Spices of India - Little Turban Sauces

Are you looking to switch up your typical dinner dishes but afraid to branch out too far?  We here at The Amazing Blog have discovered unique Indian sauces, spices and other creative foods thanks to Spices of India’s, Little Turban.  Their sauces are a simple yet unique additive to everyday dishes or pair perfectly with authentic, Indian inspired meals.

Launched in 2006, Spices of India is the leading online Indian grocery store in the UK, specializing in true Indian foods, spices and cookware. They are proud of their gluten-free foods and sauces which contain zero artificial flavouring and colouring.  The Little Turban offers exceptional fresh curry based sauces, providing an alternative to dry mixes or pastes used in traditional Indian cooking.  Unlike most Indian sauces, all Little Turban sauces contain beetroot, orange juice and whisky for additional zest! Little Turban offers four sauce options, each with a different heat intensity.  The range of Little Turban sauces provided by Spices of India include Aromatic Bourbon Masala, Goan Coconut & Orange, Makhani Masala Curry, and Mughlai Qorma.  Though these four sauces are all unique in ways, Little Turban  suggest all of their sauces be served over chicken, lamb, king prawns or paneer.  All of these sauces arrive in a 400g box containing enough sauce to serve three to four people, making theses sauces an exceptional option for entertaining dinner guests.

When the Little Turban sauces arrived at our door step, I immediately jumped on the chance to mix up my usual cooking style.  I tried the Little Turban Makhani Masala Curry sauce containing tomatoes, melon juice, curry, cream, chili and other impeccable ingredients.  I prepared the recommended recipe below with the Makhani Masala Curry sauce and was not disappointed!  The sauces hint of sweetness from the melon paired perfectly with the spice of the chili and curry upon seared chicken and rice.

Makhani Masala Curry Recipe:

• Brown 450g diced chicken.

• Add the contents of the pouch and stir well.

• Cover and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through.

• Serve with naan bread or rice.

Add an additional zest to your typical dinner with the Little Turban sauces from Spices of India.  Purchase the sauce for the recipe above here for £4.95.

Friday Favourites – Keep Well in Spring

Despite the tremendous rainfalls we’re experiencing here in London, the birds are singing and its beginning to feel a bit like spring!  Unfortunately with this lovely change in weather come allergies, tiredness and occasionally the common cold.  Luckily, we here at The Amazing Blog have found a few healthy supplements, drinks and even snacks to help you Keep Well in Spring! First we have Hafkalk Food Supplements, an Iceland based company who stresses the importance of producing quality supplements.  Their three primary supplements, including Ocean Calm, Ocean Calcium and Ocean Krill, all include high-quality vitamins and minerals from local Iceland marine sources.  The Ocean collection is perfect for the preparation of spring because each supplement aims to improve a specific part of the body.  The Ocean Calm supplement combines minerals of the sea including marine magnesium and calcified red alge to enhance sleep.  Ocean Calcium uses calcium and minerals to improve bone and joint health.  The Ocean Krill supplement contains 100% Krill Oil, Omega 3 and natural Antioxidants to increase brain, heart and join health. It is recommended to take 2-4 of each supplement per day for the best results.  The Ocean Supplements are available online and can be ordered through Global Bounty. The Ocean Calm supplement can be found here, Ocean Calcium supplements are here and Ocean Krill supplements can be purchased here.

Staying hydrated is a key to staying healthy!  Substitute your morning coffee or tea with a glass of juice from Terrafertil Goldenberry Juice Drinks.  Goldenberry Juice Drinks originate from the Andean mountain Goldenberries (which we have written about before)!  Bursting with the Vitamins B-complex, A and C the vitamins in the small but mighty Goldenberries protect the immune system and maintain healthy skin while burning fat.  Not only is the juice a great source of vitamins but it is also gluten free, dairy-free and vegan friendly!  Beside natural juice concentrate of the Goldenberries, the juice also includes fruit extract concentrate, acidity regulator - citric acid and antioxidant - ascorbic acid.  These distict berries make for a delicious change to typical coffee or tea in the  morning. The Terrafertil Goldenberries Juice Drinks can be purchased from Holland and Barrett here.

No matter the season we all dread the lack of energy we occasionally have during our work day.  Unfortunately a cup of coffee or an energy drink unsubstantial for long periods of time.  Start your work day (and spring) off right with a natural energy lift from Amazing Grass.  Specialising in Organic Super Foods, Amazing Grass offers energizing, nutritional beverages containing the necessary vitamins of an entire meal.  Amazing Grass also offers Green Super Food Energy Bars.  These convenient snack-sized bars are packed with necessary nutrition for both adults and children.  These bars combine organic vegetables and fruit, as well as Green Super Food drink powder to deliver a natural energy boost.  With these wonderfully natural supplements, Green Super Food Energy Bars make for the perfect mid-day pick me up!  These bars are sold in packs of 12 online here for £35.99.

As mentioned before, energy drinks often come with a negative stigma of energy peaks and crashes.  Luckily we have discovered the world's first '100% natural, organic and FairTrade approved organic drink' from Scheckter's Organic Energy.  Being raised on Laverstoke Park, his families leading UK organic farm, Toby Scheckter  was inspired to quench the world's thirst and energy with a healthy alternative to energy drinks.  Scheckter's Organic Energy drinks are vegetarian certified and include zero synthetic caffeine.  Scheckter' Energy Drinks supplements the typical caffeine additive with organic raw coffee beans, organic guarana and organic green tea to energize yet calm the mind.   Becuase the ingredients in Scheckter's Organic Energy Drink are 100% natural, the effects of the drink are long lasting over substancial periods of time. Scheckter's Organic Energy also offer a 'Lite' version of the drink for those who are seeking a less caffeinated option. Get 'Powered by Nature' this spring by purchasing your Scheckter's Organic Energy drinks from mySupermarket here.

We hope our suggestions for Keeping Well in Spring assist you in your journey for a healthy and energising season!

Friday Favourites - Valentine's Day

To quote Robert Smith (lead singer of the Cure) “It’s Friday and [we’re] in love!” Yes, today is the day when lovers all over the world will be showering their loved ones with heart-felt messages and gifts. Don't worry if you don’t have a partner, why not just treat yourself! But for those of you that will be spreading the love, we here at The Amazing Blog have compiled a few of our Valentine’s Day favourites to help get you on your way.

Let’s start by setting the mood or the ‘ambiance’ for this special date night. Ancienne Ambiance is a British luxury brand that produces luxury goods and utilises fragrances that are inspired by ingredients and techniques from ancient times. They offer an array of beautifully candles, soaps, bath salts and oils. Their products are hand-poured and delivered in elegant purple (our favourite colour!) hand-crafted gift boxes. The brand has recently introduced the Lavendula Collection, which features top quality, pesticide-free lavender which is produced in both France and UK. From the Lavendula Collection, we particularly love the soaps and bath salts which immediately fill the office with an aroma of calming lavender (much needed to calm our hectic days...). The Lavendula Beauty Gift Set in full of lots of gorgeous goodies that  include a pillar candle, three soaps, bath & body oil and salts. The set is a perfect way of giving your loved one a relaxing evening and can be found here.

Given that Ancienne Ambiance specialises in the art of luxury candle making, we must mention their limited edition Valentine’s Day, Red Eros Rose Scented Candle. This premium three wick candle is scented with the most delicious Damascan Roses. It uses slow burning beeswax and best of all has no wax dripping issues. The Damascan Roses are used in particular to make a variety of rose-scented products due to their rich, floral scent therefore this candle is sure to fill the room with a sweet and irresistible fragrance. The candle is available here for £34.

If you want something a bit more unusual, why not give your loved one a unique one-of-a-kind vase filled with allegedly a 'thousand rose petals’. Ashleigh & Burwood creates home fragrances that are meant to beautify and enhance your home’s ambience through fragrance. Ashleigh & Burwood offers the Decadent Diffuser Gift Set which includes the scent of a ‘thousand rose petals’ in an artisan-made vase with mosaic detailing, guaranteeing no two vases are ever the same. This diffuser gives off a velvety, red rose scent that is enhanced with warm subtle spices and a twist of exotic ylang ylang. Ylang ylang is found in Southeast Asia and is used to relieve stress, induce happiness and act as an aphrodisiac. The diffuser gift set is available for £22.50 and can be found here.

Next we have a sweet treat for your date night courtesy of Charbonnel et Walker. They are the  purveyors of fine chocolates and have been crafting chocolates since 1875. For Valentine’s Day they offer various gift sets for that special someone. We were lucky enough to try the Truffle Kisses box which includes the signature Pink Marc de Champagne and the new Raspberry Marc de Champagne Truffles. We were excited to try these and they didn't disappoint with their decadent champagne kisses! The truffles have a hard pink chocolate shell that unveiled a delicate, chocolate filling, which was infused with hints of raspberry and champagne perfect for a romantic night in. The chocolates are hand-made and follow a traditional recipe which is couverture (which means the chocolate has a higher cocoa butter content) giving the chocolate a unique richer and silkier taste. The boxes come with complimentary gift wrapping thus making the presentation beautiful and hassle free!  The boxes are available in store or online here for £20.And if that dose of sweetness was not enough, pick up a box of Macarons by Babette. Babette is relatively new (launching in March 2013) and they supply to various cafes around London including Le Pain Quotidien  restaurants. Le Pain Quotidien offers macarons in boxes of two or six, but Macarons Babette takes on much larger orders depending on the occasion and event. If you really want to go over the top and ‘wow’ your partner, Macarons by Babette even offers a whole tower of macarons! Whatever your needs this Valentine’s Day, Macarons by Babette are sure to have a flavour for you. You can order yours online or find a supplier here.

Lastly, we have something that incorporates everything  for Valentine’s Day. It is an all-inclusive hotel that showers you and your lover in chocolaty delights. The Chocolate Boutique Hotel is located in Bournemouth, Dorset. It  houses 15 chocolate-themed rooms. They are offering three packages for Valentine’s Day but recommended the double room package as it includes a one nights’ accommodation, breakfast, a bottle of their Exclusive Spanish Cava, their Belgian Chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows to dip and a slab of chocolate with your very own personalised message.  There is also a chocolate workshop allowing you and your partner to learn about the origins and art of chocolate-making To book your night and see which package is right for you, go here.

 Whatever you and your partner decide to do tonight, we hope our suggestions inspire you!  We here at the Amazing Blog wish you a fun, passionate and decadently sweet evening!

Yu! - Jus Fruit Chews

Anytime we get in food samples to try out, there is an excitement that fills the air; we lose all manners and turn into children ready to devour our favourite sweets. With the these samples in particular, I was easily fooled into thinking it was a sweet and not a healthy fruit snack, better yet it tasted fresh off the tree. We here at The Amazing Blog love to find snacks that are just as delicious as they are healthy for us so when we heard about the Yu! brand, we just had to share them with you!

 The Yu! Jus Fruit bite-sized chews are made of 100% real fruit and are all under 90 calories per pouch! (Our bodies thank Yu!) They come in five delectable flavours like Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cherry, Strawberry, and Mango, which was the office favourite. The Yu! brand offers a variety of healthy products that include dried fruit pieces, yogurt-dipped fruit bars and granola-style treats all loaded with 100% real fruit, giving you all the benefits and flavours of fruit while on-the-go. These fruit pieces are great for a quick snack, cereal topping, or even for baking.

The Yu! company got its start when mates, Philip O'Connor and John Toomey got the idea to create snacks that would appeal to children and adults alike, by sneaking in a full serving of fruit into these yummy snacks. So trying to fool your children into eating their fruits just got a bit easier for all you parents out there. The company also makes it a priority to stay away from those artificial ‘nasties’  like sugars, colourings and preservatives. Yu! is currently allowing fans of the snacks to vote online and  have a say in the next flavour to be offered by the company. Personally, I am rooting for Pomegranate but let’s see how that plays out. If you want to get your hands on these amazing snacks, the Yu! products are easily available in-store (in the home baking aisle, next to the dried fruit) or online at your local Tesco. And since the doctor recommends having your five a day, why not knock one out with these tasty snacks!

Stapleton Farm - Yoghurts

There is nothing we like more than receiving delicious food to review at The Amazing Blog. Bizarrely, I was just saying to the girls, how much I love the creamy yoghurts that you get here in the UK and as if by magic Stapleton Farm sent us  a very generous array of the most UNBELIEVABLY delicious yoghurts.  They are a small company based in the wilds of the Devonshire countryside and save on the carbon foot print by only using milk from a local herd of Jersey cows (who by the way produce the creamiest of creamy milk ever….)

We must also quickly mention that Stapleton Farm also produces Ice Cream  as well as yoghurts. But what really impressed us is the traditional way that they make their yoghurts, not over-processed and in small batches of 30-litre pails. This way they have no need to use any additives or stabilisers (which are found in other bigger dairy companies products).  All their ingredients are natural and in the case of the Low fat 25% Fruit Range that were sent to us, there is quite simply just the yoghurt, fresh fruit and a little unrefined sugar – that’s it! What we particularly liked is that in each 150ml pot it contains only 0.5% fat and has over 25% more real fruit than any other brand of yoghurt. They have a selection of five flavours: Raspberry, Nectarine & Passion Fruit, Apple & Blackcurrant, Strawberry & Clotted Cream and Gooseberry (ahem, we should add that the latter two are approx 3% fat – but so worth it!) They even have some recipes suggestions that are perfect for that quick little ‘cheat’ for when you have unexpected guests.

I know what you’re going to ask: “So what was your favourite flavour…?” Well to be honest they all were. But for me the Gooseberry one really stood out – I’m from Spain and we don’t have Gooseberries, they are a very British fruit. Absolutely delicious! Apart from having fallen in love with your country I’ve now fallen in love with your Gooseberries! You can find these little pots of yumminess at 75p each in Waitrose they are also available in ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tescos but only in the South West… Come on supermarkets, wake up and take them Nationwide!