One Day At A Time!

Hey everyone! Hope all is well in your part of the world. Texas is blessed with beautiful Goldilocks weather. Touch wood. I love going for walks during this time of the year. Sunny mornings brighten my mood and my day. Do share your favorite thing about holiday season. Today's post is an American version of Mangalore Banana Buns . Over ripened bananas and no all purpose flour in my pantry gave birth to this new recipe. Here it goes. Ingredients: Ripe Bananas - 2 Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 2 tsp Oil for frying Bisquick Pancake Mix - about 3 cups How to make Fried Banana Buns with Bisquick Pancake Mix: In a big mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Add jaggery and cumin seeds. Mix until jaggery dissolves. Now, start adding Bisquick pancake mix, little at a time, until a soft dough is formed.  If jaggery is unavailable, molasses or sugar works. You can skip jaggery or sugar if you want.  Cover and ferment the dough overnight. Next day, the dough will darken and double i...

Hey everyone! How is winter treating you? Texas is a blessing in the harsh winter months. But, I still miss snow on Christmas Day. I would love to go to Michigan or a cold part of the US to enjoy a White Christmas.  There are days when I feel low and I am unable to cook. Some days, I feel like eating something different. And takeout can get pretty expensive. At times like these, prepared Store Bought Meals are a good option. Today, I am sharing 5 of our family favorite meals from Sam's Club . Let me start with everyone's favorite - Pizza. Cheese Pizza from Sam's club Cafe is one of our go to meals on grocery shopping days. $9 for a 16" Baked Cheese or Meat or Pepperoni Pizza is a good deal, in my opinion. Goes well with a simple Garden Salad or Caesar Salad. Next one is Mexican Enchiladas. Two kinds are available - Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas, Hatch Chile & Chicken Enchiladas . Hatch Chile one is cheesier and costs slightly more than the other. Both are about $1...

Hey everyone! December is here and so is the holiday season. I love the lights around this time of the year. A night time drive is wonderful. At the end of the year, resolutions also come to mind. Well, some worked for me and some did not. I'll share a positive one with you guys. This year, my picky eater started eating salads. Touch wood! Like most children, my kiddo's tastes keep on changing. I am grateful for the salad eating change. Let me share Kiddo's Favorite Salad Lunch Box . When it comes to Salad Greens, my kiddo only eats Romaine Lettuce. A new vegetable is still a win, for me. Three vegetables - Romaine Lettuce , Persian Cucumbers and Sliced Carrots are a constant. Regular cucumbers are a big no. So far, 2 salad dressings are liked - Ranch and Olive Garden Salad Dressing.  Shaking the lunch box with all salad vegetables, crunchy toppings and dressing is the most fun part for my kiddo. Shake! Shake! Shake! Grapes are a must in kiddo's lunch. Any color is oka...

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well. Texas is blessed with colder weather now. I am grateful. Winter weather makes me cook cozy, comfort food. What is comfort food for you? Soup with a nice baguette is one of my favorite meals. Let me share multiple ways of adding a variety of vegetables in your everyday diet. Let me start with my favorite Vegetarian soup. Italian Minestrone Soup . Most Italian restaurants serve Minestrone on their menu. Traditionally, this soup is cooked with wine. I make it minus the wine. I love that this meal has pasta, beans, leafy greens and fresh vegetables all in one bowl. My husband and I love soups. But my kiddo doesn't. The 2nd way of eating multiple vegetables is  Indian Mixed Vegetable Paratha . Parathas are usually stuffed flatbread. My kiddo doesn't like stuffed ones. So, I make the Gujarati Thepla. Thepla is made with Fenugreek or Methi leaves. Over the years, I have modified it and my kid calls it Pink Paratha. Click on the pink link and ...

Hey foodies! Hope all is well in your part of the world. Here, in Texas, it's been raining for the past few days. Cloudy, rainy weather makes me lazy. Just cozy up with a cup of coffee or binge on snacks. Popcorn and movies! Everyone knows that. Let me share our family's favorite snacks. Easy, inexpensive, hassle free, Sugar Free Munchies. Gluten Free and Vegan too. Do tell me which snacks are popular where you come from. Let me start with my kid's absolute favorite. Seaweed . I can't stand the smell of seaweed, but both my husband and my kiddo love it. Seaweed is vegan for some and not for some.  The second one is  Roasted Edamame . This one is store bought. I haven't tried making this at home. My kiddo takes both Seaweed and Edamame to school as well. 3rd one is my favorite. Coconut Slices . Here, in the US, I use frozen coconut. Thaw the frozen Coconut Slices and they are a wonderful vegan snack. The 4th one is everyone's favorite. Popcorn . I get the popcor...

Howdy everyone! Hope your day is going well. My morning started with a 30 minute walk on the treadmill. Feeling quite refreshed. Today's menu is Tex Mex food. I love Quesadillas, Guacamole, Flan. Do tell me your favorite Mexican delicacy. Years ago,  I shared the Veggie Burrito Bowl . How about a Mexican Sea Food Shrimp Burrito Bowl? Ingredients: Shrimp / Prawn / Jhinga - about 30 Dry Black Beans - 1/2 cup Garlic Herb Seasoning - 2 tsp Paprika - 1 tsp Avocados - 2 Pickled Jalapeno Slices - about 8 Green Lime - 2 Tomatoes - 2 Red Onions - 1 medium Green Bell Pepper - 1 optional Cilantro/ Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Black Pepper Powder Cooking Spray or Oil Romaine Lettuce Tortilla Chips Salt How to make a Homemade Shrimp Burrito Bowl: Soak Black Beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain the water and wash the soaked beans a couple times. Add water and cook them. I cook soaked beans in my Presto pressure cooker. Canned pinto beans or black beans are great to save time. Season the ...

Shubh Deepavali everyone! Hope all is well in your world. For us, Fall break ended and kiddo went back to school. While my kiddo is at school, I made her favorite Indian Mithai - Kaju Katli with a twist. This version is easier, since no sugar syrup or stove top cooking is required. All you need is a microwave and a blender. Ingredients: Phool Makhana / Fox nuts - 3 cups Cashews / Kaju - 1/2 cup (raw or roasted) Milk Powder - 1/2 cup Sugar - 1/4 cup Green Cardamom / Elaichi - 4 pods (seeds only) Saffron / Kesar - few strands Whole Milk - about 1/2 cup How to make Easy Fox-nut Milk Powder Kaju Katli: Boil milk in a microwave safe cup. Let it cool. Soak saffron strands in 1/4 cup milk and set it aside. In a microwave safe bowl or plate, add fox nuts. Microwave for a minute and stir with a spoon. Microwave for another minute. Crush one fox-nut and check if its turned crisp. For me, 2 minutes was enough. Microwave for more if required. Let the fox nuts cool down completely. In a blender, ...

Hey everyone! Hope October is treating you well. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I miss Michigan fall around this time of the year. Airfryer and Microwave are my two favorite kitchen appliances. Home cooked meals become easy and hassle free. If you agree with me, you must try today's recipe. My way of cooking Meat and Potatoes . Ingredients: Skinless Chicken Drumsticks - 4 Juice of half a Green Lime  Garlic Herb Seasoning - 2 tsp Paprika - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 1/8 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Oil or Cooking Spray Medium Potatoes - 2 How to Air fry Chicken and Potatoes: In a big mixing bowl, add chicken and juice of half a lime. Add garlic herb seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well and refrigerate for 4 - 5 hours.  Grease the airfryer tray with cooking spray or oil. Airfry marinated chicken for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Wash potatoes well. Dry the potatoes and microwave at potato setting for about 5 minutes. Flip the airfried chicken and now add microwa...

Hey everyone! Hope all is well in your world. Texas weather has mellowed down a little as Fall is here. I am grateful for it even though this season comes with allergies. Recently, I have found a new hobby. Watching anime and reading manga. Usually, I watch the anime first and then I read the manga. But today's manga is an exception. As far as I know, Sakura Saku has not been adapted into an anime or a drama. Years ago, I read a Pinkalicious story with a pink clad kimono girl Sakura. In Japanese, Sakura means Cherry Blossom . While browsing at my local library, I came across a manga "Sakura, Saku". The name caught my attention. I got hooked and finished 7 volumes over the weekend.  Our female lead character Saku Fujigaya is in search of a boy named Ryosuke Sakura . A stranger who helped her and left a note. After receiving this kindness, Saku feels so grateful that she never ignores anyone in need of help.  At her high school, Saku finds that a boy Haruki Sakura , has a...

Hi everyone! How's life in your part of the world? I hope all is well. The Hindu holy month of Shravan is here. I fondly remember how my mom used to pan-fry vegetables with semolina. Rava Fry is a common dish in Saraswat and Marathi cooking, and I'd love to share a recipe I made, inspired by her, in my Dallas kitchen. Ingredients: Taro Root/ Arbi /Arvi /Maadi - 4 medium Kashmiri Lal Chili Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric / Haldi - 1/4 tsp Tamarind extract / Chinch - about 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Coarse Rava / Semolina - about 3/4 cup Oil or Cooking Spray How to Pan fry Taro or Arbi with Semolina: Peel the Taro Root and chop into thick slices. Add salt, Tamarind, turmeric and red chili powder. Toss and set it aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Let it sweat and release some water. Mix well to coat the taro slices with all the seasonings. Coat the taro slices with semolina. Heat a cast iron pan. Lower the heat to medium and pour oil or cooking spray. Cook both sides of  the Taro slices covered wit...

Hey everyone! Hope all is well in your part of the world. Texas is usually hot this time of the year. That's where I am.  July 4th long weekend is right around the corner. Let me share some of my favorite American Fast Food joints. Over the years I have found my favorite fast food item - Spicy Chicken Sandwich. The first Chicken Sandwich Burger I ate was at Wendy's.  We have lived in Michigan, Florida and Texas and traveled all over the US. Alaska and Hawaii are on the pending list. Today I'll tell you my 3 most favorite American Fast Food Restaurants . Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich Raising Canes Spicy Chicken Sandwich Chick - fil - a Spicy Chicken Sandwich My kiddo likes Chicken Fingers at Raising Canes Do tell me the joints you like to visit while traveling. Or your favorite grab and go meals.

  Hey everyone! Hope all is well. Goldilocks weather in my part of the world. Not so rainy anymore.  Today, I am sharing a well known Indian flatbread - Naan. My simplified version with just three ingredients and salt. If you are trying to avoid unnecessary additives in store bought Naan, this post is for you. Do try this homemade Naan and let me know. And kneading the dough in a food processor makes it easier. Ingredients: All purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups Homemade Yogurt/Dahi - about 1 cup Baking Powder - 2 tsp Salt to taste How to make Easy Three Ingredient Naan: In a food processor jar, add flour, yogurt, baking powder and salt. Run the dough setting until mixed well. Add more yogurt or flour to get smooth, soft dough. Divide the dough into 8 dough balls. Roll each one as thin or thick you would like, dusting some flour.  Heat a cast iron pan and place the rolled naan. When small bubbles start popping, flip and roast for a few seconds. Finish cooking the Naan on direct...

Hello everyone! I wanted to start the new year off right with an easy Konkani breakfast recipe. This is a common dish in the coastal regions of India, where coconut and rice are staples. Hope 2025 is treating you well. Where I am, the mornings are sweater weather, but the afternoons are warm enough to ditch the sweater! Ingredients: Flattened Rice/ Thin Poha/ Phovu - about 3 cups Fresh or Frozen Shredded Coconut - about 3/4 cup Mustard Seeds/ Sasam - 1/2 tsp Fresh Green Chilies - 4 Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafoetida/ Hing - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Sugar - 1/4 tsp Oil - about 2 tsp Salt Mixture or Farsaan or Shev How to make Konkani Kaloun Pho: Thaw the frozen coconut. In a mixing bowl, add coconut and flattened rice.  In a small pan, heat the oil for phann or tadka or tempering. Add mustard seeds, medium chopped green chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Turn off the heat when mustard seeds start spluttering.  Pour this tadka in the mixing bowl. Add salt and sugar. Stir wi...

Frederick Meijer Garden, Grand Rapids Hey everyone! Hope all is well with you. In my part of the world, we're enjoying beautiful sunny winter weather. Where I live, two days of snow lead to school closures, which happened a few days ago.  This month, my food blog celebrated its 15th anniversary. It started in Michigan, and now I'm in sunny Texas. It's amazing how life takes you to different places. A sincere thank you to everyone who has visited my online home, left a comment, sent an email, and shared my love of food. "Less is more" is a mantra I learned from my mother, whose cooking style always featured few ingredients. I've adopted that philosophy in my own cooking. My cooking style has changed a lot over the years. I now cook Mexican and Italian dishes frequently in addition to Indian cuisine. I am always on the lookout for healthier alternatives, and often use semi-homemade or store-bought ingredients. I read nutrition labels carefully to find foods with...

Hey everyone! Long time no see! Hope all is well in your world. I am back with a healthier Indian Mithai recipe. It is gluten free and protein rich. Vegans can use Coconut Oil instead of Clarified Butter. I made this for my picky 11 year old. My kiddo eats pretty healthy, but feeding vegan protein rich beans and lentils is a work in progress. Today's sweet treat is made with Chickpea Flour and Jaggery . Jaggery also called as Good in Hindi and Gool in Marathi is a less processed form of sugar. It is darker in color like molasses . Hope you enjoy making this delicacy for your loved ones. Ingredients: Ladu Besan/ Chickpea Flour - 2 cups Ghee/Clarified Butter - 3 - 4 tbsp Jaggery Powder - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Saffron/Kesar strands - a pinch Cinnamon/Dalchini Powder - 1/4 tsp Nuts for garnish if you like How to make Homemade Besan Gud ke Ladoo: In a heavy bottom pan, add ghee and besan. Roast it at low or medium flame until you get a roasted aroma. Ladu Besan is a coarse form of chick...

Hey everyone! Hope all is well in your world. Texas heat has mellowed down. We are blessed with pleasant, cool weather these days. Touch wood!  There was a time when I used to cook Whole Wheat Atta Samosas at home. These days, whenever I am unable to make Homemade Samosas, I go for the frozen ones. Too many brands are available. Let me share my two family favorites.  Deep No Onion Garlic Samosa is my personal favorite. I can eat them on fasting days or during the holy month of Shravan. Next best for me is Haldiram's Punjabi Samosa. I did not like the Purani Dilli Samosa of Haldiram's. Airfrying these frozen samosas makes them highly convenient. At times, I airfry them without any oil.

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well. My part of the world, Texas is pretty hot these days. Even though I have lived in Texas for more than 5 years, I can't get used to this weather. But, I have been blessed with some amazing friends here in Texas. One such dear friend is Jinu . She makes an effort to stop by my place with some homegrown fresh organic produce like Amaranth leaves, curry leaves, peaches, drumstick leaves and so on. Sometimes, she gets some home-cooked Kerala delicacies too. I am truly grateful for such kind people around me. Fresh produce makes me really happy. I am sharing my joy with my readers through today's video of Fresh Indian Curry Leaves .

Hello everyone! Hope you all are doing well. Texas weather is too hot now. For a couple months, we will be confined to indoor activities.  Lets talk about a 5 minute snack. Such quick recipes are a blessing in summer, when I don't feel like cooking much.  In February, I had blogged about Corn meal coated Air fried Ravioli . Let me share an oil free , hassle free version of enjoying store bought Ravioli. My picky 10 year old loves this as an after school snack. How to cook Ravioli in an Air Fryer: Line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Arrange frozen ravioli in a single layer. Air fry the ravioli at 400 degrees for 4 - 5 minutes or until you see some brown spots. My air fryer has a glass door, so I can see the ravioli puffing up while cooking. Your instant snack is ready to devour!

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well. We are blessed with Goldilocks weather in Texas these days, especially in the mornings. I love my early morning walks on such days. Lets talk about a Sugar free Homemade Nutritious Protein Bar recipe. In January of 2023, I had blogged about Dates Syrup Laddoo . Today, I'll share an easier version of this treat using a food processor. Even Vegans can enjoy these. Ingredients: Dry desiccated Coconut - 1 cup Roasted Mixed Nuts - 1 cup  Date Syrup - about 1/2 cup Grated Nutmeg/Jaiphal - 1/8 tsp How to make Homemade Vegan Sugar Free Protein Bars: Dry roast coconut at very low flame for about a minute or until coconut slightly changes in color. Let it cool. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add roasted Mixed Nuts of your choice. Blend them in the food processor as fine or coarse you would like the nuts to be. Next, add grated nutmeg and roasted coconut. Pulse it again to mix all the ingredients well. Lastly, add Date Syrup and blend until all th...

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well. Weather is pleasant in my part of the world. Lately, I have been trying to explore healthier ingredients for our everyday cooking. It's a work in progress. Last post, I shared about a no added sugar Tomato Sauce product. Today, I'll share a healthier snack. Popcorn kernels. You can make homemade popcorn in a big pot on a stove-top or in a microwave. Let me share the way I made Popcorn in a microwave under 2 minutes. If you are looking for snacks with no additives , this post is for you. Ingredients: Popcorn Kernels Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1 tsp Salt Black Pepper Powder How to make Popcorn in a microwave: In a microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup popcorn kernels, 1 tsp ghee, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Cover the bowl with a lid or a plate. Microwave for 45 seconds. Bowl might be very hot. Keeping the lid on, shake the bowl for a few seconds. Microwave for another 45 seconds and your homemade Popcorn is ready to binge. This is th...