Diwali is just around the corner and I got my hands on this recipe on Sprouted Kitchen. I modified it to make it taste Indian and it is probably one of the easiest mithais (sweets) to make. Last year I made Halwa, which is a traditional mithai with semolina flour, ghee (clarified butter), sugar and milk. I opted to make something easy, modern and relatively healthy this year. Almonds are my favorite and I call them alpha nuts because of their incredible nutritional value. Almond milk, almond butter, almond everything is so incredibly delicious, including this mithai recipe.
Read MoreTomato-Avacado-Quinoa Lettuce Wraps
Tom-eh-to...Tom-ah-to. To some, all tomatoes are the same but if you can get your hands on heirloom tomatoes, you must give them a try. They're a summer fruit (yes, it's hard to believe that tomatoes are categorized as fruit) so it might be difficult to find them at this time of the year but you can certainly make this recipe with cherry tomatoes and it will taste just as deeelish!
Read MoreStuffed Mushrooms
For some reason it seems as if all vegetarians are automatically required to like mushrooms because that is the considered "meat" for vegetarians. Unlike most vegetarians, hubby and I never liked mushrooms. The thought of them being fungi has turned us away from trying them. However, everything changed for me when we were invited to our friend, Priti's parents' house for dinner a few weeks ago. Priti's adorable mom made stuffed mushrooms that looked and smelled scrumptious so I decided to give it a try. They were FANTASTIC! They were cheesy with a hint of spice. I had to dive in for seconds! This was quite adventurous of me so I had to stop and pinch myself to make sure this wasn't a dream. :) And of course, I got her recipe and made it myself.
Read MoreQuinoa Pilaf
Quinoa, my new found love, a great alternative to carb-loaded rice. I've been cooking a lot with quinoa lately (also, remember this salad?), I even eat Indian food with quinoa. It is a good source of protein for vegetarians and it is loaded with fiber, which is always good. Quinoa picks up the flavor of whatever you add to it so you can be creative with the spices and herbs you use.
Read MoreSriracha Paneer
Who doesn't like Sriracha? It's the solution to everything. It is spicy, flavorful and jazzes up anything you add it to. "Sriracha > every sauce that has ever existed," says, the biggest Sriracha fan ever, my hubby.
I needed a recipe for a finger food dish to make for my lovely friend, Devina's bridal shower. While I was spending hours and hours on Pinterest drooling over every food pin I saw, I instantly fell in love with this recipe. The original recipe was made with tofu but I decided to use Paneer instead, (Paneer = Indian cheese, tastes a lot like Ricotta). Paneer is made with whole milk that is typically curdled with a food acid (lemon juice or vinegar), then the water is drained out using a cheese cloth and the remaining curdled milk is pressed to form a tofu like consistency. The texture of paneer differs a lot from tofu, paneer is slightly gritty and dense whereas tofu is smooth and soft. You can find Paneer at any Indian grocery store or even make it at home.
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