France, the land of macarons, baguettes, pastries, crepes, and unbelievably delicious croissants. I know, I know...France has other foods to offer but I had been day dreaming of these things since we booked our flights to Paris! I had also mentally prepared myself about the potential weight gain from all the carby deliciousness. But hey...YOLO.
Read MoreBaked Falafels
Falafels are one of our favorite foods to eat. They're packed with amazing flavors and us vegetarians get a good amount of protein from them. My mom makes the falafel balls from scratch at home but I just bought the frozen kind from Trader Joe's or Costco. The thing that kept me from making them at home was the idea of frying them. I don't like frying things. I've had my own home for almost 4 years now and I have never fried anything in my kitchen. I always seek the alternative. Don't get me wrong, I occasionally indulge in fried food at restaurants (mainly, French Fries and Vegetable Samosas) but I don't like the act of frying, the smell that lingers or, the more obvious reason, the nutrition facts of fried food -- yikes! However, when I saw two fellow bloggers make baked falafels, I was inspired and immediately jumped on the bandwagon and attempted my own version. Here's a mash up of Recipris and Sprouted Kitchen's recipes.
Read MorePlum Yogurt Parfait
It's finally here!! The first day of Spring! I am ready for all the spring fruits and veggies to make their arrival at the farmer's market and the local grocery stores. I saw these plums at Trader Joe's yesterday and got so excited! I can't wait for pluots, apricots, figs...ahh the list goes on!
Read MoreMediterranean Chickpea Salad
Whenever I travel through Chicago O'Hare airport, I have to make sure I get this delicious chickpea salad from Argo Tea. It is super delicious and a perfect airport meal/snack because its light and nutritious. Last time I ate this salad, I wrote down the ingredients and guessed the proportions per my taste. I made a huge batch of this protein packed salad a few weeks ago and my sister and I ate this for lunch for a few days and we didn't even get sick of it.
Read MoreCarrot-Tomato Soup
This soup brings back childhood memories. My mom used to pair this soup with her [potato-peas-carrot based] veggie burgers and they went so well together. The simplicity of the soup is what makes it so divine. Adding peas, corn and green beans is always a great option. You can also top it with croutons or toasted chickpeas. Seriously, this soup is so easy, delicious and versatile!
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