Bread

The Ultimate protien Sandwich – White Bean Avocado Sandwich

October 4, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

All you need is 15 minutes to make this delicious vegetarian white bean avocado sandwich is fresh, healthy and extra tasty! Perfect for a quick lunch during a busy day! Easy to make, this protein packed sandwich will be the best you’ve made. Made with roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes and heat from jalapenos is far from dull.

Often in our culture, we don’t open the door to difficult conversations with our parents because the value of respecting our elders can be taken to mean never disagreeing with them openly. I had parents who were slighty above the average when it came to what I wore. Piercings were considered ok, even a beauty for a women. I was nonplussed. Practically every female relative I had wore a nose ring, it was considered both aesthetically pleasing and an auspicious thing to do.

But tattoos? That felt incredibly transgressive in the culture I was raised in….

Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish and Matcha Cake

July 11, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish and Matcha Cake. Tender spiced fish in a deliciously simple ginger scallion sauce and steamed matcha cake, a delicious meal in one all in the BUYDEEM steamer. Thanks to buydeem for sponsoring this post.

Of all the conventional cooking methods, steaming is one of the most natural and healthful ways to cook the food you eat; it’s a simple technique that allows you to experience the unique flavors of the food itself. Let’s explore why this timeless moist-heat cooking method is worth using in today’s modern diet.

Steaming leaves the food with bright flavors and textures of the food intact. Unlike boiling and simmering, steaming doesn’t agitate food, so it’s a perfectly gentle way to cook delicate items like meats, seafood and shellfish. And perhaps best of all, steaming keeps all those valuable nutrients inside the food, instead of in the cooking liquid….

Tiramisu French Toast

January 29, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Tiramisu French toast is a twist to the classic treat. It’s so delicious and unbelievably easy. This Tiramisu French toast recipe is made with coffee, cocoa and liqueur soaked brioche, buttery and topped with creamy mascarpone , and cocoa powder dusted on top.

I’m a morning person. I drink my coffee, I love my sunrise runs, but, I don’t care for breakfast. And you are a morning person? you ask;-). Yup. I’m that annoying person who is stupidly cheerful first thing. I love the early morning light and the birds chirping and dewy grass and a cuppa coffee.

I wasn’t a no-breakfast person growing up. Mom had the most delicious south Indian breakfast ready for me by 8.00 a.m and I didn’t have to move a finger. It was downright comfort home cooking. Weekends were different though. Dad took out his apron and the only vintage beater we had. The one with two whips, a handle to turn the whip.. remember?…. Good quality bread was key. A classic french toast, one of my dad’s specialties. It was simple: eggs, milk, sugar and cardamom. “Whip till it froths, dip the bread for no more than ten seconds on each side”, he said. Ghee laden, crispy and the best french toast. I enjoyed it! Those mornings felt very hoity-toity, with forks and all, nothing like my usual….

Marinated Greek style Gigantes

January 12, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Greek style Gigantes has few ingredients with bold flavors. This easy Greek style Marinated Gigantes is so moreish and makes for a perfect appetizer or a light lunch.

“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going.

No feeling is final.”

~Rainer Maria ~

I think of happiness as being something that we’re always chasing — the right person, the right job — external things. To me, joy is quieter, more internal, and we often find it in simple moments along the way. Like i read somewhere: the author writes about her mother, who experienced so much disappointment and loneliness in her life, yet finds solace in the little things….

Eggless South African Donuts – Eggless Donuts with Cardamom & Coconut

December 19, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Donuts are my kyrptonite and these Eggless South African Donuts have my heart. These are slightly different from the American donuts. They are sweet, spongy and pillowy, spiced and traditionally dipped in sugar syrup. SO GOOD!

Food feeds the soul. To the extent that we all eat food, and we all have souls, food is the single great unifier across cultures. On a larger scale, food is an important part of culture. Traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring the food of their countries with them wherever they go and cooking traditional food is a way of preserving their culture when they move to new places.

Being in America has opened up a pandoras box of global cuisine. What stays the same though is the extent to which each country or community’s unique cuisine can reflect its unique history, lifestyle, values, and beliefs. As the world becomes more globalized, it is easier to access cuisines from different cultures….

Easy Homemade Crackers and Sweetest (&Savory) Holiday Gift Basket idea

December 2, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Crispy, quick and easy homemade crackers under 20 minutes! It is as easy as that. This whole wheat healthy cracker recipe, made with pepper, 3 ingredients comes together in few minutes. Perfect on a cheese board or for gifts. Thanks to Sante for sponsoring this post. Crafted in small batches, Santé‘s lightly-candied pecans are distinctively crunchy for the perfect, plant-based snack.

I don’t think I’m alone in falling back on cliché to express what has, for the most part, felt inexpressible. The unprecedented. The thing to do, I guess, is parse what I really mean when I fall back on the clichés that have come to define this very strange time.

What’s not strange is the love of home made food that has grown hundred fold. People have started making sourdough, yogurt, spiced crackers and more.

These spiced easy crackers have been made quite a lot of times at home. They are healthy and you can make it your own by adding any flavorings. What I love during the holidays is to make a cheese board gift box or basket with crackers, Santé Candied Pecans, and cheese.…

pumpkin roti

October 27, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Pumpkin roti. Three ingredients, few important steps, and you have the easiest and softest roti there is. This pumpkin roti stays soft for two days if wrapped well and you can skip the pumpkin and make the most perfect delicious plain rotis/ Phulkas.

My love for pumpkin just gets stronger by every passing year. I have a plethora of PUMPKIN recipes on my blog and I can’t believe I didn’t share this one, it’s something I’ve been making for years.

The minute I posted my quick gluten free roti recipe, I started getting requests for the wheat fail-proof phulka or roti. For some reason it has taken this long to share. Every time I share rotis or phulkas on instagram, I have had a sea of requests for a foolproof roti recipe that stays soft for a long time. It’s the season, and why not pumpkin roti?…

Sweet Paratha stuffed with nuts

August 27, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Sweet Paratha. Flaky buttery paratha stuffed with nuts, spiced with cardamom and saffron is topped with sweet condensed milk. Divine and irresistible. Perfect as a sweet treat, a great snack, and offering during festivals.

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, mom made an array of quick sweet treats for a junk loving household. Although my dad was very health conscious, sweets was his weakness. He would skip a chapathi, but eat that sweet poli, or mom’s classic gulab jamun. Sweets were not a rare appearance like many homes. Mom made her famous sweet dosa, sweet pongal, pal poli, sweet paniyaaram for breakfast, and evening snacks were the classic traditional ones. When special occasions came by, there were the pricey nuts involved and more ghee, of course.

Being a working mom, she never made us feel like she was busy, she made sure to pamper us with the most delicious food and quality family time. I didn’t have to pester her a lot, a request or an order sometimes, and anything we asked was ready in minutes. Although there were so much sweets, she’d balance it out with all the veggies she snuck in into our diets. Smart lady!

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Basic Banana Bread with Olive Oil and Maple Syrup

June 8, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Best Basic Banana Bread Recipe that uses five ingredients, is so easy to make and super soft and moist! The very best way to use up overripe bananas this bread is tender and packed full of flavor!

Banana Bread needs no introduction. It’s cake like, easy and feels decadent and makes for a great treat.

One of my favorite recipe for Banana Bread uses ricotta and is decadent. Although I like the fancy, I make this simple basic banana bread version most of the time.

To make the very basic best banana bread that comes out super moist, it is important to start out with those ugly, overripe bananas! They need to be a dark yellow with lots of browning. The riper the bananas, the more moist your bread will be and the more banana flavor it will have!…

Gluten Free Millet Roti – Softest and Easy Rotis

October 8, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Two ingredients, one important step, and you have the easiest and softest gluten free roti there is. This gluten free roti stays soft for two days if wrapped well.

The minute I posted my quick naan recipe, I started getting requests for a fail-proof roti. I somehow missed sharing wheat rotis. I’ve been on a gluten-free journey the last couple of months and have been experimenting with different grains. We make rice roti which is gluten-free. However, it is a bit thick and heavy and hence doesn’t really go well with sabzis. So, when I started sharing my experiments on social media with whole grain rotis, I have had a sea of requests for a foolproof gluten free roti that stays soft for a long time….