tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52500656399995817572024-09-04T22:58:12.529-07:00This is a blog, written by a woman who grew up in India and moved to the States. But more importantly, it is all about food; mainly recipes. I started this blog because I love food, love trying and experimenting with different foods and recipes, and because I want to share the good stuff! So, I hope you try some of my recipes and more than anything else, I hope you like what you try.Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-83691490936641895692020-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:002020-08-04T19:21:00.933-07:00

It has been a few years and another child since I’ve updated this blog. In this time, our lives have gotten busier. My son has started and finished Montessori and is starting Kindergarten at a public school this fall. My daughter is a week away from being 2 years old and I am one of those people who has settled into a lock-down routine and is thoroughly enjoying my summer evenings. There is no

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-22046532383166304742015-10-19T06:54:00.001-07:002015-10-19T06:54:53.973-07:00

This last week has been pretty hectic. My husband has been working on German time, so he's been up by 3am and on conference calls all morning and afternoon. On the plus side, he's been coming home from work early and we've been getting to bed pretty early. We've also moved up our son's dinner time by an hour to 6-6:30 PM, to help him try to go to bed a little earlier (which hasn't really worked

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-84718402152556820792015-10-19T06:48:00.002-07:002015-10-19T06:48:45.956-07:00

These are the easiest thing to make in a pinch; especially if you have leftover turkey breast sitting in your fridge. 1 cooked turkey breast, chopped into small cubes 1 stick celery, cut into small cubes 2-3 radish, cut into small cubes 1 medium sweet pepper, cut into small cubes 1/4 cup shredded cheddar 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp dijon mustard 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1-2 tbsp milk 10-12

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-23560082682857717192015-10-11T15:19:00.000-07:002015-10-11T15:19:03.018-07:00

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup Since my son was born last year, this house has been a permanent disaster where I have been struggling to get organized and get things done. I'm sure you've heard this before from other people, but I've found that making some sort of meal plan helps me get something other than a frozen pizza on the table at dinner time. And now that our son is eating the same

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-24249382318615306212015-10-09T08:36:00.001-07:002015-10-09T08:36:52.799-07:00

A friend of mine had forwarded me this recipe by Food Network's Ina Garten several years ago, and I finally got around to trying it. At first I made the soup exactly like the recipe states, but I found that there was too much cider, and that it had become too sweet and too sour, so to mellow those flavors i added a little more curry powder and a little chili powder, for the most part the recipe

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-88414647465941347122015-05-21T08:18:00.001-07:002015-05-21T08:18:12.143-07:00

Baked Oatmeal I'd printed this recipe several years ago, and it's been lying in my folder untouched and forgotten.Well, it's time to thin this folder and discover something new to eat, so I tried this Baked Oatmeal and it was delicious. The first time I made it, I did exactly what the recipe said, the second time around, I mixed in some raisins and almonds, but left the rest of the recipe

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-40479820239944798122015-05-12T07:47:00.000-07:002015-05-12T07:47:33.699-07:00

Fried Paneer Methi Matar Paneer is a flavorful dish that has fenugreek leaves (Methi), green peas (Matar) and Indian cottage cheese (Paneer). It's traditionally cooked in North India, but has become so popular that one can find variations of it all over India and in most Indian restaurants around the world. This dish is heavily spiced, and has a real medley of sapidity. The spices are cooked

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-65233028533219052822015-04-24T08:35:00.000-07:002015-04-24T08:35:35.200-07:00

I make it a point to always have some vegetables in our dinner, and despite my husband's best efforts, potatoes to do not count. So I'm constantly trying to add a quick vege side dish to our table. This was a snappy creation in which I threw in the aniseed just to change up the same boring flavor that I always seem to give my vegetables. It turned out pretty well and was done in 15 minutes.

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-60236155017925619662015-04-08T11:28:00.001-07:002015-04-08T11:31:37.438-07:00

Bacon and Mushroom  Brown Rice ‘Mock’ Risotto Nothing says comfort food quite like a risotto on a cold, rainy day. But Risotto isn’t a quick and snappy recipe for the weekday. It can be a tedious process but the results are always worth it. I’ve made this kind of brown rice ‘mock’ risotto only twice. The idea is to use a healthy brown rice instead of the Arborio rice that is

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-4452889719746596842015-03-26T13:47:00.001-07:002015-03-26T13:47:46.562-07:00

If you're out of ideas for dinner tonight, here is something easy to whip up. This sauce goes great as an accompaniment for seafood or steak. We've even had it once with grilled pork chops. However, it is my favorite with Oven Fried Batter Fish and grilled shrimp. Lemon Dill Sauce2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine1/2 tsp grated lemon zest1/2 tsp lemon juice1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-36650164206508168432015-03-16T07:57:00.001-07:002015-03-26T13:37:31.810-07:00

We all love the fried fish with that crisp, fluffy batter on it. But unless you're planning to go to a restaurant to eat it, it's quite a pain to make at home. Not to mention, it's deep-fried. So, here's a simple way to make a batch of fried fish at home, in the oven, with as little oil as possible.4 fillets fish, I used tilapia1 egg, beaten1 cup flour1/4 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt1 tsp

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-32517601212433829732015-03-05T13:18:00.000-08:002015-03-05T13:18:11.722-08:00

 We took a three week vacation in December/ January to go visit our family in India, and like all good vacations, we ate and drank a lot and came back considerably more overweight than when we left. So in an effort to lose a little weight my husband decided to go onto a no-carbs-in-the-night diet. It’s pretty reasonable actually. We aren't cooking anything special for the diet. He eats

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-75130092902951489862015-03-02T10:17:00.002-08:002015-03-02T10:17:58.368-08:00

A lot has happened in the last year or so to alter our lives and our routines. The biggest and most important, our now 7 month old son! Since, the doting grandparents, and aunts, and uncles have left and we've finally started to get some sort of routine back, I've started to try new recipes again. My parents and in-laws did a lot of cooking while they were here which sort of left me on

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-45690767751507289372014-02-21T11:53:00.000-08:002014-02-21T11:53:47.500-08:00

I've already posted a recipe for Masala Khichdi on here. And while the basic concept might be the same, I've added some ingredients to this recipe and changed it around for the better. I like the idea of adding vegetables to it, making it a more balanced meal. It’s perfect for a cold winter evening. This recipe has been pulled together from several different online recipes I

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-56996710190787111362014-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:002014-02-12T17:24:09.539-08:00

This is an interesting recipe I found in a Better Home and Garden. It’s been sitting in my file of recipes-to-try for a while and we finally tried it a couple of days ago. Thai-Style Tuna Burgers 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 tsp grated ginger 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup panko 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tsp Asian chili sauce (Sriracha) 2 5oz cans wild albacore tuna (drain if in water or oil) ¼ cup celery,

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-86043576703395886662013-08-26T10:43:00.000-07:002013-09-12T08:15:10.042-07:00

This is an excellent  stew recipe, rich in flavor and textures. It’s from a Better Home and Garden Magazine. I had torn out the page (don’t panic, it was from my own copy) ages ago to keep the recipe, and try it someday. Lately, I’ve been on a mission to try to cook at least one dish, from my stack of magazine papers, a week. The Pork and Poblano Stew turns out quite spicy, so cut back on

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-51048173427829575782013-06-14T08:43:00.001-07:002013-06-14T09:15:39.405-07:00

Sunset Magazine seems to have a lot of interesting recipes and this Shawarma Lamb with Couscous Salad is just another new and interesting flavor we had for dinner. It was pretty easy to cook, but you need to get the meat from a butcher as I've never seen it in an isle of a grocery store. Shawarma Lamb with Couscous Salad 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup couscous 1 medium carrot, shredded 1/2 cup

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-2674641921152710672013-06-11T09:11:00.001-07:002013-06-11T09:11:41.883-07:00

This is another recipe I found while browsing through Sunset Magazine. We decided to make them at home and take them out for a little picnic dinner in the park. They were very tasty, and I used the broiler instead of the outdoor grill. I also substituted most of the mayonnaise for yogurt to make it a little more fat free. This is a recipe we are going to make pretty often this summer.

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-55844241636481574862013-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:002013-05-08T19:33:47.124-07:00

This was one of those throw-together recipes that turned out a lot nicer than I expected. It's heavy on the spices, so go easy if you don't eat spicy food. The Khichdi mix is basically a mix of rice, toor and moong dals; that I bought at the Indian store as a pre-mixed package. If you don't have something like this at home, you can mix them up yourself. We usually make this without most of these

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-15097250553299178232013-04-25T09:32:00.000-07:002013-04-25T09:32:25.489-07:00

This is another recipe from Sunset magazine’s January 2012 issue. I made a couple of changes to the quantities of some of the ingredients, especially in reducing the amount of olive oil and lime. I really liked this salad and will be making it again soon, and maybe adding some sweet peppers to the mix. Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Oranges 1¼ Cups quinoa, cooked 1 tsp chili

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-43665984400201133912013-04-22T09:01:00.002-07:002013-04-22T09:01:36.421-07:00

I found this recipe in Sunset Magazine. The magazine has some interesting recipes, but often need special ingredients that we don’t always have in the house. This one is an exception. I decided to try it because it’s easy to do, and doesn't have cheese (for my lactose-intolerant husband). I did change around a few things, like using a can of artichokes instead of fresh ones, and I

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-22461259478294485302013-04-14T09:22:00.000-07:002013-04-14T09:22:02.059-07:00

This is a recipe that we usually make in a pressure cooker. I found this slow cooker version in The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla and it turned out quite nicely. As usual, I cut back on all the spices, so feel free to adjust them to your tastes. Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes 2 bags cauliflower, defrosted 1 lrg potato, peeled and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 tomato, diced ½ tsp

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-70442983756057232013-04-12T07:07:00.000-07:002013-04-12T07:07:11.096-07:00

Here is another recipe from The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. It's an interesting and very different way to make butternut squash and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Once again, it's a spicy recipe, so hold back on the quantities if it's too much for you. I did already reduce the spices, but it might be a little too much for some palates. Hope you like it... Spicy Butternut Squash

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-26192241994485023792013-04-08T08:41:00.000-07:002013-04-12T07:00:05.503-07:00

Apparently, my husband is a big fan of Palak Paneer (Palak translates to spinach and Paneer, a form of cottage cheese), so when he saw it in Anupy Singla’s book The Indian Slow Cooker, he asked me to make it. The recipe is extremely easy, so go ahead and try it. It results in a nice spicy dish, so if you want a toned-down version, you should use half of my quantities of chili powder, chilies,

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250065639999581757.post-68148598968232400812013-04-05T07:51:00.002-07:002013-04-05T07:51:55.784-07:00

This week has been a slow cooker week at this Patel household. My husband’s cousin recently gave me a slow cooker recipe book called The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla, and I have been trying recipes from it. While the recipes are quite tasty, I think the proportions are completely off. Either this book has made some severe misprints or Ms. Anupy Singla eats a spice level beyond anything&

Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03826035582061457801noreply@blogger.com0