“What does a Cheesecake remind you?” To me it conjures the feeling of digging into soft snowy mountain, a refreshing dessert you really don’t want anyone to tell you about how much cream cheese, ricotta and quark has gone into making it. Just dig..eat..and repeat.
I am not much of a cream fan and try to replace the same in all my cooking & baking for good and also avoid gelatin in my recipes if the food is for the consumption of my family. Somehow Gelatin makes me feel unnatural, but …

With all the major Indian festivals coming to an end with Diwali, my kitchen counter & wok heave a sigh of relief. No more fudges, sweets and savories, its just my simple meal and me. Change in season has finally made the rain god smile bringing respite from the heat. I wanted to bake something which could be a wholesome munch with my evening tea while lazying around on my favorite easy chair watching rain from my open terrace, and Biscotti was the final choice.

Biscotti is thin sliced cake which are baked twice to make it crisp and also to increase the shelf life of these goodies.

A slice of rich & dark Brownie is a delight for any chocolate lover, be it a gooey, chewy, fudgy or cakey brownie you just cannot stop with one. I like sticky and gooey brownies with loads of nuts in it, more better if it has some fruit or veggie hidden in it. Brownie is probably the easiest to make as against baking a cake, bread or any other goody. No waiting time needed for that intimidating yeast to work and flexing muscles for kneading the elastic dough, just mix it and bake it and you are in for a sinful treat. The treat is to celebrate Lite Bite being featured on Yummly today.

A wonder grain and a super food - Quinoa is finding its place in the most modern kitchens of many health enthusiast again. Quinoa is actually a seed and is related to Spinach family. When cooked this becomes light & fluffy and gives a nutty taste of grain. Close to one of the most complete foods in nature, Quinoa is a great substitute for many grains which are hard to digest and to some lentils which lack certain chemicals which are present in Quinoa.

Roasted Peanuts or groundnuts are a very popular & economical street snack which are healthy too. These serve as a wonderful travel food which could easily help spark a conversation with your co passengers Available throughout the year these nuts are an important addition to various regional recipes of India. I can’t imagine my Poha without fried peanuts and the cold winters without the chikkis and ladoos mom makes at home.

A bowl of soup could be a perfect meal when one is looking out for something light to eat which is comforting and filling as well. Though steamy soups remind that of chill winter nights, this healthy broth could be a refreshing delight during summer as well when served cold. This whole lentil soup is one such recipe which comes handy in all weather. The Whole lentil and Mint soup with cherry tomato Foccasia bread is a great combo for a scrumptious dinner.

During weekdays with hectic school schedule and busy office routine, breakfast is the only effective meal time when I can stuff my kids and hubby with all the goodness of veggies, fruits, nuts and cereals.

Over the years I have experimented with various breakfast recipes liked by my family and which also give me ample time in the morning rush hours besides providing them with good nutrition. And Vegetable Sandwich is one such recipe I count upon.

Vegetable fried rice with fresh yogurt Raita is what I count upon for a quick meal when unexpected guests arrive at home. There are countless ways this humble recipe can be prepared using various spice mixes and veggies to go in it. But my favorite is this simple recipe of fried rice cooked using Basmati rice, seasonal veggies and a few spices. For my mega party too, I chose the same recipe and it came out very flavorful and delicious. I served this vegetable rice with fresh Yogurt Raita.

Don’t you leave the carrots… finish the greens, If you eat all the veggies in your plate you’ll get the ice-cream” Remember my mom struggling hard to include carrots, greens and other veggies in our diet. The cycle is repeated after 40 years and I find parroting the same golden lines to my kids

Planning for the kids lunchbox is the toughest job any mom faces day after day. Each of us worry about the adequate nutrition of the food and discovering new dishes over time. And most important is to add fun and creative part to the lunchbox to make it more interesting and appeasing for the kids.