Creamy Roasted Root Vegetable Soup - Vegan, Gluten Free

Blogging seems to have come to a stand still for me. I keep trying to revive it and try and post a few recipes. But somehow life comes in the way. Last week or so, I have been experimenting with a lot of new things and I feel some of it needs to go in my blog.. I am not sure if I have any more followers. But I have decided to post a few recipes atleast so I can go back and reference them later!

It's march and there are parts of the world where people are already talking about summer and recipes to beat the heat. Here in England, we were almost ready to welcome spring. We even had a couple of glorious days where jackets were not necessary. My spring allergies are coming back. And then out  of the blue, another snow storm came along. And for a cold cozy day, there is always soup and bread in our kitchen.

I have made many variations of this soup before. But what I liked the best about this is the oven roasted vegetables. The boys agreed it just took the soup to a new level

Olive and Fennel Focaccia - Vegan

One of the things I learned and became confident as a result of my blog was baking, especially breads. I am not claiming to be Bake off standard baker. I am far from it. But I know the basics now, which I did not know a few years ago. Bread is probably one of the things I love baking the most. The beauty of kneading the dough, the rising of it, shaping and finally the smell of warm bread fascinates me.

I have been away from my blog for way too long. I almost assumed this journey was over. But then life takes many twists and turns. And today I needed to be here. I needed to bake a bread. Today's bread was served with this Butternut Squash Soup. With Autumn on full swing, and winter slowly creeping in on us, I am sure this will be an amazing dinner.

Healthy Indian Kheer Smoothie - Vegan Chia and Apple Breakfast Smoothie

Indian Kheer or Payasam is a creamy pudding prepared usually with rice or vermicelli and thick milk. (Milk simmered for a hour or so). It is obviously loaded with calories and sugar. This is my effort to recreate the goodness of that without any sugar and full of healthy ingredients. A couple of things I wanted to add to this was raisins and almond flakes. That would totally complete the pudding. Call it Indian Kheer Smoothie or Chia and Apple Pudding or Chia Breakfast Smoothie. It fits all the bills.

Creamy Hummus - Vegan, Low Fat recipe

The Food Blogger in me misses talking to you all. I started this blog a few years ago as a way of documenting my food journey. I love the interaction with fellow bloggers and readers. Life sometimes takes a different turn and you lose focus in something. I lost a bit of focus in my blog when I started running. It takes up so much of my time, that I struggle to juggle!

Anyways, I am going to make an extra effort to click and post all the new things that are happening in my kitchen. Hope you will join me again as you did the first time I started this journey.

Today's recipe is super simple. We all love a good hummus. Be it in a wrap or sandwich, or as a dip with some breadsticks or crackers. And it is easy to pick up a tub from the supermarket. But trust me, it is easier and definitely healthier to make your own. The key to a creamy hummus is to use the chickpea water .

Vegan Olive Bread - Olive Loaf

Winter has arrived. In our house, this means Soups and Breads on Fridays. As much as I love making breads, I am always happy with a simple bread recipe. This one is very easy to make and will be ready in no time at all. It is packed with flavours  from Olives. Bake it and let me know how you like it.

Carrot Cake Green Smoothie - Nutribullet

It feels so good to be back writing a blog post. It has been months and I almost forgot how good this feels. Life had been crazy busy. Hopefully this post will mark a comeback for me. Thanks again for sticking with my blog and sending me all the love!

Just want to start this post by talking about my newest gadget - Nutribullet. This is not a paid review. Just in love with it and wanted to share with all of you. If you are like me and tried a green smoothie before and did not like it, it is because you do not have the right gadget. A powerful blender like Nutribullet (or equivalent or Vitamix if  you can afford it) blasts thru the greens and nuts. This means you will NOT taste it at all. Trust me.

Now off to the recipe.The ingredients and combo can be varied to taste. I will try and post a few of my favourites here.

Ingredients

Spinach 2 handfuls
Carrot 1 large
Apple 1 cored
Oats 1/2 cup
Flax seeds 1 tsp
Raisins 2 tsp
Cardamon 1/4 tsp (or use cinnamon and ginger)
Milk (Almond, Soy or  regular) 1 cup

Method of preparation

1. Load you Nutribullet with spinach. Add the carrots,  apples, oats and the rest of the ingredients.

2. Top with milk and blitz till smooth.

Enjoy!!

Thenkozhal - Thenkozhal Murukku - Diwali Snack Recipe - Gluten Free, Vegan Option

Diwali is a time when all Indian homes are busy with the preparation of many varieties of sweets and snacks. Usually everyone in the house will have their own favourites. When we were little my mom used to make snacks and sweets per each persons request. Its the same in my mother in laws place as well. Somehow each person will wish for a different one and during diwali all those wishes are granted!

I am also busy making a variety of snacks and sweets. My dad is visiting and all the hard work of pressing the murukku was done by him. How lucky for me.

This Murukku is famous for its melt in the mouth texture. It does not have any spice like chilli powder or pepper added to it. Flavour comes from the cumin seeds.

Skull and Bone Crackers - Easy Halloween Recipe - Tortilla Crisps - Vegan

Super Easy treat for your next Halloween party. Not making for Halloween, You can just make it in any shape and enjoy. Remember, do not throw away the scarps. They bake great as well. :-)

Vegan Low Fat Creamy Alfredo

Eating Healthy is sometimes easier than you think. Alfredo is an awesome sauce to go with pasta. But it is very high in calorie and fat. Now if we can make it rich in vegetables (yes, you heard me), it is a big winner. And trust me, this does not feel like you are eating loads of vegetables. This is not my original recipe. I saw it a long time ago in some site, unfortunately don't remember where so can't link back.

Blueberry Goji Superfood Smoothie

Next in the series of awesome smoothies that I have been trying out is this Blueberry Goji Smoothie. As usual, the frozen banana add the creamy texture, no need to add any ice. Goji berry has been in my list of things to try for long. Goji berries contain vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin A, iron, selenium and are very good for your immune system. Flax seeds  that I always add to my smoothie is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acid. Great source for those who do not eat fish. Blueberries are full of anti oxidants and a great source of Vitamin K. The addition of oats makes this an absolutely fantastic smoothie.

Berrylicious Green Smoothie - Strawberry and Raspberry Smoothie - Vegan

Today I made a Berrylicious Green Smoothie with Strawberry and Raspberry. So what is the green in my Smoothie? I ditched the usual Spinach and added Cucumber. Hope you love it. We totally Enjoyed it. The Sweetness depends on the how sweet your berries are.

Vegan Carrot Cake Breakfast Smoothie

As you have seen from my last few posts, I have been going crazy about making some smoothies. Though it started off as an attempt to make green smoothies, I have diversified. All the smoothies are super healthy. No sugar or sweetners. Whole fruits, Vegetables etc. Oats and Flax to make it filling and add to the health benefits. And then this one has cinnamon, ginger etc quite good for you. And best of all, this tastes like you are eating carrot cake. Yes trust me or better still try it to believe it..

Vegan Apple Pie Breakfast Smoothie

I love Apple Pie and anything that reminds me of the pie is a big yes for me. When I make an Oats porridge I always add some apple to it. It makes it sweet and adds texture to the breakfast. I decided to make this smoothie and I knew it will be a big winner. No added sugar, Healthy ingredients like Oats, Flax, Apple, Banana and Cinnamon, Quite filling. What's not to like.

Ingredients

Banana Frozen 1
Apple cubed 1 (no need to peal)
Oats 1/2 cup
Flax seeds 1 tbsp
Cinnamon Powder 1 tsp
Soy Milk or Milk 1 cup

Method of Preparation

1. Powder the Flax seeds. The add the Oats and powder that as well.

2. In the blender (I use a food processor with regular blade), pulse the banana till it crumbles.

3. Add the apple and blend till it starts to becomes paste.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients. Give it one final blend.

Enjoy! And don't forget to let me know how you like it. 

Healthy Strawberry and Chocolate Smoothie - Strawberry Chocolate Frappuccino - Vegan

Strawberry and Chocolate are a match made in heaven. Who does not like dipping Fresh Strawberry in Melted Chocolate! Its Summer time, Strawberries are in Season. It would be a sin not to enjoy this indulgence. Summer time is also about Frappuccino. I am always tempted by them at Starbucks. And in this hot weather, I can never say no to it.

Green Smoothie - Pear, Banana, Spinach - Vegan

Most of us have seen or read a post about the benefits of drinking a green smoothie. Leafy greens are high in Vitamins and Minerals in addition to being a great source of fiber. The leaves can be a little bit bitter and a green paste is not what you want to drink. That is where the fruits come to play. They add some sweetness to the drink in addition to increasing the number of 5 a day that you are consuming. Other things I am planning to do it to add things like peanut butter (yumm), flax seeds, cinnamon, ginger.

We as a family are pretty good at consuming our greens. When i say that, I do not mean that we all love a bowl of salad. That's where things get tricky. We make loads of sides with spinach, broccoli etc. And we all love it. But when it comes to raw greens, we all say a big no. I have meant to try these green smoothies for a long long time. I even buy all the ingredients for making one, but never end up making it.

Recently I read an article about it in a magazine and wanted to give it a go. The interesting thing is when I made it, I actually did not taste the spinach at all. Awesome. Now hopefully (fingers crossed), I will make many many variations of this Green Goddess! Are you with me? Lets do this together.

Sweet Potato Cakes with Spicy Coconut Tomato Sauce - Vegan

Sweet potatoes are quite versatile. They are not as popularly used as it cousin the Potato. They are very healthy for you with high amounts of Vitamin C, B6, D, Iro, Magnesium and also a good source of Beta Carotene. If you are not sold, lets forget all the above. How about the awesome taste? The subtle sweetness, the creaminess. Yumm! Try this simple side made with Sweet Potatoes today. 

Creamy Asparagus Soup - Vegan, Gluten Free

Soup and Bread is a match made in Heaven. Nothing beats a good hearty dinner like a bowl of soup, some warm bread and butter. This soup uses some fresh ingredients. And you would not believe how creamy it is considering I have not used any cream or milk. There is no flour to make the roux either. The taste of Asparagus is predominant. The potatoes add to the creaminess of the soup. You can add some chilli flakes while serving the soup to add a subtle spiciness.

Kummelweck Roll - Kimmelweck Roll - Rolls with Caraway Seeds - Vegan

Kummelweck Rolls are of German origin. They are hard crusty rolls with a soft inside. They are topped with Caraway seeds and coarse sea salt. It is quite famous in Buffalo Newyork where it is used in the Beef on Weck sandwich. I baked this as part of my Baking group We Knead to Bake. Do try this lovely bread and let me know how you like it. Can me made Vegan by substituting for Milk and Honey.

Zucchini Oats Patties - Vegan

Zucchini makes a wonderful ingredient for Patties and fritters. Now the key for me was to make it Vegan and Healthy. Most of the times, you will see egg being used as a binder. I did not obvoiusly want to use egg, but neither did I have any flax to substitute. But the moisture from the zucchini is more than enough binder for this patty.

Vegan Double Chocolate Muffin - Chocolate Banana Muffin

Who does not love Chocolate? So when it comes to chocolate, the more the better. Don't you agree? Its been a while since I baked cake/muffin etc. Have been just baking breads/pizza etc lately. Last week it was half term holidays. My son and I decided to make something to enjoy, like old times. We used to do a lot of baking together last year when he was less busy with school, after school etc. It was loads of fun.

I have tried to make it as healthy as I can. Sugar used is lesser than I used before. I am thinking I can reduce it a little bit more next time. This did seem quite sweet. It came out moist and yumm. Note to self - Double to recipe next time :-)