Summer Smoothie-Pineapple and Cucumber.

June 19, 2013 by Ash. | Leave a comment

This week I am staying at a friend’s house. Her husband is out of town and its just us girls-Its girls week in. We have been talking till late in the night, going for long walks,bonding over nail polish and eating super clean. I am sad that its Wednesday already, when you are enjoying the company you are in, time flues.

During summer, juices and smoothies are a great way to keep yourself hydrated and cool. They are perfect for on-the-go, especially during hurried weekday mornings. This recipe is a perfect for a hot summer day as it combines cooling cucumbers with tart pineapple and chilled coconut water. The spinach and ginger help up the nutrient count.

Pineapple Cucumber Smoothie Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

2 peeled cucumbers
2 cups pineapple
1 cup spinach
1 inch ginger
330 ml coconut water (I just use one small to-go carton of vitacost coconut water)

Recipe Directions

The recipe directions cant be simpler. Add everything to a blender and blend away. Pour in a tall glass and top with ice cubes.

Other Juice/Smoothie Recipes-Green Detox Juice Recipe.

Sale Alert:

The biannual Net-A-Porter sale has been going strong for the past few weeks. The first cuts have been made and quite a few items are now 50-60% discounted. While a lot of the common sizes have sold out, things do keep popping back up. I need a new case for my ipad and this Alexander McQueen one has caught my eye. Since I carry my ipad with me to work, I am hesitating about buying it-the skull embellishment doesn’t exactly scream professional. What do you think is the skull clasp closure tiny enough to pass unnoticed?

Hope you are having a great week as well!

-Ash.

Masala Aloo.

June 10, 2013 by Ash. | Leave a comment

I had a great weekend. I and a friend went to an open air shopping plaza on Saturday. The weather gods relented and hot-lanta (given how hot Atlanta gets during the summer months its been lovingly knick-named hot-lanta) wasn’t that hot-we had lunch alfresco and I spent an hour browsing through the Barnes and nobles. I picked up a book which has been on my reading list for awhile now. Overall it was a fun way to spend a summer afternoon and I can’t wait to share pictures with you in an upcoming Atlanta guide post.

The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur- a stop at Trader Joe’s to re-stock on essentials, another pit stop to pick up fresh flowers, finishing up my magazine stack and making a childhood favorite recipe.

Masala Aloo

Baby potatoes cooked with Fennel seeds, Garlic and Indian spices.

I was a picky eater as a kid. Aloo (Potatoes) was one of my absolute favorites. Over the years my mom came up with many different ways to make it- Sookha Aloo (Potatoes cooked with cumin and mustard seeds), Aloo-Corn (Baby potatoes cooked with fresh shelled corn), Dum Aloo (Potatoes cooked in yogurt sauce), Aloo-Mutter (Potatoes and peas in a tomato gravy), Pav Bhajii (Potatoes cooked with an assortment of mashed vegetables served with bread, onions and lemon). The list is pretty much endless. Todays recipes is one from my childhood-Its quick, its easy and packs quite a punch.

Masala Aloo-Recipe Ingredients

13-14 Baby Potatoes
7-8 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1 tbsp fennel seeds (Saunf)
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric (Haldi)
1 tbsp coriander powder (Dhania powder)
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Mirchi-I put more than 1 tsp red chilli powder but this totally depends on your spice tolerance level)
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp chat masala (Indian spice mix)
3 tbsp oil
2 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp lemon juice

1.Potatoes with spices 2. Potatoes that are done-the spice mixture is cooked and the potatoes have turned golden brown.

Masala Aloo-Recipe Directions.

Wash and scrub the potatoes well. Leave the skin on and boil the potatoes. I boil the potatoes in the microwave on high for about 8-10 minutes or until a knife can be easily inserted into the potato. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
On very low heat add the oil, fennel seeds and garlic. Let this simmer for 4-6 minutes. This allows the garlic and fennel to infuse the oil. Turn the heat onto medium and add the boiled potatoes. There is a lot of garlic in this recipe cause you are not adding anything else like onions and tomatoes.
Add the spices -turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt, sugar. Mix the spices, garlic,fennel with the potatoes. Add 1/3 cup of water-cover and cook the potatoes for about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring the potatoes in between. If the potatoes get to dry and the spices start sticking to the pan add a little more water.
Add the ketchup and 3-4 tbsp water . Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes. When the potatoes start turning brown and you can smell the spices you are done. If there is any sauce still left cook the potatoes for a few more minutes, till the water evaporates. You want dry roasted potatoes covered in a garlic spicy mixture.
Add the chat masala, roasted cumin powder, lemon juice and cilantro. Mix thoroughly and serve with roti or naan.

Bon Appetite!

-Ash.

Photo Of The Day

Starting the week on a sunny note I Weekend Errands I Special Sunday Treat.

Avocado-Sweet Pepper Bruschetta.

May 29, 2013 by Ash. | Leave a comment

Lately all I have been eating for dinner has been bread with a variety of toppings. Over the next four weeks, every Wednesday I will share with you an idea for a new toast topping. Toasted bread with toppings makes for a relatively quick dinner and is quite light and healthy.

Avocado-Sweet Pepper Bruschetta.

Warm toasty bread paired with creamy mozzarella, luscious avocados and crunchy sweet peppers.

Recipe Ingredients-

Toasted Bread
Spicy Mozzarella
Salt
Sweet Peppers
2 Avocados
1 Lemon
Black pepper

Recipe Directions-

Top the bread with mozzarella and toast it.
Avocado Paste-While I really like avocados they can be a little iffy-if you make the avocado paste too much in advance and leave it as is, it darkens and becomes brown. While the color change certainly doesn’t impact the taste , brown avocados aren’t very appetizing to look at. The trick I use is lemon juice. I cut the avocado and scrape out the flesh and mash it into pulp using a fork. I mix the juice of half a lemon into the avocado paste. I then cover the avocado paste with a thin layer of lemon juice and cover this with cling foil (make sure the cling foil touches the avocados/lemon juice. Air cause the avocados to turn brown. Having a thin layer of lemon juice covering the avocados prevents the avocados from coming in contact with air. This cling foil adds another layer between air and the avocado paste).
Top the toasted bread with the avocado paste and finely chopped sweet peppers. Sprinkle salt and crushed black pepper on top.

Sale Alert

Net-A-Porter-Just launched their semi-annual sale.Sale items are marked down every week. If you are patient you can score items upto 75% off. I really like this pair of Jimmy Choo sling backs but am going to wait and see if they get marked down further.

Photo Of The Day

The Results of my weekend shopping I Best base coat ever

-Ash.

Simple Eats- Bagel Sandwich Recipe.

May 24, 2013 by Ash. | Leave a comment

The long memorial-day weekend brings with it the opportunity to unwind,relax and recharge. My plans for the weekend include attending an outdoor jazz festival, a hour long lesson in portrait photography, finishing the final few pages of a cliffhanger novel and of course some scrumptious meals hopefully taken alfresco.

Lately all I have been craving is sandwiches-it might be cause I only ate Indian food while I was home and now am bored of it or maybe subconsciously I know that nothing I cook will taste as good as the food that mom makes.Whatever the reason is, I have been experimenting a lot with different combinations of sandwiches and one of my favorites is a bagel sandwich.

Bagel Sandwich

A toasted crusty bagel paired with creamy mozzarella,roasted tangy tomatoes,crispy onions and spinach.

Recipe Directions:

Slice the tomatoes thinly and spread the slices evenly on a baking sheet.Put the tomatoes in a 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. I am not a big fan of raw tomatoes (they are too mushy and the seeds inside with the tomatoes juice…I just don’t enjoy the texture of raw tomatoes) but roasted tomatoes-yumm.They are sheer magic!Roasting tomatoes concentrates the flavor,intensifying that taste and I can’t seem to get enough of them.I have been eating them almost everyday for the last week and half.
In a flat bottom pan add 1 tbsp olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic.Cook this on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.Add 1 cup spinach,1/2 tsp sugar and salt (to taste)-cover the pan and cook till the spinach wilts.Set aside.
Optional-Apply a little butter to the bagel and add mozzarella.Toast the bagel in the oven with the tomatoes (Ten minutes after I put the tomatoes into the oven, I will add the bagels to the oven-that way both the tomatoes and the bagels will cook and finish at the same time).I also like to add hot sauce but feel free to skip this step.
Once the mozzarella melts I top it with tomatoes,onions and spinach.I sprinkle a pinch of salt and red chilli powder on top since the only time I added salt to this entire recipe was when I was cooking the spinach.Enjoy!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!What are your plans for the long weekend?

Photo Of The Day

The last picture from the “India” series I Weekend Reading I The Thought-Get even with people I A weekday lunch.

10 Minute Raspberry Chocolate Crumb Bars.

April 5, 2013 by Ash. | 2 Comments

Over time, I have accumulated an unhealthy number of recipes-some torn from the pages of magazines, others printed from food blogs and still others which are given to me by friends and family.In a short time I have managed to fill up five giant recipe binders.The binders are my paper version of pinterest boards-full of recipes which I want to try (but havent had the chance to).

While having hundreds of recipes to choose from is a fun,lately I have come to realize that all one person ever needs is a set of 75-100 great recipes, which work.You can always change up a recipe by adding or subtracting an ingredient or two. Rather than ~~hoarding~~ collecting recipes which I might try out one day, I have decided to focus on perfecting my personal bank of 100 go-to recipes.Once I have my favorite recipes perfected, I am planning on getting them printed into a hardback cookbook which I can keep in the kitchen for easy reference.

These Raspberry Chocolate Crumb Bars are one of my favorite desserts.They are extremely easy to make,take less than 10 minutes of work and are incredibly satisfying.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar (You can use plain sugar instead of light brown sugar)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup Hero jam (Don’t use any other brand of jam-See recipe directions)
1/2 to 3/4 cup good quality chocolate chips

Recipe Directions

Cream the stick of salt,vanilla,butter and sugar.I used a food processor but you can use a stand mixer or mix everything using a whisk.Add the flour and mix till everything is thoroughly combined.
The butter,flour and sugar mixture should resemble coarse wet sand in texture.Remove the flour mixture into a large bowl and add the rolled oats and mix thoroughly (Dont add the oats to the food processor. The food processor crushes the oats to oar flour.You want whole oat flakes,they add a little crispness to the crumble bars).
Divide the mixture in three parts.Keep 1/3 of the mixture aside.
Line a 9×9 square pan with parchment paper and press the remaining 2/3rd flour-oat mixture in a even layer.
Top with Hero raspberry jam (I have tired a lot of different jams and Hero’s raspberry jam is hands down the best jam you can ever have.Its a little more expensive than other brands but because this recipe is so simple the quality of ingredients you use really make a difference to the final taste of the crumb bars.And,no this is not a sponsored post by Hero jams-I just love this particular brand of jam) and 3/4th’s of the chocolate chips.
Mix the remaining chocolate chips with the remaining flour-oat mixture and use it to top the jam and the chocolate chips.You dont have to completely cover the jam and the chocolate chips-I actually prefer if the jam and the chocolate chips peek through.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes-the top should be golden brown.I keep checking every few minutes after the 25 minute mark.
Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack and cut into pieces.
You can either get 8 large rectangle bars or 16 small square pieces.If you are making this for a large party you might want to double the recipe.

Happy Weekend!

-Ash.

Photo of the day

Kitchen Investments I What Made My Day I Riotous bursts of spring I My two favorite indulgences side by side I A Warm weather essential I Cuff It

Healthy Green Juice Recipe.

March 14, 2013 by Ash. | Leave a comment

Green Detox Juice Recipe.

Every-time I think about summer vacations in India, it brings back a multitude of memories.Summer in 90′s meant-

No school and vacation time at my grandparent’s home.
It was time to listen to my nanima’s (maternal grandmother) stories.Every evening as she did her prayers she made all of us kids (me and my cousins) sit next to her while she lit the evening prayer lamp-at the end of the prayer she told us a story.Listening to the story was my favourite part.
Renting Jurassic park video tapes and re-watching them at-least 3 times before it was time to return them to the video library.
Building sand castles in Rajasthan’s desert soil.
Running outside every-time you heard the ice-cream man bring his cart full of malai kulfis.
Fighting with my cousins over who got to control the TV remote.
Watching Mahabharat every Sunday.
Learning traditional Rajasthani dance and ghumar -Ila arun and I go a way back.

Growing up in the 90′s in India was simpler,it was easier-My biggest worry back then was whether I would win the game of uno or not.Every-time I think about summer, it makes miss India.While I don’t plan on going home anytime soon, I did try and bring a piece of my childhood back to life by replicating my grandmother’s green juice.

Every morning my grandmother makes a giant batch of green juice and its compulsory for everyone in the family to drink it-This tradition continues till today.My cousins and I often joke about how if you are living under my grandparents roof, you got to drink the green juice ; There is no getting out of it .Whats in the juice changes, depending on the whats in season and whats fresh and available, but the one ingredient which is always juiced is cucumbers. According to my grandmother the cucumber helps combat the hot desert weather of Rajasthan. Here is my version of nanima’s green juice.

Green Juice Ingredients-

2 cucumber
6 slices of pineapple
1 green apple
I cup green spinach
1 kiwi

Green Juice Recipe Directions-

Juice everything together and serve chilled.Makes two glasses of juice.

Happy Thursday!

-Ash.

Spinach Sauce.

November 13, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

Continuing on with the “Classic Sauce” series,here is classic sauce no 2-Spinach Sauce.

When I go grocery shopping,I generally buy a large container of organic spinach.Since I am cooking only for myself finishing the entire box of spinach is almost impossible.

What I do to use it up is as follows-I keep half of the spinach aside,I use it in sandwiches and smoothies.With the other half of the spinach, I make spinach sauce and freeze it.

Recipe Directions:

Wash the spinach and boil it in a large pan of water (Dont forget to add salt to the water).Once the spinach wilts immerse it into an ice bath (Putting it into an ice bath helps the spinach retain its bright green color).Let the spinach soak in the ice bath for a few minutes then puree it, in a blender.I generally add ginger(1 inch),garlic (4-5 cloves) and green chillies (to taste) to the blender before I puree it.

I pour this puree into bell jars and store them in the freezer.Anytime I want spinach sauce, I de-frost a jar and am good to go.I use this in pasta dishes,palak naan,palak rice,palak-paneer etc.

Happy Diwali!

-Ash.

The Zars Holiday Gift Guide:Hot Chocolate and Books.

November 12, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

During fall and winter the one thing that propels me out of my warm cozy bed in the morning is a cup of steaming gooey hot chocolate.Its my early morning cold weather treat and I love starting my day with a warm cup of chocolatey goodness.

I have tried a lot of different brands of hot chocolate but I keep coming back to Godiva’s milk chocolate version.It rich and creamy but not overpoweringly so (and yes the cute cancer awareness Elle mug is my everyday cup on the go). A canister of Godiva’s hot chocolate along with a cute mug would make a great Christmas gift.I am taking two canisters home with me to to entice my brother’s sweet tooth-He is going to love this.

Martha Stewart Cookbooks-$18-$25

If you have a home made recipe for hot chocolate please let me know-I have been meaning to try a home-made version for awhile now. I love to cook and one of my favorite cookbook compilations is the Martha Stewart Living series.I own all 3- The Martha Stewart Cookbook,The New Classics and The Original Classics.

Each book comes with over 1000 recipes.My personal favourite is The New Classics volume which features more than 1,200 recipes that have appeared in the Martha Stewart Living magazine since 2000. If you have a cook/chef on your gift list these would be the perfect gift.

-Ash.

Cooking for one:Red Bell Pepper Sauce.

October 21, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

Cooking for myself 365 days a year is challenging.If I make a large batch of a recipe I have to eat the same thing many times, which gets boring pretty quickly. On the other hand if I make a 1 or 2 serving size portion of a recipe,I have to cook everyday-which after coming back from a long day of work feels like a major chore. As a middle ground I have come up with my own set of recipes which can be mixed and matched and eaten in multiple ways. Doing this prevents boredom from setting in and at the same time it doesn’t require me to labor over the stove every day.

Red Bell Pepper Sauce.

Cooking for one is a new series which is going to focus on simple easy delicious recipes which are mixed and matched to create new dishes.

Red Bell Pepper And Peas Pasta.

The very first post in this series is going to feature my Red Bell Pepper Sauce recipe. The sauce is a classic recipe and I generally make a 4-6 serving size of it and eat in many different ways. On Sundays I will boil pasta and peas and for quick meals during the week.I can throw everything together in a few minutes-add a generous serving of cheese and I am set.

This is a simple easy meal which works great on rushed week nights.

Red Bell Pepper and Cheese Toast

A quick snack idea is bread (I like to brush the bread with some olive oil) with some red bell pepper sauce,topped off with marinated mozzarella. Put this in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes and you have bubbly cheesy spicy sandwiches.

If I get home early from work and its not dinner time but I am hungry and want to eat something-this is a perfect quick snack.

-Ash

If you have any recipe ideas or suggestions for the “Cooking for one” series-Please leave me a comment with the recipe so that I can try it out.

Classic Sauces : Red Bell Pepper Sauce.

October 16, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

A LBD which skims my curves and camouflages my flaws,classic black pumps which add an extra inch or two, but are comfortable enough to wear all day,the perfect tan trench which makes me look polished and pulled together even on windy fall days-These are the very backbones of my closet.They are classic pieces which I go back to time and time again.

Since moving to America, I have armed myself with a set of classic recipes which are the backbones of many of the meals I cook.They are easy,fail proof and make throwing a meal together a no-brainer process.

Over the next few weeks I want to share with you 4 classic sauce recipes.I use these sauces in many different ways-as a spread for toast, as pasta sauce,as a base for paneer ki sabzi.

Recipe Ingredients

-3 roasted bell peppers pureed with 1 jalapeno and a few springs of cilantro.

-1 cup large red onion

-6 large cloves of garlic

-3 finely chopped roma tomatoes

-1/2 inch of ginger which has been finely grated

-1 tsp haldi (turmeric)

-1 tbsp dhania (coriander) powder

-Red chilli powder(mirchi)-to taste

-1/2 tsp chat masala

-1 tsp Jeera (cumin)

-4 tbsp tomato ketchup

-1 large piece of cinnamon

-2tbsp oil

-1/2 tsp sugar

-Salt to taste

-Sprigs of cilantro

Recipe Directions

In a large skillet heat the oil on medium heat with the dalchini and jeera.Once the jeera starts to crackle add the ginger and garlic-cook for a minute of so.Add the onions,salt and sugar and cook till the onions turn translucent.At this point add the tomatoes,roasted bell pepper puree,haldi,dhania powder and mirchi.I don’t like the sauce to have a very heavy dalchini flavour and generally fish out the piece of dalchini at this point-this way there is subtle depth to the sauce but its not over-powering..Add 1/2 cup of warm water and cover the sauce with a lid and cook for 7-9 minutes-stirring occasionally.Within 7-9 minutes the tomatoes will become soft and the sauce will start coming together.Add the ketchup and chat masala and cook for another 2 minutes.Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

-Ash.

Here are some ideas on how to use Red Bell Pepper Sauce.

Autumnal Indulgences:Tea.

September 30, 2012 by Ash. | 2 Comments

A warm cup of tea to counter the autumnal chill.

My friend introduced me to Teavana and now I am hooked.I recently went back and picked up a few more tea’s.I love starting my day with a warm cup of fragrant tea. Just as FYI-Teavana has a lot of caffeine free options.

-Ash.

Marinated Mozzarella Recipe.

September 27, 2012 by Ash. | 2 Comments

Marinated Mozzarella is one of my new obsessions-over the past few days I have obsessively devouring sun dried tomato and marinated mozzarella sandwiches.

Recipe Ingredients

-10-12 thinly cut slices of mozzarella

-4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-1 tbsp Oregano

-Chili Flakes (to taste-I have a pretty high spice tolerance so I used about 1 tbsp)

Recipe Directions:

-Cut the mozzarella into thin slices-add oregano, chili flakes and olive oil.Transfer to a glass container and use after 24 hours-Waiting 24 hours allows the mozzarella to develop more flavour.

These are great for toasts, sandwiches or even eaten alone as is.

Check back later today for another post.

-Ash

Snack Idea-Apples with dulce de leche.

September 24, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

Apple+dulce de leche+butterscotch chips=Sweet Snack Heaven.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite afternoon snacks-I love the taste of the crispy crunchy apples covered in smooth sweet Dulce De Leche.

Dulce de leche recipe.

-Ash

Grocery Shopping and Fitness Update.

September 23, 2012 by Ash. | 1 Comment

I want to re-start eating healthy again.One of the big mistakes I used to make earlier was I would stop by the grocery store on my way back from work, multiple times a week-Invariably I would end up making unhealthy food choices-from frozen pizzas to mini snicker bars.Lately I have consciously cut back on my random trips to the grocery store,instead of stopping by multiple times a week -I plan my meals,make a list and make one big trip.

Sugar free Bread,Whole Wheat Pita and Whole Wheat Tortillas.

My 4 Fitness Goals I want to achieve by end of October-

I want to start eating more protein (I am a vegetarian which limits my protein choices).I eat a lot of Indian cottage cheese-paneer (Read more about paneer as a source of protein here)-while it does have protein in it,I want to start eating healthier proteins-like legumes and beans.

Milk,Beans,Sun Dried Tomatoes

I want to re-start working out regularly.With a lot of my favorite TV shows coming back (I am so excited about Revenge and Grey’s), I can easily get 5 workouts a week by working out while I watching TV

Chobani and Spinach.

Eat 2 servings of fruit daily-I generally eat 2 snacks-10 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon.I want to start eating fruits as snacks.

I want to do one session a week of a special workout-either zumba or weight training or bollywood dancing-I am not sure if I want to join a class or do a at home workout with a DVD.

I would love to know if you have any fitness tips and tricks or any health goals for the upcoming month.

-Ash.

Dulce de leche recipe.

September 22, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

One of my co-workers is from Argentina and her favorite afternoon snack is apples with Dulce De Leche.After tasting Dulce de leche last week, I was hooked and had to make some for myself.Dulce De Leche is like caramel sauce but so much better.

Recipe Ingredients-

-1 can condensed milk

That’s pretty much it-Don’t you love 1 ingredient recipes?

Recipe Directions

-Pour the condensed milk into jars and make sure you screw the jar lid tightly.You can make Dulce De Leche in the crock pot or in a pressure cooker-I used the crock pot method.

-Put the jar with the condensed milk in the crock pot and cover with water-let it cook on low for 10-12 hours.I left mine overnight

-The one thing trick to making a great Dulce De Leche is ensuring that the water covers the jar completely.I filled my crock pot with water right up to the brim of the crock pot-that way in case some of the water evaporated while I slept there would still be plenty of water covering my jar of condescend milk.

-If you are using a pressure cooker instead of a crock pot-the cooking time goes down significantly-You only need to cook it for about 45 minutes to an hour.

10 hours later the condensed milk turns into this warm thick luscious caramel like sauce.I love adding a few chocolate chips to a spoonful of Dulce De Leche.

This is Saturday morning heaven!

Check back later today for another post.

-Ash

Black bean salad recipe

September 20, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

When it comes to cooking during the week-I need meals/recipes which are easy and simple to make but at the same time are flavorful and satisfy my chat-pata (chat-pata=tangy-sweet-sour) palette.On average I cook between 3-4 times a week-since its just me,I almost always end up with leftovers which I re-use in multiple ways.Moving forward, I am not only going to share recipes, but I am also going to share what I do with left-overs.

Recipe Ingredients

-1 Cup Corn

-1 can black beans (26.5 oz)

-Finely cut green chillies (to taste)

-1/2 cup Green Onions

-1/2 cup Red Onions

-Juice from 1/2 a Lemon

-1 Tsp Roasted Cumin

-Salt to taste

-1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

-1 Tsp Sugar

-1/2 Tsp Chat Masala

-2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Recipe Directions

Mix everything in a bowl-Ta da-You are done.Later this week, I will show you two of my favourite ways to eat this salad.

The weekend is almost here-Are you doing anything fun?

-Ash

Simple Dessert Idea-Banana chocolate peanut bites.

September 11, 2012 by Ash. | 2 Comments

Before I begin this post I want to send my prayers to all those families who lost their loved ones during the 9/11 tragedy.

Over the past two days I have been feeling down and out-Today I indulged in a sweet treat and a blow dry and I cant even begin to tell you how much better I feel already.Truly if chocolate doesn’t fix something then-”Houston we have got a problem.”

I love butter scotch, chocolate,peanut butter and banana’s-Throw them all together for a simple easy dessert.

Recipe Direction

Cut the bananas into thick slices-spread a layer of chunky peanut butter and add chocolate chips on top.I use a mix of butter-scotch and chocolate-chip chips.

(I am not the Newton who thought about gravity when the apple fell on his head (I would have eaten the apple)-what I am trying to say in a convoluted way is – this is not my original idea – recipes about banana covered in peanut butter and chocolate chips have been floating around for a while-this is just my version.)

Enjoy.

-Ash.

Home Made Sun Dried Tomatoes Recipe.

September 10, 2012 by Ash. | 2 Comments

Home made sun dried tomatoes are the perfect way to capture some of the summer’s bountiful offerings.Making them requires little to no effort and personally I prefer the taste of homemade sun dried tomatoes a lot more than the ones that come out of a jar.

Recipe Ingredients

-Cherry Tomatoes-1 8 oz container

-1 1/2 Tbsp Salt

-8-10 Cloves of Garlic.

-1/2 Cup Olive Oil.

Recipe Directions

I used to cherry tomatoes but this would work just as well with larger normal tomatoes.Wash and rinse the tomatoes well.Cut the tomatoes into half-Sprinkle salt on the tomatoes and let this sit outside for about 30 minutes.After 30 minutes drain the tomato water and spread the tomatoes in a even layer on a baking sheet.I left space between the tomatoes-this allows the air could circulate and the tomatoes dry more evenly.On a lowest oven setting (I had mine set to 200 degree F) let the tomatoes dry for a couple of hours (It took me about 4.5 hours).Every hour check on the tomatoes and flip them.

Once done store in a air tight container-I know, I will use up mine in about a week and half so I didn’t bother with whole canning process but if you want to store the tomatoes for longer periods of time follow the instructions here. I also added a couple of cloves of garlic and olive oil to the jar-I like the flavor that the garlic and the olive oil impart to the tomatoes.

My favorite way to eat sund dried tomatoes is with a piece of lightly toasted multi-grain bread topped with 1 tsp of butter,a generous sprinkling of oregano and a handful of cherry tomatoes.The garlic imparts the most subtle flavor to the cherry tomatoes which elevates this simple treat-Trust me when I say it makes a world of difference.

-Ash.

Things I am loving-A cute striped bowl with healthy goodies.

September 10, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

I love all things striped-even Dinnerware.

Grapes are one of my favorite sweet snacks.

I wash and clean them on the weekend-pre-washing them make me want to eat them (weird as that sounds-I do have a explanation for it) -If I have to spend the extra few minutes washing the grapes when I am hungry and craving something sweet,I invariably make the unhealthy choice (Cookie, chocolate etc) but its a lot harder to justify sugar laden cookies when there is a grab and go healthy snack option staring at you in the fridge.

Quick Tip:

On Sunday evening when I do all my food prep for the week-I wash and rinse all the grapes a couple of times.After that I soak the grapes in vinegar water (1 part vinegar: 6 parts water)-This really cleans them and prevents fungal growth.

Happy Monday!

-Ash

TIAL-Things I am Loving: Kilwin’s-chocolate pecan fudge

September 9, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

I have a busy work week coming up-As a mini treat to myself I stopped by my favorite chocolatier ”Kilwins” and picked up a bar of their fudge. Kilwins was started in 1947 and has a huge range of sweet treats-My personal favorite are their creamy,super soft fudges but they do incredible ice-creams as well.

Whenever I indulge myself in this sweet treat-I take the fudge bar with me to work on and eat a piece of the fudge along with my afternoon snack (Grapes or apple).This time I chose the Chocolate pecan flavored fudge but their Turtle fudge and the Chocolate English Walnut Fudge are great as well.

Trust me the fudge is so rich in flavour that one piece is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth-I literally melts into rich chocolate goodness in your mouth.Kilwins also ships their products US wide in case you want to try any of their sweet treats and dont have a store near by.

Did you have a good weekend?What did you do?

-Ash

Tri-Color Sandwich Recipe.

September 3, 2012 by Ash. | Leave a comment

I have been thoroughly enjoying the Long Labor Day Weekend.I spent Saturday at home watching Bollywood movies and catching up on TV shows with my roommate.Sunday was spend at my friend’s house helping her paint furniture for her new home.Today I was pretty lazy but as soon as write up this post I am going to deep clean my apartment.

I wanted to share with you the recipe for my favorite sandwich-Back in school one of my friend’s mom used to make these and I have borrowed the recipe from her.

Its a tri-color sandwich with cheese,chutney and ketchup.

Recipe Ingredients

-3 slices Bread

-3/4 tbsp Chutney (An Indian Cilantro Sauce)

-3/4 tbsp Ketchup

-1 1/2 tbsp Butter

-Cheese of choice (I used Cheddar)

-1/4 tsp Chat Masala

(Every-time I head to the Indian grocery store I stock up on Amul butter-even though it doesn’t taste any different from the butter I can get at Kroger or Publix, there is something comfortingly familiar about the characteristic yellow-blue packaging that I grew up seeing on the breakfast table for years.)

Recipe Directions

-I love white bread,given how unhealthy it is for you-I have switched over to whole grain alternatives but this sandwich tastes better with white bread especially if you cut the sides off.Butter all the slices of bread,add ketchup,chutney and cheese (on one slice each) and sprinkle chat masala on top.

- Here is my recipe for Home made chutney -If you want to make chutney for this sandwich you want to drastically reduce the amount of garlic and ginger you add to the chutney-too much garlic drowns the flavor of the cheese and ketchup.

-Assemble the entire sandwich and munch away!

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend!

-Ash