Allergy free Bounty (dark chocolate coated coconut) recipe

Hmmm. Too many projects have messed up my fingers. Ah, stuff it. Chocolate!

Ingredients

Coconut filling

• 200g allergy free condensed coconut goat’s milk
• 150g desiccated coconut
• 2 cups icing sugar

Chocolate dip

• 200-300g 70% dark Lindt chocolate
• 2-3 tbsps Nuttlex

Method

Coconut filling

• In a large bowl, mix the milk and coconut together.
• Add enough icing sugar to form stiff dough.
• If the dough doesn't quite reach manageable form then refrigerate to let it begin to set.
• Form small balls and place them on a plate.
• Refrigerate the coconut pieces to set completely.
• If you want to set them quickly, place them in the freezer for ten minutes.
• If the coconut mixture wont form a ball, refrigerate or freeze spoonfuls on a plate until they set and can be handled. Then roll each portion into a ball and refrigerate again.

Chocolate dip

• Line a baking tray with aluminium foil.
• Combine the chocolate (including any leftover from sticking the wafers together) and Nuttlex in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave it to melt the chocolate completely, stirring every minute. Alternatively, melt both in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of warm-hotish water (don’t boil the water).
• Using either two forks or two spoons, dip the coconut pieces so they are completely covered and place them on the baking tray.
• Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

Note

• I had slightly more than 200g allergy free condensed coconut goat’s milk to work with so the ingredient amounts that follow are an estimate for a smaller batch. Adjust the filling ingredients if necessary so that you can work with it easily.
• The amount of chocolate dip required will vary due to numbers of balls to be dipped and their sizes. If necessary, work in batches or 1 tbsp Nuttlex per 100g chocolate.

Allergy free condensed coconut goat’s milk recipe

Ingredients

• ¾ cup goat’s milk
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• ½ - ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

• Mix the sugar and milks together in a saucepan and place it over a small burner.
• Stirring often, bring the milk to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
• As soon as steam starts lift off the milk and lower the heat.
• Reduce the quantity in the pot by approximately half (may take up to 2 hours so prepare ahead if using condensed milk in a recipe).
• Stir frequently while reducing so that a skin doesn't form and to make sure the milk doesn't boil.
• Once reduced to your satisfaction whisk in the vanilla.
• Allow the mixture to cool considerably before using.

Note

• Use for coconut flavoured treats like coconut filled chocolates or coconut slice.

Allergy free Indian mango chicken curry recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½ red capsicum, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp yellow mustard powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp mango chutney
• 2 mangos, peeled and diced or 2 x 425g cans mango, drained and diced
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 250ml full fat coconut milk
• 1 double chicken breast, cut into thick slices or chunks
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

• Heat the oil in a large wok over a medium heat.
• Add the onions and capsicum.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.
• Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
• Add the curry powder, mustard powder and cumin and cook for a few more minutes.
• The spices will absorb some of the oil so add a little more oil to the pan if anything begins to stick too much.
• Add the vinegar, mango chutney, coconut milk and ½ the mango to the pan.
• Increase the heat and bring to a boil then lower the heat.
• Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the wok from the heat.
• Scoop the sauce into a blender.
• Purée the sauce until smooth.
• Return the sauce to the wok.
• Add the chicken pieces to the wok.
• Return the sauce to a low simmer.
• Cover the wok and let the sauce cook for 8-10 minutes.
• The chicken should be just cooked through but use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check.
• Add the remaining chopped mango to the pan.
• Let the sauce cook, uncovered, at a very low temperature for another minute or two.
• If a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar.
• If not sweet enough, you can add a dash of sugar.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note

• If using canned mango, reserve the nectar and make mango ice blocks or mango tea cake.

Rosy's scrawled book recommendation: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

Skinwalker
Faith Hunter

Blurb

A year ago Jane nearly lost her life taking down an entire blood family of deadly rogue vampires that preyed on the helpless local populace of an Appalachian town. Now, after months of recuperation, she’s back and ready to fight again. Except this time, she’s hired by those she’s trained to kill—vampires.

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. Back from hiatus, she’s hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.

Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own.

Publisher

ROC

ISBN

9780451462800

Rosy's Scrawlings on Skinwalker

This book was addictive from the start. Having a practical and deadly fighter with an inner big cat spirit that doesn't always want to play along and has desires of its own can mean trouble of the highest order. Or a great deal of fun, depending on your perspective. 

Jane has a character I could actually believe was strong and capable in a fight rather than one sporting weapons more as adornments. She has an unusual background and this only adds to her abilities to travel with her stake and kill on request. "Have stake, will travel" is her calling card and her main victims are supposed to be vampires, although when the dust settles this isn't always so. I also appreciated that Jane got into and out of certain tricky situations without either being constantly rescued or pulling off a completely unbelievable act. A certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required, obviously, as this is fantasy fiction but within reason Jane holds her own properly. In other words, Jane is a kick-arse character who can be identified with and held in regard.

The world of the book is less gritty inner city and more a wide-spread built up suburban area near hills and a forest, at least from my impressions. It doesn't take Jane long to travel between built up areas and the forest or graveyard etc. The landscape is varied and often stark. The forest becomes spooky and enclosed, the graveyard too open and arid while the centre of town seems to be made of one fortress after another, not to mention dingy bars and old houses. The reason I mention the world of Jane Yellowrock is that it isn't a constant blur of gritty grey city buildings or a whitewash of standard housing which can crop up in urban fantasy. The place where Jane stays is permanently cut into my memory as though it were one I'd walked through.

The action is face paced and fun. Magic is included. The world leaves you alternating between dark claustrophobia and brilliantly lit agrophobia. The men are nice and nasty in turn with each man quite capable of and willing to be both. The romance is laid back and slow paced despite being the hands on type due to the inner big cat's desires. As one who can easily be put off by flower romantic stories I can attest that this one didn't disturb me at all and was in fact rather intriguing for being a three way romance that included a long dead big cat. Unusual, no?

All in all, this book was just plain addictive. I now by all the titles of this series before reading the blurb or even seeing it on sale somewhere. They're on my list. You know the one, that list book addicts have that contains the titles of all as yet to buy and to be released books that you know you'll love. That one.

I'd suggest this book to: to women who love urban fantasy and subtle dark romantic stories where things don't always work out with the man or men in question. I'd also suggest this book to anyone who likes to read about rarely touched on paranormal beings and monsters as this series, while having vampires and werewolves does have witches and of course the extraordinarily rare skinwalker.