It’s a known fact on this blog how we love our idlis and dosas for breakfast at home. Often, I end up making South Indian style coconut chutney or my mom’s peanut chutney to go as a side dish for our breakfast. It does get monotonous at times and that’s when I prepare my MIL’s popular onion tomato chutney. It’s tangy, it’s spicy, it’s colorful, it’s vibrant, it’s tasty and it really goes well with any South Indian breakfast....

I am back here after a week and it feels like ages! We went home for Diwali and took a much needed break last week. We had so much fun, meeting the family, eating until we were stuffed, roamed around, catching up with movies and what not. It was such a great time and today getting back to work was much tough, on top of missing the family. Sigh. I decided against putting up scheduled posts last week as I was supposed to be on a break....

I didn’t intend to kick this week off with pasta, I was going to share this recipe a little later. But I’m slightly behind right now so pasta it is! I’m actually not upset about it either. It’s already late August and we’re hitting that end of summertime when I slowly start to shift to my cozier recipes. Yes, it’s of course still summer. We will continue using up all the yummy summer produce!...

Paruppu Payasam is one of my most favorite payasams recipes from South India. It is just as quick as Semiya Payasam but is all natural and made at home. There are so many varieties of Payasam or Kheer recipes – Apple Kheer, Gasagasa Kheer, Nungu Payasam, Badam Kheer and so on. This Paruppu Payasam uses Moong Dal and it is so thick, delicious and super simple to make. There are multiple versions to make Pasi Paruppu Payasam and as is with many common recipes, there is no one right or wrong way....

This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. And just like that, September hits, my oven is on, and I’m roasting mushrooms. It’s crazy how much I love this time of year. I live for these golden September days, and my creativity thrives once fall really sets in. I know it’s only early September, but I’m slowly ready to start incorporating a bit more “coziness” into everyone’s kitchens. It’s all getting started with this polenta, which I personally think is the perfect cozy…ish, transitional recipe to welcome the cooler days ahead....

Well, I have been MIA for longer than I anticipated and this year is full of surprise twists for me. Just while we were settling down in our new house and I was finding a comfortable routine, I was presented with a travel opportunity to the US. I am just back after a very nice trip to Sacramento and thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality, weather and of course my first snow!...

To be honest, salads can often bore me, I mean, I love them, but I find most to be lacking in flavor and heartiness. With every new season, I like to create a salad or two that’s anything but boring and all things delicious. I think that fall is my very favorite salad season. I know summer is full of produce, but fall has pomegranates and persimmons and they are two fruits I love adding to salads....

This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. Have you ever seen a bowl full of pasta look so delicious?! This pasta is extra special, extra delicious and better for you than a pan-fried version. Plus, it’s Monday, and Mondays are made so much better with a fresh bowl full of pasta. Here’s the deal, with the official start to autumn a little less than two weeks away (so excited!), I am embracing all the end-of-summer produce....

When pumpkin season rolls around, you can always find me in the kitchen making pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cheesecake bars or these amazingly delicious pumpkin muffins. The muffins taste like they came straight from a fancy bakery! If you’re a fan of pumpkin baked goods, you’ll definitely be in love with these pumpkin muffins. These treats have the perfect amount of sweetness and pumpkin spice, and the streusel topping adds so much flavor and texture....

In my blog there is no dearth for breakfast recipes and especially of the idli recipes. Idli & dosa recipes are my absolute favorite breakfast options and I have a pretty soft corner for idli varieties. In my yet another quest to make a different type of idli, I ended up making an instant version of Rava Semiya Idli recently. I served it with two different chutneys hotel-style, which made it a block-buster at home!...

Keeping Monday fun with some stuffed pitas! Pretty sure I said this when I made chicken gyros, but street food inspired recipes are so much fun. Especially in the late winter when you’re searching for more color, more fun, and honestly, probably travel too. Actually, I just explained my current state of mine. So this is how I’m feeling. In an effort to not get too bored, I’m loving trying out some fun middle eastern-inspired recipes....

Well, look at me, it’s a new year, and I’m finally sharing a roasted broccoli recipe. For those of you who’ve followed for years and checked in daily, you know that, in general, I love providing you all with a FULL meal. A recipe that includes everything you need for dinner that night. Side dishes, especially things like roasted vegetables and simple sides (rice, potatoes, etc.), are not recipes we have many of on this site....

When one idea fails, turn to another…and be presently surprised with how it turns out. Today’s post was meant to be something entirely different, but here we are with these sweet little bites of chocolate and coconut! My original idea for today was a major fail, so I pivoted to these presents. And I could not love them more. These cookies are inspired by the very popular Samoas Girl Scout cookies....

When I’m looking to impress, I serve seafood for dinner. Some of my favorite options include shrimp Alfredo, grilled tilapia, garlic shrimp, seafood pasta or these tender and delicious pan seared scallops. Seared scallops are so simple to make, yet they look and taste like they came from a fancy restaurant! This is my absolute favorite way to prepare fresh scallops, and it always gets rave reviews. How To Buy Scallops You want to use larger sea scallops for this recipe....

Serve this shrimp ceviche as an appetizer or a light meal, it’s perfect for any occasion! I’m constantly looking for more ways to incorporate seafood into my family’s diet, I often make garlic butter shrimp, honey garlic salmon or ceviche for a quick and healthful dinner. Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients? When you make shrimp ceviche you need shrimp, red onion, jalapeno, cucumber, Roma tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, salt and tortilla chips....

Watch the How To Video Here: Simple Roasted Red Pepper Pasta from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo. So do you guys remember this giant mediterranean chicken and farro salad with the roasted red pepper sauce? Do you remember how I said that the sauce would be good on SO many things? Yeah, well, I took my leftover sauce, tossed it with hot pasta, added a ton of basil and big hunk of fresh burrata and called it dinner....

I know, I know. Thanksgiving is in t-minus eight days and I should probably be telling you about a stuffing recipe or an easy appetizer right about now, but do you want the truth? I have a stuffing recipe that I love and have no interest in creating another one, and okay, I am slightly over the Thanksgiving recipes. All of my favorites have been posted (see my 2017 Thanksgiving menu and guide here) and at this point I am feeling pretty ready (and excited) for Turkey Day....

When I know I’m going to have a busy day, I turn to my favorite slow cooker recipes such as tender crock pot pork roast, hearty slow cooker beef stew, and this delicious slow cooker bolognese. You can’t go wrong with a hearty meat sauce over pasta, and this slow cooker bolognese fits the bill. It’s quick to put together, and slow cooking it adds so much extra flavor. My kids ask for this dish every week!...

Alrighty, I just returned to Colorado from over a week away. First to New York for work. Then to Miami to celebrate Easter with my family in the warmth and sunshine. It was such a nice trip that ended far too quickly for me. My family has actually been traveling around as well. Going from Florida to the Caribbean, then back to Florida. The point here is that we’ve both been doing a lot of traveling....

You can bake the salmon in an oven or air fryer, I am including both methods in this post. Confession- I did not like salmon for many years after coming to the States. I was used to eating white fresh water fish back in India and almost always ended up comparing the taste and texture. However, after my kids were born, I pushed myself to include fish regularly in their diet and slowly salmon became our family favorite fish!...