One Day At A Time

Hey everyone! It is 10:00 am in my part of the world. Hope you all are doing well. These days I cook a lot at home, even on weekends. Eating out at a restaurant or getting home delivery is no longer convenient. This weekend I ended up cooking  White Rice Noodles with loads of veggies . I haven't found healthier brown rice noodles made entirely of brown rice yet.  If noodles are your favorite too, do try this.  Feel free to tweak the ingredients. Ingredients: Rice Noodles - 8 oz (225 g) Bell Peppers - about 1/2 cup Sliced Carrots - about 1/2 cup Sliced Cabbage - about 1 cup Red Onions - about 1/4 cup Green Onions - 8 sprigs Baby Spinach - about 1/2 cup Peanut Butter - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp Sriracha Sauce - 1 tbsp Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp How to cook Veggie Rice Noodles with Peanut Butter: Slice all the veggies of your choice. Save some greens of the green onions for garnish. In a mixing bowl, add peanut butter, soy sauce and Sriracha sauce. Mix well and set i...

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...

Brussel sprouts, which look like mini cabbages has become our new family favorite. So far, I have tried cooking them in an oven. As I always say, its quite convenient. Every time I roast brussel sprouts I try it in a new way .... sometimes with a hint of garlic, sometimes topped with parmesan cheese or crunchy pine nuts. Lately, Brussel Sprouts with Thai Sauce is what my family loves. Ingredients: Brussel Sprouts - 1 pound Olive Oil - 3 tbsp Sweet Chilli Thai Sauce - 2 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Salt Scallions/Green Onions for garnish   How to roast Brussel Sprouts in an oven: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Wash the brussel sprouts well. Discard the bottom hard parts of the brussel sprouts. Dice each into quarters. You can use whole sprouts as well. In a mixing bowl, add olive oil, Thai Sauce, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add more or less Thai Sauce to suit your taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Spread the Brussel sprouts evenly on a ba...

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.

Few years back, when I started food blogging, it was all about sharing my Mom's recipes and anything I find easy to cook.  Gulab Jamun , Potato Chips , Rasgulla  and Muffins used to be all store bought in my kitchen. Just because, it was convenient to buy, rather than cook. Nowadays, I enjoy cooking such goodies at home. And baking a Pizza from scratch is one of my recent culinary ventures. If I can make it, so can you.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. Today's appetizers are baked mushrooms stuffed with lots of multi-colored vegetables and cheese. Ingredients: Mushrooms - 12 Onion - 1 small Green/Spring Onions - 6 Mini Bell Peppers - 3 Celery - 2 sticks Jalapenos - 1 Garlic Powder - 1 tsp Italian Herb Seasoning - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Oregano - 1/2 tsp Dry Parsley - 1/2 tsp Pepper Jack Cheese - 2 slices Olive Oil - 3 tbsp Salt How to bake Mushrooms stuffed with veggies and cheese: Wipe the mushrooms clean with a kitchen towel or paper towels. Carefully remove the stem/stalk of the mushrooms, making a well for stuffing. Finely chop onions, green onions, bell peppers and celery. Discard the seeds of jalapeno pepper and finely chop it. If Jalapeno is not available, you can use any other peppers/chilies or red chili flakes as well. Stuffing: Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté until onions soften. Now a...

Regular readers might have read my previous posts and its no secret that I like Italian food. Most Italian restaurants serve fresh baked bread as an appetizer. Our favorite are these garlic and parsley flavored Cheddar Cheese Biscuits popularly known as Cheddar Bay Biscuits . I find these easy as compared to the yeast breads. Ingredients: All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 cup Cheddar Cheese (Sharp) - 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter - 5 tbsp Milk - about 1/2 cup Olive Oil - 1 tbsp Baking Powder - 1 tsp Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder - 1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Dry Parsley - 1/2 tsp Sugar - 1/4 tsp Salt How to bake Cheddar Bay Biscuits: Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.   Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with butter. In a small mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients - all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, fresh ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. In a big microwave safe b...

A hearty vegetarian soup with lots of vegetables, beans and pasta. An authentic Italian Minestrone soup is cooked with wine, but we loved the soup even though I didn't use wine. Ingredients: Dry Red Kidney Beans - 1/3 cup Pasta Shells - 1/3 cup Onion - 1 medium Tomatoes - 2 medium Zucchini - 1 medium Green Beans - about 1/2 cup Yard Long Beans - about 1/2 cup Carrots - about 1/2 cup Celery - 2 sticks Spinach - about 1/2 cup Garlic - 2 big cloves Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning - 1 tsp Dry Parsley - 1 tsp Oregano - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp Olive Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook Italian Vegetable Minestrone Soup: Soak kidney beans overnight. You can use any other beans like black beans, chickpeas/kabuli chana. Canned beans would also be great for this soup. Wash the soaked beans and cook until beans turn soft. Do not overcook them. Medium chop onion, carrots, celery, zucchini and tomatoes. Cut beans int...

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 ...

Today's sandwich is a fusion recipe of Indian Fritters and the American Coleslaw. These onion fritters are well known as Kanda Bhajji or Onion Pakoda . If you are looking for a veggie sandwich, these crunchy fritters with a creamy Apple slaw is perfect. Ingredients: Red Onion - 1 big Spring/Green Onions - 6 Green Chilies - 4 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour/Besan - about 1/2 cup Rice Flour - 1/4 cup Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil for frying Granny Smith Apple - 1 Cabbage (thinly sliced) - about 1 cup Serrano Pepper - 1 Celery Salt - 1/2 tsp Yogurt/Curds/Dahi - about 1/2 cup Bread or Tortillas How to prepare Crunchy Fritters Sandwich with Apple Coleslaw: Preparing Apple Yogurt Coleslaw:  Discard the seeds of the Serrano pepper and finely chop it. Dice the apple and cabbage into thin long strands. In a mixing bowl, add apple, cabbage, celery salt and Serrano pepper. ...

Mexican Cuisine has some similarities to Indian food in terms of spice.  You all have read my previous posts of Quesadillas and Tacos . I love to try Mexican recipes with a few twists of my own. There are some who don't like raw onions in their food. For them, here is my take on the classic Avocado Guacamole with tangy mango. This turned out to be a great hit with both kids and grown ups. Ingredients: Avocados - 2 Raw Mango - 2 tbsp Olives - 1 tbsp Pickled Jalapenos - 1 tbsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Salt Oil How to prepare Guacamole:   Dice the avocados in halves. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Dice the flesh into small pieces or mash it. In a mixing bowl, add finely chopped mango, olives, jalapenos, lime juice and salt. Add avocados and mix all the ingredients well. Garnish with cilantro leaves. No hard and fast rule about the proportion of ingredients. Add more or less to suit your taste. Serve Guaca...

Spicy hot sauce flavored Chicken Wraps with veggies, pickled olives, jalapenos and fresh guacamole. Ingredients: Tortillas - 6 Boneless Chicken - 1 pound (453 gm) Hot Wings Sauce - 2 tbsp Spanish Paprika - 1 tsp Garlic and Herb Seasoning - 2 tsp Lettuce - about 1 cup Mini Bell Pepper - 1 Green Onions/Scallions - about 1 cup Pickled Olives - 1/2 cup Pickled Jalapeno Peppers - 1/2 cup Avocados - 2 Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Sour Cream Salt Oil     How to prepare Chicken Wraps with Veggies: Guacamole:   Cut the ripe avocado lengthwise around the seed which is at the center. Gently twist the two halves. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon. Discard the seed and the outer skin. Add lemon juice, little salt, chopped cilantro and black pepper powder. Mix and roughly mash the avocado flesh. Set this guacamole aside. Dice chicken into bite size pieces. In a mixing bowl, add c...

Cooking restaurant style food at home has its own advantages. You get to eat tasty treats and cut down the calories as well.  Today's recipe is a low calorie baked version of the popular Indo Chinese Chicken Manchurian. If you guys liked my earlier post  Prawn Manchurian , you will definitely love this one too. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - 1/2 pound Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 tsp Red Onion (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup Spring/Green Onions/Scallions - 8 Capsicum/Bell Pepper - about 1/2 cup Tomato - 1 medium Dry Red Chilies - 3 Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Whole Wheat Flour - 1/4 cup Corn Starch - 1 tbsp Salt Oil How to cook Chicken Manchurian: In a mixing bowl, add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix all the ingredients we...

Whenever I don't have much time, I go for some semi homemade meals. Sandwiches or Tacos with any vegetables I have. Today's meal is with Vegetable and Black Bean Tacos with store bought Tortillas. Mexican Tacos are quite similar to Indian Vegetable Frankie or Kathi Roll .  Grilled veggies, cheese and lettuce make these wraps delicious and healthy. Ingredients: Tortillas - 6 Dry Black Beans - 1 cup Zucchini Squash - about 2 cups Tomato - 1 medium Lettuce - about 1 cup Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese - 1/2 cup each Chipotle Seasoning - 2 tsp Garlic - 2 big cloves Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhaniya Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to make Veggie Tacos: Cook black beans with 2 cups water until they turn soft. Add more water if required. I used a pressure cooker for cooking beans.  Add 1 1/2 tsp Chipotle Seasoning, cumin, coriander and salt. Continue cooking the beans until all the water is lost. Meanwhile, medi...

Happy Friday Readers :)  Friday is kind of special at my place, especially in terms of food. I try not to think of calories for a day. Let me tell you about my menu for today - Green Bean Fries, Pumpkin Paratha with Dry Chutney , Yogurt.... and for dessert Shahi Tukda . Normally, when I make pakoras, its the desi style with besan/chickpea flour or rice flour. But, these fries are more like the American way, with bread crumbs and minus the egg wash. Ingredients: Green Beans/French Beans/Farasbi - about 200 gm All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs - 1 cup Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil How to make Crispy Green Bean Fries: Homemade Bread Crumbs: Blend 3 bread slices in a dry blender to a fine powder. Bake the bread crumbs at 300 degree F for 10 - 15 minutes.  Discard the ends of the green beans. Heat about 5 cups water in a vessel. When water starts boiling, add the green beans and cook ...

Gobi Manchurian , Vegetable Manchurian are some of the popular Indo Chinese recipes. Indo Chinese food has a quite distinctive taste - spicy, tangy, slightly sweet. If you are looking for a sea food version of Manchurian, this Prawn Manchurian with Spring Onions is perfect. Ingredients: Prawns/Shrimps/Jhinge/Sungta - 1 pound Capsicum/Bell Pepper - about 1 cup Corn Starch - 1 tbsp Spring Onions/Green Onions - 6 Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp Vinegar - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp Tomato - 1 medium Dry Red Chilies - 4 Salt Oil How to cook Chinese Prawn Manchurian: Clean the prawns by removing the shells and the black vein. Wash the prawns well. In a mixing bowl, add ginger garlic paste, vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper powder and little salt. Add salt keeping in mind that some sauces have salt. Mix all the ingredients and add cleaned prawns. Let the prawns marinate for about 2 hours. Puree tomato and dry red ...

Spicy, sweet and tangy Indo-Chinese Hakka Noodles with loads of veggies. Ingredients: Noodles - 150 gm Mixed Vegetables - about 3 cups Onion - 1 small Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 tsp Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp Green Chili Paste - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tsp Molasses or Light Brown Sugar - 1 tsp Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp Vinegar - 1 tbsp Salt Oil How to cook Veggie Hakka Noodles: Cook noodles as per instructions or until half cooked with salt and (about 1 tbsp) oil. Julienne slice the onion. Thinly slice all the veggies of your choice - green beans, green or red cabbage, carrots, celery, green peas, capsicum/bell peppers, green/spring onions. You can add bean sprouts, mushrooms, corn, peanuts as well. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok. Add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute and add chopped veggies. Sauté till veggies are half cooked. Add green chili paste, black pepper powder, tamarind paste, ...

Italian Pastas and Pizzas are globally popular. I love both. For pastas, I like white Béchamel sauce and Alfredo sauce more than the tomato sauce. If you like it too, try this Farfalle or Bow-tie Pasta in a creamy Béchamel Sauce with Spinach. Ingredients: Pasta - 2 cups Milk - 1 1/2 cups Baby Spinach - about 1 cup Butter - 1 1/2 tbsp All Purpose Flour/Maida - 2 tbsp (leveled) Garlic - 2 cloves (minced) Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Dry Oregano - 1/2 tsp Nutmeg/Jaiphal - 1/8 tsp Cinnamon/Dalchini - 1/8 tsp (optional) Salt How to cook White Bechamel Sauce Pasta: Cooking Pasta: Heat 5 - 6 cups water in a big pot. When water starts boiling, add pasta and salt. Cook the pasta for 10 - 12 minutes or as per the package instructions. Use any pasta of your choice. I have used bow-tie / farfalle pasta. You could use any other kind. Whole wheat pasta would taste good too. Preparing  Béchamel Sauce : Heat butter in a thick bottom pan. Add all purpose flour to the mel...

Last month, I had blogged about Chicken Quesadillas with Indian spices . Today's Quesadilla recipe is of mushrooms with Chipotle Seasoning, which vegetarians can also enjoy. Ingredients: Wheat Flour/Atta - about 4 cups Spinach/Palak - about 3 cups Mushrooms - about 500 gm Chipotle Seasoning - 1/2 tsp Garlic and Herb Seasoning - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Tomatoes - 2 medium Onion - 1 small Green Pepper/Capsicum - about 2 tbsp Jalapenos or Green Chilies - 1 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Lime/Lemon Juice - 1 tsp Pepper Jack Cheese or any other Salt Oil How to prepare Mexican Mushroom Quesadillas: Preparing Spinach Dough: Puree spinach leaves with little salt in a mixer/blender. Add little water if required. In a mixing bowl, add the spinach puree. Add wheat flour, in small amounts till a soft dough is formed. Add 1 tsp oil and knead well. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. If you do not hav...

Mexican Chicken Quesadillas made of spinach roti and flavored with Indian spices. A tasty fusion of Latin and Indian Cuisines. Ingredients: Wheat Flour - about 4 cups Spinach/Palak - about 3 cups Chicken Breasts - 2 Lime/Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp Tandoori Masala or Kabab Masala - 1 tbsp Garam Masala or any other spice mix - 1 tsp Chat Masala - 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 1 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 tsp Tomatoes - 2 medium Red Onion - 1 small Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Jalapeno - 1 Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Pepper Jack Cheese or any other Cheese Salt Oil How to prepare Spinach and Chicken Quesadillas: Palak/Spinach Dough: Puree spinach leaves with little salt in a mixer/blender. Add little water if required. In a mixing bowl, add the spinach puree. Add wheat flour in small amounts till a soft dough is formed. Add about 1 tsp oil and knead well. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. Ma...