Tips on Hosting the best Summer BBQ Party

Pic - CCO License If you are a keen BBQ lover, then you are probably always excited when it comes to this time of year. The summer is obviously the one time of year when you are going to be getting truly ready for a BBQ, whether you generally do it on your own or with your immediate family, or you like to invite lots of friends over and extended family for an event. In either case, there is one … [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...]

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...]

Cheesy Gooey Tandoori Macaroni

Pasta Salad is a great side dish that goes well with almost any kind of meal, and I love the fact that you can make it hot or cold, to suit the rest of your menu. Last week when I went to Walmart, I picked up a couple packs of Hamburger Helper® - one of them I used to make my Penne Pasta last night, and today it was time to put the Cheesy Macaroni to good use. I am planning to host a bbq for … [Read more...]

Curried Chickpeas & Cheese Bruschetta

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rioja Wine. The text, opinions and images are all mine. We have been blessed with nice sunny weather here in California, but the days have started to get a tad bit shorter, and the evenings now have a chilly draft to them. As I watched the pink and orange hues of the sky last evening, I felt like enjoying the best of summer before it was … [Read more...]

Heart-Warming Carrot & Sweet Potato Bisque To Kill The Chill

The days are getting even more chilly than before. With temperatures shooting to -40 degrees in some parts of US, I am sure most of us want to just lock ourselves indoors, crank up the heater in the house, and cozy up with a favorite book and a cup of coffee or a bowl of heart-warming soup, right! This Sunday, we took our weekly trip to the Farmer's Market - it's always refreshing to see all fresh … [Read more...]

Baked Cheese Tortellini in Chipotle Cream Sauce

The temperature outside has started to drop, and it gets dark and chilly when I get back from work. Who likes to look when it's cold and dark like that? Sometimes I really wish there was a Magic Wand for Moms so they could whip up healthy yet delicious food in no time - maybe just grant one wish a month, that would be good too, right?! Sigh!!! I don't think that's going to happen unless I move to … [Read more...]

Warm Sesame Noodle Salad

Amidst all the baking and gourmet cooking in lieu of the upcooming holiday season, I was suddenly craving something simple but satisfying, and also "skinny" to out-weigh the calories in all the goodies that I am baking. That's when I saw a packet of Miracle noodles lying in my pantry. I bought these sometime back at The Low Carb Grocery store, and thought this was the perfect opportunity to try … [Read more...]

Spicy Sweet Potato Veggie Burger

Summer sun is shining in full glory up here in Northern California, and everyone is out in their backyards or in a park, enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. We too, celebrated Mother's Day with a fun BBQ in our backyard, and I am sure many of you are already shaping up your plans for the Memorial Day, Father's Day or July 4th weekend! No matter what the occasion, firing up the grill to cook … [Read more...]