My recipes featured twice in Khaleej Times newspaper. Feel humbled and extremely ecstatic. Such stuff is really great motivation to do more.
Share your love ❤ 🙂
Happiness
PINK SORBET (SUMMER DESSERT)
Bonjour! Wonderful people.
How are you? Vous allez bien?
Well summer has arrived in Dubai. The super hot days are longer than the quiet peaceful nights. That time of the year has arrived when you just happen to stand out for a few minutes and the weather is trying its very best to make a grilled hot kabab or tikka out of you. Its that kind of heat, where you just feel like your soul is melting away and you are left looking like a scarecrow. Damn, I painted some picture in your mind didn’t I ? 😀
On a more positive note, it is the time for ICE CREAM! Repeat after me: I scream, You scream, We all scream for…for …ICE CREAM! Yes Bravo 🙂 No one is too old to say that!
So inspired from the colors of summer, our Recipe of the Day is PINK SORBET. A delicious fruity sorbet. The sorbet sold commercially has lots of sugar in it. The one we are making today is refined-sugar free, it has only pure, natural fruit sugar in it to sweeten it.
It’s a great treat for this boiling heat to cool down. It is great for those days when you just want to eat ice cream all day along, also a great accompaniment to your breakfasts/desserts. Yummy! So here we go.
TIME TO PREPARE: Half a day
Makes 1 box
INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Raspberries-15 Frozen for a few hours
Pear-2 small ones, chopped and frozen
Almonds-chopped
Water- 1 cup-per requirement
HOW TO PREPARE:
In a blender, blend together pear and raspberries until smooth. As shown in the images above. Keep in mind, you do have to blend well, so that would take some time. Add some water in to get a smoother texture.
But don’t add too much, you have to check continuously. Once you get a sorbet like texture, you can add in a few almonds, to give the sorbet a little crunch. Add in the sorbet in a box, sprinkle in the almonds, cover the lid and freeze for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove it out and enjoy with family, friends or even just your own awesome self. Maybe you can try adding it on some hot pancakes, like below.
These are the famous and delicious 2 ingredient pancakes- just mashed bananas and eggs and some coconut oil and VOILA!
Enjoy my sugar-free sorbet. You can add your own toppings too if you like. I particularly think chocolate chips would go well too. Enjoy your summers and don’t forget to share your love. ❤ 🙂
Merci beaucoup et Salut! (thank you and bye 🙂 )
OATS POHA(SNACK/LUNCH)
Hello everyone!
How is everyone doing. It is the end of the first month of this new year.
How has it been for you guys? Any new changes or back to old comfortable me.
Me? Im hanging in between. There are days of positivity and energy and action.There are also days of serious procrastination, laziness and crankiness. Well sue me, I’m human. I got 50 shades of every emotion! 😀
Republic Day of India just happened. One of the days to be really proud and amazed at my country and roots and what it has to offer. Different states have different varieties of food. We have all experienced Indian Moghlai and Indian Punjabi cuisines, through dishes such as Chicken Tikka , Biryani , Samosas etc.
So I bring to you today a specialty from the Maharashtrian region, it is called OATS POHA.It is very light, completely satisfying and might I add extremely delicious. Back in India, people eat it as a savoury breakfast.
So here we go.
TIME: 30 mins.
Serves 2-3 ppl.
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup Quaker Oats
Coconut Oil for cooking
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Red Onion-chopped
1/4 cup Red Onion-chopped to use as toppings(Optional)
2 Green Chilies-chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Curry Leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 big tsp of Dried Mango Powder(Amchur Powder)
1/2 tsp Dried Coriander Powder
1/4 cup Unsalted Peanuts-crushed
Juice of 1 lemon-to add before serving
Salt (optional)
Fresh chopped coriander for garnish (optional)
HOW TO PREPARE:
Take a non-stick pan. Add in the oil and on medium heat add in the mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add in the asafoetida and mix.
Add in the onions and cook them until light pink in color.
Next add in the chilies and curry leaves.
Add in the oats and the mango powder and coriander powder and salt. Mix well.
Add in the crushed peanuts and give it a mix. Take the pan off the heat, let it cool.
Just before serving, add in the lemon juice and chopped coriander. Mix and Enjoy.
Tip- you can roast the oats if you like, before adding them to the pan.
Take the Oats Poha for a light lunch or even as tiffin treats for the little one. It is a great pick for travel, as it is delicious and without the mess. Add it to your quirky adult lunch boxes and you are ready to go.
Share your love 🙂 ❤
P.S.-Credit for second image-https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/quaker-oats.html
MACCOLI (LUNCH/DINNER)
Hello wonderful people! May I say I am pleased to meet you in 2017 🙂
A new year filled with new possibilities, new chances and new outcomes. How many of you have made new year’s resolutions ? How many of you are STILL being able to follow them? If you are, kudos to you, you are very strong ! Me on the other hand, just like the others, gave up on the last day of the first week. (I am guilty but not charged -_-)
All is not lost my friends! Let us not give up, let us get stronger. The fact that we realise that maybe we are falling back to our old self,is a great start to something different. We just have to take a step back, look at our actions and distractions and make the necessary changes accordingly.
Trust me I am at that stage myself, fighting every second to make the better choice. For me it involves, eating healthier, fighting fear and anxiety , motivating myself to make choices that scream self-love and self-respect. What does it involve for you? 🙂
On that exciting note, let me present to you our first food post of 2017 YAY!!
MACCOLI. It is a quirky name, I know. 😀 It is whole wheat delicious macaroni with spicy broccoli and garlic sauce on the side. Yummy, comfort food for the sort-of cold weather we have here in Dubai, with a little fiery kick. So here we go.
Serves 1
TIME TO PREPARE:
15 mins.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Whole Wheat Macaroni-cooked (You can use the brand that is easily available to you)
3/4 cup Broccoli-chopped into small florets (You can eat them raw or steamed- I used raw for a good crunch).
1 tbsp Dried Parsley
1/2 cup Jalapeno Chili-chopped
3/4 cup Black Olives-sliced
1 big tbsp Fresh Garlic Sauce-I bought it fresh from Spinneys’ supermarket. Point is it needs to be fresh, not the pre-packaged ones.
Salt(Optional)
A squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice(Optional)
HOW TO PREPARE:
Once the macaroni is cooked. Strain it and keep aside. Let it cool for a few moments.
Take a bowl, add in all the ingredients including the macaroni.
Mix well and serve. Enjoy!
Great for lunches and dinners with family. Absolutely perfect for work.Just prepare it a night before or even in the morning and take it with you in a pretty lunch box or a grown-up bento box.Love those! Happy 2017 once again!
Share your love.
🙂 ❤
P.S-Credit for second image-http://www.all-creatures.org/recipes/images/i-pasta-elbow.jpg
CHUNKY LEMONADE (Beverage)
Hello folks.
Hope you are enjoying your holidays and the last few days of 2016. When I look back at this year, its been crazy for me. Mentally, emotionally,financially, physically challenging to say the least. It has been the end of a lot of things for me, that’s for sure i.e end of giving way too much love to people who don’t deserve it or value it.
2017 will be the start of many new things, such as directing the love towards myself, valuing myself, learning to respect myself in every form. I know it doesn’t happen in just a day, but its a promise, lifelong promise to yourself.To keep working at yourself, for yourself.
All in all, I would say it has been a sweet and sour year for everybody.
Inspired from that sweet & sour feeling, is our last post of 2016, CHUNKY LEMONADE Yay!
It is this amazing refreshing drink, it first hits you on the sweet spots of your taste buds, then Bam! hits you with its zingy sourness. It is like eating candy only healthy and doesn’t give you a sugar high 😀
So let’s get started.
TIME TO PREPARE:
10 to 15 mins.
Makes 1 Jug.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fresh berries (strawberries,blueberries,blackberries)
2 big tbsp Honey
2 big yellow Lemons
1/2 tsp Dried Mint
4 cups of Water
Jug
HOW TO PREPARE:
Wash and squeeze out the juice of the lemons. Be careful about the seeds.
Roughly chop/mash the berries with a fork.
In a jug, add in the lemon juice, the mint and the water. Mix well.
Add in the honey and ice cubes. Adjust taste according to preference. Add more water if needed.
Keep chilled in the fridge. Just before serving, throw in the berries.Smoothly mix and serve.
It is a great party pleaser, great for a morning routine drink or just to give you a wake-up buzz during those lethargic afternoons. Take it with you in those pretty to-go bottles with the attached straw.You can discreetly show-off your awesome new drink 😉
Enjoy.
P.S:
HAPPY NEW YEAR. HAPPY 2017 RESIDENTS OF PLANET EARTH.May this year be filled with positive thoughts and awesome experiences 🙂 😀
Share your love ❤ 🙂
TITAN RAGA WATCHES
Here is the link for the TVC AD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS1A5rBAvjg&index=1&list=LLJttaLl7mptifAMDY6fmgGA
Hey everyone. Top of the afternoon to you!
It has been some time since I shared my favorite Ads with you guys on this blog. I was searching for an AD truly beautiful and strong in its message. Then I had my big ‘AHA’ moment 🙂
So our AD post of the week is about TITAN RAGA WATCHES. This is a Television (TVC)advertisement that was aired last year but on Indian Hindi channels.It aired during prime time shows on popular Indian TV channels. It featured the then brand ambassador for the brand, Katrina Kaif, Bollywood film heroine/actress, apparently it is another Bollywood actress now as the brand ambassador.
There have been many Ads before this by Titan Raga, though this one really caught my eyes and ears. This particular Raga brand is called the Garden of Eden Collection.
The story line of the TVC goes like this, Katrina Kaif is getting ready for a special event. There is a lot of hustle and bustle going on around her, as her friends and family(could be sisters) are around her, helping her get ready. Everyone looks beautiful in their Indian traditional clothes. Guests/relatives are coming around Katrina to talk to her, greet/congratulate her as it is her engagement party or wedding reception.
In the midst of all of this, she thinks to her self (but is indirectly talking to the target audience) the reasons why a person shouldn’t get married. I wouldn’t just limit these reasons to only being typically Indian, I think they apply to every single woman on planet earth.
The reasons to not get married she says are: just because your friends are getting married, or because you are tired of aunties’ questions(relatives/XYZ people questioning you or putting pressure on you to get married), or because you feel alone on Valentines Day, because your younger sister is also waiting in line to get married, or you would just get some company when you are old, or just because when will it be a good time to be a mother then , or because your ex-boyfriend is getting married.
The climax of the TVC is when she says,’When is the right time to get married? When you find someone who deserves your time. Titan Raga, a new relationship with yourself.’ In this scene, she applies the traditional bridal bindi on her forehead with a certain surety and confidence, suggesting she is empowered and happy in her choice.
This according to me is a beautiful, awe-inspiring, truly empowering ending to a really meaningful AD. To me this is beautiful story-telling. All your doubts, fears, anxieties answered and leaving you with a confident smile on your face and a brand new thinking of SELF-LOVE.
Love and respect yourself and your time by not Settling for Less than what you Deserve. For every woman out there seeking love and companionship, this AD is for you. Let go of whoever does not deserve a single minute of your precious time.
Titan Raga, an established brand of watches across India, conveys their beautiful messages I.e-‘Beauty is precious so is time‘, ‘you are one of a kind‘, ‘Build a long-term relationship with yourself first‘, ‘one size does not fit all‘, through their product as well. The watch at the end of the AD is very unique, beautiful and elegant in its design. Butterflies,flowers with precious stones.
If you think about it, butterflies are generally associated with strength, change, hope and beauty. So you are looking at single, strong, independent educated women wearing Titan Raga to regain back their confidence in their choices in life and love. As a member of the target audience, this AD makes me believe in myself and my choices again. So when I would like to buy something for myself, that would make me happy, I would love to buy a Titan Raga as it makes me feel empowered and beautiful (Call to action).
So these are my thoughts, I wish more products and services have thought-provoking messages in their marketing material that really connects with the target audience and makes us brand loyal to them, rather than limit it to occasional buys only.
Do share your thoughts about such kinds of Advertisements or you have something different, I would love to know. Share your creativity.
Share your ideas.
🙂
SWEET POTATO BOWLS
HELLO LOVELY PEOPLE!!
How art thou? Yes, I know I was missing for a few days. To be honest I was dying to come back. I am actually a mess right now, that is why I needed some time off to focus on dealing with stuff that I was procrastinating to do and just forcing myself to do it and get on with it.
I have a lot of major changes happening in my life, such as trying to remove toxic relationships out of my life(to do so is incredibly difficult and painful), extremely uncertain career changes, trying to control my ever so talkative, confused and fearful mind. Yeah, lots of fun 😀 -_- (*slowly starts to run away)
Considering I love sharing my ideas and recipes with you guys, I am back again. It is kinda soothing to do this with you lovely people. It is easy, certain and fun 🙂
So here we are for the new post of the week i.e my SWEET POTATO BOWLS. I think these are perfect as a side dish or even for mains if you have a light appetite, served along with a bowl of yogurt or organic coleslaw.
These are immensely flavourful, delicious and nutritious. I have to admit they do take some time to prepare, but a little bit of effort in advance will help you satisfy those hanger pangs later (See how I say, Hanger, I know That feeling). So here we go.
TIME: 1 hr
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 Sweet Potato- washed
7 Paneer/Cottage Cheese cubes-crumbled (keep the extra crumbled paneer for garnish)
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1 small Tomato
2 cloves of Garlic
a small piece of Ginger
2 Green chili’s
a pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 Coriander/Dhania powder
Salt (optional)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
a pinch of Dry Mango powder/Amchur powder-for garnish
Lemon juice-for drizzle on top
HOW TO PREPARE:
Step 1–
Cut the sweet potato in half and cut a little piece of the ends/points of the potato, to make it bowl-shaped.See photo for reference. You dont want it to be a wobbly bowl, it should stand tall.
Cook the sweet potato on a pan, till it is cooked and soft. I check it with a knife, if it comes out smooth, its good to go. Remove it from the pan and let it cool.
With a small spoon or if you prefer a knife, scoop out excess sweet potato. A nice thick layer of the sweet potato pulp should be good. See photo for reference.
Step 2–
In a food processor add in tomato, chili, garlic and ginger.Process all the ingredients for 2-4 mins. till the pieces are small enough but not completely minced.
In a separate pan add in the olive oil, add hing and the tomato mixture and cook on medium heat for 5 mins. till they cook. Add in the crumbled paneer.
Add in the coriander, garam masala powder.Add 1/2 dried parsley. Add salt. Mix well on slow heat. Remove from the pan.
Step 3–
Add the paneer mixture to the sweet potato bowls. Press the stuffing at the back of the spoon, to fill as much as possible. Bake in oven for 5 mins on 180 degrees. Remove from the oven, let it cool.
Sprinkle crumbled paneer, dried parsley , dry mango powder and lemon juice. Serve with a bowl of fruit yogurt. Enjoy.
Share with family and friends for lunches/brunches/light dinners/breakfasts too! They can be great tiffin treats for you and your little ones.
Share your love.
🙂 ❤
MONKEY BREAKFAST
Hola lovely folks! Como Estas?
(yes i know, that’s as far as I could go with speaking a different language 
)
no worries practice makes a woman perfect 😉 )Hope you are 1 step further into good health and nutrition.If not, well you can start today!
As I am sure all of you know,it is vital to have a good breakfast to start your day, its mentioned ample number of times in all kinds of media. However, in my personal experience, I used to end up skipping it or eat food that has no nutrition whatsoever, making me feel hungry again and again.
At the end of the day, I used to feel guilty because I had promised myself to try those delicious looking breakfast recipes I had saved on my desktop, only to feel lazy or just out of time to prepare something fancy in the morning.
So one day I just forced myself to wake up a few minutes earlier, went to the kitchen and found whatever I could put my hands on and came up with our recipe of the day, which is *drum roll, the MONKEY BREAKFAST (maybe add an echo too!)
It’s nutritious as it’s filled with nuts, seeds, fruits, healthy carbs and lots of fibre. It’s insanely filling so you won’t feel hungry for junk. Most Importantly it’s EASY TO PREPARE, one quick bowl of this and you are good to go. It’s incredibly delicious, which puts you in a good mood to start your day with.
As it’s a hearty and satiating breakfast, you have the energy needed to jump around your busy schedule, just like a monkey (not suggesting you will turn into one 😀 ). So here we go.
TIME:5-10 min.
Serves 1 (Double quantity to share for whole family)
INGREDIENTS:
1 Banana-chopped into coins(see image for reference)
5 Pecans
Big Handful of Medium Black Raisins-(doesn’t necessarily have to be black, choose what is easily available to you)
2 Big Tbsp of Dorset Cereals in Fruit, Nut & Fibre Muesli- (I like Dorset, you can chose the muesli that is easily available to you, as long as it has seeds and nuts)
1 Cup Low-Fat Milk-chilled (It’s hot in Dubai that’s why I prefer chilled, you can opt for warm milk)
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
Cinnamon-a big pinch
HOW TO PREPARE:
In a bowl, add in all the ingredients, one by one except milk.
Add in the milk and mix. If you feel you need more milk to get a better consistency do so, but not too much, you should get a nice bite of everything when you eat.
Serve and Enjoy with family.
Share your love.
🙂
P.S-Credit for second image and emoji: Google Images and http://www.dorsetcereals.com/recipes/fruit-nut-fiber-muesli/
BERRY BANANA BREAKFAST(3B)
Hola everybody!
How is everyone? I have missed sharing my posts with you guys. Yes, I know you must be wondering why was I MIA for all this time. The reason is, I was in India for the past 2 weeks.I had gone to this nature care institute, where they use natural treatments to detoxify your body as well as cure certain ailments.
A lot of people would probably shy away from it, but I’d like to admit that I have chronic lower back pain.I have taken a lot of medicines/western ointments to cure it, but its just a temporary fix.It was good to know that there are natural methods to gradually make your back strong, yoga being one of them.
It was a great break from online and offline stress and just to rejuvenate and come back much stronger and healthier.It was a great trip, I am blessed to have gone to it.
The most essential thing I bring back from that trip is that, the natural organic food that mother nature has to offer us, really does cure most of your problems. This inspired me for our Berry Banana Breakfast, the first ever 3B dish, you get it ? not 3D (3B) :D. Wholesome, nutritious, organic and insanely delicious! Yum Yum 🙂
TIME: 8 mins
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 Fresh Coconut Water
1 Ripe Banana-chopped
3 big Strawberries-chopped
1/2 cup Oats
5 Walnuts
A big pinch of Cinnamon
A handful of Blueberries
5 Pecans
5 Macadamia Nuts
HOW TO PREPARE:
Take a bowl. Add in the coconut water, it could be chilled or at room temperature.
Add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and serve. Enjoy.
Share your love.
🙂
WHITE GARBANZO SALAD(Lunch/Dinner)
Everybody! How art thou?
Hope everyone is doing amazing in their lives.I am just boiling away in the heat right now :P. As it is really hot in Dubai,standing in the hot kitchen,deciding what to eat is the last thing I want to do or if I could just sit in the freezer with decadent chocolate ice cream keeping me company. This dilemma has led me to make the food post of the week, White Garbanzo Salad.
Nutritious, light on the body and ridiculously easy to prepare, I mean I am talking about wash wash, toss toss and eat eat!That simple, here we go.
Serves 2
TIME TO PREPARE:10-15 mins.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups White Garbanzo Beans-boiled
(Tip: Pre-boil beans (any kind) and keep them in the fridge, they always come in handy, when you can’t decide what to eat)
1 cup Spring Onions-greens and whites washed and chopped
1 cup Black Olives-sliced
1 Cucumber-chopped
4 Lettuce leaves-roughly chopped
1 big tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 cup Lime Juice
Salt (optional)
HOW TO PREPARE:
Take a big bowl. Add in all the ingredients.
Mix well and Serve.
Great for summer lunches/dinners. Packet it for work/picnics/at home cozy dinners.Share it with your friends and family.
Share your love.
🙂
thehystericaltaurean 