Air Fryer Carrot Fries
Crispy, healthy, and kid-approved! Air fryer carrot fries are the perfect guilt-free snack packed with nutrients and flavor. Discover why they’re a must-try today!
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Tag: dairy free
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
Enjoy a healthy, balanced Chicken Teriyaki Bowl packed with protein, veggies, and whole grains. Perfect for busy weeknights, this dish features homemade teriyaki sauce, brown rice, and fresh vegetables for a flavorful, nutrient-dense meal your family will love.
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Tindora Bataka nu Shaak
Delight in the comforting and flavorful Tindora Bataka nu Shaak, a timeless dish featuring tender tindora (ivy gourd) and potatoes cooked with aromatic spices. This nutritious delicacy brings the genuine taste of traditional Indian cuisine to your table, ideal for savoring with rotis, rice, or on its own.
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Moong Sprouts Salad
Explore the colorful world of Moong Sprouts Salad, adorned with vibrant mangoes, dragonfruit, and yellow bell peppers. Discover its health benefits and variety of flavors, all complemented by a tantalizing chaat masala dressing.
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Miso Glazed Eggplant
Discover this amazing Miso Glazed Eggplant; my version of Nasu Dengaku. Dive into the delicious combo of tender eggplant and savory miso for a flavor-packed experience that’s sure to impress!
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Rainbow Tofu Bowl
This delicious Rainbow Tofu Bowl is the latest buzz in our household. Packed with nutrient-rich veggies and protein-packed tofu and quinoa, this dish is as visually stunning as it is delicious. Whip it up in no time for a nourishing and satisfying meal that celebrates the beauty of nature’s bounty.
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Palak Dal
Hearty and wholesome Dal Palak (Spinach Dal), lightly spiced, makes a great comforting meal and is a seasonal favorite. It’s also a classic source of plant-based proteins, especially in the diets of vegetarians and vegans.
Discover the irresistible comfort and nutritional richness of Palak Dal, a beloved staple in Indian cuisine. Packed with protein-rich split urad dal and nutrient-dense spinach, this dish not only tantalizes the taste buds but also evokes cherished childhood memories and brings families together.
Let’s dive into the delicious world of Palak Dal. This is a dish that’s not just about flavor; it’s about the warmth of home and the nostalgia of childhood. If you grew up in an Indian household, chances are Palak Dal made an appearance on your dining table. Each bite serving up a hearty dose of comfort and tradition with every spoonful.
Palak Dal isn’t just a dish; it’s a connection to your roots, a taste of home no matter where you are. It’s the dish your mom made when you were feeling under the weather, the dish that always brought the family together around the dinner table. Picture this: creamy split urad dal mingling with vibrant green spinach, all cooked up with a blend of spices that make your taste buds dance. This dish has been warming bellies and bringing smiles for generations, and it’s not hard to see why.
Now, let’s break it down. First up, we’ve got split urad dal. This stuff is like nature’s protein powerhouse, perfect for all you vegetarians and vegans out there. It’s got the goods to help your muscles repair and grow, and it’s great for keeping your energy levels steady throughout the day.
But wait, there’s more! Urad dal is also packing some serious fiber, which means it’s doing wonders for your digestion and keeping you feeling full and satisfied. Plus, it’s got a low glycemic index, so it’s not messing with your blood sugar levels like some other foods might.
Spinach, or Palak is the other main ingredient. It’s a nutrient-packed superhero in its own right. Loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, and iron, spinach is full of antioxidants and phytonutrients to strengthen your body.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro in the kitchen or a newbie looking to expand your culinary horizons, Palak Dal is a dish that’s sure to win you over. So the next time you’re feeling hungry, why not give it a try? Your taste buds and your body will thank you for it!
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Rainbow Teriyaki Bowl
Delight your taste buds with our Crispy Purple Cabbage, Edamame, and Brown Rice Glazed Teriyaki Bowl! Experience the satisfying crunch of cabbage, the pop of edamame, and the wholesome goodness of brown rice, all dancing in the flavorful embrace of teriyaki-glazed eggplant and mushrooms. A delightful twist to add a plant-powered flair to family meals.
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Oven Roasted Garlic Confit
Roast Garlic in the oven following these simple steps for a caramelized, earthy, sweet, and buttery bite. Use this irresistible garlic confit to spread on bread or to cook amazing dishes.
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Cauliflower Steak with Hummus Dressing
These Cauliflower Steaks with Hummus Dressing are simply seasoned with a balsamic marinade and making them absolutely delicious. Tender and packed with flavor, the pomegranates add a but of crunch, the hummus adds a bit of tang. It makes the perfect vegetarian meal or side dish.
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Roasted Vegetables Barley Bowl
A delicious and nutritious Roasted Vegetable Barley Bowl filled with barley, arugula, hummus, a variety of veggies including asparagus and blistered tomatoes, all topped with a sprinkle of chili flakes for just a little heat. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal.
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Roasted Tomato Soup
A simple classic, this slow Roasted Tomato Soup is rich, creamy, and comforting. Made with roasted fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh basil, this tomato soup is full of flavor. Get your grilled cheese ready because this recipe will have you praying for a rainy day and savoring every element of the season.
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Top 15 Recipes of 2022
The year 2022 has been very eventful for us. We’ve had lots of travel, covid, a kitchen renovation, and so much more. Crafting and creating has been challenging but fun nonetheless in all of these environs. So here are my top 15 recipes that were the most popular this past year. I’m so happy you enjoyed them as much as me!
I wish all of you a healthy and Happy New Year as you read the top 15 from this year based on reader reviews and responses. I hope to continue growing and sharing my love of cooking with you in 2023. Here are the top 15 recipes of 2022.
Sprouted Moong Beans Sabzi Gujarati Style
Growing up, my Mom would make Moong Bean Sprouts Sabzi often. My brother and I weren’t the biggest fans (though a big part was that we wanted American food like the rest of our friends, not DBRS (Dar Bhaat Rotli Shaak) everyday.
Now as an adult, I see that Mom was making one of the healthiest plant proteins out there to make sure her kids got their nutrition. And now I’m doing the same. Maybe not as a child, but definitely as an adult I love this sabzi. Super simple to make, in less than 10 minutes, a depth of flavor from various spices, and packed with a powerhouse of nutrients, it’s a win win!
Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake
A simple bundt cake that is moist, light, fluffy, and a little crunchy. Fresh ground pistachios in the cake with some more drizzled over the top of a beautiful sugar glaze, this Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake is beautiful to look at and divine to eat.
Roasted Rainbow Veggies
Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to eat any vegetable. Having several different colors and cooking them together is the best in my book! You get plenty of vitamins and minerals and the different colors are just so pretty to look at! These Roasted Rainbow Veggies are the perfect way to serve your veggies for adults and kids, making them fun, easy, and healthy.
Mango Lassi Loaf Cake
Light, moist, and elegant loaf that tastes like Mango Lassi and is made without butter and eggs.
Lemon Chickpea Orzo Skillet
An effortless one skillet vegan recipe filled with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, chickpeas, spinach, grilled lemon slices, and of course orzo! Simple, healthy ingredients that come together quickly for a perfect weeknight meal, this Lemon Chickpea Orzo Skillet is a dish that everyone can enjoy!
Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowl
Crispy, sweet, and salty bites of tofu paired with sauteed bright broccoli on a bed of rice noodles. It can’t get any better than this. Filled with protein, this Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowl is perfect for a weeknight dinner or lunch prep.
Blackened Fish Tacos with a Garlic Sriracha Aioli
BBQ season is for grilling and though I love making the traditional burgers and hot dogs, I wanted to get away from the usual and do something different. These Blackened Fish Tacos are perfect with a Garlic Sriracha Aioli. A flavorful rub, crunchy carrot and cabbage slaw, the aioli to cool things down a bit and the jalapeños to add just a kick at the end of each bite is the perfect summer combination for me.
Couscous Arancini
Arancini is quite possibly one of the best things anyone could have created! Creamy, cheesy, fried balls dipped in warm marinara….yep, definitely calling my name. For a little twist, I used leftover pearl couscous instead of the traditional arborio rice risotto to make these.
Middle Eastern Vegan Protein Bowl
Simple to make and ready in just 30 minutes, this Middle Eastern Vegan Protein Bowl has everything to make your belly happy! Hint of tangy, spicy, herby, crunchy, and creamy, I love every bite I take! Filled with almost 20gm protein, 50% of your daily recommended fiber, and 40% of daily recommended iron, it is one of the most nutrient dense meals out there! Side benefit, you get 4 different colors of veggies in 1 meal!
Rainbow Farro Salad
I love eating in color and this gorgeous Rainbow Farro Salad has an abundance of it. Vivacious and crunchy purple cabbage, bright red bell pepper, pretty yellow cauliflower, tangy feta, earthy dill, and so much more. All of this drizzled with just enough olive oil and lemon juice to bring it all together so beautifully that each bite has you saying Mmmmmmmm.
Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
Grain-free, gluten-free, and vegan, these chickpea chocolate chip cookies are out of this world. Pillowy soft, fluffy, sweet, melt in your mouth, chunky chocolate chip cookies.
Rose Pistachio Ice Cream
Creamy, luscious, velvety, and decadent, this delicious Rose Pistachio Ice Cream is sure to make you smile in satisfaction. Bonus, it requires no cooking and no churning! It has become my new obsession and I’m sure it will become yours too!
Rosemary Olive Artisan Bread
Rosemary Olive Artisan Bread has a beautiful crust with a chewy inside filled with olives and fresh rosemary. It is easy to make because there is no kneading required. The scent and taste of warm bread and the ease of this recipe will want you making this bread over and over again.
Creamy White Bean Soup with Spinach
What is more comforting than a hot bowl of bean soup on chilly winter days? This quick recipe will have you feeling warm in no time. It’s also great for preparing large quantities so everyone can enjoy it! Nutrient dense and full of fiber, each bowl is also filled with 15gm protein!
Almond Butter Muffins
These healthy almond butter muffins are the perfect tasty treat. They are ideal to add in the lunchbox for a snack or dessert, or even to eat for breakfast. Each muffin is so soft, fluffy, and creamy all at the same time that I have to try not to gobble them down myself!
Thank you so much for making 2022 so special for me. I have enjoyed and embraced cooking for you. Which recipes have you tried? Feel free to leave comments below, or tag me with your pictures on Facebook or Instagram.
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Lemon Chickpea Orzo Skillet
An effortless one skillet vegan recipe filled with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, chickpeas, spinach, grilled lemon slices, and of course orzo! Simple, healthy ingredients that come together quickly for a perfect weeknight meal, this Lemon Chickpea Orzo Skillet is a dish that everyone can enjoy!
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Mango Coconut Chia Pudding
Thick and creamy chia pudding layered with shredded coconut, mango chunks, and roasted pistachios. The fresh tropical flavors for a healthy breakfast will become your favorite way to start the day!
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Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowl
Crispy, sweet, and salty bites of tofu paired with sauteed bright broccoli on a bed of rice noodles. It can’t get any better than this. Filled with protein, this Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowl is perfect for a weeknight dinner or lunch prep.
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Almond Butter Muffins
These healthy almond butter muffins are the perfect tasty treat. They are perfect to add in the lunchbox for a snack or dessert, or even to eat for breakfast.
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Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl
This Dragon fruit Smoothie Bowl is a beautiful, quick, and easy tropical breakfast recipe! Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is nutrient dense food packed with antioxidants, low calories making it a great option for vegan and paleo diets. Made with just 3 ingredients, dragon fruit, mango, and coconut water, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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Creamy White Bean Soup with Spinach
This Creamy Vegan White Bean Soup is a healthy one-pot soup that will fill you up, give you energy, and is full of flavor!
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Chai Spice Pumpkin Muffins
The perfect afternoon snack with your cup of coffee or chai. Soft and moist muffins filled with pumpkin flavor and loaded with chai spices, this muffin is sure to be your new fall favorite.
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Blistered Shishito Peppers
Flavorful, satisfying, and addictive, these shishito peppers are simple to make with 3 ingredients and very healthy!
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Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Delicious, easy, and filling tacos that are warm and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
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Quinoa Fiesta Salad
Fresh and beautiful veggies from across the rainbow to make amazing salads are my favorite. This Quinoa Fiesta Salad is one of my family’s favorites. As a mom, it makes me happy that the girls are getting so much nutrition in one bowl. The kids look at the colors and get excited to eat a rainbow and I love that they are enjoying fresh and healthy ingredients!
This salad does triple duty which I love. A dish which becomes a meatless entree can also serve as a side dish or a salad depending on my mood. The cherry on top of this recipe is that it takes less than 30 minutes to make and is very forgiving if you need to substitute or leave out ingredients.
HOW DO I MAKE A QUINOA FIESTA SALAD?
1. Cook the quinoa. While the quinoa is cooking, you can get the dressing and your other ingredients ready!
2. Make the Cilantro Lime Dressing. I love this dressing because it is so light. If you choose to leave it out as I do for my girls, simply replace it with a drizzle of Olive Oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to mix.
4. Enjoy and get addicted to this salad as much as my family and I are!
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
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Chickpea Avocado Salad
This chickpea salad is a refreshing summer salad filled with fresh produce. It tastes great served as a side salad or your main lunch meal. Best of all, you don’t need to make a special dressing for this salad.
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Zucchini Moong Dal
As I raise my girls, it has become very important to me that they keep connected to their roots and one of the ways I do this is through food. Lucky for me, they both love the typical comfort food fare of “Dal Chawal” or Lentils and Rice. A twist on the traditional Moong Dal Fry, this recipe adds zucchini and is low in calorie but nutrient dense.
Ready in just 15 minutes, this has become my latest go to recipe when I’m tight on time. Because moong dal cooks very quickly, I don’t soak them for more than 20 minutes.
Nutrition is also very important when I’m serving this dish as a main meal to the girls, and this dish doesn’t disappoint.
1 cup of zucchini moong dal gives you:
- 156 kcal
- 8.7 gm protein
- 7 gm fiber
As to cooking it over the stove versus the instant pot, traditionally, the dal was boiled first then added to the spices. I love just using one pot to make the whole dish so I usually add the uncooked dal into the spices/gravy mix then cook it in the instant pot.
I hope you get a chance to try out this delicious recipe and enjoy it as much as my family does.
Looking for more lentil/dal recipes? I’ve got you covered. Check out some of these amazing dishes:
Sprouted Moong Beans Sabzi Gujarati Style
Spinach Dal
Instant Pot Kali Dal
Adai Waffles / Lentil Waffles
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
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Farmer’s Market Crudites Platter with Hummus Two Ways
One of my favorite times of the year is the spring when the Farmer’s Market starts to get bigger with more and more farmers who start to bring a larger variety of produce and goodies. I’ve mentioned in the past that I like to make a menu for the week (more so my kids don’t complain they want something else than what is served), but what I haven’t mentioned is how I love going to the Farmer’s Market to do my weekly produce shopping. Sometimes, I will even tailor some of my dishes to include produce I find at the Market.
Recently, I partnered with our local Farmer’s Market (Danville Farmer’s Market) and I will be creating recipes for them a few times a month in the hopes that I can bring awareness to locally farmed produce at all of our farmer’s market. Having fresh, organic produce and supporting the local farms is a win-win.
This Spring Crudites Platter is so beautiful, we all had a bit of hard time digging in. No one wanted to mess it up. Ah well, our stomachs won that round. The beauty of this platter is that you are not restricted to the same produce I picked up. Pick up what your farmer’s market has, just make it colorful.
Here is what I used:
- Purple Cauliflower (chop these into big chunks)
- Rainbow Baby Carrots (trim the stems off and save to make pesto – be sustainable!)
- Radishes
- Watermelon Radishes (slice these a little thick into rounds to give a beautiful effect)
- Snap Peas
- Cucumbers (I sliced these on the diagonal for aesthetics. Feel free to slice into rounds or sticks to make them easier to serve)
- Cherry Tomatoes
As for the hummus, I chose purple sweet potato and red beets to be the base of each hummus. For the Red Beets, I roasted it with garlic, then pulsed it with a little tahini and a few other ingredients. This is by far one of my favorite variations on hummus. Paired with all that beautiful produce, it’s perfect!
For the Purple Sweet Potato, I baked it in the oven then pulsed it with tahini as well. Though the idea behind both hummus’ are the same, the flavor profile differ vastly. Yet both are addicting.
I hope you have a chance to make a beautiful Spring Crudites Platter like this for your next gathering. I promise you will love it.
Try it out and let me know what you think!
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
If you are looking for more delicious recipes, check these out:
Roasted Masala Chickpeas
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Spicy Garlic Hummus
Crispy Chickpeas and Sweet Potato Tacos
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Vegan Amaretti Cookies
Naturally gluten-free, chewy a crisp exterior, these Vegan Amaretti Cookies are a delicious treat to have with your afternoon coffee, or to pack in a holiday tin, or to simple devour like I tend to.
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Fig and Chia Pudding Parfait
If I had to choose any other fruit besides mango, figs would definitely take second place. The soft exterior, the honey sweet flesh, and the crunch of the seeds as you eat each one is just heaven. Pair it with chia pudding topped with fresh baked granola and garnished with a sprig of mint, well, you just won’t want anything else for breakfast!
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Guacamole Chaat Tostadas
Crunchy, creamy, spicy, tangy, with just a hint of sweet, these Guacamole Chaat Tostadas are the perfect marriage between Indian and Mexican cuisine!
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Date Smoothie
A DECADENT Date Smoothie that is creamy, healthy, naturally sweetened and vegan!
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