It was a busy Fourth of July weekend this year, but it was also a fun one. Desi and I took a day trip to one of our favorite places here in the Washington area, Harper’s Ferry, a national park on the West Virginia border. Harper’s Ferry is just an hour’s drive from Washington but perhaps the fact that you cross two state borders to get there gives it that slight touch of the exotic....

Tuscan food appeals to me for many reasons, the chief ones being frugality, freshness, and ease of making, especially in large quantities. The deliciousness, of course, goes without saying. This vegan Tuscan White Bean vegetable stew, called a Ribollita, has it all. It’s full of healthy proteins and sunshine-y vitamins to keep you looking and feeling good. The white beans are creamy and melt-in-the-mouth, the red pepper flakes and garlic add a fragrance to die for, and the sundried tomatoes– well, they take an already delicious dish into sublime territory....

on Jan 03, 2023, Updated Jan 24, 2023 Air fryers are the latest ‘IT’ appliances! I mean a device that delivers perfect crispy snacks (yes, I’m talking about perfect French fries) without actually deep frying it? Now that is every foodie’s dream! Even though air fryers seem like an expensive investment, and yet another appliance you’d need to add to your already limited counter space, it comes with its own advantages....

on Jul 17, 2017, Updated Aug 26, 2020 Q: What do walnuts, basil and olive oil give you for lunch? A: Something you will want to eat by the spoonful. I first published this recipe on February 19, 2015 (whoaaaaa! has it really been that long?) and decided that since this is one of my favorite pesto recipes, I must refresh the pictures and update it to give you a brand new (but the same) basil walnut pesto recipe....

It’s super easy to make. Toss some sun-dried tomatoes in the blender along with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss together some chickpeas with a some red peppers and onions. Mix in a bit of crushed garlic and parsley. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour to let the flavours come together. Add some cucumber at the last minute. If you want to mix it up a bit you can add some chopped jalapeño or crushed red chilies....

These Chinese longevity noodles have the goodness of ginger, mushrooms and cabbage packaged into one easy, simple but extraordinarily tasty dish. In China, these noodles are eaten during the Chinese new year and at celebrations and festivities. The noodle strands are supposed to remain long and unbroken, so your life is too. The ingredient list is simple and quite short. I also add to these noodles an ingredient that offers the body much-needed warmth during these cold winter months and that fits in perfectly in this recipe: sesame seeds....

on Aug 23, 2021, Updated Jul 04, 2024 I’m clearly a fan of any flavors that remind me of dhaba food because I have many dhaba inspired recipes on the blog – dhaba style moong dal, dhaba style chicken curry, dhaba style dal fry, jeera rice, dal makhani, bhindi masala. All of these recipes have one thing in common – they are BIG on flavour! A good dal tadka should be smoky, have texture, an extra boost of garlic and spicy....

on Jun 14, 2016, Updated Apr 07, 2021 Okay serious curry craving happening these days. Because Bangalore weather – so dreamy ❤️ I’m such a curry in a bowl kinda person – when you just pile some rice and curry into a bowl and then top it up with sliced onions, a squirt of lemon, chopped coriander. Guys I start looking forward to this kind of awesomeness the moment I get up....

on Jul 19, 2015, Updated Sep 26, 2023 I can turn into a vegetarian for this burger, and so will you once you bite into this scrumptious burger. This Fully Loaded Veggie Burger is sooooo good that I made extras and had it for breakfast today. I like to slather it with lots of avocado mint chutney and ketchup, and both of them add layers of extra flavor which I know you love!...

Garlic ginger paste speeds up Indian cooking Indian cooking is not trivial. Not easy. Real work. Those incredible flavours don’t come for free. There’s a big difference between opening up a jar of pre-fab chicken tikka masala curry mix and making it yourself. If you want to start getting serious about cooking Indian making garlic ginger paste from scratch is a good first step. It keeps in the fridge so you can pull it out when you need it....

I have for you one of the most delicious potato recipes ever: Greek Lemon Potatoes. Every word in that name is a promise of things beautiful, and this recipe definitely lives up to that promise. I adore Greek food, and I especially love these Greek Gigantes – a wholesome and delicious dish of giant lima beans cooked in a tasty tomato sauce. So the idea of Greek-flavored roasted potatoes had me hooked from the start....

on May 15, 2024 When snack time rolls around, you’ve got to make this Grilled Nutella Banana Sandwich! It’s a sandwich everybody in the family will enjoy, especially if you’ve got a sweet tooth. We make this with our Homemade Nutella and bananas so it’s delicious without compromising on REAL, healthy ingredients. And that’s not all, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on the outside makes this extra special. Make this once, and your little ones will be asking for it everyday!...

on May 11, 2022, Updated Jul 25, 2024 Love Eggs? Try Spicy Bacon Devilled Eggs, South Indian Egg Curry and Egg Tadka! Is this something you struggle with? Don’t worry, I have got you covered! In this post I am sharing all the steps to make the perfect hard-boiled eggs along with my top tips to get it right each time. This is a fool-proof method, and even though it takes a few minutes longer than simply boiling them in hot water, it is SO worth it!...

You might also like these recipes for the best chana masala, slow cooker chana masala and chana bhatura. I’ve been having so much fun using up my basic tomato onion sauce for all kinds of delicious dishes, and today I am bringing you one more easy dish using this magic sauce that can save you tons of time while making you look like a miracle worker in the kitchen. So here’s a delicious and Instant Chana Masala that should take you no more than a couple of minutes to put together and 10 minutes, tops, to finish up....

on Oct 30, 2017, Updated Aug 26, 2020 This right here is the BEST thing I’ve eaten last week and I’m seriously excited to have you guys try it. I’ve been trying out a ton of things in my Instant Pot after the amazing Thai Carrot Ginger Soup that I shared a few weeks ago, and this Instant Pot Chipotle Chili is seriously topping the list. Because this is true winter food....

Like a Greek salad jacked up with Indian flavours. Perfect counterpoint to a curry or two. You see bad versions of it at Indian lunch buffets. That’s probably what’s holding it back. It’s a great combination that’s worth trying out. Kachumber salad is something you need to try It’s a simple salad really. Like any summer salad. Except the dressing. That puts it firmly in Indian territory. Salad with spice....

Lasagna is the king of pastas. There’s something magical about how the layers of pasta and sauce and cheese come together to make something so satisfying. Wonderful stuff. So many wonderful types of lasagna And there are lots of styles to choose from. Heavy to light and everything in between. One of my faves is super simple. Delicate layers of the thinnest pasta kissed by a simple tomato sauce and a dusting of parmigiano....

I think pizza margherita is the true test of a pizza joint. If they can get this right, they can get anything right. It’s what I order every time I visit a new pizza restaurant. There is real beauty in the simplicity of pizza margherita. Delicate almost. Simple flavours that come together to make something surprising. Something unexpectedly good. After all, there’s nothing to pizza margherita. It’s a cheese pizza....

on Oct 27, 2023 I don’t know about you, but every time that I begin to feel under the weather, all I want to eat is something warm, comforting, and simple. It was on one of those days that this ragi soup idea was born. I love a bowl of ragi malt for breakfast so it only made sense to try out a savoury preparation with that similar consistency. I add vegetables to this which makes the textures super interesting and also just turns this ragi soup into a wholesome meal on its own....

on Oct 30, 2024 This rasmalai Sandwich is a quicker, healthier version of the OG Bengali dessert, rasmalai. We use all the same ingredients and flavors – the paneer, saffron, elaichi – but this one’s crunchy, crispy, and a whole lot easier! Plus, you don’t need anything fancy to make this easy-peasy Rasmalai toast; you’ll most likely have all the ingredients already in your kitchen. So it’s the perfect thing to make for unexpected guests....