One Day At A Time

Anyone who cooks regularly has his / her own quick fixes for those lazy days. Some like one pot meals like pasta, pulav or biryani. I prefer sandwiches, wraps and quesadillas. Today, I tried something new for our sandwiches - Cajun seasoned grilled shrimp with creamy avocados. Cajun seasoning is one of my favorite spice blends. Pick one of your favorites and add a whole new twist to this easy sandwich.

Rice and Rotis are a staple for our lunches and dinners. Some days, I like to cook an exotic menu. Mexican, Italian, Thai are our favorites. Since I had some avocados, today's lunch turned out to be Mexican. Let me tell you about a simple vegetarian wholesome meal, well known to many as Veggie Burrito Bowl. Black Beans: Dry Black Beans - 1 cup Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Garlic - 3 big cloves Salt Cilantro Lime Rice: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Salt Fajita Vegetables: Mini Bell Peppers/Capsicum - 4 Onion - 1 medium Chipotle Seasoning - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt Guacamole: Avocados - 2 Onions (finely chopped) - about 3 tbsp Lime Juice - 3 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Salt Additional Toppings: Sour Cream Pepper Jack Cheese Shredded Lettuce Tortilla Chips Salsa How to make Mexican Veggie Burr...

There was a time when I used to like just one kind of salad - Koshimbir , with a yogurt dressing. Lately, I have started enjoying other kinds too... the oil and vinegar based vinaigrettes. Today, lets eat a simple mixed fruit salad with an Orange Vinaigrette. Drizzle this colorful salad with honey, vanilla yogurt or a scoop of ice cream and your kids will love it too. Ingredients: Golden Apple - 1 Peaches - 2 Green Grapes - 1/2 cup Orange Juice - about 1/4 cup Olive Oil - 1 tbsp Light Brown Sugar - about 2 tsp Salt - 1/8 tsp Roasted Nuts - about 1 tbsp How to make Mixed Fruit Salad with an Orange Vinaigrette: In a big mixing bowl, prepare the dressing/vinaigrette. Add freshly squeezed orange juice, olive oil, sugar and salt. Whisk until all the ingredients are mixed well.  I have used light brown sugar. You can use healthier alternatives like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup. Add salt and more or less sugar based on the sweetness of the fruits. Now time...

Back home, cookies are called biscuits. At my place, these crunchy delights always used to be store bought. These days, we love the home baked goodies more than the store bought ones. You get to choose healthier ingredients, use your favorite flavors and more importantly, the satisfaction of baking for your loved ones. Call them cookies or biscuits, if your family loves it, its well worth the effort. Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup Light Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (1/4 pound) Desiccated (Dry) Coconut - 1/2 cup Dry Cranberries - 1/4 cup Whole Milk - 1/4 cup Vanilla Extract - 1 1/2 tsp Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp How to bake Whole Wheat Coconut and Dry Fruit Cookies: Finely chop cranberries. Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Instead of cranberries, you can use any other dry fruits of your choice - cherries, raisins, apricots, figs. In a...