Garlic lovers, unite! Who can resist the pungent punch of fresh garlic? In our house, we practically live on the stuff. Whenever I bring it home, a giant bag of peeled garlic from Costco magically disappears into a variety of garlicky delights. First up, I always make and freeze a batch of homemade garlic paste - a staple for everyday cooking. Then, the leftover cloves get transformed into something even more special - either of a jar of spicy garlic achaar (pickle) or this vibrant garlic chutney....

I’ve always loved a good pasta salad. Growing up my dad would make pasta salads during the summer months when he’d get home late from work. Turning on the oven was just not something he wanted to do, so he’d boil some pasta and toss in whatever vegetables and cheeses he had on hand, and that was dinner. Usually, it was a mix up of broccoli, fresh cherry tomatoes, lots of garden fresh basil, and chunks of cheddar cheese....

And hey, we all know it’s never too early to start planning the weekend! So here’s the deal. I am in comfort food mode (as if you haven’t figured this out) and this gnocchi bake is all things comforting. As you guys know it’s been a little busy around here, with multiple things happening behind the scenes. And then you know, launching the cookbook! It’s been a roller coaster of anticipation, fun, stress, and um tiredness…tons of different emotions....

You all! I’m so excited and happy to be cooking summer recipes right now. I’m in my grill everything, bake with stone fruit and berries, and add ice cream to everything you can phase of summer. Maybe I’ll even do s’mores! Every summer, like clockwork, I crave making and enjoying Caesar salad. I had my first Caesar over summer break with my Nonnie, and now it’s a memory I love to think back on throughout the summer months....

You can never go wrong with Asian food recipes at meal time. My family enjoys honey garlic chicken stir fry, beef and broccoli stir fry, moo goo gai pan, and this teriyaki shrimp stir fry. It’s a simple yet satisfying dinner recipe! I am all about the stir fries these days – they’re quick, easy to make and tend to be pretty healthy. This teriyaki shrimp stir fry is my family’s current favorite – the homemade teriyaki sauce really elevates this dish to something special!...

I am a huge avocado fan, I love to make avocado fries, avocado toast and this refreshing avocado salad. It’s got all the same flavor components of guacamole, how can you go wrong with that?! Tomato Avocado Salad INgredients To make tomato avocado salad you will need tomatoes, avocados, a red onion, cilantro leaves and a jalapeno. For the dressing, make sure you have olive oil, lime juice, honey, ground cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper....

I love growing plants at home and it has been my dream since childhood. We don’t get a lot of sunlight in our balcony and yet, we have a small garden with greens, tomatoes and herbs growing. I recently harvested a batch of Palak and made Palak Paneer – I tell you, the taste of garden to kitchen is amazing. I have some tomatoes growing currently and cant wait to harvest them in a few days....

Urulai Kizhangu Varuval is a simple and delicious side dish that I learnt to make from my mother-in-law. There can never be too many potato recipes in your repertoire, isn’t it? I am a huge fan and lover of potatoes and enjoy them in every form. Growing up, amma always made her classic Andhra Style Potato Fry for us which is my most favorite. After getting married, I adapted a number of recipes from my in-laws including this spicy potato fry that goes well as a side dish with sambar, rasam or curd....

Verkadalai Podi is an amazingly simple make-ahead side dish that goes well just as it is with hot idlis or crispy dosa. In Andhra, it is quite popularly known as Palli Podi or Palli Karam Podi. With just a handful of ingredients that are a staple in any Indian kitchen, this roasted peanut chutney powder can be made in a jiffy. If you have roasted peanuts, it literally takes 5 mins to make this chutney podi....

Pasta is a pretty beloved food by most, you can dress it up or you can dress it down. Personally? I am a huge fan of dressing it down. Simple flavors are best and a little (ok a lot) of cheese is helpful too. I am sure that, like a lot people, I pretty much grew up on noodles with butter and salt. Just noodles, butter and salt. It’s a meal that even now I find comfort in and is still totally delicious....

You know the saying, when you really have A LOT to do, you end up working even more efficiently – and getting more done? As opposed to having a smaller task list and getting less done? Well, the other week, ahead of travel, I had a lot on my plate. It was so exciting, and I was thankful for the workload, but it was a lot. It turns out that when I have too much to do, I work really well....

There are some recipe concepts that I have written down in my notes for less than a few minutes before I’m writing the ingredients down and testing the recipe. And then there are recipes like this cashew chicken, where I’ve jotted down the idea, but then let it sit. I’ve stared at this title, cashew chicken, for weeks now. Then just this week I finally decided to make this dish....

And I’m back with more colorful bowls of (cozy, healthy) food. To be expected, right? If you didn’t notice, I am loving all the colorful food January has been bringing (did you guys see this winter broccoli salad?!). It’s making these short, cold, and rather colorless days feel bright and fresh! Plus, I hear all you east coast people are basically freezing your butts off and covered in snow, so I figured a warm and cozy soup was the perfect dinner to share today....

Stir-fries are the perfect summer dinner. They’re quick and easy, and you can use whatever leftover vegetables you have on hand or grow in your summer garden. When I was a kid, my dad would make a stir fry once a week in the summer. His were always pretty basic: mainly juicy bell peppers, chicken, and possibly some broccoli. His sauce was SIMPLE: just a lot of soy sauce. He’d always serve it with rice, and usually, there would be peanuts on top....

I have this bizarre memory of eating Chinese food with my brothers on Christmas Eve when I was a kid. To set the scene, my mom was running around the house getting ready for her annual Christmas Eve party (so it was chaos). My brothers and I were watching The Santa Clause (still one of my favorite movies) while eating chicken fried rice…and basically ignoring everything my mom asked us to do....

Fruit popsicles! I feel like these are something new for me. I’ve never really ventured much into the frozen fruit dessert area. I’ve mostly stuck to either frozen chocolate treats or baked berry recipes when it comes to summertime desserts. But this year I am really excited to explore recipes I’ve never shared before. I’ve said this before, but when it comes to creating new recipes I get bored very, very easily....

Long ago when I posted my Filter Coffee recipe, I had talked about my love for coffee and how I acquired a taste for it over the years. And if anyone of you remember, I also talked about how I cant stand tea and it is not something I enjoy at all. Well, here is the news – I am now a proper tea convert! Just like the coffee, I seemed to have acquired a taste for tea, especially the strong Adrak wali Chai or the Indian Ginger tea....

We love paneer, especially my kids and its a great source of vegetarian protein. Popular paneer curries like paneer lababdaar or paneer korma use ton of nuts and cream and while I absolutely love them, those are reserved for special occasions in our home. Everyday curries are fuss free and I make this paneer sabzi every other week. I love making paneer curries in ghee but you can use mustard or olive or any cooking oil that you normally use....

I eat a salad almost every day for lunch, I typically make Tuscan kale salad, brussels sprout salad or this refreshing arugula salad. Arugula salad takes just minutes to make and is full of different flavors and textures. Green salads are a welcome addition to any meal, and this arugula salad has quickly become a favorite in my house. It’s loaded with fresh vegetables, protein packed beans and savory cheese, all in a simple dressing....

Bacon makes everything better, and this pork loin is no exception. When you wrap a pork roast in bacon, you end up with a delectable main course that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. This pork loin is a fantastic way to enjoy bacon along with some of my other favorite bacon wrapped dishes like bacon wrapped chicken and bacon wrapped meatloaf. The holidays are here, and that means plenty of family time, entertaining and cooking!...