Weekend Links

1. Natural Beauty Products at WholeFoods: A list of some of the better beauty products at Whole Foods. I have not used any except Dr. Bronner's soap, although I have heard people swear by Weleda's skin food. 
2. Two new series that I have watched and liked recently Olive Kitteridge on HBO. Its a four part mini series. Better Call Saul On AMC has been pretty good so far.
3. This was an interesting article on V-day celebrations in Japan
4. New Card game that pushes kids to move their butt - is this the future of kids in this digital age?
5. What ISIS really wants: A very detailed article on the beliefs, strategy and future plans of this group - and let me tell you it is some scary shit

Roasted Ratatouille with Rice

This is one of my favorite dinner dishes. It requires a little bit of effort in chopping and dicing but that's about it. The best part of this recipe is that you can make it with whatever vegetables you have in your fridge.

INGREDIENTS
2-3 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
1 small eggplant - diced
1 zucchini - diced
1 squash - diced
2 small carrots - diced
1 red/yellow bell pepper - diced
1 medium yellow onion - diced
3 garlic cloves - crushed

6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
3 tbsp Fresh basil (about 10 leaves)- chopped
1tbsp fresh or dried oregano
1tbsp fresh thyme (optional)

Process:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F. 
2. Dice all the veggies together - I cut them to about 1 inch sized pieces. Put them in a big mixing bowl.
3. Add about 3-4 tbsp olive oil+ balsamic vinegar+ garlic+ salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the veggies and mix well. Then spread this mixture in one even layer on the baking tray. I use a lasagna tray to make such veggies - so I just mix all the spices directly in the tray (saves me from using an extra one dish)
4. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and put them in another pan and add 2 tbsp olive oil + little bit of salt and pepper.
5. Put the veggies in the upper rack of the oven and the tomatoes in the lower rack and set the timer to 20 mins.
6. After 20 mins, check your veggies - I like them a bit brown on the edges - so usually keep them for additional 5-7 mins. The tomatoes will be definitely done in 20 mins and would be bursting with juices.
7. Once the veggies are done as well- mix the tomatoes in them and add the chopped/dried herbs - basil+oregano+thyme 
8. Serve the veggies on a bed of rice or spaghetti . We usually eat them with rice.

Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This is another one of those salads that I make regularly. Raw kale can be really chewy and hard to actually swallow - that is why this salad needs kale leaves to be massaged well in olive oil - the massaging makes them soft and less chewy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch kale leaves - de-stemmed and torn into smaller pieces
• 1 lime juice
• 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1-2 Avocado
• 1/2 cup grapes
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Dressing:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Mustard sauce
• 1tsp honey
• 1tbsp poppy seeds
• pinch of salt

NOTES:

• You can use any kind of kale, I usually use lacinato/dinosaur kale
• You can add any variety of veggies and grains to this salad. I have tried adding quinoa and moon dal sprouts. 

PROCESS:

1. Massage the kale: Put the torn kale leaves in a big salad bowl and add the olive oil, lime juice and salt. (I would suggest starting with juice of half a lime and add more later in needed). Now, roll up your sleeves and massage the kale leaves with your palms - do it for about 3-4 minutes till the Kale turns deep green in color and soft in texture.
2. Chop the avocado and grapes and add them to the salad bowl
3. Toast the pine nuts on low flame till they are fragrant and turn slightly brown in color
4. Mix all the dressing ingredients well in a bowl and drizzle it on the salad as much as you need. You can store the leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
5. Top it with toasted pine nuts and your salad is done.

Weekend Links

• For all the Jon Stewart fans out there - 10 of his best moments
• Story of buzzing cows and tripping bees: The pleasure of getting wasted dates back to prehistoric times - Very interesting article on Intoxication
• We all know about the Placebo Effect - This week I found out what Nacebo Effect is and again I am stumped at how powerful our mind can be
• Kiddie Fashion is the next big thing that's taking the blogging world by a storm. Just check out these insanely stylish children. Scout Fashion; Mini style hacker ; Fashion_Laerta
• Madame CEO, get me a coffee: Interesting article by Sheryl Sandberg on women doing the 'Office Housework'

Weekly Outfits

Last year was not a good year for my closet - I wore only a handful of pieces on repeat. I truly love getting dressed up - the joy of an outfit coming together exactly the way you had pictured it in your head is just priceless but last year, call it lack of motivation or just plain old laziness I wasn't as creative with my outfits as I would have liked. So this year another one of my resolutions is to try and dress-up everyday. It becomes especially hard since I do not follow a fixed schedule, so if I am not dressed up by 10-11am I know it's gonna be a sweatpants day. So to keep me on track I thought I will post my weekly outfits here. Let's see for how long can I keep up:

26th Jan - 1st Feb

Citrus Salad

I tried this salad a couple of years ago at Delfina and fell in love with its simplicity and bursting citrus flavors. I recreated it at home with a little help from the interwebs and it turned out pretty close to the restaurant version.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Clementines
• 2 Blood Oranges
• 1 Grape Fruit
• 1 Navel Orange
• 1-2 Minneola Oranges
• 1 Fennel Bulb
• 1 small shallot (optional)
• 1/4 th cup hazelnuts or walntus - toasted
• 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
• handful of mint leaves
• Salt & Pepper

NOTES:

• You do not have to stick with my combination of fruits.You can go with any kind of citrus fruits. The idea is to get a little variety for a good mix of flavors.
• If you are using fennel for the first time, you should look at this short video on how to cut fennel.

PROCESS:

1. Peel and slice all the fruits into 1/2 inch rounds and put them in a bowl.
2. Cut the leaves and trims of fennel and slice the bulb as thin as possible. Add these to the fruit bowl. You can use a mandolin for this job I just did it with my good old knife.
3. If using, then slice the shallot into super thin slices as well.
4. Put the nuts on a pan - and toast them on low heat. If you are using hazelnuts, you will have to roll them in a paper towel or dish cloth to get rid of any loose skin
5. Sprinkle olive oil and salt and pepper on the salad.
6. Garnish with Mint leaves and roasted nuts. 

Blueberry Lemon Cake

Let me begin by saying that this actually is an almond-blueberry-lemon-poppy seed cake. This was one of the first cakes I baked or should I say first cake I baked successfully. The only reason I tried making this cake was because the recipe looked pretty simple to put together and the ingredient list was as healthy as it can be for a dessert. My pics here really do not do justice to how tasty the cake was - spongy, soft and yum.

 INGREDIENTS:
4 cups almond flour
2tbsp poppy seeds
3 eggs
2 cups of blueberries (save half for toppings)
2 lemons
1/2 cup coconut oil or ghee
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Glaze
1 cup greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

NOTES:

• If you do not want to use just almond flour, you can use 2 cups spelt+1.5 cups almond flour. I tried this combination
• I used coconut oil and honey but I am sure ghee and maple syrup would produce the same results
• I forgot to save 1 cup of blueberries for toppings and ended up adding the whole 2 cups in the batter - and it didn't feel they were messing with the taste or anything in fact I liked it that way.
• You could use simple home-made or regular store bought yogurt. The only reason Greek yogurt works a bit better is because its thicker. 

PROCESS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C
2. Mix the almond flour+poppy seeds+salt+baking powder+baking soda in a large bowl and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil and honey in a sauce pan on very low heat until the oil melts and gets mixed with the honey. I didn't want to put my pan on a direct flame, instead I put it on an iron tawa - this is not necessary, I was just being extra cautious.
4. Grate the zest from 2 lemons and add it to the honey+oil mixture. (My experience with lemon zest has never been good - I always find it too bitter so I DID NOT use any zest here). But if you happen to like it then definitely go ahead with the step.
5. Cut the lemons in halves and squeeze the juice of 3 of the halves and add it to the honey/oil mix. Save the 4th half of the lemon for the glaze
6. Add the honey+oil+lemon juice mix to the dry ingredients from Step 2.
7. Beat the eggs in a bowl and fold them into the batter. (I usually beat them for a while till they get a bit frothy)
8. Add 1 cup of blueberries and mix them gently with a wooden spoon
9. Grease a pan with oil and add the batter to it and put it in the pre-heated oven
10. While cake gets baked, prepare the glaze. Hang the yogurt in a cheese cloth for about 15 mins to drain out all the excess water - the idea is to make the yogurt as thick as possible. You might need to do this longer (say 30-40 mins) if you are using regular yogurt.
11. Add the juice from one half of the lemon left and vanilla extract to this thick yogurt. (Make sure you taste the yogurt first to see how sour it is- and add lime juice accordingly. You dont want it to be too sour - it you feel its very sour - just add little bit of honey) Keep it in the fridge to chill for about 20-30 mins.
12. You need to bake the cake for about 40-50 minutes depending on the oven and the size and material of the pan being used. I highly recommend checking the cake at the 30-35 minute mark.The cake needs to be golden brown on top and cooked all the way through. You can cover the cake with foil during the last 15 minutes if you feel the top is getting burned but the rest of the cake needs more cooking. (I did not need to do this, I baked mine for 40 mins and then let it sit in for another 5-7 mins after switching off the oven)
13. Take the pan out and let it cool for at least 30 mins. I was impatient and tried taking it out while it was still warm - it crumbled and ruined the pics:(
14. When the cake has cooled completely, cover it with the honey yogurt glaze and top with the remaining blueberries. Since our cake was not going to be consumed all at once, I did not want it to get all soggy - I served the yogurt glaze and blueberries on each individual piece.

Recipe Source: Green Kitchen Stories

Weekend Links

• Incase you were wondering, this is what Emma (Ross & Rachel's baby) looks like today
• This is the most innovative antiV-day celebration I have heard of - A public pillow fight
• Indian TV ads have always championed the art of exploring the wide range of human emotions to push commercial products. The new trend to hit that space is Women Power
• And I will round it up with this beautiful quote I found on Pinterest:

Burrito Bowl

When I first arrived in the United States, the only fast food that I actually took a liking to was the burrito bowl at Chipotle. I remember eating it at least once a week during the first few years. Ever since then Chiptole has been our go-to place for non-greasy and tasty fast food. I had been thinking of creating the burrito bowl at home since the ingredients looked simple enough but the ease of a Chipotle pick-up always put my grand plans on hold. Anyhow, cut to a few months back and I finally tried making the burrito bowl at home and it turned out way way better than I expected.

I made it again recently on Super bowl Sunday and thought of posting it here. Let me tell you once you go home-made it will be hard to go back to the store made stuff - it is that good. Another thing I want to point out is that please don't be discouraged by the long list of ingredients- it might take some time but all of them are relatively easy to put together.

                         You need to make Rice, Beans, Fajitas, Tomato Salsa & Guacamole

INGREDIENTS
Cilantro -Lime Rice
2 cups of Jasmine or Basmati Rice
4 cups of water
1 tbsp ghee or butter
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup of cilantro - chopped
1.5 tsp Cumin Powder
Salt to taste

Beans:
1 cup kidney beans (rajma) soaked overnight

Fajitas:
2-3 medium sized bell peppers (preferably green) - sliced
1 big red onion - sliced
1 tbsp of ghee or coconut oil

Tomato Salsa:
2 large tomatoes - finely diced
2 tbsp red onion- diced
1 garlic clove - minced
1/2 green chilli - diced (I used Serrano pepper)
handful of chopped cilantro
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar
juice of 1 lime

Guacamole:
2 Avocados - pulp
2 Tomatoes - de-seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion - diced
1 garlic clove - crushed
Juice of 1 lime
handful of chopped cilantro
1 tsp cumin powder
salt and chilli powder to taste

Lettuce: Shredded (optional)

NOTES:

• You can use either brown or white rice. I used white basmati rice.
• You can use Jalapeno or Serrano peppers - just err on the side of caution and add it in portions.
• I have seen Roma Tomatoes work best for Guacamole as they have less juice and pulp. 
• When I am in hurry, instead of making guacamole, I just use chopped avocados.

Process:
Rice 

1. Start by making the rice first. Wash the rice and put them along with 1 tbsp of ghee and water in the pan to cook just like you would regular rice.
2. You should add the chopped cilantro, lime juice, cumin powder and salt after the boiling stage i.e at the simmering stage, when the rice is about to be done and there is a little bit of water left. 
3. Mix well and keep it covered. Remember the key ingredients that will make this rice similar to the one at Chipotle are lime juice and cilantro - so adjust the seasoning as per your flavor.

Beans:

Pressure cook the soaked beans - you just need to add little bit of salt to them

Fajitas:

In the meanwhile, slice the peppers and onions and saute them in a pan and cook them to your preference. You can sprinkle a little bit of salt on these too.

Tomato Salsa:

Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl and adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

Guacamole:

1. Remove the Guacamole pulp and add the diced tomatoes, onion and garlic along with all the other spices - cumin, salt and chili powder. 
2. It's a good idea to take out the pulp and juice of tomatoes - otherwise your guacamole will turn out to be too soggy and liquidy.

Serve: Start with a bed of rice, add the beans and fajitas and garnish with tomato salsa, guacamole and lettuce. You can top it with bit of Sriracha and a few spoons of yogurt.

Sun-dried Tomato Paste

I have been keeping a jar of this paste in my refrigerator for quite some time. It comes in really handy whenever I need to whip up something quick. You can add it to make a quick salad, it works really well with a sandwich too

Sun-dried Tomato Paste - Makes 1 full jar (250ml)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Sun-dried tomatoes (without oil)
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tbsp garlic - crushed
• 2 tbsp capers (optional)
• 1 tbsp red chilly powder or flakes
• 3 tbsp Oregano (preferably fresh)
• 20 leaves of fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• Salt to taste

NOTES:
- The measurements are all my best approximation of the original recipe so you might have to tweak them a bit.
- If using oil packed sun-dried tomatoes then skip adding the extra olive oil
- The paste stays well at room temperature for about a month and in the refrigerator for about a year.

PROCESS:

1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in balsamic vinegar and water overnight
2. Blend the soaked tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients till it turns into a smooth paste
3. Adjust the seasoning - you might need to add a little bit of sugar if the paste is too sour.

Recipe Source: Healthfood Desi Videshi

Chickpea Salad with Sundried Tomato Paste

This is a salad I make whenever I need to make a quick lunch. I have a jar of this sun-dried paste in the fridge and it comes handy whenever I am a little short on time. You can whip up the salad in minutes provided you have boiled chickpeas in the fridge.

Serves 2

Salad
INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked 
• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes - chopped 
• salad leaves (any kind)
• handful of Grapes (optional)
• Paneer cubes (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 1-2 tbsp of Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

NOTES:

- I do not add paneer to the salad and it still tastes delicious.

- In case you don't have cooked chickpeas on hand - you can try boiling them on the spot - adding a pinch of baking soda helps quicken the process, but you would still want to pressure cook them for at least 4-5 whistles on a slow flame. Make sure to discard the water used in boiling.

PROCESS:

1. Dressing: To make the dressing just mix in 1tbsp sun-dried tomato paste with 1tbsp of olive oil. I used the 2 tbsp of each.
2. Boil the chickpeas, that have been soaked overnight - drain them and put them in a salad bowl.
3. Throw in the chopped cherry tomatoes+ the chopped grapes along with the salad greens.
4. Add in the dressing - adjust the salt and pepper
5. And you are done!

Sun-dried Tomato Paste - Makes 1 full jar (250ml)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Sun-dried tomatoes (without oil)
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tbsp garlic - crushed
• 2 tbsp capers (optional)
• 1 tbsp red chilly powder or flakes
• 3 tbsp Oregano (preferably fresh)
• 20 leaves of fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• Salt to taste

NOTES:
- The measurements are all my best approximation of the original recipe so you might have to tweak them a bit.
- If using oil packed sun-dried tomatoes then skip adding the extra olive oil

PROCESS:

1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in balsamic vinegar and water overnight
2. Blend the soaked tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients till it turns into a smooth paste
3. Adjust the seasoning - you might need to add a little bit of sugar if the paste is too sour.
4. The paste stays well at room temperature for about a month and in the refrigerator for about a year.

Recipe Source: Healthfood Desi Videshi

Weekend Links

Since I spend most of my waking hours on the web, I come across lots of good stuff that's worth sharing. So I thought to make a note of all the good, must read-see links in a weekly post. Here are this week's list:

• TED talk on Why do we like what we Like : Great talk on how are experiences of pleasure as well as pain are so dependent on our mental perception.
• AIB Roast of Ranveer Singh & Arjun Kapoor: WARNING- This is not for the faint hearted. It's filthy beyond your imagination, it's hard to believe that this was a live show - but it's funny, if you like that sort of thing.
• Valentine's day card for the non-mushy Couples: This was shared by my friend on What'sApp and I just had to share it with the 3 family members that actually read this blog. Super funny stuff.
• A conversation between Swami Vivekanand & Ramakrishna Paramhans: Not sure if its true but its thought provoking for sure: 

1. Swami Vivekanand:- I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic.

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you free.

2. Swami Vivekanand:- Why has life become complicated now?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Stop analyzing life. It makes it complicated. Just live it.

3. Swami Vivekanand:- Why are we then constantly unhappy?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

4. Swami Vivekanand:- Why do good people always suffer?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

5. Swami Vivekanand:- You mean to say such experience is useful?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons .

6. Swami Vivekanand:- Because of so many problems, we don’t know where we are headed...

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the way.

7. Swami Vivekanand:- Does failure hurt more than moving in the right direction?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

8. Swami Vivekanand:- In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

9. Swami Vivekanand:- What surprises you about people?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- When they suffer they ask, “why me?” When they prosper, they never ask “Why me?”

10. Swami Vivekanand:- How can I get the best out of life?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

11. Swami Vivekanand:- One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

Yoga - Videos I love

I don't know about any of you but my mind is a wild horse. There is is no knowing where it's gonna leap the next second. At any given point in day - I am juggling between focussing on the task on hand and the web of thoughts in my brain. It's such a struggle to solely focus on one thing at a time and the current digitalized culture isn't really helping the cause.  There are days in a row when I am totally on auto pilot mode - without actually taking a second to breathe or enjoy the surroundings and did I mention I don't have a regular 9-5 gig or any children. I can't even begin to imagine the chaos a working mom faces.

The only saving grace is that I am aware of this and recognize it as a serious hinderance to my emotional and overall well being. As part of my customary new year resolution - I decided to work towards being more present in the moment. I am slowly trying to coordinate by body and brain to function in sync - by actually paying attention to what I am doing especially even if its the everyday somewhat mundane chores.

One big change I have made in the past few weeks is my decision to use one gadget at at time. It might not seem like a big issue to many out there - but having the Television on in the background while working on my laptop with one eye on my iphone is (or was) a pretty common scenario in my house. And the icing on the cake is that I suck at multi-tasking(another concept I seriously believe is a product of this new hyper active digital revolution) - what that essentially means is that it used to take me double the time to answer a simple email as my teeny little brain couldn't compartmentalize. So now its either phone or computer and never both.

However, the thing that helps me the most in this effort is Yoga - which is what I wanted to talk about in the first place (excuse the long background story). I have been fairly regular at doing yoga for the past 2 years. And all I can say is that I have found my true bliss - when I am on the mat, focussing all my energy on my breath - tensions and worries of life just seem to melt away. It's way harder than I make it sound - I have to constantly remind my wandering mind to get back to it. But despite all that Yoga is the only thing that realigns me physically and spiritually - it's the one thing I turn to whenever I need to get some perspective in life. That being said, I think the only reason I stuck around to fall in love with this practice was because of this teacher I found near my house. I had tried my hand at yoga a couple of times before but could never really follow it on a long term basis and I think it was partially because I could not find a teacher that I truly admired.

These days I dont go to my yoga studio very often and try to practice more at home. Over the past few months I have discovered a few very good online sessions that I really like . So I thought I would share some of my favorites links that help me stay on track:

Breathing and relaxation focussed - Great for beginners and for anyone who wants to relax and loosen up a little

1. stlpl.co/1EpnEM8 
2. stlpl.co/1H9pHpR 
3. stlpl.co/1D6W16t 
4. stlpl.co/15Mk7IJ 

Yoga with Adrienne: A good instructor who paces her class well to help you grasp the fundamentals.

Intermediate Level: Involves some serious poses

1. Do Yoga with me: I like this site, they have lots of teachers offering free lessons in different variations and at diff levels of yoga. The instructor that I follow the most is Tracey Noseworthy.
2. Yoga with Dagmar: She is another great instructor whose lessons I have followed for a long time. She has a couple of videos on you tube - One, Two, Three
3. 10 Minutes Pilates Solution: I have tried a couple of DVD's with this instructor 'Lara Hudson' and they are again a pretty good place to start. You can probably find them on Netflix too.

These are the links of a few meditation sounds that I play in the background:

• OM Chanting: So So good
• Tibetan Healing Sounds: So soothing and perfect to play in the background
• Relaxing Music: Another good one

If you guys have any other online instructors or sites that you love, please share in the comments.