Cooking Learning 04

Satisfy your sweet cravings with this INSTANT Peda recipe. Made in the microwave, these take under 30 minutes from start to finish!  I can barely believe that we are almost past July already! It has been such a busy month with the blog, summer activities and trips. And by the end of this month we have reached the month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar. This also means we will now have all our festivals lining up.  First up is Rakhi, one of the festivals that binds brothers and sisters far and near. According to the Indian traditions, the sisters tie twines called 'Rakhi' on their brothers' wrists and the brothers promise to protect their sisters. Though I do not have a sibling, I have always had the fondest memories with Rakhi; given that my first cousin is really close to me. He has always been there for me, and I have never felt the need to have a sibling!  Having celebrated Rakhi together since childhood, 'sending' a rakhi after moving to US was rather ...

Layers of thinly sliced chocolate cake, vanilla flavored cream and homemade cherry filling. Need any more to make a sinful cake? Me thinks not!  It is July 2017 and it has been exactly THREE years since I first published a recipe on Herbivore Cucina. It has been such a great journey so far, full of love, luck and learning. I remember wanting to start my own blog, reading up all I could about food blogging and finally taking a shot at writing my own.  From the first time I pressed the 'publish' button on my Cupcake Handvo post to today, I have enjoyed every bit of blogging. Photography, cooking, recipe testing and interacting with fellow bloggers; it has all been perfect to explain the last three years in this space.  What started off as a passion and very little idea of how it will go, turned into something my husband and me are very proud of. We now have our very own small business and it is wonderful to see how it grows each day. From better and more relevant reci...

Blogging Marathon #78 Week 2 Day 3 Theme: Secret Ingredients Dish: Cauliflower Sauce Mac n Cheese Can't give up on Mac n Cheese, but do not want the guilty ingredients? Make your own with this incredibly easy Cauliflower sauce!  Any pasta lovers here?? I am definitely one. And when it comes to Mac n Cheese, I am the first one to reach out for it! I eat a lot of it and then I feel guilty of consuming all the packaged food ingredients. But it is definitely difficult to resist the urge to gobble a bowl full of Mac n Cheese.  To make sure I can eat my pasta without feeling guilty, I decided to try making it with Cauliflower sauce. Yes, it is the same sauce I posted a couple of days back. I really loved how the Mac n Cheese came out and we definitely did not miss the authentic one!  At first I was skeptic of tasting cauliflower in my pasta. However, after adding garlic, cheese and bread crumbs, I could definitely not tell it had half a head of cauliflower hidden in it! And I...

What is better than Za'atar Spiced Mushrooms for weekend grilling?Super quick recipe for a filling and yummy meal! Summers are made for grilling! I love grilling all kinds of vegetables marinated in different sauces and ingredients. Not to forget the grilled peaches and pineapple that scream S-U-M-M-E-R!  I have tried quite a few combinations; most work, some fail. A couple of combinations taste really bland once cooked. Then I have to season it before serving. My favorites are these:  Super Quick Balsamic Grilled Vegetables , Grilled Cauliflower Steak ,  Oven Grilled Tandoori Vegetables .  This weekend I wanted to grill something different. I recently bought a large package of Za'atar Spice and decided to use that. And what better than garlic and olive oil to go with it? So I put all this together and made these yummy grilled Mushrooms.  I served it with some grilled tortilla, olives and salad. These wraps were made perfect with some Blazing Hummus. And yes, an...

Blogging Marathon #78 Week 2 Day 2 Theme: Secret Ingredients Dish: Quinoa Idli An Indian quintessential Idli gets a healthy makeover. Quinoa makes these idlis yummy, nutty and packed with flavor.  Quinoa, the healthy ingredient that has been around for some time is one of my favorites! It is healthy, has a yummy nutty flavor and is super versatile to work with. It happens to be one of my favorite ingredients now!  In the past I have made  Quinoa Kofta in Makhani Gravy ,  One Pot Pineapple Fried Quinoa  ,  Quinoa Fried Rice ,  Quinoa Sabudana Khichdi . Today is yet another delicious recipe using quinoa. I have been meaning to try this one for a while!  Idli, the quintessential South Indian dish that is perfect for breakfast and dinner is one of my favorites. However, often times I feel guilty of all the carbs we end up consuming in a meal. I have tried to replace rice for quinoa in many recipes. I was not sure if it would work in fermented rec...