Vegetarian Strawberry Panna Cotta with Rosy Strawberry Compote

A very Happy Birthday to us!! Yes, on this day, two years back, I ventured into the world of blogging with a strong passion to explore and enjoy the art of cooking and serving people with love. Little did I know then how drastically my life would change and how far I have reached from being just a homemaker to being a Home Baker and now an instructor too!! That's a long journey that I have covered and there are still miles to go before I reach my destination. Your love and appreciation had brought me here so far and I hope to continue receiving the attention and encouragement in the future too. Keeping with my blog's theme of quick and easy recipes and delicious too, I celebrate this day with another such awesome dessert which is insanely easy to make and equally stunning to look at!! 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup full cream milk

1 1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

1 1/2 cup strawberry pulp made from about 250 gms of stemmed and hulled strawberries (I used my stock of fresh and frozen strawberry pulp)

1/4-1/3 cup sugar depending on your taste

1 tsp vanila extract 

3 tsp agar agar powder (you can also use 3 tsp gelatin powder)

For strawberry compote 

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries washed, hulled and halved

1/4 cup water

3-5 tbsp sugar, depending on your taste 

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rose water

Direction 

Mix the milk and sugar and sprinkle the agar agar on top. Let it stand for 5 minutes until dissolved. Now switch on the flame and while stirring constantly, put the pot of milk on medium flame. If using gelatin, be careful not to boil the mixture. It should be just hot with small bubbles just starting to appear on the sides. 

For gelatin users, make sure the gelatin has dissolved completely and no lumps remain. Check this by taking a bit of the milk mixture in your hands and checking the texture with your fingers. Grainy means a bit more of mixing and heating, but no boiling. 

If using agar agar, you will need to boil the mixture until the mixture is smooth and creamy and slightly thickened. Remember to bring it to boil for just once and that should be good enough to dissolve the powder. 

Now remove from flame and mix in the cream and vanilla. Whisk well. Next add the strawberry pulp and mix again. Check the taste and add more sugar if needed. If adding more sugar, bring the mixture back to the flame and stir constantly till the sugar dissolves. 

Cool the mixture slightly to being warm. Meanwhile, lightly grease the serving bowls, if you wish to unmould. If not, just keep them ready to pour in the cream. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins and chill till set. 

For the strawberry compote, mix strawberries, sugar, lemon juice  and water in a non stick pan and put it on stove top on a medium flame. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning. The mixture will thicken and will have a saucy consistency in about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the rose water. Stir and let cool. Pour this on top of the set panna cotta and chill or serve immediately!!

Super Easy and Quick Blueberry Sauce

Cooking cannot get easier than this! Just two ingredients and you have a chemical free, preservative free, fresh fruit sauce ready for your anytime use, not to mention the super economical factor. I prepare s fresh fruit sauce every week for my husband 's everyday Granola Parfait breakfast which he loves. Last week it was Raspberry and this, blueberry. Both the recipes are shared below. In fact, you can use this recipe for any berry or a combination of berries!

Ingredients

1 cup blueberries/ raspberries/or any other berry

2-3 tbsp sugar depending on your taste and tartness of the berries

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (if you intend to store it for a longer duration)

Direction

Take a non stick pan and put the blueberries and sugar and start stirring on a medium flame. If using raspberries or strawberries or similar, pulse a few times in the blender before adding to the pan for ease of cooking. Cover and cook the sauce on slow flame till the berries are softened and the sauce is bubbling and has got a shining glaze. Keep scraping the sides intermittently. That's where the sugar gets stuck. Now add the lemon juice and check the seasoning. The lemon juice will prevent the sugar from crystallizing and also impart a wonderful flavor. Lastly, add the vinegar and let the syrup reduce to desired thickness. Do not use artificial white vinegar as it will ruin the taste. In case you do not have balsamic or any other sweet vinegar, you can skip it. Store in a clean glass jar with air tight lid in the refrigerator and use a clean spoon every time you serve it.