My Grandma's Sweet Tomato Chutney Recipe

My love for cooking definitely stems from my mum. I know everyone says they're mother's the best cook, but I truly haven't tried anyone's cooking that I liked more than my mum's. She learnt through experience, she doesn't really care for measurements and other technicalities, so it feels like cooking is a natural talent for her. But that's far from the truth, she told me how many times she made countless blunders in the kitchen, when as a young girl, her mother (my grandma) told her she should learn proper cooking. 

My mum's experience resonates with mine. I didn't start enjoying cooking until I was well in my twenties! My first tries at baking and cooking were disasters, and I'm the kind of person that gets discouraged quite easily. So I didn't approach cooking again until much later, when I actually needed to know how to cook.

My mum was always patient and understanding throughout my journey, never pushing me to cook, as many other women of brown parents may have experienced. One thing is true though, even if I didn't enjoy cooking back then, I would always watch my mum cook. I may have picked up a thing or two by just watching, but I'm definitely nowhere near her skill level. One of the things I always watched her cook was my favorite sweet tomato chutney. It takes a couple of hours for it to come together, but oh, it is so worth the wait. Sweet and tangy tomato chutney by my mum is heavenly, she learned it from her mother, of course. And finally I have gathered up the courage to make it. It takes only three ingredients, but you'll have to be patient. 

Click image to watch video-recipe on my YouTube channel

Tres Leches Cake (easy recipe)

Tres Leches is a classic cake recipe in some parts of Latin America, specifically in Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, although it seems it originated in Mexico. The cake's name "Tres Leches" refers to the three types of milk the sponge cake is soaked with: regular milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. It is a cake that is served chilled in the fridge, eaither with a meringue or whipped cream topping, and it's refreshing for summer time. The great thing about this cake is that it is very easy to make, and it is delicious, impress your family or friends with this people pleasing cake!

Click on the image to watch the video-recipe on my YouTube channel

Cocoa & Cola Cake

I was surprised to find that using Coke in cakes is a fairly common practice in some parts of the US, and before anyone asks, the cake doesn't actually taste of cola, it tastes like a chocolate cake, but with a very strong cocoa taste. So if you're a chocolate cake lover, you definitely need to give this cake a try.

Click on the image to watch video-recipe on my YouTube channel

First of all, you may use any kind of cola-flavored soda, the original recipe from pastry chef Pooja Dhingra uses Thums Up, a popular cola drink in India. It's important that it's a carbonated drink, because this will serve as a leavening agent in the cake. Use it with your favorite, whether it's Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or even Dr Pepper! Varying levels of sweetness of the drink may affect the cake, in my case I used a cola-flavored soda that had 5 gr of sugar per 100 ml, so not too sweet! I also used 100% pure unsweetened cocoa powder, so the cake wasn't very sweet, it had a very deep chocolate taste that you have to savor to get that hint of sweetness. 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

- 125 gr all purpose flour

- 30 gr cocoa powder

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 60 gr butter (melted)

- 200 gr sweetened condensed milk 

- 125 ml cola-flavored soda

For the glaze:

- 120 gr of bittersweet chocolate

- 200 ml sweetened condensed milk

- 40 ml cola-flavored soda

Procedure:

1. Pour out 165 ml of the cola drink and set aside, you'll need 40 ml to be completely flat for the glaze.

2. Preheat the oven at 180ºC (with top and bottom heat, and fan function).

3. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda with a whisk and set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter and condensed milk.

5. Add half of the dry ingredients into de butter and condensed milk mixture and mix.

6. Add 125 ml of the cola drink into the batter and whisk until well-combined.

7. Add in the rest of the dry ingredients into the batter and mix until there are no lumps.

8. Pour the batter into a lined 18 cm diameter cake pan and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

9. For the glaze, melt bittersweet chocolate (either in a waterbath on the stove, or in the microwave) in a heat-proof bowl.

10. Mix condensed milk into the chocolate with a spatula, and finally add in the 40 ml of flat cola drink, and mix well until everything is combined.

11. Once the cake is done, let it cool off at room temperature and then cut off any bumps off the surface.

12. Put the cake on a wire rack, and place a large plate under it, pour the glaze until everything is covered.

13. Let it sit in the frige until the glaze sets, add any toppings you like (I added some star-shaped sprinkles) and enjoy!

As I said, the cake doesn't taste like cola, but the chocolate taste is so deep, and the texture is spongy and fluffy. I don't know if anyone would like to make it taste more of cola, but I would think that brushing some of the drink on the cake before glazing it could do the trick, it would also help moisten it.

Hope you can try this recipe out, and let me know how it goes, I'm tempted to try it with Dr Pepper!

Caramelized Crunchy Mini Pancake Cereal (no eggs!)

Miniature sized foods have been a trend these last few months, with entire channels dedicated to tiny foods, today I'm sharing with you a little pancake recipe that has been very popular on TikTok: mini pancakes, and they can be eaten  in a bowl with milk, as in pancake cereal!

In this recipe I won't be using eggs, since many of my family members have been asking for eggless recipes, so I hope they like this one. Of course, this eggless pancake recipe works for normal-sized pancakes too, so if you have any family member with allergies, or any other dietary restrictions (for vegans, substitute regular milk with any plant-based milk and butter with vegan margarine)

Click here for the video-recipe on YouTube

Perfect Brownies Recipe

There are so many brownie recipes, because of course it's just a baking staple that you should definitely try at home instead of buying a premade mix, homemade brownies taste so much better and you can really add any toppings you like: chocolate chips, Nutella, even almonds or nuts for an added crunch.

Moreover, there always seems to be a battle going on between cakey and fudgy brownies, but in all honesty, I feel like brownies shouldn't be neither too fudgy nor too cakey, they should just be the right texture for a brownie, which is different from that of a cake and the texture of fudge. So here you have this recipe for perfectly balanced brownies that are just right: fudgy in the middle just a slightly cakey bite and 100% chocolatey!

Click image to watch the video-recipe

Just look at that crumbly outside with the OH SO FUDGY center, are you hungry now? If so, let's get started!

No Fail Basque Burnt Cheesecake (one of the Best in Spain!)

#SanSebastianCheesecake has been one of the trending topics in the culinary world for long, and it's all because of a cheesecake served in Restaurante La Viña, in the northern region of Spain, in the city of San Sebastian.

The restaurant is a long-time favorite for locals and tourists alike, but now even more so because of their scrumptious cheesecake: a jiggly cheesecake, creamy in the center, with a caramelized top, with a rich cream cheese taste. Imagine the Japanese cotton cheesecake with a denser cheese ratio, creamier, barely any flour at all, but keeping the jiggly and melt-in-your-mouth sensation. It's such a good cheesecake that it's one of the Best 10 Cheesecakes of Spain. 

Now, many of us aren't able to travel to San Sebastian to enjoy this heavenly cheesecake, so the chefs at Restaurante La Viña have actually shared their original recipe! Some food experts say that the recipe's actual results are very much alike the original cheesecake served at the restaurant. Moreover, it's a very forgiving recipe, with very few ingredients, little preparation time and only 40 minutes of baking.

Click image to watch the video-recipe!

So let's get cheesecaking!

Pumpkin Spice with 4 ingredients

Pumpkin spice is a mix of aromatic spices that you can add to a great variety of dishes; you thought that pumpkin spice is only for Fall and pumpkin pies? Well, think again, and try making a carrot cake with a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin spice! 

Click on the image to watch video-recipe

Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever

One of my favorite cakes is the ever classic carrot cake, with its moist and fragrant cake, and the light and creamy cream cheese frosting. I could eat unlimited carrot cake slices if I didn't have to watch the calories! It's a great recipe for any occasion, and I have to tell you, this is THE best recipe I have tried for a carrot cake.

Click image to view video-recipe

One optional, but for me, crucial ingredient in this recipe is... pumpkin spice! You my ask "Why pumpkin spice in a carrot cake? Isn't it just for pumpkin pies and other Fall desserts? The pumpkin spice adds the fragrance that pairs so well with carrots, adding warmth and just that flavor you need in a rich and lush cake such as this. You can definitely make your own pumpkin spice blend, I will leave the recipe I use in a future post, but if you can't find anything else, at least at some cinnamon and some nutmeg in the batter.

Almond Chocolate Cake (beginner friendly)

When thinking about making a full cake with filling and glaze, we usually think of a difficult process involving multiple layers, complicated ingredients and pastry chef-like skills. But baking a cake should bring us joy, and the truth is that the process can be simplified significantly. Even a beginner baker can whip up this cake to impress loved ones. 

I made this cake during the lockdown for my mum's birthday, and I certainly found it doable with pantry ingredients. It is a quite forgiving recipe, and beginner friendly, so do give it a try!

click the image for the video-recipe

Hello! I know I haven't posted in such a long time! I hope you are all well. Here is Spain the situation has been quite tough, as you may know from the news. Luckily, I was able to come back with my parents to spend the lockdown together.

Mango Kulfi 2 ways (easy recipe for Indian ice-cream)

It's getting warmer and warmer in this part of the world and I just can't be bothered to use the oven now, I prefer to make no-bake desserts to beat the heat, and what's better than my mother's easy recipe for mango kulfi? Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice-cream, it is very rich and dense because it's traditionally made from fresh milk that is boiled down until it's thick and creamy, unlike the Western airy and fluffy ice-cream. Traditionally, this process may take hours, as the milk is boiled on low heat to prevent burning and constant stirring is needed. But my mom makes an easier and quicker version that doesn't require any heating at all. It's a perfect summer treat, kulfi won't melt as quickly as regular ice-cream, so it's ideal to make into ice-pops.

Click here to watch the video recipe on my YouTube channel!

I will be showing you 2 different ways to serve it, choose the one your prefer or make both! They're both so simple and hassle free, you can ask your little helpers to give you a hand!

Fabulous Baked Rainbow Nachos

Let's wrap up Pride Month with a little Rainbow Tortilla Chips recipe! These colorful tortilla chips are not only aesthetically appealing, but they taste much like the plain store-bought Doritos! If you've ever made tortilla chips at home, you'll know that they hardly ever end up looking like the flawless store ones, well, here's a recipe that is a little bit more hard work than just toasting or frying corn tortillas, but it's totally worth the effort.

Click here to watch the video on my YouTube channel!

You'll start with cornmeal, not cornstarch, but actual yellow cornmeal, which is coarse and unprocessed, it looks like polenta but don't use polenta! The resulting dough may be unmanagable. For the basic recipe you'll need nothing more than cornmeal, water and salt. Now, since we're making Rainbow Tortilla Chips, we'll need a little something more.

4 Food Colors with Plant Based Ingredients

While I was developing the recipe for my Rainbow Tortilla Chips, I knew I wanted a natural alternative to store-bought food coloring, because I've always used them in desserts, and I've always disliked how much quantity I've needed to put to actually get a bright and vibrant color as opposed to the easily achievable pastel colors. And probably it's because of the brand I use, but most of those store-bought colors fade quite a lot after baking. So I started my quest for natural food colorings, and I found that very few people actually use natural coloring, despite the fact that all the colors are actually quite easy to achieve! The best thing is that I found brilliant chefs who incorporated these ingredients in colorful pasta. That might be my next project! Anyway, without more ado, let's get to the colors.

Chocolate Chip Milk Buns (no-knead)

Today I bring you an amazing recipe for soft, fluffy milk buns that require no strong or special bread flour, and no need to knead!

Milk buns (or pan de leche) are a staple of Spanish breakfast and "merienda" (afternoon snack), There are many varieties of this bread in supermarkets in Spain, but there's nothing like a freshly baked batch with a glass of milk.

Click here to watch video on my channel!

It's hard to believe these yummy buns are so easy to make, but take my word for it! They are a no-brainer. Just make sure to use good yeast (if it doesn't froth up after 15 min, it's not active anymore!) and allow the dough to rest the appropriate times.

Healthy and Spicy Apple Chips

Today I bring you a healthy snack recipe that I'm sure you're going to love. You probably already know the traditional apple chip recipe (if not, keep reading!); simple apple chips make such a great and healthy snack! It's unbelievable you only need apples!

Click here to watch the video-recipe on my YouTube channel!

You can make simple plain apple chips if you like them sweet, or you can spice things a little bit. They make a great on-the-go snack, to curb those cravings.

Chocolate Cookie Spoons

These Cookie Spoons are so adorable you won't want to eat them, and they're great on their own, but it's definitely better to decorate them with chocolate and sprinkles to add that little extra.

Click or scroll down to watch video on Four-Eyed Cook's Youtube channel

The recipe is so simple, it is absolutely fuss-free!

Orange Pound Cake with Chocolate Glaze

The classic pound cake gets remixed with the citrus flavor of oranges, vitamin C has never been so delicious! A slice of this pound cake goes perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning, or as a sweet treat for tea-time.

Click or scroll down to watch video on Four Eyed Cook's channel!

Easy 2-ingredient Chocolate glaze

Baking cakes is easily one of the most satisfying things I'm able to do in the kitchen, I love to bake cakes! On the other hand though, icing and decorating them... I tend to mess things up more often than not. So when I come across easy and fool-proof icing or glaze recipes, I get really excited. This is one of those recipes: a chocolate glaze that is made with only TWO ingredients, it's super easy to make and it sets very nicely too. It's the perfect glaze to up your cake a level without much effort!

Watch how to make this glaze on Four Eyed Cook's channel

Torrijas (Spanish recipe for Easter)

Semana Santa (Easter week) is one of the main holidays in Spain, so it's no wonder that there are many traditional recipes prepared specially for it. One of the popular sweets is torrijas, a dish similar to the British bread pudding. This recipe is quite easy and requires no oven, just a stove top and the main ingredient: stale bread.

The Spanish call for "pan del día anterior", or bread from the previous day, any kind of loaf of bread can be used, I will use a normal baguette that has been sitting the entire day and has dried quite a lot. Stale bread is preferred because it absorbs the milk without breaking apart.

Strawberry Panna Cotta & Passion Fruit Jelly Cups

Valentine's Day is almost here and if you prefer having a nice romantic dinner at home, I suggest you to try this easy, light and delectable dessert: Strawberry panna cotta and passion fruit jelly cups. You can make this dessert ahead, it's quick, you can adapt it to your favorite flavors, although I think strawberry and passion fruit is a great combination and they just match so perfectly with the theme of Valentine's day!

Click or scroll down to watch video on Four-Eyed Cook's Youtube channel!

The strawberry panna cotta is creamy, rich and fruity (think of a strawberry creamsicle!); while the passion fruit jelly adds a bit of fresh tanginess, just perfect to end a lovely evening with your significant other. Also, if your other half isn't fond of chocolate (I know mine isn't!), this type of dessert is a good alternative to keep things valentine's-y and sweet without the chocolate overdose.

This recipe yields about 500 ml, so it's perfect for two servings in 250 ml cups, although the one's I used were quite small yogurt cups of 100 ml each, so I got five small servings.

Cauliflower Béchamel sauce (dairy-free, gluten-free)

Incorporating healthy ingredients into international classic dishes like a pasta with Béchamel sauce (also known as white sauce) can be quite the struggle.

During the holidays I find myself cooking comfort foods too often, so when I decided to take on the challenge of incorporating veggies into pasta without my younger siblings noticing, I thought I make up with a genius idea: making a mock white-sauce out of cauliflower. Little I knew, that it is already a quite popular susbtitute for the classic Béchamel, and many chefs have already been using it.

So even though it is not a new invention, I'm still quite proud of my very own recipe, it is very simple, requires very few ingredients, and my fussy eaters didn't even notice the change.

Use this Cauliflower sauce as a substitute of Béchamel or white sauce 

It is also the perfect sauce for dairy-free and gluten-free diets, I used dairy-free margarine, but you can use olive oil if you prefer.

This cauliflower Béchamel sauce can be used in a variety of dishes: macaroni, lasagna, gratins... (just like the regular white sauce). So do try this recipe at home!