Tag Archives: Vegetarian/Vegan

The Easiest Chocolate Cake Ever (and it’s Vegan)

I have a “thing” for chocolate. I love everything about it. It’s smell, it’s taste and–most especially (at the risk of sounding like some sort of chocolate obsessed crazy lady who is in clear need of psychological assistance)–it’s ability to “pick me up” when I’m feeling down.

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Dressed up with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Rasberries and Pistachios

The only thing I might love more than chocolate is cake; and if it’s a chocolate cake, then I can promise you that I’m a happy lady!

This cake is magic, and will definitely lift anyone’s mood. The recipe is fool proof, and the cake comes together quickly and without much effort. It is also a vegan! That’s right, there are no eggs or butter–and yet the cake is still deliciously decadent! Who would have thought?! Continue reading →

Tamatar Shorba (Indian Spiced Tomato Soup) Vegetarian & Vegan Friendly

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Tamatar Shorba with Spiced Grilled Cheese Sliders

Last year at this time tomato soup would have been the last thing on my mind! Instead, I was preoccupied with my “baby” plants, berry picking and killing those stubborn Canadian Thistles…Seriously, how do you get rid of those things?!

Unfortunately, this year has been the complete opposite of the last. Winter is holding on tight, refusing to budge. Looking out the window, one would think it was December, not May! It’s been a long winter and I’m beginning to feel a little confused (and a whole lot irritated!)–unsure if I should be planning my gardens or digging out the Christmas decorations.

As you can probably imagine, I’ve been daydreaming a lot about the warmth of India. I’ve even gone so far as to tell Piyush I think we should move there. Sell the house, ship our stuff overseas and live happily in the tropics–with an air conditioner to keep us cool, of course. I’d grow my own black pepper plants, drink liters of chai every single day and we’d have our very own mango tree in the back garden. Continue reading →

Aloo Sabzi: Potatoes Cooked in Mustard Oil

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Dry Potato “Curry”: Aloo Sabzi

Sometimes the most ordinary of foods can be made extraordinary simply by pairing them with the right ingredients. For this delicious potato dish, I took a lot of inspiration from my mother-in-law’s cooking and the tasty foods I ate while in West Bengal. Continue reading →

I’m Still Alive!

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Hello Everyone! Long time, no blog post, eh? Sorry about that.

For those of you who have left me comments or sent me wonderful, kind E-mails, thank you! If I haven’t yet responded, I promise I haven’t forgotten. I have a lot to go through, but I’ll respond to them all as soon as I can!

Now that winter is almost over (FINALLY!), I plan on spending some extra time cooking, experimenting and blogging! I don’t know about you, but I really hate the winter. It’s cold. It’s gloomy. It makes me turn into a lazy, crabby lady. RAWR!

Oh, and I’m on a diet. Double RAWR! haha

My laziness aside, I have a few other things I wanted to share with you guys!

First, Dhokla! I wanted to share a photo of this beautiful, Indian besan (chickpea flour) cake. This particular dhokla won me a $100 bet with Piyush. Silly husband should know better than to challenge me on anything cake related. Haha!

Look for the recipe coming soon!

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Gujarati Dhokla

Second, our tickets are booked for India! We’ll be leaving here on October 11, 2013 and will be spending 5 glorious weeks abroad. I’m excited! The planning isn’t entirely finished yet, but a trip to Darjeeling is definitely in the itinerary. After all, it is one of my favorite places on this Earth. Continue reading →

Indian Snack Bars (Indian-Inspired Rice Krispie Treats)

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Indian-Inspired Rice Krispie Bars

Traditional American rice krispie bars have always been one of my favorite snacks. Especially if they’re of the peanut butter variety! Some of my earliest memories center around the simple–yet delicious–rice krispie bar. It’s true. I remember stirring the pot of melting marshmallows on my grandmother’s stove-top while my aunt, Patty, supervised–well over 20 years ago! (Man, I’m getting old…)

My husband, being the picky guy he is, doesn’t love the simple rice krispie bar the way I do. In fact, he flat-out dislikes them. Crazy, I know. Determined to make him love the sweet and crunchy snack-bar, I decided to make a version with flavors I knew he’d love.

Continue reading →

Mini Vegetarian Korma Pies with Whipped Coconut Cream for National Pie Day!

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Mini Korma Pies

I’ve had a lot of requests for this recipe, and I’m not really sure why I haven’t posted it. But hey, it’s never too late…right?

I created this recipe for a pie contest that was held way back in September. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but that’s okay. You see, I made 300 little pies the night before because Piyush and I had to transport them to Minneapolis by early afternoon the next day. Living a couple hours away from Minneapolis, I knew I wouldn’t have time to prep and travel the day of. Continue reading →

Restaurant Style Paneer Tikka Masala (Vegetarian)

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Restaurant Style Paneer Tikka Masala

When I was cleaning out my freezer the other day I noticed I had a few (forgotten) packs of paneer. Paneer, a fresh Indian cheese made with whole milk, is one of my all-time favorite ingredients. It’s a great vegetarian (not dairy-free) source of protein and can be used in many different ways. Continue reading →

My Fancy Pantry