Shivaay Delights Wishes You A Happy New Year!

As I look back on 2013, I can surely put my hand on my heart and say it has been one of the best years of my life! Six months ago I had the notion to register onto WordPress and write out my very first post, a roasted vegetable bake with pan fried halloumi

I am now a fully fledged member of the WordPress family and I have all of you to thank graciously! You have all made me feel so welcome and I feel part of something extremely big and wonderful! To see where my daily recipes and thoughts are reaching around the world gives me continued excitement and joy.

I have never in my life, felt such a beautiful connection as I do with you all, my friends! so Thank you once again!

I wish you a stunning Happy New Year and hope all your dreams and aspirations come true. Lots of love and light always D x

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Cassava ~ 2 Ways!

Coming from a family of foodies, it is not surprising that I am truly influenced by them and their cooking style!  We have always ventured out in vegetarian cooking and tried new things.  Here my dad and brother took the lead at our Christmas get together.   My Dad’s favourite root vegetable cassava was used and both came up with fantastic dishes and tastes.

If you like your cassava/mogo then here are 2 extremely simple ways to prepare it!  Both healthy! But one extremely spicy version from my Dad that I don’t think any of us will ever forget in our life times lol!

and another mild version to suit all by my brother!

First my Dad’s Hot & Spicy Schezwan Cassava Recipe

• Steam a packet of frozen cassava until soft and tender

• Preheat the oven to 200°c, and lightly grease an oven tray

• Lay out the cassava pieces on the tray, sprinkle some salt

• Add 2-3 tablespoons of Schezwan sauce.  Coat all pieces well

• Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes and then serve on it’s own for ultimate heat or with a cooling yoghurt dip

My Brother’s Baked Bite size Garlic Mogo (cassava)

• Steam the frozen cassava until tender and soft

• Slice into bite size chunks

• Sprinkle ‘so juicy garlic mix onto the cassava.  Pour a little olive oil to add moisture,  combine thoroughly

• Put the seasoned cassava into the cook and bake bag and bake on 180°c in the oven for 25 minutes

• Season with salt and a dash of fresh lime juice

Enjoy! Perfect party food for your New Year’s Eve Party! Woooo hoooo!!!

Out Of This World Quotes!

Pear & walnut bread with a butterscotch glaze

Shivaay Delights

Pear and walnut is a great combination in a salad so I thought it would be perfect in a dessert bread. The butterscotch glaze, I’m sure will remind you of your childhood if your grandparents were anything like mine. They always had butterscotch sweets to hand! And our parents could never say no to having them when they were given…

To be naughty once you’ve made the bread..you most likely will have some glaze left over which made a lovely dipping sauce as I found and indulged in. Enjoy x

INGREDIENTS

125g brown sugar
160g natural yoghurt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
2 medium pears cubed 1 cm pieces
50g chopped walnuts

Butterscotch glaze
2 tbsp butter
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk
2-3 tbsp icing sugar

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Mini Mature Cheddar & Cayenne Scones

I love cheese and I love chilli! I’m always craving that combination! So I thought as it goes extremely well together, that I can make up a recipe for these two ingredients as a traditional savoury scone.

I made mini scones so didn’t feel guilty having one! You get the strong taste of the mature cheddar with a delicate hint of chilli which hits your taste buds right at the end. They nicely spiced up my palette after all the yummy sweetness I enjoyed over Christmas! Hope you enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS

200 g self raising flour
50g butter
60 g mature cheese
150 ml milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
A little milk to brush the scones

METHOD

• Pre heat oven 220c/425f/gas mark 7
Mix flour,pepper and salt. Rub in the butter

• Add cheese and bind with milk to form a soft dough

• Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough a little and then pat dough to 1.5 cm thickness. Use a mini cutter and cut out scone rounds

• Grease a baking sheet on a tray. Place the scones on that tray and brush with milk

• Place in oven for 12-15 minutes until nice and golden orangey brown.

• Cut in half and butter. Best served when warm

Christmas Day desserts: profiteroles and meringue cake

This will cheer everyone up! It did me! Wonderful desserts by dear Elaine @ Foodbod x

Chocolate salted pretzels

If you have a bag of salted pretzels just sitting there waiting to be munched on. Dip them in this delightful chocolate syrup. Making them even more moreish than they already are! x

Shivaay Delights

I know this is a ridiculously simple idea and everyone has done them before, but I was just silly excited as my little one helped make them for his baby brother’s birthday party.  I’ve restricted him from chocolate until now and this was his first experience with melted chocolate…boy did he have fun.  We had chocolate on the table, on the fridge on my cupboards! The cleaning wipes were following him around everywhere lol!

Salt and chocolate combination, can’t get any better.  I couldn’t find ready made ones so I made them instead!

INGREDIENTS

Medium bag of salted pretzels
150g plain chocolate
3 tbsp milk or more depending upon consistency
2 tsp golden syrup

METHOD

1. Melt chocolate in microwave on for 2 minutes on a medium heat, zap it a little more if needed.  But use the residual heat from the chocolate to let it melt naturally also.  Stir…

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Merry Christmas Dear Friends x

Have a warm, loving and beautiful Christmas! ♡

Enjoy the Fun, Festivities and FOOD!

Much love D xxxx

Roasted Chestnuts ~ A Christmas Favourite

My very earliest and fondest memory of Christmas alongside opening a Tiny Tears doll! Is standing in the freezing cold with my family of five on Oxford Street!

Waiting eagerly for the man to hand over a bag of sweet, soft and delectable roasted chestnuts!  How the hot steam would swirl out of the brown paper bag.  Such a welcoming warmth to our frozen fingers! 

I recreated the chestnut memory for my little ones today, but not on Oxford Street but in the comfort of our cozy home!  My very nearly 3 year old son thought they were chocolates and wanted to eat them raw! But I prepared them alongside him and then he took great enjoyment opening them once cooked, to reveal the yellow fleshy kernel!

Such a beautiful day! And more brilliant memories made xxxx

Merry Christmas!
Much love D xxxx

Cookie Cake Bars! I couldn’t resist!

I’m sharing with you all a recipe I constructed recently. A cross between a cookie and a cake bar with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping ☆
I made a smaller quantity that way I would limit eating a lot. But they were so yummy that in less than 24 hours they mysteriously disappeared lol!

Will be making another batch soon. I enjoyed mine with a chai latte! Pure heaven x

Cinnamon sugar cookie cake bars

INGREDIENTS

125g unsalted softened butter
50g dark muscavado sugar
35g caster sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp salt
1 free range egg
½ tsp almond extract
125g plain flour
2-3 tbsp milk
Cinnamon sugar-3 tbsp caster sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon powder

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f. Grease a rectangular baking dish

• Cream the butter and both types of sugar until light and fluffy

• Add the baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt

• Stir mixture gently for 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and almond extract

• Sift in the flour slowly and mix until combined

• Transfer the batter into the baking dish and spread to about 1cm thickness

• Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until sides crisp up a bit and a skewer when poked in to the cake comes out clean

• Leave in the dish to cool, sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar when it is warm. Slice into bars when completely cool