Veggie + Side Recipes

Quick Summer Mezze Plate

Quick Summer Mezze Plate

Savoring Summer...one bite at a time. August is around the corner and I have no idea where this summer has gone, lol. With being primarily homebound these day, it’s feeling a little like Groundhog’s Day in my neck of the woods, what about you?  This Summer Mezze...

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Golden Spiced Tofu

Golden Spiced Tofu

THE SUPER POWERS of TURMERIC Turmeric powder is an ancient and beloved spice in Indian cooking...it’s used in curries, dals, rice...and even milk. As an artist and foodie, I find the golden hue that turmeric provides so beautiful. This lovely spice is not just awesome...

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Baked Romanesco with Goat Cheese

Baked Romanesco with Goat Cheese

 What is it :)?   Have you ever heard of Romanesco? It’s like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower :).   I think it’s such a beautiful vegetable—the green is so vibrant, the texture is so fun and I love it’s pointy, little florets. They remind me of dinosaurs for...

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Corn Pakoras for Diwali

Corn Pakoras for Diwali

Getting Ready for the Holidays Growing up, I had two distinct, yet parallel lives. As a first generation American, I grew up enjoying soccer practice, Girl Scouts and camping trips; read stories on the Bernstein Bears, Little House on the Prairie and Nancy Drew; and...

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Cherry Tomatoes 3 Different Ways

Cherry Tomatoes 3 Different Ways

For those of you that follow me on social media, you might have seen that the cherry tomatoes we planted back in May have exploded :)! The little seedlings we started from scratch are now 6-7 feet tall and fully loaded. On Instagram and Facebook, I asked friends and...

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Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas

Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas

For this Mother's Day, my mom said she didn't want any presents, just full day of spending the day together doing some fun stuff--so that's what we're gonna do! We're going to start with a homemade brunch, followed a day in DC where we'll visit some museums, take a...

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GIVEAWAY + Exploring Seasonal Veggies with the Joyful 12™

GIVEAWAY + Exploring Seasonal Veggies with the Joyful 12™

There is something so special about eating fresh and making mealtimes a daily family gathering. I’ve found that cooking fresh is definitely nourishing, but when I’m able to cook with my family or friends, it brings out an ample dose of love and creativity that enriches our relationship on a much deeper level. And then when we sit down to share our bounty, there’s a comfort in the ritual of breaking bread while sharing the highlights of every one’s day, world events and whatever else is on our minds.

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Glazed Carrots & our Winners!

Glazed Carrots & our Winners!

Art Every Day Month has been awesome! If you haven’t a chance to check out my daily drawings, you can view them all here. It’s defintiely got me thinking outside of the box and trying new things! So, as Thanksgiving approaches here’s my recipe for glazed carrots….a lovely Thanksgiving side. I hope you enjoy!

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Sprouted Mung—Indian Style

Sprouted Mung—Indian Style

As you read this, IIndian Sprouted Mung Beans will already be in India…but I thought as the holiday season approaches and our diets get a little wacky, that I would share one of my favorite dishes that always seems hit the spot the for me when I want something fresh and full of prana…Sprouted Mung Beans—Indian Style!

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Focaccia {gluten-free & vegan}

Focaccia {gluten-free & vegan}

Last weekend I had the treat of going to a friends house for lunch and she made Focaccia (gluten-free and vegan!) and I made my pesto. The focaccia was so delicious; it melted in my mouth and definitely hit the spot for this gluten-less girl. I can't wait for you to...

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Crunchy Raita {carrot, tomato and cilantro}

Crunchy Raita {carrot, tomato and cilantro}

This week I made one of favorites called Sahkla, also known as Spiced Up Rice Patties (click here for the recipe). These delicious patties are light, tasty and pretty easy to whip up if you already have rice leftovers on hand. I changed up the recipe a little by using...

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Avocado Lentil Salad

Avocado Lentil Salad

My family and I had brunch at my sister's yesterday--as you can probably tell from the pictures EVERYTHING she made was AMAZING! The savory menu consisted of a hearty wild rice casserole, a light avocado  and lentil salad and some beautiful dinosaur kale. And my...

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Cauliflower Jalapeño Spiced Alfredo—light and guilt-free

Cauliflower Jalapeño Spiced Alfredo—light and guilt-free

This is one of my new favorites! This cauliflower based cream sauce is delicious! Not only is it creamy and comforting, it's light and totally guilt-free. The tender cauliflower is super versatile; had I not made it myself, I would never have guess that this sauce has...

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Yogic Fasting….spring quinoa salad

Yogic Fasting….spring quinoa salad

Every year in the Vedic calendar there are two, 9 day periods of time called Navratri (one falls in the spring and one happens in the fall); both are considered to be high spiritual energy days. During these periods, yogis recommend doing extra japa practices,...

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Zucchini Hummus

Zucchini Hummus

The other day I had a huge amount of Zucchini on hand, so I decided to try something new...Zucchini Hummus. It was pretty tasty and much lighter than your usual hummus since zucchini is not as hearty garbanzo beans. I served it with warmed pita wedges and some...

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Fennel, Carrot Spinach Wrap

Fennel, Carrot Spinach Wrap

What a weekend we had...it was packed with great weather, awesome meditations and some quality cooking time for my meditation teacher, Shri Anandi Ma. This weekend we went Shri Anandi Ma's Public Meditation Programs. Like usual, they were awesome and definitely...

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The goodness of CHUTNEY…and COOKING PARTIES!

The goodness of CHUTNEY…and COOKING PARTIES!

It's been 70 degrees here this week; really loving the warm weather! Last weekend I gave my first Cooking Party Cooking Class; inspired by my friend Bruce who wanted to give a dear friend of his a special birthday present. Instead of going out for dinner I gave him...

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Ghee: benefits of clarified butter and more.

Ghee: benefits of clarified butter and more.

Ghee (clarified butter) is one of those staples that almost every Indian home has. There are certain dals and curries where the flavor is greatly enhanced by using ghee rather than oil. The best part is that ghee, unlike butter has a lot great medicinal qualities---...

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Cannellini Bean & Kale Vegan Bisque

Cannellini Bean & Kale Vegan Bisque

This dish was inspired by my craving for something creamy, yet healthy. I knew I wanted greens for dinner, but I didn't feel like pairing it with a grain. So, I decided a soup of some sort would taste good. I wasn't sure what to call this delightful dish...soup,...

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Baked Butternut Squash

Baked Butternut Squash

 Butternut Lovin' What a week it's been....it's definitely starting to feel like the holidays now. Foggy mornings, chilly evenings...and that great smell of a fireplace burning somewhere. I love baking sweet and/or savory things on evenings like this....where the...

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Soba Noodle Soup

Soba Noodle Soup

Light and Hearty. I love this soup....especially during the holidays when there's so much rich and over-the-top goodies that we can find ourselves surrounded by. I made this right after Thanksgiving and it tasted it like nectar. Also, as the sickies (flu, colds, sore...

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Soupy Rice with Zucchini

Soupy Rice with Zucchini

Cold Day Comfort Food Soupy Rice is something my mother-in-law made my husband and her other kids on cold days, sick days and days when they just want something comforting. It’s super simple and super de-lish…it’s just rice, milk, butter and dash of...

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Bhajia: rainy day comfort food.

Bhajia: rainy day comfort food.

This post is for all my friends and family on the East Coast that are hunkered down as Hurricane Sandy brings heavy rains and strong winds to their neck of the woods....may you all stay SAFE, dry and protected. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with you all. My...

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sunday morning HASH.

sunday morning HASH.

a twist on a classic...  Right now in the Indian lunar calendar there's a period called Shraddh going on...this year it falls from Sept 29- Oct 15. Shraddh is a two week period dedicated to remembering and honoring our ancestors because the energy of these two weeks...

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Pasta a la Summer

Pasta a la Summer

Capturing Summer, one bite at a time I just LOVE fresh veggies &  herb pasta dishes in the summer....they say SUMMER with every bite! My favorite combination is fresh corn, red bells, zucchini, tomatoes and LOTS of fresh basil! It's even better when some...

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asian pear FRIED RICE.

asian pear FRIED RICE.

asian pear FRIED RICE. We've been having fun experimenting with our harvest of Asian Pears.... a few days ago I had some leftover rice I wanted to use it up. So I made a fried rice with baked tofu, edamame, carrots, broccoli and ASIAN PEARS instead of water...

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baked TOFU: great to have on hand.

baked TOFU: great to have on hand.

Baked tofu is great to have on hand....especially when you have a tasty marinate; they really soak up the flavor. I like baking tofu verses pan frying for several reasons....1. it's easier :),  2. they all cook to the same consistency,  3.) it requires less constant...

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Kale, Fennel and Hummus Wrap: yummy!

Kale, Fennel and Hummus Wrap: yummy!

Kale, Fennel and Hummus Wrap: yummy! So this has definitely been a big hummus week in our household :)....hence all the hummus based recipes... Dawnell Kent, one of our readers (who is also an AMAZING personal trainer) sent in this recipe...I made it last...

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Pizza: vegan style.

Pizza: vegan style.

PIZZA: vegan style. I LOVE pizza...and as someone who's been told by several holistic practitioners that it would be in my best interest to avoid dairy and gluten... you can bet I miss it! I've never been able to completely get rid of gluten or dairy from my diet, but...

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Cauliflower Arugula SOUP.

Cauliflower Arugula SOUP.

Cauliflower Arugula SOUP. We've been eating lighter dinners lately....and soups are always a top choice for something light, but filling....lately I've been making various vegetable soups, my latest concoction was inspired by the only two veggies we had left in our...

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Winter Veggie Baked Stew

Winter Veggie Baked Stew

Winter Veggie Baked Stew/ Au Gratin This winter we haven't had much rain here in Antioch, but this week, temperatures dropped a little and  it's rained for about 3-4 days....great weather for some warm, hearty, but healthy comfort food. I love making mixed vegetable...

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Goddess Greens

Goddess Greens

Goddess Greens I had my favorite lunch today....Goddess Greens with Kitchari! Over ten years ago, my friend Trupti introduced me to how she makes greens...and I was never the same after that :). Her recipe was super simple, but off the charts delicious, wholesome......

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Spinach-Artichoke PESTO.

Spinach-Artichoke PESTO.

Spinach-Artichoke PESTO. I LOVE pesto because it's always super fresh tasting and it's a quick and easy weeknight meal....not to mention there are so many different ways of changing it up! I've found that in our area, Trader Joe's has the best basil, hands down. It's...

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Grilled Fennel & Goat Cheese

Grilled Fennel & Goat Cheese

Fennel & Goat Cheese Bake This Grilled Fennel & Goat Cheese dish is tasty, light, and very versatile. It makes for a great appetizer...just serve on top of a slice of toasted  bread ( l like Pugliese best), or as a side dish. The flavors are rich and...

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Herbed Corn Bread

Herbed Corn Bread

Mediterranean Herbed Cornbread with Black Lava Salt (9 pieces) Corn bread is not only easy to make, but you can make so many variations of it deepening on what you have in your fridge or what you're serving it with...chili, soup, toasted and spread with butter and jam...

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Shaved Fennel and Zucchini Salad

Shaved Fennel and Zucchini Salad

Originally posted September 22, 2011 on pritiFOOD. Shaved Fennel & Zucchini Salad (4-6 ppl) If you love salads, you're going to LOVE this recipe that I found on Heidi Swanson's blog, 101cookbooks.com. For those of you that might not be huge salad fans, this salad...

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