Raspberry Yoghurt

Creamy, dreamy (and really simple) Raspberry Yoghurt

To round off the parade of pink foods I served for a baby shower, I needed a simple, tasty desert. Something that could be prepared ahead and served in individual portions.

I really should be embarrassed that I served something this simple, but it tasted great and look lovely.

Ingredients
(hardly altered from the blog ‘I can cook that’)
Makes about 12 small shot glasses

3 tbsp cranberry juice
2 tbsp sugar
900g frozen or fresh raspberries, defrosted
250g vanilla yoghurt (choose a good quality, organic yoghurt)
For decoration: 12 fresh raspberries
Optional for decoration: whipped cream

 

Recipe

1. Add the cranberry juice, sugar and the raspberries to a blender (reserve the 12 raspberries for decoration). Blend until smooth.
2. Strain through a sieve and discard the seeds. (It takes a while to push the liquid through the sieve.)
3. Combine liquid with the yoghurt.
4. Fill the yoghurt into the shot glasses.
5. Refrigerate for at least one hour or even over night.

Other pink foods for a baby shower:

• Quick Pink Salmon Mousse
• Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon
• Pretty in Pink: Devilled Eggs
• Raspberry Chicken
• Beet Bread
• Mini Meatballs – Plain or Pink
• Beet Hummus

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Hummus Coloured Pink with Beets

Hummus with beets – popping in pink

I still remember how years ago I discovered how easy it is too make hummus: you throw some chickpeas and a little seasoning in a food processor; you whizz it all together  – that is all. Not much of a recipe really.

But now I discovered that adding roasted beets turns hummus a stunning pink. Now this is a recipe worth sharing….

 

Ingredients
(inspired by the blog ‘Our Share of the Harvest’)

2 medium beets
60 (-120) ml lemon juice
2-3 tbsp tahini (to taste)
1-2 tsp salt
2 tbsp water
optional: a few splashes Tabasco
2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on how much of a kick you would like)
2 cans of chickpeas (about 450g / 16oz each)
1 tbsp parsley
optional: 60ml-100ml olive oil

 

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C / 375 F. Wash the beets. Wrap them in a foil parcel and bake 20-60 minutes unitl tender (depends on the age of your beets). They are done when you can easily insert a knife. When the beets are cool enough to handle remove the skin (wear gloves).
2. The trick to smooth hummus is the order in which you mix the ingredients: start with the tahini, lemon juice and water. Mix in a food processor until creamy, scraping the sides a few times.
3. Then add chopped beets and process until smooth.
4. Now add chopped garlic and chickpeas.
5. Blend until you have a creamy consistency.
6. If you would like a smoother consistency drizzle in the olive oil with the machine running.
7. Before serving drizzle with olive oil. Chop parsley and sprinkle on top.

Tips & Variations

Leave out the beets and you have a quick and tasty hummus.

Serve with

Other pink foods for a baby shower:

• Quick Pink Salmon Mousse
• Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon
• Pretty in Pink: Devilled Eggs
• Raspberry Chicken
• Beet Bread
• Mini Meatballs – Plain or Pink
• Raspberry Yoghurt

Spicy Mini Kofta – Plain or Pink

Kofta all stunning in pink

These flavour packed little meatballs are versatile: you can serve them on their own as finger food or at a picnic; you can turn them into a evening meal by combining them with flatbread, pita or couscous salad.

Make a double batch and keep some in your freezer – pull them out in the morning and have them waiting for you when you get home from work for an effortless meal.

The other week I hosted a baby shower and discovered you can also make them fabulously pink!

 

…just as tasty plain…

Ingredients
(the basic kofta recipe is slightly adapted from ”Kitchen Classics: Picnic Hamper”
the inspiration for adding beet came from the blog “Off the Spork” and was in turn based on Nigel Slater recipe)
approx. 30

½-1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 fresh red chili
2 tbsp fresh mint
1 tbsp fresh parsley
500g lamb mince (or beef and pork)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ cinnamon powder
1 tbsp tomato puree
a few dashes Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper

For red meatballs:
150-200g raw beetroot

Recipe

1. (For pink meatballs: peel and shred or grate the beetroot. Make sure you wear gloves.)
2. Chop onion, garlic, chili, mint and parsley.
3. Combine all the ingredients. (Do not overwork them meat.)
4. Form little balls (using about 1 ½ tsp of meat at a time.) It is advisable to fry one ball to check the taste. I usually find myself adjusting the seasoning.
5. You can let the balls sit in the fridge for an hour to make them easier to fry without them falling apart. (Although I usually do not bother).
6. Fry the meatballs on all sides until just cooked.

1. The meatballs can be made ahead and even frozen.
2. If frozen, defrost (in the fridge).
3. Place in an oven dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
4. Heat at 180C for approx 10 minutes.

 

Serve with

• Dip Sauce: Yoghurt, grated cucumber, chopped mint, salt pepper.
• Bread: Spelt Yoghurt Flatbread or Pita
• Or a filling salad: Couscous salad for example

Or as part of a pink-themed baby shower

• Quick Pink Salmon Mousse
• Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon
• Pretty in Pink: Devilled Eggs
• Beet Bread
• Raspberry Chicken
• Beet Hummus
• Raspberry Yoghurt

Beet Bread

Perfectly Pink Beet Bread

This Beet Bread is gorgeous looking (in a very shocking pink type of way) and ever so delicate and tasty. I made this bread for a pink themed baby shower and cannot wait for an excuse to make it again. What an incredibly fun (and delicious) discovery!

The only challenge with this recipe was that I do not own a kitchen aid stand up mixer. So I had to knead the dough by hand. Usually I enjoy feeling a dough slowly becoming soft and pliable. But in this case I had to wear gloves to protect my hands from the beets. However the dough started out so sticky that at first I could only work it with one hand ;  I needed the other one to hold up the glove! For ages I kept on adding a little flour and a little more (in the end I used about twice as much flour as the recipe asked for.) But the result was just stunning and worth the effort!

Ingredients
(Slightly adapted from the blog ‘Taste for Adventure’)
2 small loaves

300g beets (about 3 medium beets)
120ml milk
190ml warm water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
650-1000g unbleached all-purpose flour (the recipe asks for 500-650g)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
250ml boiling water

Recipe

1. Peel beets (use gloves). Cut into pieces and puree in a blender with the milk until smooth.
2. In a small bowl combine water, yeas and sugar. Let rest for 5-10 minutes until mixture turns frothy.
3. In a stand up mixer with dough hooks or in a bowl combine flour and salt. Add yeast mixture, beet puree and olive oil. Mix to combine.
4. Knead by hand (with gloves) or in the mixer for at least 10 minutes until the dough becomes soft and pliable.
5. Place dough in a bowl greased lightly with oil. Cover with cling film and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 – 1 ½ hours.
6. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and shape into one or two round or oval loaves. Place on the baking sheet and cover loosely with lightly oiled cling film.
7. Allow to rise until it has doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 190C with an empty oven dish placed in the bottom of the oven.
9. Cut slashes or a cross into the loaves.
10. Place the baking sheet with the bread into the oven. Pour the boiling water into the oven dish. Immediately close the oven door.
11. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the bottom center of loaf reads 85C.
12. Remove the loaves and allow bread to cool before slicing.

  

Serve with

Other pink foods for a baby shower:

• Quick Pink Salmon Mousse
• Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon
• Pretty in Pink: Devilled Eggs
• Raspberry Chicken
• Beet Hummus
• Mini Meatballs – Plain or Pink
• Raspberry Yoghurt

Perfectly Pink – Beet Bread and Beet Meatballs

Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon

Beautiful amuse bouch: Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon

Beautiful looking, healthy (well, if you omit the cream), and very tasty Quinoa and Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon. I stumbled across this recipe because I was looking for baby shower foods. This amuse turned out not only to be pretty and pink, it is a great combination of flavours and textures. I will certainly make it again.

The topping of pink whipped cream makes this amuse look gorgeous and adds a beautiful smooth texture. So if you are preparing this dish for a dinner party do add it. But this dish also tastes fabulous without the cream (my lunch the day after the party). If you then also omit the salmon, the quinoa “salad” makes a fabulous side for roast chicken (my dinner a couple nights later).

 

Ingredients
(Hardly adapted from the blog ‘La Tartine Gourmand’)
12-14 amuse bouche or 4 for lunch

200g (7 oz) red beets
6 slices (150g) smoked salmon
150ml (2/3 cup) whipping cream
200g (7 oz  / 1/2 cup) quinoa
3 tbsp chives
2 tbsp parsley
1 spring onion
1/2 tsp horseradish, grated  (I used some from a jar) (DE: Meerrettich, NL: mierikswortel)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tbsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Optional: a few sprigs of chives for decoration

 

Recipe

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C (375F).
2. Wash the beets. Place them in an aluminium foil parcel. Add a splash of olive oil. Close the parcel tightly. Cook the beets (20-) 60 minutes until they are tender. (The cooking time depends on the size and age of the beets.)
3. Allow the beets to cool and remove the skins (wear gloves).

1. Puree half the beets with 1 tbsp of the chives until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. If using a siphon: add the cream to the beets. Strain through a sieve and pour into the siphon. Refrigerate horizontally for a minimum of two hours.
3. If using a piping bag: whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the beet puree. Spoon into piping bag.(If you are making this dish ahead then prepare the cream not too long before serving.)

1. Cook the quinoa in salted water. Allow to cool.
2. Cut the remaining beets into very small dices. (Wear gloves).
3. Chop spring onion, parsley and 1 tbsp chives.
4. Mix lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.
5. Combine beets, herbs and dressing with quinoa.
6. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the dish (can be made day ahead.)

1. Cut the smoked salmon into thin slivers.
2. Chop remaining 1 tbsp chives. Add to the salmon.
3. Season with horseradish, salt and pepper. (Can be prepared a few hours or if necessary even a day ahead.)

1. Top quinoa with salmon and then pipe on the beet cream.
2. Decorate with chives.

 

Tips & Variations

• Leave off the cream for a healthier dish and serve for lunch
• Serve the quinoa without cream and salmon as a side dish for supper

Serve with

Other pink foods for a baby shower:

• Quick Pink Salmon Mousse
• Pretty in Pink: Devilled Eggs
• Beet Bread – Shockingly Pink
• Raspberry Chicken
• Beet Hummus
• Mini Meatballs – Plain or Pink
• Raspberry Yoghurt