Quick & Healthy Options for Entertaining

Coming together and celebrating with your family is an enjoyable pastime, especially if it’s something you can share, such as new year celebrations, or a children’s birthday (while planning for the party with friends at a later date). Yet it’s also true that many of our indulgences, such as drinking an incredible amount of soda and eating sugary sweets, could be considered somewhat unhealthy. … [Read more...]

3 Deliciously Easy Chickpea Recipes

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are an incredibly versatile, and not to mention delicious ingredient. They are good in both hot and cold dishes and often come stewed, or smooshed. Chickpeas are also perfect in vegetarian dishes as an alternative source of protein. You can buy them dried, canned, or in a jar, and they can be stored for many months. This makes them a perfect addition to your store … [Read more...]

Vegetarian Green Bean Casserole

The Holiday season is almost upon us, and if you are like me, you have probably started planning your parties and social gatherings and slating weekends to fun, family-friendly events! For me, its easy to decide what the stars of my dinner table are going to be. But when it comes to all the side dishes, I need to put some serious thought into it. These side dishes are as important as the main … [Read more...]

Appetizer Crisps with Cran-Apple Chutney & Aged Havarti

It's that time of the year when almost everyone is busy planning parties and gatherings, and food definitely takes a center-stage on all these occasions. From appetizers to dessert, everything deserves some elaborate planning. But I often think, entertaining shouldn't be such a hassle always, right? I mean, I love preparing elaborate meals for my family and friends, but sometimes I just want to … [Read more...]

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pecans & Cheese

Baked sweet potatoes, with chopped pecans, crumbled cheese and spiced herbs   Sweet Potatoes are one of my favorite veggies. I love their sweet flavor, and how versatile they are in terms of pairing them with other ingredients to make sweet or savory recipes. However, they are great to enjoy all by themselves too. When I was growing up, my mum used to fry small chunks of sweet potatoes, then … [Read more...]

Grilled Paneer Sliders With Avocado Mint Salsa

Two days ago there was a Halloween potluck at my daughter's pre-school. When I saw the sign-up sheet, there were tonnes of cookies, cupcakes, brownies, chips and juices on the list, but nothing healthy or filling! I understand these days it's mostly about convenience, and most parents prefer grabbing pre-packaged foods from the stores as they don't have time to prepare food at home. But still, as … [Read more...]

Spinach & Lentil Soup

Spinach and Split Peas (Moong Dal) soup flavored with garam masala and mint Spinach is not called a superfood without a reason! Loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants, it is a very nutritious ingredient that does not have a very distinct taste, and hence can easily be added to several of your favorite recipes without altering their taste too much, like these Super Moist Spinach Banana Muffins. … [Read more...]

Sweet & Savory Cracker Bites

You can imagine how hectic our lives are with a 4 year old and a 3 month old consuming all of our time! I have no idea when the evening blends into the night and before I can realize that I have slept for a couple hours, its morning again! So this weekend, when the elder one was out for a long play-date, and the little one blessed us by napping for a full 3 hours, me and my husband decided to … [Read more...]

Fried Broccoli & Cheese Fritters

Two days ago we observed a sudden change in the weather, and from warm and humid days, it suddenly became dark and gloomy, and the sky was overcast with clouds the whole day, as if officially announcing the end of Summer in the Bay Area! And today, as I celebrate Labor Day with my family and friends, I know this is probably going to be one of the last summer garden parties until next year! But … [Read more...]

Kerala-Style Cabbage Thoran

Cabbage Thoran, a Kerala-style recipe  that resembles a stir-fry Indian cuisine is so versatile and diverse, and yet food that comes from every part of the country bears its own mark, in terms of ingredients, flavors, cooking methods, and recipes. A dish that represents the state of Gujarat will be totally different from that which stands for Punjab, which in turn is in stark contrast to a recipe … [Read more...]