Month: March 2015

Spicy Eggplant_featured 2

Spicy Eggplant

Published by svaddi

Thai is one of my favorite cuisines as it reminds of spices from back home, India. For me, this is one cuisine that always brings the feeling of umami with each bite. I had this dish for the first time when I came to the US 4 years ago at Natalie’s Thai in LA and instantly fell in love with it. Ever since, this dish has been a regular at our place and its my absolute go to recipe when we have eggplant at home.  It is a simple dish to make with simple ingredients, you can also add veggies of your choice if you’d like more. Try this and I promise you will make this delicious dish again 🙂 For the Spicy Eggplant: Serves 4 2 tbsp vegetable oil + more cooking spray 1 tbsp crushed red pepper 1 large eggplant, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 medium-sized onion,  cubed into bite-sized chunks 2 medium-sized red & yellow bell pepper,  cubed into bite-sized chunks 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1.5 tbsp of corn flour 3 …

Roasted Mushrooms

Roasted Mushrooms

Published by svaddi

Garlic butter roasted mushrooms are a great side dish to your cocktail parties. They go very well with Wine and can be something you can pass in a plate. The garlic and butter together brings out the most amazing aroma and the amalgamation of mushrooms along with it melts your heart. My mouth is actually watering while I write this. You can also serve this with a piece of bread and make it a stylish hors-d’oeuvre! Since I had neither of them at home I decided to serve it with sticky rice, Asian meatballs and ginger lime dressing and that my friends tasted equally good. These roasted mushrooms (found on Smitten Kitchen) make an appearance time and time again. They’re ridiculously good and simple to prepare, with minimal prep work followed by only fifteen minutes of oven time. For the Roasted Mushrooms: 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) mushrooms (cremini, preferably, but brown bella will work as well) 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and chopped 1 1/2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, …

Avocado Hummus Featured

Wasabi Avocado Hummus

Published by svaddi

Avocados are one of the best choices for quick small meal. It is healthy, filling and an awesome choice for guilt free snacking. Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. Avocados combined with iron rich chickpeas make one power packed snack for your tired evenings. In this recipe, I have added a dash of wasabi for that extra bit of zing. Try this lip smacking recipe and let me know how you liked it 🙂 For the Wasabi Avocado Hummus: 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained 2 ripe avocados, cut into chunks 1/2 cup wasabi infused sesame oil (you can replace it with olive oil) 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 1/2 tbsp tahini 1 clove garlic pita chips, for serving Directions: In the bowl of a food processor, combine chickpeas, avocado chunks, wasabi infused sesame oil, lemon …

Chia Pudding with mango puree and granola_featured

Chia Pudding with Mango puree and Granola

Published by svaddi

Chia…a new ingredient I learnt about recently and I am completely loving experimenting with different flavors to go with it. Chia by itself doesn’t have a particular taste, it is pretty much neutral in taste but it does have a very interesting nutty texture to it. What is cool about Chia is how healthy it is and how perfect it is for breakfast. Small amounts of chia pack a powerful nutritional punch, they have very less calories, they are rich in antioxidants, almost all the carbs in them are fiber, filled with high quality protein and the best part is that eating chia goes with my motto of eat healthy not less. Chia while being filling and healthy helps you with weight management. My recipe below brings together the neutral and nutty Chia with the king of fruits.. MANGO. Mango is everyone’s favorite back in India and in my opinion, most Indians love the hot summers only because they can get to eat this yummy fruit. It is a very quick recipe to make for …

Strawberry Salad

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Published by svaddi

Craving for a salad today? Tired of cooking and looking for a quick fix munch? You are in the right place my friend! This is a salad that I often make when I am in the mood to eat something light yet healthy and when I am in the crunch for time. This recipe can be made anytime during the year but it is the best during the strawberry season when you get the best, succulent, and fresh strawberries 🙂 I’ve combined strawberries with nuts and spinach bringing omega 3 and iron to the mix. Adding healthy salads like this to your weekly diet will also help in bringing that nutritional balance that we always aim to gain. Try this out and let me know how you like it 🙂 For the salad: Serves 2 1 cup of small strawberries, halved 1/2 cup toasted pecans 2-3 cups of baby spinach 4 tbsp store-brought poppy-seed dressing poppy seeds (optional) Directions: Divide all the ingredients between two plates. Drizzle on top with dressing and Enjoy! Do I …

Balela - Chickpea and black bean salad_featured

Balela – Chickpea and Black Bean Salad

Published by svaddi

Here is a dish that that is tangy, with a hint of spice and everything nice. You could have this as a salad or could make for a side dish too. This recipe is inspired from snack that i purchased at costco (pita pal organic balela). We absolutely love it and I feel its a lot more cost effective to make it at home. Balela is a middle eastern dish and its brings forward a lot of the flavors from the area. You can experiment with this dish with the spices of your choice too to bring in a new twist. Here is the recipe that I love and I would encourage you to make it your own! For the Salad: 1 – 15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained 2/3 – 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup diced shallots 1/4 chopped sun-dried tomatoes For the Dressing: 1 cloves garlic, minced 3 tbsp of lemon juice 1.5 tbsp olive oil (from drained sun-dried tomatoes) 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 …

Vegan Salad

Simple Vegan Salad for Mid-Afternoon Snack

Published by svaddi

Looking to add some fibre to your diet today? Here is a quick bowl of everything fibrous and crunchy. I have put this bowl of simple vegan salad with some of my favorite veggies. You can add more veggies depending on your taste. This is a quick and tasty way of getting that dose of veggies for the day. Try it out and let me know how you liked it! For the salad: Serves 1 1 large avocado diced into cubes 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional) handful of cherry tomatoes, halved 1 large carrot, julienned 1/2 cucumber, diced 2 green onions, thinly sliced handful of cilantro or parsley leaves (optional) sesame seeds (optional) For the dressing: 1 garlic clove 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 2 tbsp olive oil 1-2 tsp honey (or other sweetener), to taste salt and pepper Directions: Prepare all the ingredients under salad. Whisk all ingredients under dressing in a bowl, adjust seasoning as required. Add all the vegetables into glass jar and pour the dressing on top. Close the lid, …

Ottolenghi’s Sabih_featured

Ottolenghi’s Sabih Open Sandwich

Published by svaddi

This recipe is one of my golden finds on The Guardian. In the words the author of this recipe, this is a rich Moreish – Iraqi inspired combination of aubergine, egg, bread and all manner of other tasty goodies. Each bite of this dish is like a celebration in your mouth. It brings together great flavors and ideas brought on by the israeli immigrants. I will not take up any more of your time, get set ready to try this awesome dish for your breakfast. Head over to The Guardian to get your hands on the recipe.

Greek Yogurt with blueberry marmalade_featured

Greek Yogurt with Blueberry Marmalade

Published by svaddi

A bowl of Greek yogurt is a great way to start your day. According to Healthline.com – Few foods pack as healthy a punch in such small serving sizes as Greek yogurt. A bowl of Greek yogurt can keep you fortified with essential nutrients like proteins, vitamin b12 and probiotics and even help you lose weight. Greek yogurt goes great with the sweet and tart blueberry marmalade, both taste and visually. It is a tasty and healthy breakfast option and the best part of it all is you can put this together in 5 minutes. So for all of you healthy eaters with busy schedules can try this at home and don’t forget to post suggestions and comments on this recipe 🙂 Ingredients: Serves 4 1 cup of store bought or homemade blueberry marmalade 2 cups of greek yogurt 2 tbsp honey (if desired) 2 tsp of vanilla extract 4 tbsp granola Instructions: Mix 2 cups of greek yogurt with vanilla extract and honey until nicely incorporated. Take a serving glass and layer alternatively with …

Baguette with toppings

Baguette with toppings

Published by svaddi

Craving for an evening snack? Whip up this quick fix for your hunger pangs when you get back from a hectic work day. The crunchy baguette go very well with the softer toppings and gives you that satisfied feeling. I have listed some yummy toppings that I love but feel free to experiment with different ones to suit your taste. Ingredients: Ricotta cheese Sliced grilled baguette Toppings of your choice (I used zataar & olive oil, blueberries, frozen strawberry, basil pesto and sliced peach)   Spread ricotta cheese on a slice of baguette, add toppings of your choice and enjoy!