For the next recipe for my breakfast series, I am sharing a very healthy, fully loaded and nutritious breakfast recipe – Vegetable Oats Upma. This is very similar to the traditional upma/khichdi recipe we usually make in South India, but with oats. I lived on oats for almost two years during my initial days in Bangalore, when I was staying as a paying guest. And I detested it, with a capital D....
The summer snacks are in full force over here with this 10 minute garden herb avocado dip. If there was ever a light and healthy summer dip to love, this is totally it. It’s the simplest, quickest dip you’ll ever make and it’s loaded with two of my favorite ingredients, avocado and basil…and then of course, there’s the fact that we are eating this dip with potato chips. Yes, yes, YES, potato chips....
I’m discovering something fun about cooking. Now that I feel really comfortable in the kitchen and with flavor, I know how to make fast dishes without a basic recipe. I know how to make sauce and how to cook meats and noodles. Having this confidence in the kitchen allows me to create even more recipes than I ever thought possible. Many summers ago, I shared a recipe for drunken noodles....
This recipe is so simple and perfect for anyone who really enjoys a delicious bowl of pasta for dinner. Carbonara is a pretty classic Italian pasta, usually made with bacon, eggs, lots of parmesan cheese, and a longer cut of pasta. The secret to a great carbonara is the sauce. It consists of raw eggs and grated parmesan cheese. The eggs are tossed with the steaming pasta. As the tossing process takes place, the heat from the steaming pasta cooks the eggs, creating the silkiest, cheesiest pasta....
Everyone loves a popsicle when it’s hot outside, but homemade popsicles are the very best treats of all! There are dozens of options to make your own popsicles that your family will enjoy all season long. Popsicles seem to be the all-time favorite kid snack for the summer. Not only are they refreshing and cool, but they help keep everyone hydrated as well. We love popsicles around here, so these popsicle recipes are summertime must-haves in our family....
Apparently, I am all about comfort food this week, and this 3 cheese everything spice grilled cheese is no exception. This week started off with zucchini carbonara pasta, we then went on to homemade whole grain waffles, and we are now moving right along to this very special grilled cheese. Why all the comfort food? Well, two reasons… Reason one: the weather here in the mountains has been incredibly stormy this entire month, like I’m talking ever since I got back from Mexico on July 6th....
I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! It’s, of course, sad to see summer go, but just like every year, I’m the most excited for September. The last few months of the year are the most special in my eyes. In September, we get back into routines. We have more family-style dinners, we bake with apples and pumpkins, and some of us even start to plan for the upcoming holidays!...
When I’m having a barbecue, I serve a variety of side dishes including tomato salad, street corn and these bacon laced beans. All of your guests will be begging for the recipe, these beans are just that good. Baked beans are a classic dish for good reason – that combination of tender beans, bacon, and sweet and savory sauce just can’t be beat! My version can be prepared in just minutes, the hardest part is waiting a few hours for it to bake to perfection....
Skip the trip to the donut shop and make these baked donuts at home instead! They’ve got all the same great flavors without the grease. When I want a grab and go breakfast I make cereal bars, baked oatmeal cups or these baked donuts! My kids adore donuts, but I don’t buy them that often. It’s not always convenient to run out to the donut shop on a Sunday morning, and in my opinion, some donuts can be on the heavier side and weigh you down for the rest of the day....
And just like that, we experienced one day of warm sunshine and I’m ready for big salads full of color. Of course, snow is in the forecast Thursday night through Saturday. But I’m going to look past that, and be excited for the warmer days ahead. Plus, I just really, really wanted to share this salad with you all. It’s another recipe from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, and it’s without a doubt my favorite salad in the entire book....
Every one of us have one or two vegetables we absolutely love and then some vegetables we cant stand at all. Beetroot is one such vegetable for me. I would buy it, I would cook it, I would eat it – all because I have to and not because I want to. I know how healthy beetroot is and wanted to make it delicious, not as a dessert of Beetroot Halwa or Beetroot Kurma but as a side for our rotis/rice....
I think the number one question I get asked is how I stay inspired to create new recipes. I must admit, it can be really, really challenging. There are weeks that I feel completely defeated, as though nothing I’ve created was delicious enough, pretty enough, or worthy of sharing with you all. Obviously, I am my own worst critic, but while it can sometimes be a challenge, I still love it....
When I’m looking to feed a crowd, I like to prepare a large piece of meat such as prime rib, beef tenderloin or brisket. The key to a great brisket is a fabulous brisket rub, and this version takes just minutes to make. Brisket is a flavorful and inexpensive cut of meat that’s perfect for a family meal or a special occasion. The best way to season this type of meat is with a brisket rub....
Well, isn’t this fun? When I started making this I was so nervous. I just wasn’t sure how it would turn out. Sometimes dishes like this can be amazing, and better than I envisioned. Other times they’re disastrous. But this turned out! And it’s so good, even better than I dreamt up in my head. So I am so excited to share! Prior to this recipe, I’d only made a rigatoni pasta pie once before....
You guys! Yes, I have another chicken and rice bowl for you, and it’s SO GOOD. This bowl has been a staple in my kitchen for years and years. It’s kind of my form of summer comfort food. This recipe brings back all the childhood memories for me. While this is absolutely nothing like the chicken and rice my dad served my brothers and me as kids, it still has the core ingredients, grilled chicken and steamed rice....
Pizza is a commonly served food at gatherings, but I like to surprise my guests by offering calzones instead. You can fill your calzones with so many different toppings, and they’re sure to garner rave reviews. Serve your calzones with other Italian food recipes such as panzanella salad, eggplant lasagna or sun dried tomato chicken for a memorable meal. Good food is part of any great gathering, and my current go-to for feeding a crowd are these amazingly delicious calzones....
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved a summertime pasta salad. My dad would often make his super simple pasta salad on busy nights. It used to be one of my favorite dinners. I’ve mentioned this before, but my dad’s pasta salad was the simplest. I believe it was literally just pasta, broccoli, bell peppers, and cubes of cheddar cheese tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper....
I promise that brussels sprouts in pasta is good. Especially when they are combined with bacon. So I gotta tell you guys how I just spent the last ten minutes. Trying to figure out how you properly spell brussels sprouts. See, I thought is was just brussel sprout, but my stupid spell check just kept putting the ugly little red line underneath the word brussel. Speaking of that little red line, have I ever told you guys how much I hate seeing that little red line?...
We are smack in the middle of summer and the produce is finally starting to pile into our local farmers market and road side farm stand. As you can probably guess, I am very excited about the abundance of stone fruits, berries, sweet corn, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, etc. etc. It’s still a little early around here for tomatoes, so this week’s focus is majorly on zucchini and corn, two summer staples that if I’m being honest, I never know what to do with!...
My family loves anything that involves chicken and Alfredo sauce, from creamy dips to cheesy pastas, and of course, this easy and delicious pizza option. I make homemade pizza once a week for dinner – it’s quick, easy, tastes so much better than store bought, and my kids love it! This chicken Alfredo pizza features a creamy white sauce base with chunks of chicken, crispy bacon and a sprinkling of fresh tomatoes and parsley....
