One Day At A Time!

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! Weather is so unpredictable. Yesterday was so bright, sunny and today morning we woke up to a cloudy day. I crave for hot soup with crusty bread on such days. Other than me, no one cares for soup in my family. But sweet, tangy noodles are liked by everyone. Our lunch today was  Mixed Veggie Pad Thai Noodles made with store bought sauce. Ingredients: Chopped Cabbage/Pata Gobi - about 3 cups Sliced Carrots - about 1/2 cup Sliced Zucchini - about 1/2 cup Sliced Red Bell Pepper - about 1/2 cup Green Onions/Spring Onions - 5 sprigs Brown Rice Noodles - about 200 g Oil - 1 tbsp Store Bought Pad Thai Sauce - about 3 tbsp How I cooked Veggie Rice Noodles in a store bought Pad Thai Sauce: Chop all the veggies of your choice. Finely chop green onions. Save the green parts for later. Cook noodles according to package instructions and set it aside. In a pan, heat oil. Add carrots, zucchini and green onions (white parts). Saute until zucchini turns transparent and carrots soften. ...

2020 has changed our lives in one way or other. Our family outings came to a halt, especially eating out at restaurants. I miss eating authentic Thai and Chinese food. My alternative to eating restaurant style Thai food is to online order store bought curry pastes. Some are hit and others not so much. This one is worth sharing since my family loved it. Ingredients: Bell Peppers - 1/2 cup Zucchini - 1 cup Frozen Chicken Fajitas - about 1 cup How I cooked Thai Chicken Curry with Veggies: Chop veggies of your choice into bite size pieces. I used orange and yellow bell peppers and zucchini. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add veggies and sauté until veggies are slightly charred.   Lastly, add frozen chicken and store bought Thai Curry paste. Stir and cook it covered on medium heat. Bring it to a boil and serve with rice. Enjoy your favorite Thai Curry at home!

Friday is here and our weekend has started. Weekend calls for some special food and our today's menu is a Marathi meal - Jwari Bhakri (Jowar flatbread) and a spicy sea food curry. Rassa is a hot Maharashtrian curry, where both veggies or meat can be cooked. Here is my take on the popular Kolambi Rassa, less hot and with a few hacks.

As you guys know, Mexican food is one of our favorites. Making Tacos at home is quite effortless. This is a wholesome meal with proteins, veggies and carbs. Since I had to finish some mangoes, mango salsa was the highlight of our tacos. It was a refreshing change from the regular tomato salsa. If you love mangoes too, you must give this a try. Grilled Shrimp: Shrimps/Prawns - 25 Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning - 1 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Salt Mango Salsa: Mangoes (medium chopped) - 1 1/2 cups Red Onions (finely chopped) - about 1/3 cup Jalapeno Pepper - 1 Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Salt Whole Wheat Tortillas Shredded Lettuce Grated Cheese Sour Cream Avocado  Guacamole How to make Mango Shrimp Tacos: Mango Salsa: A firm (not mushy) mango works best for salsa. Discard the seeds of the jalapeno pepper and finely...

At the end of the week, when I run out of fresh vegetables, I turn to two of my favorite ingredients - frozen peas and eggs. I must say, both are readily available in my refrigerator most of the times.  Its been ages I made a stuffed paratha in my kitchen.  Egg Parathas are made two ways - one applying beaten eggs to roti, something similar to a French toast and another way stuffed with eggs. We like the latter, stuffed egg bhurji parathas with green chili achar. Dough: Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 2 1/2 cups Oil - 1 tsp Salt Egg Bhurji Stuffing: Eggs - 5 Onion - 1 small Green Onions/Hara Pyaaz - 6 Mini Bell Pepper - 1 Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp Green Chili Paste - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to make Stuffed Egg Bhurji Paratha: Make Dough: In a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour and salt. Add water, little at a time and knead to make a soft dough...

Since I blog about food regularly, you guys already know my love for cooking. But, its exactly opposite when I have to cook something just for myself. And such days, there are no leftovers either.  What are your solitary meals? My lazy lunches are generally salads and grilled sandwiches. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - 1 pound Lemon/Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Garlic - 2 big cloves Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt Unsalted Butter or Oil Baguette or Thick Sliced Bread Pesto Sauce Red/Purple Onion Bell Pepper/Capsicum Tomato Cheese Slices (optional) How to make Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich: Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with oil or butter.  Crush the garlic cloves and add it to the dish. Place a skinless chicken breast on the baking dish. Sprinkle salt, fresh ground black pepper and chili powder. Add lemon juice and rub the chicken well with the seasonings.  Bake the chicken uncov...

We love sea food. At least once a week, shrimp or fish is on our menu. As you all know, most of the times, a baked version. But variety is the spice of life, right? So, today we are having the restaurant style, saucy Prawn Tikka Masala with Aloo Paratha and Jeera Rice . This Indian delicacy is perfect for entertaining guests as well.

Lately, high protein and low carb meals are quite common at our place, especially on weekdays. Beans, lentils and sea food are the best options for such a low calorie meal.  Baked crunchy fish with potato wedges and some grilled veggies makes everyone happy at our place. If you liked  Potato Crusted Baked Tilapia , you'll definitely like this coconut flavored fish too. Ingredients: Fish Fillets - 1 pound Desiccated (Dry) Coconut - 1/4 cup French Fried Onions - 1/4 cup Rice Flour - 1/4 cup Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Salt Oil How to bake Crunchy Coconut Fish: Cut each fish fillet into 2 pieces or bake it whole. Sprinkle some salt and lemon juice on the fish pieces. Set it aside for about 20 minutes. Grease a baking tray with oil or cooking spray.   In a big plate, add coconut, rice flour, chili powder and salt. Crumble the fried onions with your hands and add it to the plate. Mix all the ingredients well. Coat the fish...

For our quick meals, I love sandwiches, wraps or cheesy quesadillas. The number of permutations and combinations with these grab and go lunches is endless.... protein rich beans, crunchy vegetables or lean chicken. Any leftover stir fry veggies and meat are good as well. And every time try it with some new seasoning. One of our favorite flavors for chicken is garlic and rosemary.  If you like it too, try these cheesy wraps. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - about 1 pound Garlic - 2 big cloves Dry Rosemary - 1 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Carrot - 1 big Bell Pepper/Capsicum - 1 Green Onions/Scallions - 3 Oil - 2 tsp Salt Pepper Jack Cheese - about 1 cup Tortillas - 5 How to make Garlic Rosemary Chicken Quesadillas: On a big plate/tray, place the skinless chicken breast. Sprinkle rosemary, fresh ground black pepper, red chili powder and salt. Pour the lemon juice and rub it all over the chicken. Co...

Sea food is always a good option for a high protein, low calorie meal. White, flaky Tilapia is one of our favorites. As compared to saucy coconut fish curries, I find baking quite convenient. It is effortless, yet flavorful. Every time I bake fish, I cook it with different spices like Cajun Seasoning or something Indian like Tandoori Masala. Today's variation is a fish flavored with an Indian Green Masala and crusted with dry potato flakes. Ingredients: Tilapia or any other fish fillets - 2 Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - 10 sprigs Garlic - 3 big cloves Green Chilies - 3 Vinegar - 1 tbsp Salt Potato Flakes - 1/2 cup Cooking Spray or Oil How to bake Herbs and Potato Crusted Fish: Blend coriander leaves, garlic, green chilies, vinegar and salt in a food processor to a fine or slightly coarse paste. You can use a mortar pestle as well. Apply this herb paste to the fish fillets. Cover with a plastic food wrap and refrigerate for about 2 - 3 hours. If not 2 hours...

Some days I have a menu planned for our lunch and dinner. Other days, I have no clue what to cook and that seems like the biggest problem of the day. Turns out today, Salmon was my answer. And we enjoyed these zesty fish kababs with a salad and some Cheddar Biscuits . Ingredients: Salmon or any other fish - 2 pounds Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Ginger - 2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp Lime - 1 (zested and juiced) Oil - 2 tbsp Salt Vegetables - Bell Peppers/Capsicum, Onion, Zucchini Oil or Cooking Spray How to cook Fish Kababs: Soak 5 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Dice the fish into inch size pieces. In a big bowl, add lime zest and juice, oil, freshly grated ginger, finely chopped cilantro, fresh ground black pepper, red chili powder and salt. Mix all the ingredients well. To this marinade, add fish pieces. Coat the fish well with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic food wrap and r...

Baking is such a healthier alternative for deep frying. Today's recipe is of a baked, low calorie, crunchy appetizer. You won't even miss your favorite fried chicken.  Even kids will love these chicken bites. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - 1 pound Corn Flakes (Cereal) - 1/2 cup French Fried Onions - 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/4 cup Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Garlic and Herb Seasoning - 1 tsp Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning - 1 tsp Egg - 1 Cooking Spray or Oil Salt How to bake Crunchy Chicken Wings: Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and grease it with cooking spray or oil. Cooking spray works best for me. Blend corn flakes cereal and fried onions in a food processor to a coarse powder. Add it to a big plate. Now add all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, fresh ground black pepper, garlic herb seasoning and salt. Mix all the ingredients well and keep it aside. In a small bowl, add egg, s...

A popular Indian chicken curry cooked with vinegar and potatoes. When I think of Indian meat curries, Chicken Tikka Masala is the first that comes to my mind. Its our family favorite. But my folks love this Goan Chicken Vindaloo too, which has a Portuguese influence. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - about 2 pounds Potato - 1 medium Onion - 1 big Canned Tomato Paste - 2 tbsp (optional) Dry Red Chilies - 6 Vinegar - 1/2 cup Ginger - 1 inch piece Garlic - 4 big cloves Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Kabab Masala or any spice mix - 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook Indian Chicken Vindaloo Curry: Soak red chilies in vinegar for about 30 minutes. Soaking will help in grinding chilies to a fine paste. Add more or less chilies to suit your taste. I used mild Byadagi Red chilies, popular for its bright red color. Grind soaked chilies with vinegar, canned tomato paste, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste. Add little water if required. You can use one medium siz...

Few days back, I had blogged about Homemade Vegetable Pizza . Many readers loved it and a few readers asked for a Chicken Pizza. Thanks everyone for the lovely response. So, for all chicken lovers, here is a desi style Tandoori Chicken pizza with a few vegetables. Plus, its made of whole wheat flour. Hope you all enjoy this as much we loved it.

If you are looking for some healthy appetizers cooked with less oil, you must give these nuggets a try. Baked Fish bites seasoned with Cajun spices. Generally breaded chicken or fish nuggets are deep fried in oil. I find baking a healthier alternative, where the crust is equally crunchy and the fish is nice soft and flaky.

For some hectic days, we all have our own shortcut ways of cooking. Some days, I go for semi-homemade food, using some store bought ingredients. One pot meals like pulav and baked pastas are loved at our place. Stuffed Parathas with yogurt, chutney and pickles are a hit too. Today's oven baked Salmon seasoned with Indian Tanduri Masala has recently joined our list of those quick lunches and lazy dinners.

Indian chicken curry - grilled chicken simmered in a creamy yogurt sauce.  Tikka Masala, Jeera Rice , Naan is one of the most loved combinations at our place.  These delicacies are perfect for a special Sunday brunch or for entertaining guests as well. Ingredients: Chicken Breasts (Skinless) - 2 Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Onion - 1 medium Tomatoes - 2 medium Dry Red Chilies - 5 Garlic - 5 big cloves Ginger - an inch piece Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Tanduri Masala - 1 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Yogurt/Curd/Dahi - about 1 cup Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Butter - 2 tbsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook Chicken Tikka Masala: In a big bowl, add lemon juice, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt.  Mix all the ingredients well. Add the chicken to the bowl. Coat the chicken well with the marinade. Cover with a plast...

Potatoes and eggs are two of my favorite ingredients which can be cooked in numerous ways. Both blend well with a variety of seasonings, be it with Indian spices, Chinese style or some dry herbs. Ingredients: Eggs - 5 Onion - 1 medium Mini Bell Peppers/Capsicum - 2 Garlic - 2 big cloves Ginger (grated) - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp Vinegar - 1 tbsp Salt Oil How to cook Stir fried Boiled eggs: Boil the eggs in about 6 cups water for about 20 minutes. After cooling, peel the shells and dice each egg into two parts. Finely chop onions, bell peppers (I used yellow and red), garlic and cilantro. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add onions, garlic and little salt. Sauté until onions soften. Add bell peppers and sauté for about 2 minutes. Now add soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. For an additiona...

Regular readers might have read my previous posts -  Chicken Quesadillas and Mushroom Quesadillas . Recently, we have found ourselves a new favorite. Prawn (Shrimp) quesadillas seasoned with desi Tandoori Masala. Quesadillas with nutrient rich Guacamole makes it a tasty meal. Ingredients: Whole Wheat Tortillas - 5 Jumbo Prawns/Shrimps - about 20 Onion - 1 medium Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum - about 1/2 cup Sweet Bell Peppers - about 1/2 cup Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Garlic - 2 big cloves Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp Tandoori Masala - 1 tbsp Spanish Paprika - 1/2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper - 3/4 tsp Pepper Jack Cheese - about 1 cup Salt Oil How to prepare Tanduri Shrimp Quesadillas: In a mixing bowl, add ginger garlic paste, tandoori masala, Spanish paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, salt and lemon juice. Add cleaned prawns and coat them well. Let the prawns marinate for about an hour. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a ...