Mango Mousse, a quick and cheat recipe!

I am so glad I started the mango series recipes because I got to experiment, taste and enjoy each recipe… and I am overwhelmed with all the response. Today’s recipe, Mango Mousse, is rather a cheat recipe because I didn’t use egg whites. It’s just whipped cream, coconut cream and gelatin to set. You will end up having a silky smooth texture and full of flavor. Its quick to make if you have last minute guests! Have a look at the recipe and tell me what you think. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

Mango puree of 2 mangoes

Whipped cream – 1 ½ cup

Coconut cream – 4 tblsp

Gelatin – 3 tsp mixed with 2 tblsp of hot water and keep it aside                         

Castor sugar – 1/4^th cup to ½ cup, as per your taste

Vanilla extract – ½ tsp.

Method

      1.       Whip the cream with castor sugar and coconut cream.

2.       Add the gelatin, mango puree and vanilla extract and beat well till all the ingredients are incorporated.

3.       Pour the mango mousse in to serving glasses and let it set in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

4.       Garnish it with whipped cream or chopped mangoes and serve it chilled.

All the above pictures are copyrighted Tickled by Inspirations

Mango Cake, a perfect dessert for summer

A new week and a new recipe for the mango series!!

Every now and then we are reminded how precious our life is… our life is short… live it each day like you want to… if there is someone you need to forgive, just do it… if there is anyone you need to apologize, don’t wait because you do not know if you will be able to…. If you feel like calling up someone to talk then just pick up the phone and call … there is absolutely no point in postponing things. You never know if tomorrow will come. I lost a friend 2 days back whose life ended abruptly. I do regret that I couldn’t talk to her much and kept postponing our conversation. This is also a time for me to be grateful for a lot of things. And on this note let’s move on to today’s recipe.

It’s another perfect summer dessert…. Mango cake is a fresh, light and summery that needs a little bit of organizing for the recipe but not hard to follow. The combination of mango puree, whipped cream, fresh mangoes on top of a cake can beat any summer. You can make the sponge cake the previous day and assemble it later. I was happy I could try this out with friends who are my food critic or more like guinea pigs! I am blessed!!

So here is the recipe for the Mango cake.

Serves – 8 to 10

Ingredients

Egg – 4

Powdered sugar – 115gm

Flour – 85gm

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Hot water – 1½ tblsp water

Vanilla Essence – 1 ½ tsp

Whipped cream –  1 ½ cup (already whipped and ready)

Fresh Mangoes – 1 cup (small cubes)

Mango juice – ½ cup

Toasted coconut or muesli or granola for garnish

A couple of mint leaves or basil for garnish                  

Method

1.       Separate white and yellow of egg.

2.       Whip egg whites with electric beater till stiff and then add sugar gradually till all the sugar is added up.

3.       Add the yolks to the egg white mixture and beat well. Then add Vanilla essence and blend it well.

4.       Gradually add boiling water to the egg mixture while beating it. Whip it till the mixture is thick, frothy and three times in volume.

5.       Sift flour with baking powder. Fold this flour mixture with a spoon (not using the electric beater) adding half of it at a time to the egg mixture.

6.       Pour this batter in a greased 9 inch diameter and bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes at 180C till the cake feels like spring when you touch and leaves the sides.

7.       Cool the cake after it is baked. Then halve it across to sandwich the frosting.

8.       Pour mango juice lightly over the cake.

9.       Then apply mango puree generously on one side of the cake (I wasn't so generous!), then layer whipped cream on top of puree with a spatula. Then sprinkle chopped mangoes on the cream and sprinkle muesli or toasted coconut.

10.   Top this with the other half of the cake. And spread whipped cream on top and sides if you wish. Arrange chopped mangoes on it as garnish. And sprinkle muesli and mint leaves before serving.

Tips

1.       Add coconut cream to the whipped cream if you like coconut flavor.

I hope you get to make this and I would love to hear your reviews. And if you have any other variations to this cake, let me know. Enjoy your summer with this mango cake!

Above pictures are copyright Tickled by Inspirations

A Healthy Recipe: Mango Parfait with Chia seeds

Summer is at its peak and here I am taking advantage of the most popular summer fruit – Mango. So I kick-started the mango series with a healthy recipe today. Mango Parfait is one of the healthiest desserts I have made till now. It is simple, quick and healthy. And it can be served with breakfast and dessert. It can also be a post work out meal or a healthy mid-day snack. The combination of mango, granola and yogurt was just perfect and refreshing. And it is also a great way to introduce chia seeds to the family because it is packed with valuable nutrients. Try out this recipe and let me know what you think. This recipe again didn’t fail to impress me and you will find me making more of these in future. I have skipped the quantity of certain ingredients and leaving up to you to decide depending on the size of the serving glass.

Ingredients

Chia seeds – 3 tbsp

Almond milk – 1 cup

Honey - 2 tblsp

Vanilla extract- 1 tsp

Mango Puree

Granola or muesli

Greek Yogurt  

Fresh mango cut in small cubes and chilled

Method

1.       In a bowl, combine the almond milk with chia seeds, honey and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.

2.       Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

3.       Mix once more, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (for best results, refrigerate overnight).

4.       Remove the bowl with the pudding from the fridge about 15 minutes prior to serving.

5.       Layer parfait glasses with granola at the bottom, then top it with Greek yogurt, mango puree and lastly almond milk with chia seeds. Repeat the layers if the glasses are big. Then top it with diced fresh mango and garnish it with again with granola or muesli and mint or basil.

6.       Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

  

Add caption

Tips:

·         You can subsititute almond milk with coconut milk

·         Add toasted shredded coconut to the milk and as garnish

·         You can also use chocolate chips for garnish.

·         You can combine strawberries, cherries, banana or any other fruit of your choice.

All the above pictures are copyrighted Ticked by Inspirations

Recipe for the month: Moussaka

Moussaka, the traditional Greek comfort dish, is my all-time favorite dish that never fails me and guaranteed to impress everyone. I have to admit this is not an easy recipe and it requires ahead planning but totally worth all the effort. And it is a recipe you have to give it a try. The flavour of different layers of eggplant, meat sauce, potatoes and the white cheesy sauce makes this dish divine. This is a great choice of recipe when you have a large gathering at home because this can be made in advance.  It's a perfect weekend meal and you can forget about the calories for a while. One bite of this dish and get ready to swoon. So here is the recipe

Ingredients

·         3 eggplants cut into 1/2 inch thick slices (lengthwise or across)

·         2 medium size potatoes sliced 1/2 inch thick slices

·         salt

·         1/4 cup olive oil

·         500 to 650gms minced lamb/beef (I used lamb)

·         salt to taste

·         ground black pepper to taste

·         2 onions, chopped

·         1tbsp ginger minced

·         1tbsp garlic minced

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/4 teaspoon chilly powder

·         1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

·         1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

·         For the Béchamel Sauce

·         3 egg, beaten

·         100gms butter

·         3 cups milk

·         1 cup water

·         1/3rd cup all-purpose flour

·         salt to taste

·         pepper to taste

·         1 1/2 cups  Parmesan cheese

Method

1.      Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

2.      Pan fry the sliced potatoes and set aside on paper towels to drain.

3.      In an empty vessel put the washed mince and let all the moisture dry off.

4.      Then In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and add the minced lamb, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic and ginger. After the meat is browned, sprinkle in the spices. Pour in the tomato sauce and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

5.      To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in the milk and 1 cup water, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper. There must not be any lumps. Then set it aside to cool. Once it has cooled down add the cheese and stir. Then beat up the 3 eggs and add to the white sauce and set it aside. 

6.       So now we have to layer the eggplant, minced meat, potato and the sauce.

7.       Arrange a layer of potato in a baking dish which is greased at the bottom. Cover the potato with half of the meat mixture. Then arrange the layer of eggplant, cover this layer with the remaining meat mix. Pour the béchamel sauce on top.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese on top.

8.       Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Process of layering in pictures:

Tips

·         Make the meat sauce and béchamel sauce the previous day and rewarm it when assembling the dish.

·         Add mushrooms and spinach for variation. 

·         If you lack time, use the instant béchamel mix. I do it when I lack time!

·         Leftovers can be stored and refrigerator in airtight container and tastes even better the next day!

Above pictures are copyright Tickled by Inspirations

Artist of the month - Natasha Farrar

There are endless possibilities for all the creative minds out there in the world of art. Have you ever thought what a life of an illustrator would be like? You wake up every morning and just draw…too good to be true right? But that is exactly the life of an illustrator. And I believe the work of an illustrator always wins people’s hearts. One such illustrator who won my heart is Natasha all the way from Sydney. There is this soft, simple innocence that oozes out from her illustrations. Her drawings are whimsical, cute and cuddly. Have a look at her illustrations and let’s hear more from Natasha herself!

A brief about yourself. 

Natasha Farrar

I have lived in Sydney all my life, and spent most of my childhood drawing, playing the piano and making up stories with my toys. I studied Fine Arts for a couple of years but transferred to B.Music/B.Education (hons) with the intention of becoming a music teacher. I loved music and teaching! But got wildly distracted by some great opportunities whilst working in a chocolate shop, and focused on that for a few years before finally changing my focus back to picture book illustration! I illustrated a couple of books in 2016 for Little Steps Publishing. Now, I have a beautiful little girl who is about to turn one, so now I draw whenever she's sleeping. Basically, my life revolves around drawing, music, chocolate and babies. What more could one want!

How did your journey as an artist begin? Did you have any formal training or is it self-taught?

As mentioned, I studied Fine Arts for a couple of years, and have done a few short painting courses over the years. I studied picture book illustration through USyd's Centre for Continuing Education, but most of my style and technique has come through experimenting at home (and during school classes...)

How would you describe your illustration style?

Whimsical, girly, cute, and lots of scribbly lines!

What's your inspiration for your work?

Children and family… I love the imaginations kids have and how they can spend ages playing with something that adults would consider obsolete (like cardboard boxes)!

What is the most challenging aspect about your work?

Trying to capture individual faces and their spark in my simplified drawing style.

What is your creative process like? and what keeps you motivated?

Haphazard! I'm constantly starting multiple projects at once and am constantly having to check back that I'm not forgetting anything! I'm doing lots of custom illustrations for individuals at the moment. I get really motivated by their story and the reason for getting a painting done for their loved ones. They're all so sweet and I am constantly feeling privileged to be part of something that's really special for them

Do you commission different projects? And how can people purchase your work?

 I love commissions! You can check out the Commissions page on my website or email me for more info. I also have a Red Bubble store.

What is your favorite art piece that you have done till date?

I painted this hot air balloon one when I had just gone part time at work to focus more on illustration, and was changing my drawing style. So it marks a very particular point when things started to come together! 

Any tips or words of wisdom to aspiring illustrators who wants to pursue a similar career.

Enjoy the process! Join a community like Heidi's Character Design Weekly Challenge on Facebook- it gives you great motivation to keep drawing and also find some like-minded people in the world!

Thank you Natasha for sharing your art inspirations with me and my readers! 

If you wish to follow her work please click here 

Above images via Natasha Farrar