Admittedly, this recipe isn’t the prettiest thing in the world. However, on my reader survey, it was pretty clear what most of you wanted. More healthy recipes! More 30 minute meals! More Instant Pot recipes. Boom — this one covers all three. You guys weren’t so much into special diet recipes and guess what? This definitely isn’t Whole30 compliant and it’s not dairy-free or vegan. It does happen to be gluten-free (which surprisingly most of you aren’t into at all), but it’s purely coincidence....

Can you believe it is May? I can’t. I swear, time goes faster every single year. I think it’s the kids. I blame everything on the kids. Messy house? Kids. Messy hair? Kids. Running late? Kids. Muffin top? Kids. Stretch marks? Oh my gosh — kids. Food on my shirt? Kids. I’m just happy I made it out of the house wearing a shirt. I blame the good stuff on them too....

Meal prep is something I always try to do, but I’m not the best at. I find that if I try to do just a couple things, I’m always more successful. How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: none Servings: 1 (or make as many as you like) Enter this quinoa bowl. Prep the chicken and the quinoa ahead of time and you’re good to go for the week....

Mac and cheese is a beloved comfort food that has stood the test of time. Its creamy, cheesy goodness has made it a go-to dish for countless individuals. But what if I told you there’s a way to take this classic dish to a whole new level? Introducing Spicy Vegan Mac n Cheese, a mouthwatering variation that combines heat, aromatic spices, and wholesome veggies to create a flavor explosion. In this blog, I’ll guide you through the steps to create this irresistible twist on a traditional favorite....

Strawberry Cookies With Real Strawberries These super soft strawberry cookies are loaded with incredible, fresh flavor, thanks to freeze-dried strawberries. That’s right, these pretty pink cookies contain no artificial flavors, boxed strawberry cake mix, or gelatin! Instead, they rely on perfectly ripe, REAL strawberries that incorporate beautifully into the dough. When testing this recipe, I did make a few attempts to use fresh strawberries instead of freeze dried, but all were unsuccessful, or at least they weren’t as good as I knew they could be....

How long it takes: a couple hours but mostly hands off Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, baking pan, skillet, mixing bowl Servings: 4 You just have to try this! I can’t say enough good about it. Make it tonight, you know your mouth is watering already. I know mine is. This is good eating, folks! Be sure to take a look at all my winter squash recipes! The Best Stuffed Butternut Squash Ultimate comfort food....

The sauce for this Asian style quinoa bowl is a umami rich peanut dressing that is absolutely delicious. This is a great make ahead dish. Serve it for any meal and is also fantastic to pack for lunch boxes. About the Recipe I love hearty salads that are packed with veggies and grains. My requirement is that it has to be filling and at the same time delicious. This quinoa salad fits the bill perfectly....

If you check my meal plans, I will have a fruit smoothie atleast twice or thrice a week, and I happily sneak in some greens like spinach, baby kale and make a delicious green smoothie. Here is a spinach smoothie that’s appealing and delicious. If you are getting acquired to the spinach taste in smoothies, this recipe of mine is a perfect one. I haven’t overloaded the smoothie with spinach....

A Quick & Easy Classic Recipe I love a good classic recipe, but even more than that I love a new twist on a classic (which you’ve maybe picked up on if you’ve seen my “Worst” chocolate chip cookies). These Rice Krispie Treats are a classic, re-done. I’ve made a few changes to upgrade this recipe to something much more gourmet than the lunchbox classics you might be used to. We’re using much more butter than the original recipe calls for (and I’m going to gently nudge to use European butter!...

Along with Masala vadai, you can find these delicacies too, pretty much in all the tea stalls in TN. Also, these vadas are prepared on festival days too. I usually skip onions if I am preparing it during festival days. Ulundu vadai is unique and interesting because of its shape. It’s the Indian savory donut with the hole in the center. Getting that perfect shape took me a couple of years....

I must admit that I’ve always been nervous about baking. In the last few years, I’ve taken to it and now quite enjoy it. I owe it to this fuss-free recipe and these gluten free, savory veggie muffins for breaking the ice—they come out perfect every time! My girls have never been fans of bananas. They’re happy to have them in any form other than the fruit itself. Pumpkin is a family favorite, and we enjoy it in so many ways, both sweet and savory....

What is a Carrot Halwa? Carrot Halwa, also known as Gajar Ka Halwa, is a traditional Indian dessert that is made by cooking grated carrots in ghee, sugar, and milk. It is a sweet and creamy dessert garnished with nuts and dried fruits. Carrot halwa is a popular dessert in India, especially during festivals and special occasions. Veganizing carrot halwa is quite easy, as demonstrated by my recipe. You can transform the traditional carrot halwab by substituting dairy milk with soy milk....

Kadhi is the creamier cousin of a curry-based dish – yogurt-based curry or soup that is thickened with gram flour (besan) and seasoned with spices such as turmeric, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and topped with fritters. Kadhi is a popular dish in Indian cuisine, especially in the northern regions called Vegan Punjabi Kadhi. It is often enjoyed during the summers due to the yogurt, for its cooling properties that can help us cool down in the hot weather....

How long it takes: just under a half hour Equipment you’ll need: box grater or food processor, mixing bowl, skillet Servings: 4 (makes about 12 small fritters, depending on size) I’m not knocking zucchini. We love it! We make grilled zucchini, or thinly slice it into ribbons for a zucchini ribbon sauté, or combine it with summer squash and mushrooms (and goat cheese!) for an amazing grilled vegetable salad. My kids love zucchini pizza bites or lasagna zucchini boats (and so do I!...

This is a typical meat-base dish, but version is vegan with the use of veggies and tofu. I make this recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can definitely make it on the stove top and even in a slow cooker. Serve with rice or roti for a delicious meal. About the Recipe Indian food is a rich blend of spices and herbs crafted into sauces and seasonings. Each region has its own unique way of making recipes....

Recipe adapted from Valli’s & Nalini’s recipes: Nashpati ki Subzi (Pear Curry): This is quite an unusal dish for me, since I rarely cook with fruits and making a curry with a fruit is very new to me. When I saw it on Vaishali’s blog, I really wanted to try it to see how it tastes. I wasn’t disappointed – the curry is sweet, spicy and juicy. Recipe from Vaishali’s blog: Spicy Bhey: Lotus stems are of the new ingredients that I tried during the mega A-Z Indian states marathon and one that I really really liked....

This blog doesn’t need any introduction to kiddos love for paneer. I always try to make some easy paneer curries. The quest of making paneer curry lead me to try the fusion paneer curry with pasta sauce in Instant Pot. You can find the recipe here. Here is my second attempt in that quest. Last year, Gayathri was posting paleo paneer recipes, and she made this simple curry just with paneer, full-fat milk, yellow chili powder and kasoori methi....

How long it takes: 21 minutes Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, 3 shallow bowls Servings: 4 Chicken tenders, chicken strips, chicken fingers — what do you call them? I always find the thought of chicken fingers kind of weird. I mean, who’s ever seen a chicken with fingers? They don’t even have hands. And really, who wants to eat fingers anyways… Creepy. Sounds like a horror movie or something. But whatever name you give ’em, call them delicious!...

This is a version of the popular mirch ka salan. But in here, baingan or brinjal also adds a delicious twist. Perfect side to serve with biryani or bagara rice!! About the Recipe I love eggplant and cook with it quite frequently. Like this Andhra famous gutti vankaya kura or this amazing bharli baingan. This baingan mirchi ka salan is a combination of two popular Hyderabadi salan recipes, baigan ka salan and mirch ka salan....

Homemade Banana Cupcakes Soft, fluffy, and richly flavored with sweet, ripe bananas… Maybe you caught a sneak peek of these banana cupcakes when I shared my brown butter frosting recipe last week (did you catch the video?)? That frosting is the perfect complement to these slightly tropical desserts and I hope you’ll try the two together (and maybe bring them for Easter dessert!). While the flavor profile may seem a bit complex, even the most basic beginner baker will have perfectly soft, moist, and fluffy cupcakes if they just follow my tips and steps....