He Says...She Says

He says Sports...She says Murder Mysteries,

He says fancy dinner...She says take-out with a movie at home,

He says Italian....She says Indian,

He says Chill...She says Clean,

He says Go with the Flow, She says To-Do Lists,

He says Coffee, She says Tea,

She makes him his morning oatmeal,

He takes her for long walks.

She taught him to eat veggies,

And he taught her to love the gym...

Polar opposites and yet things just seem to fit,

17 years....more to look forward to.

It's our 17th anniversary and I am not cooking today but made a quick batch of my bhuna masala to freeze for use later (gotta take care of the mundane things). I use this magic sauce in all my curries - chicken curry, kheema masala, rajma, chana, Aloo Matar Rasa, Gobi Aloo Rasa....and more. It cuts my cooking time on weekdays by almost half.

The Magic Mother of All Sauces (for Indian Curries)

What you need?

• 2 Lbs of Tomatoes ( I use the vine-ripened tomatoes from the Farmer's Market) - peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 Lb Red Onions - peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Entire Garlic - peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 knob of Ginger (grated)
• 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil ( you can use whatever vegetable oil you use, more if you need it)

How you make it?

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute
2. Add the oil, when the oil is hot add in the cumin seeds, turmeric and chili powder
3. Now add the garlic, ginger and onions
4. Saute till brown...add the tomatoes, add a little water if needed ( I didn't because the tomatoes had enough water)
5. Now turn on the pressure on manual for 3 minutes, no release
6. Grind the mixture in your blendtec/magic bullet
7. Once it freezes, you can cool and use as required.

I will leave you with this thought "Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love  and live with your partner every day. 

Soup for the Soul : Vegetable Sweet Corn

“Writing is a lot like making soup. My subconscious cooks up the idea, but then I have to sit down, put it all on paper and make sense of it" 

I was sitting in my office and it was pouring rain the whole afternoon and by the time I was ready to leave for home, all I could think of  was a BIG warm bowl of soup ( I have been having a lot of these "soul soup" kind of days lately). I guess I am one of those "solar powered people" who needs the sun to keep merry and happy 😁

So before I even went upstairs to get changed and comfy, I turned my Instant Pot on and got this vegetable sweetcorn soup going...

What's in it?

• I used pre-chopped vegetables - 4 big stalks of broccoli, cauliflower leaves  and a few florets ( I save all my green leaves and use them up in soups), 5 big carrots, 1 bag of Trader Joes super sweet corn, 1 can of creamed corn
• Better than Bouillon Chicken Stock (they have a veggie version too) - use about 2-3 large tablespoon
• Grated Ginger (small knob)
• Water - 2 Quarts 
• Bragg's Liquid Amino
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

How I made it?

• Put all the ingredients above in the Instant Pot (except the salt and pepper)
• Manual on 3 minutes (no release)
• Stir...add Salt & Pepper to taste
• Sit Back - Turn on the TV or pick your favorite book and ENJOY!

Servings

This is about 12 servings. 

This soup  has < 200 calories and > 6 grams of Fiber.   True is the saying  "Soup is Cozy"

Fighting the Cold Season : Green Soup!

It is health that is the real wealth, not pieces of gold or silver or stones.... 

The gym has been a part of our life for a long time now but I started taking my exercise routine rather seriously 5 years back and even though I exercise a lot I didn't really see the weight slide off till I started paying attention to my diet.

One key thing that I have drilled into my psyche is getting the right amount of vegetables into my body..I got into the habit of eating a  salad and drinking a green smoothie most days...but let me tell you after I  had the flu, a cold salad or a cold smoothie just did not cut it...I was on the phone complaining about this to "my sister from another mother" who is a couple continents away...she suggested this awesome heart and soul warming soup. This will definitely be a keeper in my kitchen.

I love this soup and the best part I can make about 12 servings of the soup.

How to make the green soup?

Ingredients

• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Avocado Oil ( you can use whatever oil you have on hand or even ghee
• 2 tablespoons or more Braggs Liquid Amino
• 2 Cartons Vegetable/Chicken Broth ( I used Vegetable Broth this time around and the brand was Saffron Road)
• Chopped Vegetables -  1 medium sized Opo Squash ( lauki), 1 medium sized Cauliflower, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 bag of Kale, 1 Onion roughly chopped, 2 roma tomatoes roughly chopped, minced garlic ( I used the Trader Joe's kind)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Process

1. Turn the IP to Saute and add the oil/fat
2. Add the turmeric powder when the oil is sufficiently hot
3. Now add the minced garlic and onion - saute till lightly browned
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and the rest of the vegetables
5. Add the Broth and the liquid aminos
6. Set on "Porridge" - No Release
7. When it's all done use an immersion blender and puree the soup
8. Add Salt and Pepper to taste

Drink a large glass of this every day. Not only does a glass give you two plus servings of vegetables - it has < 100 calories and 5 grams of fiber. 

Some interesting facts 

1. Did you know lauki (Opo Squash) helps soothe digestive issues, urinary tract infections, reduces inflammation of the liver and keeps your heart healthy.
2. Parsley is anti-diabetic and cleanses the system and builds your immune system
3. I can write rhapsodies about Kale and Cauliflower - 2 things that I have been cooking with for years now ( even before they became a fad)...
4. Liquid Aminos contain 16 of the 20 Amino Acids and is mostly for exercise recovery or protein supplementation ( highly recommended for vegans or vegetarians) - it is also a flavor enhancer.

So true is the saying that the first foundation of success is Good Health! With my Green Soup I feel like I am taking a step in the right direction.

A drink to your health : Golden Milk

Gold gives to the ugliest thing, a certain charming air...

Did you know that the flu season in US is now being considered epidemic and has peaked one month before the "real peak" season. Since October, the number of flu-related deaths has slowly crept up to 27 with the much publicized H3N2 strain of the virus. My entire family fell sick over Christmas and New Year and we are slowly stumbling back to normalcy. However, my son K2 looked a little down and when I took his temperature - sure enough it read between 101-102 yesterday...I was one worried mama.

This morning I did what my mother did when we fell sick in India...I gave him Haldi Doodh (Turmeric Milk) or more fondly called "Golden Milk/Latte" in the US. My recipe has come down our family for years and was given for fever, cough & colds and I remember my mother shoving it down my brother's throat when he hit his head and cut himself and was bleeding profusely (this was after the stitches 😉)

I won't go gaga over the taste ( I saw videos on how amazing it tastes - warming and earthy)- let me tell you that me and my brother would run around the house to avoid having to drink this...it doesn't taste all that great. Here's my son's expression drinking it today 😆

Honestly it was better than I remembered it being and all of us drank a cup of this golden magical elixir - it is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, boosts brain function and heart health and helps with joint health...more than that for me it was the comfort that I was sharing a small part of my traditional health remedies that had been passed down generations.

How to make Golden Milk in your Instant Pot?

Ingredients

• 1/2 Spoon Organic Turmeric Root Powder
• 2 cups of Milk (I used 1% Organic) -- if you are vegan you can substitute with Almond or Coconut Milk
• 1 cup of Water ( you can use 3 cups of milk if you want to)
• 8 Freshly Crushed Tellicherry Peppercorns ( black pepper helps with the absorption of curcumin and is warming in the cold/flu season)
• Shredded Ginger (micro plane) - smallish knob - use as much as you are comfortable taking in your drink
• 4-5 Cardamom pods (crushed)
• 3 teaspoons of Jaggery (if you don't have jaggery, add honey when you are ready to drink, don't cook the honey as it loses a lot of it's medicinal value)

How To?

1. I just added all these ingredients in my mini-pot (3 Qt)
2. Set it on Manual for 4 minutes (high pressure) - NR
3. Strain and Drink

Can you make it on your stove top?

Absolutely - the process takes roughly 15 minutes

As I mentioned before - this is an acquired taste but if you acquire this taste, I promise you - you are adding a powerful arsenal to taking care of yourself. I raise my cup to your health.

New Year New Recipe : Healthy Lamb Stew

"And then there are some days when a salad would just not cut it and what I want in my belly is a hot, flavorful meaty stew..."

There is an incredible chill in the air...it's drizzling away steadily and there is a foggy ghostly ambience in the air that is faintly depressing.

As I was watching yet another episode of "Criminal Minds" in my dark room, I knew I just had to put something quick and hearty on the table. We don't eat lamb too often but there was a really good sale on at our local grocery store for organic boneless lamb stew meat, so here I was with a pound and a half of lamb. The house smells incredible and I am off my "rainy day funk" and there are a few meals to tide us over.

Healthy Lamb Stew

Prep time: 15 mins (does not include time needed for marination)

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: < than 45 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 11/2 pounds boneless lamb meat, cubed 
• Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 2 Large Organic Carrots, diced
• 2 whole organic celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 knob Ginger grated
• 2 Tomatoes (medium) diced
• 4 medium sized potatoes
• Bay Leaf ( I have ground bay leaf powder that I use)
• Fresh parsley, chopped for topping, lemon juice

How I made it?

1. Place the lamb in a glass bowl and marinate with lemon juice, minced garlic and garlic, Black Pepper
2. Bring lamb out of fridge at least 15 minutes before you plan on cooking. (marinate overnight for the best flavor)
3. Turn Instant Pot on Saute Mode. Add pieces of lamb and brown on all sides ( the lamb rendered some fat which is why I didn't add any oil for cooking)
4. When all of the meat is browned, add the onion, carrots, celery and potatoes. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until vegetables start to soften.
5. Add the tomatoes, ground bay leaf powder (optional), nutmeg and and cinnamon
6. Cook for 3 more minutes, add 2 cups of water/broth
7. Now turn the Instant Pot to manual 20 Minutes (high pressure), No Release
8. Once it's all done - Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley (which I didn't have BUT it still tasted AWESOME) and lemon juice.

Enjoy with crusty bread or even tastes great with a scoop of quinoa or brown rice.