Nostalgia is a B**** and the easiest Matar Paneer

 There comes a time in everyone's life when they realise  how perfect things were and we didn't value it...

The early morning commutes...

The tête-à-tête over coffee/chai at work,

Our in-person meetings that had sounded unbearably long...

My needing to dress up and wear *some* makeup...

The in-person Zumba Classes,

The hugs from my BFF...

Breathing the fresh air outside sans mask...

I will never again take life for granted....

And that's where nostalgia plays its games.

It's been a year and I am tired of the fear and the mask and the restrictions. Don't get me wrong...I am one of those rule-followers who follows rules to the tee...and yet I am tired and could use something different in my life right now...

Work will start full deluge tomorrow and grocery shopping and meal prepping were the top of mind right now. I had a margherita lying in the fridge that I was wondering whether to toss or drink and broke 2 months of "dry days" to a prickly pear margherita and the buzz was pleasant...yet the mind slowed down to snail pace...I ended up making the easiest Matar Paneer ever...

5 Minute Easy Matar Paneer

What you need?

1. 1/2 bottle Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce
2. Olive Oil
3. Spices : Turmeric, Kasturi Methi, Punjabi Garam Masala
4.  Fresh Thinly Slices Ginger, Jalapeno
5. 1 lb Paneer (cottage cheese, I used the Nanak Brand) - I airfried in parallel with some turmeric and salt in my airfryer about 10 minutes
6. 1/2 lb Peas ( Trader Joe's)
7. Trader Joes Kefir
8. Ketchup, Cinnamon  (optional but makes a difference in taste)
9. Salt to taste
10. Chopped Cilantro to drizzle on later

How to make it?

1. Cube the Paneer, sprinkle with turmeric and salt - spray with Oil and add to Air Fryer and fry at the max temp 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, till golden brown
2. Cut the Ginger and Jalapeno into thin slices...
3. Turn your instant pot to Saute
4. Add olive oil, add turmeric, punjabi garam masala,kasturi methi,  ginger and jalapeno and saute for a couple minutes
5. Add the Marinara Sauce 
6. Add in the air-fried paneer
7. Add about 1/2 cup of water
8. Turn on the pressure on manual 2 minutes, no release
9. Open and now add Salt, Ketchup and Cinnamon to taste
10. Add a little bit of Kefir and taste...it will make it creamy and give it a slight tang...
11. Add the chopped cilantro
12. Enjoy with Parathas/Brown Rice

“Nostalgia is a necessary thing, I believe, and a way for all of us to find peace in that which we have accomplished, or even failed to accomplish...

Be Kind, Don't Rewind

They say everyday is a learning day. So here’s what 2020 has taught me…

I’ve learned that I’m not the type of a person who wakes up early in the AM to do BollyX or Yoga. I am however the type of person who wakes up early in the morning to drink my ginger chai and mindlessly clear the clutter in my inbox (mostly scammers…) and scroll through social media (I am addicted to cute dog videos on  Facebook). Don’t get me wrong I do get my workout in but it’s usually in the evenings dance and yoga and if I get both in together, that’s definitely a win!

I’ve learned that I’m not the type of person who bakes delicious looking sourdough bread. I am, however, the type of person who loves loves a cheesy grilled cheese sandwich made with said sourdough bread…so grateful to the Farmer’s Market for keeping me well-stocked in that department (#go local)

I’ve learned that I’m not the type of a person that goes for a socially distanced run on the Bay trails. I am, however the type of a person who likes a leisurely stroll on the trails with the puppy taking pictures of the beautiful blue heron and the graceful leopard sharks. I am so glad my puppy has small legs and doesn’t move very fast or very far…so we get the chance to just take in the views together.

I’ve learnt that though every day might feel like “groundhog day” - mundane and monotonous BUT, I enjoy the time with family, the peace and quiet without the hustle of commute, constant parties and school activities. I don’t feel this incessant need to be outside constantly busy. I have broken my life into the bits and pieces that make sense for now : Family, Work, Working Out and building my mental resilience (it’s a marathon not a sprint!)

Let’s face it this year hasn’t exactly turned out how any of us hoped or mapped out on our vision boards in 2019. However my biggest learning in 2020 has been two things “focus on what I can control” and “don’t dwell on the months lost to this pandemic”. 

And while we are at it - here is a thing we certainly can control...our diets. So this week I made this amazing vegetable barley soup which nourished us inside out on this cold cold day!

Vegetable Barley Soup

What you need?

• 3/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 tsp  Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 carrot peeled and diced
• 2 small celery stalks diced
• 2 handfuls beet greens (or any other greens! I had beet greens from the Farmer's Market)
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups chicken Bone Broth
• Braggs Amino Acid (2-3 tablespoon to taste)
• 4 cups water
• Lemon/Lime Juice
• Cilantro for garnish

How to make it?

• Heat oil in Instant Pot on saute mode. Cook garlic and onion until translucent.
• Add carrot, greens, celery,  and barley. Give it a quick mix.
• Season with  salt, and pepper (and amino acid)
• Finally, add water, broth
• Put the lid and cook the soup on manual high pressure for 18 min. 
• Add Lemon juice

Remember, while you are having this delicious soup -we can do this. We ARE doing this everyday day by day…building community and compassion. It needn’t always be pretty. 

Going with the flow & the story of a Badam Burfi !

"Because I said so, so it must be..."

Life has an interesting way of teaching us lessons. Human beings don't like change, especially when it is imposed on them without  rhyme or reason - take for example this more than two months quarantine due to the Coronavirus. The more we feel like things are not in our control...the more we resist it and create unnecessary stress for ourselves. Wouldn't it just be easier to go with the flow...

Going with the flow leads to us making our mental health a priority. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and here are a few things that have worked for me :

1. Pause...Breathe...Check in with yourself
2. Take Breaks (sometimes take breaks from the overdose of covid 19 information)
3. Make time to sleep and exercise (I teach a free  BollyX Class on Zoom, I have lost 10 lbs in 3 months and more importantly find a lot of joy in dancing and the community we have built!)
4. Reach Out and Stay Connected (whether with my friends on zoom, a phone call or even a text, we have kept in touch...
5. Seek Help - if things get too overwhelming...understand you are not alone and reach out for support.

So while I was introspecting on "beating my Monday Blues", I also was craving a sweet something BUT I didn't really want to spend too much time in the kitchen...thus was born this easy peasy 10 minutes Badam Burfi recipe.

Badam Burfi

Ingredients

• 1  Cup of Truvia Blend
• 2 Cups of Almond Flour
• 1/3 Cup of Water
• 2 tablespoons Ghee 
• Crushed Cardamom Powder (6-7 pods, discard the skin after crushing)

How to make?

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute
2. Add the ghee + Truvia Blend+Crushed Cardamom+Water
3. Mix thoroughly
4. Turn the IP to High Pressure 4 minutes, Quick Release
5. Add the Almond Flour to the syrupy mixture in the IP
6. Now mix it to the consistency of atta/flour and roll into a ball
7. Lay out a silicon sheet, cover it with a parchment paper, lay the flour ball 
8. Now put another parchment paper on top and roll out the dough
9. Cut into diamond shape

Enjoy with your family. Remember to take care of both your mind and body!

Daily Routine & The 6 C Immunity Building Khichidi!

"We are what we repeatedly do and Eat. Health and Habits are not an afterthought but a result of our actions"

I started off over a decade ago a tired, overweight woman in her mid-thirties who  did have one thing going for her - she was incredibly flexible...she did regular yoga but also was overweight and lacked stamina and was constantly tired and angry. Every time I  went in to do yoga with my favorite yoga teacher Keith...I would see this gaggle of chirpy women walk into a Zumba class afterwards and always wondered why not me...then 2 years into watching these women have fun, I decided to stay back for the Zumba Class and my life has changed since then...I went from a Size 14 to a Size 4. Don't get me wrong, I still have my Yoga practice ongoing but have added in dance, mindfulness and healthy eating to the mix and it has made all the difference in my life.

Why do I share this today - especially when we have "shelter in place" instituted in my county and there is widespread panic...we are trying to keep it together at home with a meal plan and a daily schedule...keep our good habits going ( exercise, eat healthy, practice gratitude and mindfulness) and trying to slowly shave off the bad ones...

Here are some of the things my family and I are practicing to get through this 3 week in-shelter mandate :

1. Clean our counters thoroughly after every meal, moment we get up and when we go to sleep
2. Wash our hands thoroughly with warm water and soap ( hand sanitizers are a bit scarce around our house, so we are making do with hand soap and applying aloe vera gel afterwards)
3. Keep our distance (from people not cohabiting with us) 
4. We don't leave the house unless we absolutely have to (walks, hikes in the solo or with the dog don't count...but obviously if you live in a super crowded area be cautious about that one)
5. We have taken out board games, I have ear marked books I want to read, shows I want to binge watch ( Homeland, Just Add Magic (with my son), Murder She Baked...)
6. My mother in law (who is visiting from India) and I are cooking healthy, nutritious food with the food we have on hand.

I usually have a lot of grains in my pantry { think Quinoa, Barley, Farro, Steel-Cut Oats, Brown Rice, Lentils and Beans ( I counted 12 different kinds) and we went to the Farmer's market and picked up a lot of greens  (  radish, mint, bell peppers, red onions, broccoli, celery, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chili (wow...lots of stuff with C's) }. This was the inspiration for dinner (and a couple lunches this week)...anyone who knows me knows of my love for KHICHIDI...so here goes.

The 6 C- Immunity Building Khichidi

What you need

1. 1/2 Cup Quinoa + 1/2 Cup Bulgur Wheat ( use Brown Rice or any other grain you have at home that you want to use up!) (washed in cold water and soaked with  green moong dal (with the skin) 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 1 cup   Green Moong (with skin)
3. Chopped Vegetables : Celery, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cilantro, Chili, Cabbage
4. 3 cups water 
5. 2 tsp Ghee
6. 1 small knob of ginger, 1 medium chopped tomatoes
7. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder
8. 1 whole lemon and salt to taste

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and the roughly chopped ginger and chopped tomatoes. Add turmeric and black pepper powder.
2. Add the chopped vegetables
3. Add all the pre-soaked grains and lentils to the instant pot and give it a stir for a minute. 
4. Add Vegetable Broth/ Water (I added water)
5. Add the Liquid Aminos/Salt and any other dry spices you add to your khichidi. I usually add roasted jeera powder which gives it a smokiness.
6. Put the IP on 6 minutes, High Pressure
7. When done open, Natural Release - taste for salt. 
8. Now add fresh lemon juice and chopped cilantro. 

Enjoy with a cup of Kefir...now on to my binge watching Homeland and then practicing a few BollyX choreos on demand 😊😊

COVID 19 : The New Normal!

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, calling COVID-19 a “foreign virus” ... it made my blood boil. I really worry about the situation. Here's why :

1. Our county - San Mateo saw a rise from 2 to 20 cases of infections in less than 2 days (rapid spread of infection)
2. Our grocery stores are bare of weird essentials : toilet paper, sanitizers, cleaning products and water (increased panic)
3. Infrastructure on shutdown (schools will shut down for over 3 weeks)
4. Major events shutdown : school events, work events, new school open houses etc.

I won't tell you this is sitting easy on my sense of calm but all we can do is prepare for this pandemic the best we can. Here's what we are doing :

1. Washing up as much as we can
2. Not going to too many public places
3. Trying to eat healthy and building our immunity

Not my Amma's Khichdi

What you need

1. 1/2 Cup Quinoa + 1/2 Cup Brown Rice (washed in cold water and soaked with moong dal 1/2 hr in hot water I boiled in my electric kettle)
2. 4 cups  Sprouted Green Moong
3. 3 cups water ( I like my Khichdi to have a nice mushy consistency...add lesser water if you want it more solid)
4. 2 tsp Ghee
5. 1 small knob of ginger, 1 medium chopped tomatoes
6. Liquid Aminos (for seasoning), Avocado Oil (or any other oil), cumin seeds, Hing (asafoetida), turmeric powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder
7. 1 whole lemon and salt to taste

To Cook 

1. Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your ghee....add hing, cumin seeds and the roughly chopped ginger and chopped tomatoes. Add turmeric and black pepper powder.
2. Add the Rice+ Quinoa to the instant pot and give it a stir for a minute. 
3. Add the Sprouted Moong
4. Add Vegetable Broth/ Water (I added water)
5. Add the Liquid Aminos/Salt and any other dry spices you add to your khichidi. I usually add roasted jeera powder which gives it a smokiness.
6. Put the IP on 5 minutes, High Pressure
7. When done open, Natural Release - taste for salt. 
8. Now add fresh lime juice and cut cilantro. 

Now enjoy the meal with your family, go out for a walk...when will you get the time for such peace and quiet in quite a bit of isolation...

Let's face our fear head on -- we are all exposed and there is a lot we don't know about this virus...but what I do know is  - I believe in our community and I believe in the miracle that is our body and I know we will get through this.

Detoxing from the Toxic!

"Stay away from toxic people, they have a problem for every solution"

Is it the end of January already ???

 I haven't blogged in almost 4 months hidden away in my hidey hole trying to make sense of some of the nonsense happening in my life. Health has never been an afterthought for me - so eating right and exercising is something I have been very consistent about...but what does one do about one's stress level...

Yet some wisdom did arise from some of my experiences:

1. Speak Up - don't bottle up the experience, if things don't seem right, they aren't right
2. Ally Up - Get out of victim mentality, you have a support network - leverage it
3. Wisen Up - Figure out if there is really a solution, if not move away - get away from that situation
4. (Don't) Give Up - Absolutely do what is right for the situation, don't give up ever! My father always told me that the hardest thing to do is - that thing that is right! But if you don't do it your conscience will never let you live it down.

And most importantly remember "Strong people know how to forgive, but smart people never forget"

As I was unravelling myself from toxic people and situations, I was also mindfully getting my body to that place of equilibrium that it is used to. I made a super-simple Mushroom, Lentils and Barley Soup (two times in a row) which really hit the spot this week. 

Barley is a super grain which helps with weight loss, reducing blood sugar and blood pressure, improves lipid profile (not recommended for someone with Celiac Disease) - the word I used to describe it to a non-believer it's like a brush on your internal organs, cleaning you inside out...

Lentils - you don't want me writing sonnets but honestly what's not to like with high protein and high fiber

Mushrooms - another ingredient that a lot of people love to hate... they have riboflavins for heart health,  lots of antioxidants (selenium, folate, beta-glucans...). I love mushrooms...the earthy flavor and the texture.

The soup I made was a very very simple one that lasted many a meals for our 3-Person Family. I store my soups in mason jars and then heat and serve with 1-2 toasted whole grain slices of bread (which one you ask : Dave's Killer Bread). Without further ado let's get to the recipe ( I have added links to the ingredients that are not easily available)

Detox Barley, Mushroom and Lentils Soup

What's in it?

• Chopped vegetables - 4 big stalks of  Celery (organic),  5 big carrots, 1 Box of white Organic Mushrooms (12 Oz), 1 medium onion, Grated Ginger (small knob), Half a bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 Containers Bone Broth  - 8 oz (I use vegetable broth on the days that we are keeping it meatless
• Water - 2 Quarts 
• Bragg's Liquid Amino
• Bragg's Sea Kelp Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 cup of barley (soaked with the lentils in hot water for 1 hour)
• 1 cup of mixed lentils  ( I swear by these lentils - very delicious and you can get a bigger bag in your neighboring indian store for a lot less!)

How I made it?

• Turn on Saute Mode on your instant pot
• Add 1 tsp Olive oil ( oil of your choice)
• Saute the grated ginger and onions
• Add the Chopped vegetables, sprinkle with Bragg's Liquid Amino ( I put about 3 tablespoons) and the Sea Kelp seasoning ( 2 teaspoons)
• Add the lentils and barley ( that you pre-soaked in hot water for an hour)
• Add the bone broth and water
• High Pressure Manual on 10 minutes (no release)
• Stir...add Salt & Pepper to taste
•  ENJOY!

Servings

This is about 12 servings. 

This soup  has < 200 calories and > 8 grams of Fiber and 10 grams of Protein.   True is the saying  "Soup is Cozy"

Be the Hero of your own Story!

My weeks are mostly upbeat and busy with a few weeks thrown in that are absolutely exhilarating and brilliant and then there are some weeks where all I want to do is drag myself back home, lick my virtual wounds, drag the comforter over my head and just go to sleep! This past week was in the last category and honestly after sulking alone for an entire evening and a day (the husband and kid were away at a Robotics tournament), I said enough was enough and took the puppy out for a long hike to clear my head and by the end of my 2 hour plus long walk I felt more like the "hero" of my story vs. that person that needed rescuing.

How to Break Free from Victim Mentality?

1. Take ownership and responsibility for your actions are and their outcomes.Determine what is needed and what is important to you and what do you need to do to make it happen. Don’t waste time blaming or getting angry at those who don’t want or need the same things you do. Get busy taking care of what’s important to you, and leave the others out of it.
2. Stop blaming. When you hear yourself going into blame stories, whether against other people, the world, life, whomever or whatever... say “stop” to yourself out loud, and actually turn your attention away from your blaming thoughts.
3. Become aware of the root of your sense of powerlessness. Before you construct the next narrative on who’s stealing your power, get curious about the underlying feelings of powerlessness that precede all situations. Fix it!
4. Be compassionate to yourself and others. Acknowledge your suffering with kindness, and then consider how to snap out of it. If there is a way for you to help someone else snap out of it ...more power to you. Offering kindness is the surest antidote to “Poor me.” 
5. Practice Gratitude. Victim mentality focuses you on your perceived loss . Try flipping your perspective and focusing on something that matters to you, that you do enjoy, and that you do "get." Shift your attention from what you’re missing to what you have. Today I am immensely grateful that my son and his awesome robotics team clean-swept the robotics tournament and qualified at the State Level. I am grateful for this beautiful view of a tree standing alone but strong...beautiful in it's solitude, grateful for the playful puppy who walked an hour by my side as we quietly enjoyed nature and the quiet peace.

So are you going to write your story differently starting today?

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and attention.” — Buddha