Cupcakes are my go-to for any occasion. They are much easier to make than a full cake and they are perfectly portion controlled too 🙂 I am an eggetarian, which means I include eggs in my diet. But I try to keep my baking egg-free and vegan. Lemon Cupcakes: I have a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe that I always use. It is a basic recipe that can be tweaked to make different flavored cupcakes....

Irish soda bread was on my to-bake list for quite some time. I wanted to try this during the April A to Z baking event, but I ended making Ice-cream Bread for alphabet “I”. (It’s quick no-rise bread too) Last year I made this a couple of times especially after getting the Dutch oven. But I finally took step-by-step pictures last week and here I am posting right on time for St....

This is an eggless French toast rolls recipe. So instead of eggs, I use custard powder. Do try these for your family and I am sure you will enjoy them as much as my family does. About the Recipe Who doesn’t like French toast for breakfast? If my kids have their way, they can eat them every single day. I love making my eggless French toast for breakfast at least once a month....

We celebrated my 27th birthday over the weekend. Considering that I spent the past 6 months or so thinking that I was already 27 years old, it was nice to learn that I get another year before 28. Zach made me this cake completely from scratch (which totally one-upped the mushroom topped cake that I’d made him for his birthday) and while I can’t tell you exactly what I wished for when I blew out the candles, it may or may not have involved a lot of sprinkles....

Theme: Dry Vegetable Sautes Dish: Green Beans Masala Poriyal The spice paste added to this curry is cooked till it is dry and crisp which gives the dish an almost parippu usili kind of texture. But this is spicier and easier to make than usili. Serve with steamed rice and dal for a complete meal. The same spice paste can be used with cluster beans (guvar, goru chikkudukaya) or green peppers....

Serve fresh or stored in the fridge for a day. I’m sharing this super healthy and satiating drink recipe which is just perfect for the Valentines Breakfast. I’ve been drinking green juice for breakfast for a couple of months now. It’s fast, healthy and tastes great (For a non-breakfast eater, its a boon) but the only thing is that I feel hungry after a couple of hours (like 2-3hrs). It was going on like this and everytime I used to end up snacking …....

How long it takes: 10 minutes Equipment you’ll need: small blender or food processor Servings: 12 servings (2 tablespoons each) And Caesar salad shows up in so many forms. Chicken is often added to make a main course salad, and you can find recipes for Caesar salad pizzas, Caesar salad sandwiches, Caesar salad appetizers, Caesar salad soup (really!), and even a bacon-and-egg Caesar salad breakfast. With the recipe I’m bringing you today, you can prepare your own Caesar salad....

Are you a coleslaw fan? I am, it’s such an easy salad to prepare and it can be made ahead without any loss of flavor or texture. It actually tastes better if you make it an hour or two ahead. How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: large mixing bowl, measuring utensils Servings: 8 Some of you may be already familiar with my classic restaurant style creamy coleslaw recipe....

Eggless Gingerbread Muffins (No Molasses) Welcome to my cozy corner of the internet, where we’re (you and I), about to embark on a delicious journey filled with warm spices and the comforting aroma of gingerbread. These muffins can also be called ‘Healthy Gingerbread Muffins’ as they are made using a combination of butter + oil, all-purpose flour + buckwheat/whole wheat flour, and yogurt (vegan or not) hence resulting in moist and light muffins....

Why Quinoa Lentil Crepes/Dosas? Quinoa lentil crepes/dosas are an excellent option for a nutritious and protein-packed breakfast. These are perfect for those following a gluten-free diet. Both quinoa and lentils are high in protein. In addition to being protein-packed, quinoa and red lentils are also rich in essential nutrients such as iron, magnesium, and fiber, which are important for overall health. The high fiber content also helps in promoting gut health and aids in digestion....

5-Minute, Restaurant-Style Homemade Salsa If you stumbled across this recipe because your kitchen is full of red, ripe tomatoes from your garden, today’s recipe is for you. But, if you’ve alternatively been searching for a robustly flavored salsa when there are no ripe tomatoes to be found (just those waxy, orange-ish ones languishing in the grocery stores), today’s recipe is also for you! While fresh tomatoes would be my first pick, if they’re not available canned tomatoes make a wonderful substitute, believe it or not!...

If you’ve ever made homemade yeasted bread before, like my no-knead whole wheat bread or Dutch oven bread, you know how satisfying it is. The process is soothing in a zen kind of way, and the feeling of biting into bread that you made with your own hands is hard to beat. These soft pretzels produce that same feeling of pride and satisfaction. How long it takes: just under 2 hours, including an hour of resting time Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, large saucepan, mixing bowl, brush Servings: makes 8 large pretzels...

Whenever we go to Safeway, kiddo wants to buy the fruit loops. One day I was mentioning the same to my music teacher and I was worried about the artificial sugar and the colors and she was telling why can’t you try it home? In the next class, she made some for me. It was a mixed fruit loop and she added a little bit of sweet paprika and it was so yummy....

Hot Cross Buns I’m sure you’re familiar with Hot Cross Buns, thanks to the popular children’s nursery rhyme or their popularity in grocery stores and bakeries around Easter. These sweet sticky rolls are traditionally made and sold during Lent (though I’m yet to see them as cheap as “one a penny, two a penny”). Aside from being delicious, they also are an important part of Good Friday and Easter traditions, and you can read more about their origins, traditions, and superstitions here....

I’ve had so much great feedback on my posts about how to cook spaghetti squash (5 ways!), how to cook acorn squash (2 ways), and how to cook delicata squash, that I knew it was time to cover Kabocha squash! Email me if you have any other requests! I’m working on butternut squash, but in the meantime you can learn how to cook butternut squash in the slow cooker and of course I have a lot of other butternut squash recipes....

Calling ALL eggplant lovers as this ‘Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan’ is an extremely MUST Have Dish …. a recipe that turned my ‘no eggplant’ friends into ‘ I love eggplant’ category. This recipe is made using a nut paste hence the gravy/curry is vegan and glutenfree. It’s also called Bhagara Baingan. What is Bagara Baingan? It’s an extremely popular brinjal recipe (Indian Eggplant Curry) from the state of Hyderabad (India) and was introduced in the Mughal Era …....

Classic Bolognese in an Instant Pot?! You betcha! Is it as delicious as Bolognese sauce that’s been simmered all day long? You betcha! In a little over an hour, you can have this classic Italian dish on the table and boy, is it good! How long it takes: 1 hour, 15 minutes Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot pressure cooker, pasta pot Servings: 6 While I love vegan Bolognese with lentils and quinoa, it can hardly be called a “classic” Bolognese sauce....

This Instant Pot Chicken Marsala has nudged my Healthy Chicken Piccata out as my go-to Instant Pot chicken recipe. Ben and I both love it, and I especially love it if I buy the pre-washed, pre-sliced mushrooms. Why are mushrooms such a pain to wash? How long it takes: 45 minutes Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot (pressure cooker) Servings: 4 I’m here to debunk the rumor that food bloggers prepare a perfect meal from scratch three times a day....

I’m really excited to share this recipe with you. It’s the perfect special occasion dinner (think Valentine’s Day!). Pour a glass of wine and enjoy some time in the kitchen with your special someone. It’s a delicious weekend meal, too, when you want to take a little more time to savor and enjoy the process of cooking. How long it takes: 45 minutes to prep, another hour to pressure cook Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot, a shallow round pan that fits inside the Instant Pot Servings: 4 These short ribs are much faster to make than traditional beef short ribs but this is still a recipe you want to pour a little love and time into....

A Not-So-Italian Cream Cake By popular request! After a slew of emails asking for an Italian cream cake, I’ve finally created my own recipe that I’m excited to share with you today. Italian cream cakes are known for having a soft cake crumb loaded with pecans and coconut. I wanted mine to be plush and perfectly dense (but with a crumb closer to vanilla cake than pound cake), sturdy enough to handle three layers and keep chopped pecans suspended in the batter, yet still able to melt in your mouth....