Sreelus Tasty Travels

Curried Quinoa & Vegetables Soup & Mothers Day Wishes In Advance !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:48:32 PDT

Curried Quinoa & Vegetables Soup -- Mothers Day Wishes In Advance !!!

I know Mothers day is still few days ahead still wanted to wish all the fabulous mothers, grandmothers, aunts ,sisters ,sister-in-laws and my best friends and my blog readers a very happy mothers day in advance. Being a mother or mother figure is a serious job and a job where learning happens everyday and on the job and the one that does not come with rules or instructions. Being a mom to me means to follow your heart with best intentions and hope at the everything works out at the end.

The impact mom has on a girl’s life is immense, at some point in our lives I think we turn into our moms like it or not :).

I was raised by a very level headed, smart and a balanced mom who taught me always to hold my head high and be proud of what I do no matter how big or small of a task it is and always to respect traditions and emphasized how important it to maintain a good relation say with in-laws or my very big large extended family. And I cannot tell how proud I am of my mom , also fortunate that I share a loving relationship with my mother-in-law who never shy's always from paying a compliment or to tell me to take a time out of my hectic pace to do something that I am passionate about.

Feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such role models who include my grandmothers, aunts, mom, mil,sil and not to mention my rock star girl friends wear different hats of working/stay-at-home moms, raising kids, running a household and doing million other things but yet know when to take a pause and enjoy life.

Coming to today's recipe last week met a friend for lunch at a restaurant in Palo Alto called Sprouts, loved the choice of salads and sandwiches that were offered everything organic and made fresh to order. Saw Curried lentil soup with Quinoa on the menu and I knew I had to try it. Ordered it and was not disappointed, tried recreating the same with the fresh farmers market produce this weekend.Loved the taste and relished it to hearts content.

Ingredients makes for about 4-6 cups
Use this is a rough guide feel free to substitute ,add or change up ingredients to your choice

Fresh Ingredients

1 cup boiled quinoa
1/2 cup fava beans
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup carrot
1/2 cup parsley
1 garlic clove chopped finely

Seasoning

salt according to taste
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp of oil
corriander for garnish
3-4 cups vegetable stock(optional)

Dry Ingredients

1 tbsp of cumin/corriander powder
1 tbsp of garam Masala
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder/paprika
1/2 tspn turmeric

Fresh Vegetables

Dry Ingredients

Process
1. Heat a pan large enough to make about 6 cups of soup.
2. When hot add oil, garlic and saute for few seconds till garlic is well cooked.
3. Now add all the dry ingredients and saute for 10-20 seconds, this should give out a strong curry aroma :)
4. Now add all the vegetable and mix till they are well coated with masala
5. Add 3-4 cups of vegetable stock or water and add salt. Adjust the amount of water to suit the consisteny of the soup you like
6. Allow it to boil on simmer with closed lid for about 10 minutes.
7. Now add boiled quinoa and allow it to simmer for about another 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove from heat add lemon juice and adjust for salt accordingly.
9. Garnish with cilantro and some crushed tortilla chips and serve hot.

My mom is super fanatic healthy eater and this soup would have been up her alley if she tried it.

Pic courtesy

So all you moms keep doing what you do the best and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY again !!!

Oh It's Summer Already !!

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:25:56 PDT

Oh It's Summer Already !!

This has definitely has been my longest absence on my blog, I have been giving the "step child" treatment to my blog past few months. Things have been so busy both at home and work that it seems impossible to squeeze is some moments for my beloved. And to add to the mix had a fabulous ten day vacation to Spain and Portugal which pretty much took all the pre and post vacation time. All the stories about this trip are in drafts and will post them in the next few weeks.

Hope I was missed :), my reader is ripping at its brim with all the unread posts from my fabulous blog dost's, hopefully next few weeks will give me a chance to catch up.

Few more weeks and kids will be off for summer, this year sure seems to have passed by quick. Can't believe that my elder one will be starting middle school, he was a baby few years ago and suddenly he is a big boy attending middle school, life sure comes fast. Looking forward to some downtime with the arrival of summer.

Talking of summer weather here in the bay area has been bizarre, its summer one day and its rain the next. We definitely missed spring , summer paid a visit earlier than expected. All the cherry blossoms have fallen off and garden sure is blooming with color.

Went to farmer's market what seems like after ages, fresh produce was abundant though no sign of stone fruit yet. Picked up some vine ripe tomatoe and they tasted as thought they were injected with sugar, sweet and succulent. Decided to make pepper tomato Rasam for lunch which was relished by everyone at home.

You can find my previously blogged recipe for Pepper Tomato Rasam here.

Have a good week ahead everyone !!

All about Balance -Kale & Red Masoor Dal Sabji - Kale & Lentils Curry -Iron & Protein Filled

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:04:27 PDT

Kale & Red Masoor Dal Sabji - Kale Lentils Curry - Iron Protein Filled

It's been a long time since I have posted, last few weeks at work have been extremely busy, had a chance to present my project to my company CEO and executives so that took pretty much every free minute I had. That said I was very excited about the opportunity and here I was in the board room ready to present , I turn around and my heart skips a beat. I realize that I am the only women in the room full of exec's. It then hits you about the gender imbalance at the executive and board level. Even more surprising is that gender disparity is higher in the Silicon Valley where we pride ourselves as pathfinders, liberals and progressive.Well to me this is a representation of my previous generation. My generation sure has a fighting chance but I am hoping the generation that enters work force are far more aggressive and speak their mind and hopefully ask for what is rightfully theirs. A large part also lies in the raising girls confident right from the start , to speak their mind and not be intimidated at their choices and hopefully with time corporations mature and provide a work life balance and women don't have to make hard choices.

Talking about balance last November and December saw myself completely out of balance in terms of eating. All the parties, festivities and a trip to India was very evident on the scale. That said I had to go through a detox routine to get rid of all that extra weight and since the start of the year have been on a balanced regiment of diet and exercise. Have been incorporating lot more fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and lots of grains. So Kale is my newest edition of fresh greens, loved the flavor and when flavored with spices gets even better.

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1 cup red masoor dal
tbsp of ginger garlic paste
handful of chery tomatoes
8-10 curry leaves
tbsp of garam masala
1/2 tbsp of jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp of mustard seeds
tbsp of olive oil
and salt according to taste

Process
1. Wash masoor dal with water and microwave in MV safe bowl for about 5 minutes. At the end of the five minutes Masoor dal should be soft to touch and should not loose it's shape.
2. Wash and chop kale finely. Pressure cook until about 2 whistles and allow to cool and drain the water out and keep aside.
3.Heat a pan add oil and when it gets hot add mustard,cumin ,ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and tomatoes and saute for about a minute or two.
4. Add microwaved Masoor dal and mix well.
5. Now add boiled Kale leaves and mix till dal and seasoning are well mixed. Add salt accordingly.

Remove from heat and serve. Goes extremely well with Rice or roti's.

Want to sign off with Sheryl Sandberg's commencement speech at the Barnard, feel fortunate to be a part of the same generation as her and there sure is hope for Balance.

Pesara Attu - A Savory Green Gram/Moong Crepe

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:35:09 PST

Pesara Attu - A Savory Green Gram Crape

Can't believe we are nearing end of February find it hard to believe two months have passed by so quick , its a good thing in many ways. Being occupied is a very healthy thing. I am of sort who gets really agitated if I am not challenged, I love challenges and would butt them head on and the kind who works well under pressure :) so far the year has been nothing but exciting challenges both at home and work.

Few weeks ago had few friends over for brunch decided to make Pesara attu and Upma, anyone from Andhra Pradesh can vouch what a breakfast darling this savory crape is. It's funny how much I crave for it as I type and then there were childhood days where I would run miles away from it and dreaded Sunday mornings just for this same reason.

Being a vegetarian its always challenging to find dishes low on carbs and high on protein,Pesalu or Green gram fills this void and is an excellent source of protein and iron.

This savory crepe is very easy to make and tastes heavenly and is always served with piping hot Upma and spicy ginger chutney. So here goes the recipe

Ingredients makes for about 8-10

For batter

2 cups whole green gram soaked over night preferably.
2-3 green chillies
about an inch of Ginger
tbsp of cumin seeds
cup of coriander (optional)
2 tbsp of rice flour
salt according to taste

For toppings
1 red onion finely chopped
2-3 tbsp of cumin seeds
green chillies chopped finely (optional)
3-4 tbsp of oil

Process
1. Soak green gram for about 4 hours overnight works even better.
2. Add all the ingredients for the batter and grind it into a fine paste. My handy Vitamix is sure a life saver.
3. Now heat a non-stick griddle, crepe pan or I used my prized cast iron tawa/griddle.
4. Pour a ladle full of batter on the pan and spread thin and evenly into a round shape, don't worry about the shape it gets better with experience .

5. Now sprinkle red onions a pinch of cumin seeds and optionally if you wish finely chopped green chillies and pat them into the wet batter gently.
6. Now wet the surface around the crepe with about a tspn of oil, this allows for the edges not to stick and gives a crispy texture to the edges.
7. Allow to cook for two minutes and turn in around and allow to cook for a minute or two.

Remove from heat and serve with hot pipping Upma and spicy ginger chutney or peanut chutney, and I promise your guest will ask for more.

When Life Gives You Lemons & Oranges - You Make Marmalade - The Easy Way

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:18:53 PST

When Life Gives You Lemons & Oranges - You Make Marmalade The Easy Way !!

I cannot complain about California living, the weather , the diversity, the technology , the bounty and oh ya the weather :). As much as I crib about congested highways, commute time and high cost of living I cannot imagine living elsewhere.

I have a usual suburban backyard , planted Lemon and Orange trees a decade ago, it took good five plus years to see any sign of fruit and then just like that in the last few years trees have bourn more fruit than it can carry. As the years passed by and tree matured Oranges has been the sweetest that you can get.It's been years since I have brought Lemons or Oranges in the store.

With all the fruit decided to try making marmalade, I am usually very intimidated making jams, jellys or preserves. I have a feeling I cannot get the recipe right. With that in mind decided to make a small batch and try it out.

Googled for a recipe that would work for a small batch and found one here however modified it to suit my taste.

Ingredients
2 Navel Oranges
2 Cups fresh Orange juice - For today's recipe I used store brought Orange juice with pulp.
2/3rd lemon juice
4 cups sugar
6 cups water

Process
1.Quater oranges and slice them as thin as possible a good sharp knife would be very very handy.
2. Over a medium heat in a non-stick pot add cut oranges, orange juice,lemon juice and six cups of water and allow to boil for about 1 1/2 hour till oranges turn translucent.
3. Now add 2 cups of sugar and allow the marmalade to come to boil to 220.
4. Remove from heat and allow the marmalade to cool overnight.

Next day morning you will have a perfectly textured marmalade for your toast's ,waffles, muffins etc..
I did not use any pectin yet the texture and taste were out of the world .

Had few friends taste test marmalade and got a thumps up from all of them glad to have found a winning recipe. Since I used store brought Orange juice marmalade tasted just like store brought no difference at all.

Dum Aloo - Baby Potatoes Simmered In Rich Creamy Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:39:27 PST

Dum Aloo - Baby Potatoes Simmered In Rich Creamy Gravy

It's been a busy busy year so far on all fronts ,time to blog sure seems like a luxury. Today was the kind of day where head and heart were not in sync and I needed to be just by myself ,sometime a little ME time in the middle of week is all that is required to keep my sanity.

Today's recipe was in draft since summer, made this during my uncle and aunts visit.

This recipe sure takes time to prepare but the end result is so well worth all the effort.

Ingredients

About a 1lb of Small Potaotes, I used store brought frozen baby potatoes

Ingredients for Gravy

1/2 cup of cashews

1/2 cup almonds

1/3 cup golden raisins

pinch of methi/fenugreek seeds

tbsp of kasoori methi

about 1inch of cinammon bark

tbsp of peppercorns

1/2 tbsp of fennel seeds
3-4 cloves

2-3 cardamon pods

1/2 cup corriander chopped.

2 large sweet onion chopped finely

1 bell pepper/capsicum chopped finely

1 medium sized tomato chopped

about 2 cups of milk I used 2%

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp chat masala

Salt according to taste

2 tbsp of oil

Ingredients for the gravy

Process

1, Heat a pan add two tbsp of oil, when oil gets warm add ginger garlic paste and saute for about 20 secs.

2. Now add all the ingredients from the above picture.

3. Saute for about 30-40 sec , this will emit a strong fragrance.

4.Now add onions and saute for about a minute till they turn translucent.

5. Add bell pepper,tomato and salt and saute for about a minute or two.

6. Now transfer the above into a blender and add two cups of milk, I use my very faithful Vitamix, cannot tell you how much I love Vitamix. Add salt ,garam masala and chat masala and blend till it turns into a fine paste.

7. Now in the same pan that you sauted add tbsp of butter and transfer the mixture and allow it to come to a boil.

8. Set the gravy to thicken on medium heat.

9. Now deep fry the pototoes in oil in a seperate pan. Before frying prick potatoes with fork, this allows for gravy to be soaked well.

10, Remove the fried potates from heat and drop them into the gravy.

11. Allow the potatoes to be cooked in the gravy with closed lid for about 6-7 minutes on medium heat.

You can replace potatoes with Paneer and this turns into shahi paneer.

Remove from heat and garnish with corriander and optionally with cream and serve hot with naan's, roti's, Parata's or Poori's.

Remember we have few more days to donate for Vadehi Ashram so please head over and donate as much as you can.

Source

I love going to bed thinking postive gives me energy for next day , saw this and had a contended smile on my face as I call it a day.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers - Oh So Good !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:12:45 PST

Stuffed Peppers - Oh So Good !!!

This post was in drafts since Thanksgiving, made it for Thanksgiving potluck . A perfect dish to feed crowd, can be prepped ahead, customized according to taste and a sure crowd pleaser. This could be a perfect recipe for your upcoming Super Bowl party.

I used Poblano peppers, which are very mild in taste and are quite meaty and easy to stuff.

Ingredients - Makes for about 12 servings

Half loaf of bread of your choice, I used sourdough bread which was about 2-3 days old.
1/2 a cup of Parsley,Cilantro
1/4 cup of Basil
tbsp of red pepper flakes (adjust accordingly)
1 cup of shredded three cheese mix (Mozzarella,Parmesan,Monterey Jack) you could use Feta or cheese of your choice
2 tbsp of Capers - I love CAPERS
Salt according to taste
1 cup of crushed dorrito's/chips for garnish as topping.
6 Poblano pepper slit in half and deseeded.
1 cup of store brought Marinara sauce.
Process
1. Grind all the ingredients mentioned above except for Peppers and Marinara sauce.
2. Keep the mixture aside.

3. Slit Poblano peppers in half length wise,deseed and clean the pepper and rub salt and allow them to stand for few minutes.

4. Now stuff the filling into the peppers

5. Repeat and fill the rest of the peppers with the filling.

6.Pre heat oven to 375 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil and place all the peppers into it.

7. Top the peppers with a tbsp or two of Marinara sauce.
8. Cover the baking sheet with foil.
9. Allow the peppers to bake in the over for about 45 minutes, adjust according to your oven setting, when you pass a knife through the pepper it should cut smoothly without resistance and that says done.

10.10. You can prep till here and freeze and then place into the oven when your guests arrive,makes for one less dish to prep on the big day.

11. Remove from heat sprinkle with crushed Tostito's /Dorrito's or chips and serve with a cold beverage.
Rest assured your guest s will love it !!

Gentle reminder about Giveaway and fundraiser for Vaidehi Ashram for destitute girls, there is still plenty of time to donate and for your chance to win a Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press - Code RU12 - Remember every small amount counts !!

Giveaway & Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls, Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:34:17 PST

The first beneficiary of compassion is always oneself. When compassion, or warmheartedness, arises in us and our focus shifts away from our own narrow self-interest, it is as if we open an inner door. It reduces fear, boosts confidence and brings us inner strength. By reducing distrust, it opens us to others
and brings us a sense of connection to others, and sense of purpose and meaning in life.

- His Holiness Dalai Lama

After reading Siri post about her visit to Vaidehi Ashram few days ago, my eyes swell. As a girl myself it's hard to picture what these little girls go through.As a regular volunteer for San Jose shelter I know what it means to have a hot breakfast a bed to sleep every day. Every time I visit the Shelter I feel myself grounded in more ways than I can imagine, makes me aware of the blessings I have and to draw a definite line between Want vs. Need. So when Siri announced a fund raising event for Ashram I was MORE than happy to participate/contribute. I am hoping my readers ,friends and family would join and make this fund drive a HUGE success. Read all about the fund raiser, details about the Ashram and ways in which you can be a part right here.

As a mother of two young boys my heart skips a beat when they go out of sight in a mall for few split seconds, or when they sleep hungry or every time they fall and bruise themselves. It’s hard to imagine the atrocities and pain these young girls have endured, brought into existence for no fault of theirs and left on streets to beg, turning them into prostitutes agony these girls must have gone through is unthinkable some as young as two.

As fellow human beings I think we share a collective responsibility in reaching out and helping whenever we can so, please I humbly urge you to open your hearts and your WALLETS and help in ways you can, small drops of rain makes an ocean so every small amount that is donated will surely be put to good use and much appreciated.

Supporting this fund raising effort I am donating a Panini Grill which is up for grabs .There are many ways in which you can be a part of this effort and help.

Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press

So how can YOU contribute and win this Panini Press and 40+ other exciting prizes

1. Buy a Raffle Ticket (or 2 or more).

Each raffle ticket is worth $10 (or Rs.500). You can increase your chances of winning the giveaway by buying more than 1 raffle ticket.

For Example, a donation of $20 will fetch you 2 raffle tickets which can be used to choose on any of the raffle prizes. You can use all your raffle tickets on one prize (in turn increasing the chances in the lucky draw) or on different prizes. [Other prizes details in point 3]

2. How to Buy the Raffle Ticket

Use the widget below for making your payment. Once you click it, you will be able to make a payment via Paypal or credit.

Once the donation process is completed, please forward your payment confirmation message to info(dot)siri(at)gmail.com, clearly specifying [RU12 - Panini Press ]

] as the raffle prize you are interested in.

Within 24 hours, your name and contributed amount will be added to the ‘Fund Drive Supporters List’ at the very end of this post. If you want to stay anonymous, please let Siri know in advance. For any correspondence/questions/queries, use the comment section or the email address mentioned.

The fund drive ends on Feb 25th, 2012.

3. Other Raffle Prizes Offered

Quite a lot of beautiful souls have come forward to offer their support to this endeavor by sponsoring other prizes. You can use the same method (as in Step 2) to try your luck with other prizes too. Please refer Siri’s post which has all the details for other Raffle prizes offered..

http://www.cookingwithsiri.com/2012/01/fund-drive-for-vaidehi-ashram-of.html

Spread The Word

Share about this Fund Drive wherever possible - On your blogs, Facebook, Twitter (with hashtag#vaidehiashram) etc. Let your friends and family know about it. Please feel free to use any images and information posted in the Ashram posts below, to make your voice heard. Any help in any form in making this event a success is very much appreciated. :-)

Lets give these girls a hope and show them that world is not all bad but of generous souls that are compassionate enough to care.

Rest assured your funds are going to put to good use. Would end this post with a quote from Bhagwat Geeta which sums up this effort so well.

“Rasksho Raskshati Raskshita” ~ care and you shall be cared for.

Hot & Sour Chinese Noodle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:52:53 PST

Hot & Sour Chinese Noodle Soup

This post comes after a long hiatus , it just felt hard to resume blogging after holidays. I am glad I found the energy to get started today. Had a beautiful vacation to India came back and celebrated the new years with friends, all in all the last one month has been party every day kind. When in India met up with all extended family, grandparents, uncles ,aunts , cousins and best part had a reunion with friends whom I have met almost after a decade, yet meeting them after so long did not change anything seemed like we picked up right where we left.

Back to the grind in US have been busy with kids & work, sometimes it feels like I need a mini vacation to get over the tiredness of vacation.

Last few days Bayarea has had freeze warning, near freezing temperatures make it hard to go into the kitchen, cooking sure seems like a major chore, yet here I am blogging Sweet & Sour soup I made yesterday, was a hit with kids and they slurped down the soup with no complaints.

Soup inspiration comes from my previously blogged recipe

Click here for recipe however few modification this time to make it a complete meal are added half a packet of Maggie noodles while boiling the soup and shredded cabbage finely and pan roasted till it turned crispy, makes for an excellent topping.

This spicy soup will definitely keep you warm and full this cold season. On an other note I am yet to post the round of Healing foods event, will try and post and announce winner hopefully by the end of the week.

Sankrathi/Pongal Subakanshalu

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:17:33 PST

సంక్రాతి శుభాకాంక్షలు

Wishing all my readers a very happy Sankranti, may the year be as sweet and delicious as these Jamoons.

Sankrathi holds a very special place for me, the festivities, grand parents,cousins,shopping, food and not to mention card sessions everything around it was so special and fun growing up. Grew up experiencing the true way as done in villages. Wish I could turn time and relive those moments all over again this time with my kids.

For now I will relish those sweet memories and look forward to spending the weekend with family & friends.
Wishing all my readers a very happy Pongal/Sankranti

Don't forget to check out few of my previous post of Pongal/Sankranti

Sankarthi in Pictures
Festival Dishes
Kattu Pongal
Vada/Gaarelu

To the New Year ---

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:57:18 PST

As we wrap up 2011, I can't but feel contented , it's been a year filled with laughter, fun and frolic, a year of warm memories with family and friends, a year of learning. Here's hoping 2012 would bring in love, laughter and peace.

Pic courtesy

Wishing all my readers a very very Happy New Year !!!

A trip it has been ...

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:35:35 PST

Good byes are always hard, as I wait to board my flight back home I can't but feel extremely contented and happy, this trip has been a very satisfying one at many levels and I could not have asked for better.

As my trip come to an end , this trip like this year will be a memorable and a dear one.

Wishing everyone a very very happy new year !!

Stay Calm And Travel :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:23:43 PST

via

It's been hectic few weeks at work, actually hectic is an understatement especially last few weeks. Nevertheless much deserved break for few days starts with me traveling on a short trip home tomorrow.

So my blog will be on a short hiatus till I get back which is fairly soon, will try to post the round up and announce winners for the Vegetarian Thanksgiving event as soon as I get a chance thanks again to all the participants and remember we still have few more days for those last minute entries.

Till then stay warm and safe ciao ..

Happy Thanksgiving !!

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:09:29 PST

Image via

Cracked Wheat Upma With Cherry Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:48:05 PST

Cracked Wheat Upma With Cherry Tomatoes

Finally it's here the week I wait for the whole year, looking forward to the short week and much needed break, last few days at work have been quite stressful not to mention very busy. Looking forward to winding down this week. Had a fabulous dinner with neighbors this saturday chatted till the wee hours of Sunday and Sunday was perfectly relaxed one spending time with a very dear friend had lovely tea and yummiest snacks one can ask for. Some friends are such though you don't catch up on a regular basis but when you do you feel the connection and the warmth instantly.

Today's recipe comes from my doctors inspiration/suggestion. We here have a provision to go for a yearly check up via my insurance yet I am always lazy to find time to go get one. Eventually had to force myself to get one after years. So doctor gives the standard advice eat healthy, exercise for 20 min every day, no sweets and fried food and blah blah and blah and she ends with the statement "remember you are not getting any younger " that struck hard and realized that the advice she gave is supposed to taken seriously. That said she gave a comprehensive list of food and portion control to be eaten . One such suggestion was cracked wheat, as a kid I would throw up with the thought of having to eat cracked wheat and that stuck with me for a long long time until I slowly making it a part of my diet.

Ingredients

1 cup cracked wheat
about a cup or two of vegetables ( peas, carrots,beans, corn, cauliflower florets,tomatoes)
1 cup of cherry tomatoes slit length wise
For seasoning
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp jeera
10-15 curry leaves
2-3 green chilies
handful of peanuts/cashews/blanched and sliced almonds
2 tbsp of oil
salt according to taste

Process
1, Heat two tbsp of oil in pan that can be pressure cooked,when oil gets hot add all the seasoning ingredients and saute for 30-45 secs.
2. Add two cups of water and vegetables and allow water to come to full boil, add salt.
3. Add cracked wheat to boiling water, mix well. I usually spray pam this allows upma to be dry rather than sticky goop.
4. Now transfer to the pressure cooker and allow the cracked wheat upma to cook till two whistles.
5. Allow cooker to cool and once cooled mix the upma well and serve piping hot.

Serve with a drizzle of lemon juice. According to my doctor this is an excellent source of protein,iron and fiber and keeps you full for a long time which I have to agree.

Try quinoa version of the same here

So here's to short week and wishing a happy week !!

Split Pea Soup Loaded With Vegetables - Perfect for Brrrrr Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:22:05 PST

Split Pea Soup Loaded With Vegetables - Perfect for Brrrrr Weather

We are almost a week into Thanksgiving, looking back into the year so far some months just seem blur can't remember when they came, what I did and when it was over. This weekend was a very dear neighbor's birthday , she is the kind who has patience of mother earth, I feel blessed to have people like her in my life for the simplicity they bring to life, the groundedness they posses and sheer heart of gold. She is a sister that I never had, after a hectic day when you sit down for just a couple of minutes with her for a cup tea boy that brings back the energy full on. Her son and my elder one were born few months apart and both of them have been classmates, playmates since the time they started school and given the fact that we share a fence both of them hang out at each others home come weekend gives us a chance to catch up too. So here is wishing her a very very happy birthday once again.

We have a farmers market every sunday , once thing I realize is if I go to the market I feel enthusiastic to experiment with cooking be it the same old vegetables, the fact that you get to pick fresh produce of the vines, buy in rustic kind of atmosphere and fact that you get many heirloom/home grown varieties that I am sure will fail the look department in the concrete stores makes it inspiring. This week was no different kids and I enjoy this routine of ours every sunday. This week market was full with fall/winter vegetables fresh greens and root vegetables were everywhere.
Picked up a bunch of fresh carrot, can't even tell you how delicious and sweet they were, just wash and eat. The color on these carrots was gorgeous.

With weather this cold decided to make split pea soup with vegetables from farmers market.

Ingredients Serves 5-6 people
1 cup of split peas
1 zuccini peel and cubed
couple of carrot peeled and cubed
2 celery stems chopped fine
1 potato peeled and cubed
1 cup of green onions finely chopped - split peas and green onions are one terrific combination
1/2 cup tomatoes chopped - totally optional I had cherry tomatoes lying around so added them
1 cup parsley finely chopped
for seasoning
tbsp of crushed red pepper
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
salt according to taste.

Process
1. Pressure cook split peas until three whistles, if not using pressure cooker then I would suggest microwave for about 8-10 minutes till peas turn soft. Remove from heat drain the water and keep aside the water to use it later.
2. Now heat a soup pot over medium heat add olive oil and when oil gets hot add crushed red pepper flakes, add celery, half the green onions, half of the parsley, carrots, potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes.
3. Add salt and add water saved from the boiled split peas.
4. Using a hand blender blend peas into a soft paste.
5. Add the peas paste to the vegetables and add water and salt to the desired consistency.
6. Allow to boil on low heat for about 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add the reaming parsley and green onions and serve warm/hot.

Serve with rustic sourdough or some French bread makes for a hearty, soul satisfying ,guilt free and healthy meal.

As mentioned earlier all my posts this month would follow the theme of vegetarian thanksgiving and this soup will add so much more flavor to the table you would share with people that matter.

So send in your stories and recipes ...

Color Burst -Seasonal Bounty Persimmon,Apple, Pomegranate & Cherry Tomato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:39:14 PST

Color Burst -Seasonal Bounty Persimmon,Apple, Pomegranate & Cherry Tomato Salad

This weekend has been the kind I crave absolutely no agenda kind, with bayarea weather skipping a season and jumping right into winter the weather was anything but cold and the kind that makes you hate getting out of the bed. That said we took on the mountainous task of getting our garage organized and anyone who has done this knows what a task it is, we have accumulated so much junk over the years that it's not even funny mentioning about it. Promptly created three sections in the garage Donate, Keep & Toss and all I can say is our house is a truck load lighter literally. A well spent Saturday indeed.

Husband came home friday with a bag full of ripe Persimmons which were given by his colleague.I love Persimmons specifically the Hachiya it reminds me of the fruit thats a cross between Chikoo and Palm fruit or tati munjulu as called in Telugu. However today's variety featured Fuyu make for excellent snacks because of it's crunchy texture.

We have a Pomegranate tree at home and it's at it's peak fruiting season, not bragging but the fruit it just amazingly sweet and has big seeds, so pluck few and made a salad with all the fruits.

Made simple salad dressing and tossed in the fresh fruit and it was delicious.

For salad dressing for 1 serving( enough to coat 1 Persimmon , 1 Apple about 1/2 cup of Pomegranate seeds and about cup of cherry tomatoes)

3tsps of olive oil
1 tspn on honey mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 sweet red chili pepper cut into the finest pieces you can
1 tbsp of freshly ground pepper
and salt according to taste

Process
1. Mix all the salad dressing ingredients and whisk till all of them are well mixed
2. Peel the skin of Persimmon and cut into cubes of about an inch.
3. Add cubed Apples ,slit cherry tomatoes in half and Pomegranate seeds and toss in the salad dressing and mix till well coated.
4. Serve at room temperature.

Makes for one delicious and healthy salad, as we approach thanksgiving this could make an excellent replacement for usual potato salad.

As a host of Healing food series- Vegetarian Thanksgiving series next few posts will be in accordance to the theme. Have you sent your entries yet ?

Meet Your Hostess for Healing Foods Series - Vegetarian Thanksgiving !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:21:23 PST

I am officially the host of healing food events this month, I am very excited as this is my first ever event hosted on my blog. Siri asked me to choose a them for the event and what else could be appropriate given the time of the year than “Vegetarian Thanks giving”. After living in US for more than a decade you learn to imbibe the culture and customs , I have always loved Thanksgiving whatever the origin are, it’s the time to remember the blessings and bounty you enjoy and take a moment to thank people that make it a blessing be known.

As we get closer to thanksgiving I would like to invite you to share your thanksgiving vegetarian recipes, traditions and stories and any dishes that make a part of your celebration, any dish that evoke found memories of family and togetherness , any dish that you would want to sit down with friends and share. So bring on your traditions,your stories and yes recipes too .

Here are some basic rules of participation for the event

1. Create a vegetarian dish, based on this month theme which is vegetarian thanks giving and post the same in your blog. Non-Bloggers can send their recipes with the details mentioned to sreelustastytravels@gmail.com.

2. Please link this announcement and my announcement page in your posts. Usage of the logo is optional.

3. Multiple entries are more than welcome - more the merrier!

4. Send your details - Name, Recipe URL and Photo (any size, optional) to before end date of the month, midnight, well since I am late I can take in entries till the 10th of Dec to sreelustastytravels@gmail.com, I will respond to your entry via email/comments and acknowledge. If you don’t hear from me within three days, feel free to ping me again.

4. You can send previously blogged entries, provided they are re-posted!

Gorgeous Siri has announced special giveaways - beautiful books by Jigyasa & Pratibha of Pritya Books and two lucky winners (randomly selected by the me) will win the following award-winning books as give-aways.

Click on the link for more info on Healing foods event.

Cooking At Home With Pedatha - Andhra recipes

Awarded Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World 2006, this book features traditional recipes by documenting the culinary legacy of an illustrious Indian grandmother.

Winner of Best Health & Nutrition Book in the World 2009 – Second Place, this Indian cookbook is a guide to healthy eating & has been researched at Kerala Ayurveda & Yoga retreat near Pune.

The books will be shipped across the globe. So, no matter where you are, you will get a chance to experience the love of Pedatha's cooking and goodness of Ayurveda Cooking.

Looking forward to your entries ...

Charles Schultz Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:40:00 PDT

Stumbled upon this article , I couldn't resist sharing with my readers ...

Charles Schultz Philosophy click here for source

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz , the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world .
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school...
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

I love this!
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

Share this with those who have made a difference in your life.

I just did !!

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia ..."
Charles Schultz

Diwali Inspiration VI

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:03:34 PDT

Well Diwali is almost here,this will be my final post on Diwali decoration/inspiration. I like to keep things simple and doable, found the below links and I think I know how my house is going to be decked this Diwali :)

Via

via

candle in a flower in a wine glass super cool and easy

via

Now for the lucky folks in India where fresh flowers are abundant sky sure is the limit. If ever I get to celebrate Diwali in India I would probably spend a fortune decking the halls with garlands below. Nothing beats the smell of fresh roses ,marigolds and Jasmines.

via

Check out all my previous posts on Diwali here

Diwali Inspiration -V - Food Glorious Food- Dessert Special

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:51:55 PDT

As promised this post will get all your taste buds tickled, all the recipes below are from food blogger I follow and admire, the passion, creativity and enthusiasm they encompass is amazing, I am so glad to have met some of them in person and other virtually, wishing all my dear food bloggers an advance Diwali Greetings !!

Cannot even mention the number of recipes I have bookmarked to try from the bloggers below, what better time to share with my readers than now, hope you get to try some of my picks below for your Diwali party click on the title/link for the recipe

Coconut Burfi

Mouth watering Mysore Pak with step by step instructions

Rava Laddo

Kobbari undalu/Coconut Laddu's

Gajar Halwa

Julab Jamoon

Sooji Halwa

Pineapple Kesari

comprehensive list of Diwali Sweets

Besan Laddo's can't get any sexier than this

Ras Kadam

Phirni

Rose flavored Solidified Milk and Rice Pudding

Bakeless Mango Cheese cake

Crunchy Rice balls

Cassata Icecream Yummmmmm

Mango frozen yogurt guilt free

Saffron Pistachio Kulfi

Kesar Pista Kulfi

Tomorrow's post is going to be all about Flowers, it will be a visual treat I promise, so check back ..

Diwali Inspirations day IV

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:24:12 PDT

Today's post gave me a chance to relive last year's Diwali all over again, posting pictures from my last year Diwali decorations.

Floating candle with flowers simple yet makes it very festive

I am very challenged when it comes to actual drawing, so found these moulds in local Indian store, for less than $10 the kit contained lovely moulds and beautiful colors, so it was easy peasy decorate the front of the house added few flowers and it was done.

And what is a festival without sweet, made this instant Pala kova from Sailaja's blog, trust me Indian dessert cannot get any easier than this.

Tomorrow post will be about the delicious /exotic food that have bookmarked to try, can't wait to share ..

Diwali Inspirations day II

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:00:23 PDT

Continuing the theme of Diwali inspiration , after yesterday post today's post has few ideas that I found are easy to make and will make a big statement, so here goes

DIY chandelier. Buy a metal frame and lace twinkle lights around it via

What a stunning center peice this would make, via

Halls decked with string lights, my favorite via

Tea lights and rose petals what a geourgeous table runner via

Simple tea lights decked up with fancy trim, what a beautiful sight via

For your outdoors via

floating candle indoors/outdoors via

Diwali Decoration Inspirations - Day I

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:26:25 PDT

Can't believe we will be celebrating Diwali next week, I still remember last years just like it was yesterday, this year flew by faster than ever. Weeks and months seem to go by in a blur feel that time is passing by at a much faster rate than I would want. Hosted a baby shower for my younger brother over the weekend it was such a fun evening , as I was calling it a night I tried to remember what it was like few years ago to be parents for the first time, how excited and anxious we were, there were moments when I would freeze with fear of raising a little baby and times when heart would swell with the little miracle in my hands, those moments were/are so precious , I wish my little brother and his beautiful wife the very best I am sure they would be one terrific parents and can't wait to hold my little nephew soon.

Diwali comes at the most beautiful season of the year, the weather, the spirit of the festival and decorations and everything around it add so much more fun and color . I truly love Diwali and look forward to it every year it sure does bring out the inner child in me .

Just like last years post, this year decided to share my creations as well share what my Diwali inspirations related to decor,gifts and obviously FOOD are for the next few days.

You can really set the festive mood in the house with simple decorations candles, tea lights, string lights, fresh flowers , rangoli's etc... today's inspiration comes from my love of candles .

I am sure all of us have those shiny duppata's which are hidden behind in the closet, used crushed golden dupatta like a runner added my beautiful candles and diya's ,few flowers petals and bangles and you have a table set for Diwali.

With all the light turned off,it looked so beautiful and I could feel the festival already.

If you have ideas or if you have published similar article and would want to share with my readers please leave me link and I would love to add to the post.

Roasted Sweet Potato Curry Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Sreelu) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:43:44 PDT

Roasted Sweet Potato Curry Soup

It is a chili evening here in the bay area and after a weekend full of gastronomic indulgence sunday evening called for a simple and warm dinner, this weekend has been a fun one, dance the night away to Dandia and Garba with good friends, attended few kids parties and spent a lovely and meaningful evening with some of my very close friends, only with each meeting to realize how truly similar we are in thinking and acting, I seriously consider them as a blessing in my life and these friends make my life so much more richer and fun. Sunday was family day, painted with kids for a while and we sat down for a quite early dinner. Picked up some really good sourdough bread from farmers market today morning and wanted to put it use so what better way then to dip it in the warm comforting roasted curried soup.

Roasted curried soup is very simple few ingredient and delicious the only time it takes is for the sweet potato to be roasted in the oven, once it's roasted rest all is a breeze.Addition of Garam masala add spiciness and flavor to the otherwise bland soup.

Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients

5 medium sized sweet potatoes
2 cups milk
1/4th tbsp of butter
tbsp of crushed garlic
tbsp of Garam masala
salt according to taste
pinch of freshly ground pepper
tbsp of Balsamic vinegar aa topping, I used Blood orange balsamic vinegar from weolive.com

Process
1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slit sweet potates length wise and spray with pam or olive oil.
3. Warp the potatoes in a foil and allow them to roast in the over for about 30 minutes.
4. Once roasted peel the skin off and keep aside
5. Heat butter in a soup pan, when butter melts add garlic and saute till garlic is roasted and then add Garam masala and give it a quick stir.
6. Now add roasted sweet potatoes and mash them using a end of your ladle or a potato masher.
7. Add two cups of milk and mix well, kids like the soup with creamy texture so I used hand blender and blended it smooth .
8 Add salt and pepper according to taste and allow the soup to boil for about 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and serve hot with balsamic dressing on the top with side of good bread in my case sourdough.

It was a beautiful fall evening and with weather like tonight's I could have asked anything else to warm me and as depressing as sunday evening sounds a simple dinner with kids is what gives the ammo for the week to come.
I had visited the Weolive store a while ago and picked up their blood orange flavored balsamic vinegar and trust me it so full of flavor and deliciousness, if you stumble upon the store stop by and check out delicious offerings of Olive oils.