Triple Hazelnut Pudding

I've been experimenting with milk alternatives recently and my top two favourites are by far the hazelnut and almond versions. The recipe below can also be done with milk or other milk alternatives, but with the hazelnut chocolate combination which brings back nutella sweet memories (a coincidence that it's served in emptied-nutella glasses?!) and the non dairy lightness similar to mouse consistency, I strongly recommend this version.

Ingredients:

1 litre organic hazelnut milk
125 g 85% organic dark chocolate
4 tbsp corn flour (aka cornstarch)
4 tbsp organic agave syrup
chopped roasted hazelnuts (couple of handfuls)

Directions:
Step 1: Start with the 2 cups of hazelnut milk, the chocolate and two tbsp of agave syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and whisking occasionally until the chocolate melts. Meanwhile stir 4 tbsp of corn flour with 1 cup of hazelnut milk in a bowl until the corn flour dissolves completely. When the chocolate-hazelnut milk is almost boiling add half of the diluted corn flour into saucepan slowly and constantly whisking. Bring the pudding to a simmer, constantly whisking until it thickens (should take a 3-5 minutes). Pour pudding into 6 small glasses.

Step 2: Repeat the above with the remaining cup of hazelnut milk, the other 2 tbsp of agave and the rest of the dissolved cornflour mixture. Pour carefully in the 6 glasses (on top of the already relatively cooler chocolate version) and let it cool.

Step 3: Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle roasted chopped hazelnuts on top just before serving.

Rainbow Sweetcorn Salad

The previous weekend we decided a BBQ was in order come rain or come shine. Luckily for the 4 hour slot we spend outside we had one of the 2 sunny intervals predicted for the day! To accompany the tons of meat I tossed a corn simple sweetcorn salad together with as many colourful things I could find in the fridge/cupboard.

Make sure you drain the sweetcorn well before tossing everything together. This was enough -as a side- for a dozen guests.

Ingredients:
700-900 grams sweetcorn kernels (2 large cans)
250 grams pomodorino tomatoes
1 green pepper
200 grams slices black olives (tinned)
olive oil
lemon juice
dried parsley

Jostaberry (vegan) Surprise!

Ever heard of these before? Jostaberries? Apparently they are a cross between gooseberries and blackcurrants and have a slightly sweet taste with a tangy tartness. So what does one do when these pop in the veg box? Well, why not combine them with an another "never-used -before" ingredient and hope for the best? I've been meaning to try the Oatly Cuisine Cream for a while now and luckily this combination turned out to be exactly what I was craving for, a creamy, light, sweet and sour, fruity summer delight. The blanched almonds are not just for the decoration, their taste fits very well with the rest of the ensemble.

To make this, first cut off the stems of the jostaberries and wash thoroughly. Simmer in a pan with the muscovado sugar for about 10 minutes or till it gets to that "jam like" consistency. Then add the agave suryp and 200 ml of the oatly cream. Mix the other 50ml of the cream with the cornflour in a cup and stir well until it completely dissolves. Then add the diluted cornflour into the pan and stir well for a couple more minutes till the pudding thickness. Let it cool for a couple more minutes and then pour in the serving glasses. Decorate with halved blanched almonds (dead easy to make, have a look here for a quick and clearly explained method). When it reaches room temperature pop into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Serves 2.


Ingredients:

200-250 g organic Jostaberries (stems removed)
2 tbsp muscovado sugar
2 tbsp organic agave syrup
1 tbsp cornflour
1 carton (250 ml) Oatly Cuisine organic cream
5-6 blanched almonds (halved)