Problem is, because they are all different shapes and sizes, space optimization becomes a loosing battle. Worse, in the process of keeping tidy, everything gets messy to look at - all the odd shapes, sizes and colours of the glass, plastic, acrylic, metal containers! I’ve always wanted identical airtight containers in many different sizes. No brand would do more than 3 sizes, or if they do, they would all be sold in sets so you can't buy more of what you need or leave those you don't. Many even-sized sets will have 'Tea', 'Coffee' and 'Sugar' already marked on them. The expensive metal canisters - I forget what's inside them, and I don't want to stick a label in fear of hurting their aesthetics. Glass ones are heavy and fragile. Then, I found Pure Seal containers. They are lightweight, see-through and airtight! There's every size you need, can be bought separately, and some of them even have 2 - 4 (depending on the size of the box) removable compartments. An extremely handy feature when you have different ingredients to go into one dish but need to be put in at different times for even cooking. I stored chopped peppers, carrots, courgettes and diced chicken for next day's rainbow stir-fry in one tidy box! I’ve since reorganized my kitchen storage, and am extremely pleased with the results. A place for everything, and everything in place - hooray! I highly recommend these handy, hardy, practical and economical Pure Seal Containers. The possibilities are endless. "

Easter fun the kids will love!

Easter is around the corner and kids are already on holidays. Are you looking for something little bit different than ordinary Easter egg hunt? We have got some ideas to keep your kids busy and entertained for a while.

It is time of the year when bunnies are the centre of attention. All kids love to show off their fabulous bunny outfits. Let them get out into the garden for an Easter egg hunt dressed up as bunnies, bumble bees or pirates and give a special prize for whoever finds the most eggs. 

For more Childrens Dressing Up ideas click here.

For more Easter Fun For Kids ideas click here.

Bring some Easter fun into your kitchen & bake some delicious treats with your kids that will make any Easter Bunny proud. What kid would resist yummy cupcakes shaped like Easter egg basket?

The most fun of all is decorating them with jelly beans or mini chocolate eggs. They will look absolutely stunning in Kitchen Craft Sweetly Does It Spiral Cupcake Tree.

For more Easter Baking & Cooking ideas click here.

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup corn starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk

For decorating		For the white icing
2 bags jelly beans Mini chocolate eggs Sweetened coconut Green food colourings Pipe cleaner or liquorice		1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (3 2/3 cups) confectioners'sugar 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (optional)

Preparation Method

1. Sift together flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla. Beat in the flour in three additions, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour. Do not overbeat.
3. Scoop ¼ cup batter into 24 regular sized muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes from pan and cooling on wire racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
4. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. If too thick to spread, beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.
5. Frost the cupcakes with white icing. Bend a pipe cleaner or a piece of red liquorice into an arch and push the ends into the sides of each cupcake.
6. Shake the shredded coconut in a stainless steel bowl. Sprinkle on food colouring bit by bit, mixing vigorously to distribute the colour.
7. Place a pinch of shredded coconut on each iced cupcake. Place three jelly beans or mini chocolate eggs on the "nest" of coconut.
8. Tie a small ribbon bow on the pipe cleaner or liquorice handle at a jaunty angle.

Wishing you Happy Egg Hunting…