Treat days! And a happy 2014 to you

Hello and Happy 2014! I can’t believe another year is already here…

A deliciously chocolately treat…for a treat day!

Recently with the cold temperatures and some crazy flu going around (H1N1), I’ve been stocking up on turmeric, adding ‘a pinch here and pinch there’ to all my cooking. Also, my Ayurvedic Turmeric Milk recipe for cold and flu is coming in handy. I’m taking this daily to ward off any scratchy throats which are just painfully annoying! When we become sick even with the wimpiest cold or flu, it takes away precious time (sometimes even weeks) from doing the things we love, from feeling vibrant with full energy and loving every single day of our lives. Now as I ‘knock on wood’ and slap back a turmeric shot I’m hoping to make it through another season without catching anything. If we’re talking about resolutions, one thing I did resolve to do is – don’t forget the turmeric!

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Chai Spiced Creamy Medjool Date mithai

Chai Spice Medjool Date mitai using Arvinda’s Chai Masala

Over the weekend we celebrated Diwali, India’s festival of lights. The celebrations are vibrant, joyous and lit with illuminated tiny lamps called diyas. It is a custom to cook many varieties of snacks and sweets and share them with loved ones.

Although this is the only time of year we eat specific Indian sweets (this is definitely a time of year for treats!) I wanted to make something different as well as “healthy”, if you can call a sweet treat that! Maybe the word I’m looking for is healthier than the typical syrupy and overly sugary Indian mithai (sweets) we often indulge in.

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Turmeric Ginger Fizz

Just wanted to share with you something I drank all summer long.

September is a great month to reflect on the summer, regroup, evaluate new goals and think about where are you going from now until the end of the year.

Getting back on track in September for me means going back to basics, healthy eating and practicing a better sleep routine.

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Love Your Mother: Tandoori Marinated Tofu

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Tandoori Marinated Tofu on skewers on a bed of curried barley.

Do you ever feel like you’re on auto-pilot, and sort of robotic in your actions?

Sometimes the habits and lifestyle we keep is only out of mere habits, habits that we can change by making easy and simple changes. Small changes collectively make a huge impact. This is what the Earth Day movement is all about!

Adopting a plant-based diet is single most effective way to show Mother Earth some compassion. Meat production is extremely intensive on the environment so even cutting back on meat once a week can make a huge impact! Read more about the environmental impact of eating a meat-based diet in the Vegetarian Times here. Hellllo Meatless Mondays!

Serve this tofu on top of a bed of rice or grain of your choice or on top of a salad.

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Creamy Chocolate Shrikhand with Cranberries

Chocolate Shrikhand with Cranberries – a decadent treat!

Can I just say, sheer decadence can be captured in a cup of Shrikhand, a Gujarati dessert of strained yogurt spiced with cardamom and other Chai spices. A spoonful of this heavenly dessert can always put me in a good mood.

Just give me a reason and I will make this dessert in a moment’s notice!

Presentation is pretty in a glass dessert bowl or cup.

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Spring energy: Kale & Broccoli in Curried Broth with Paneer

Spring is about renewal–of our bodies, friendships, personal connections, goals, dreams and of course, life!

Kale & Broccoli in a Curried Broth – a great way to helping you feel energized, happy and loving!

With the arrival of spring it is time to readjust, wake ourselves out of a slumber and reenergize our spirits and beings.

This is the perfect time to fill our body with all good things, give our butts a bit of a kick before the start of the summer season and give ourselves a mental ‘check in’ if we’re meeting all our life’s undisclosed desires.

Spring is a great time to add some energy-boosting foods to the diet and get the heart-pumping!

When we feel alive and full of energy, then only can we radiate our internal happiness to others, being a good spouse, mother, father, sibling, friend or acquaintance to our loved ones. Some may say putting yourself first is selfish, but indeed it will benefit everyone around you.

We all know happiness is infectious. Think of doing one good deed for a stranger and who knows, that happiness can spread thousands of miles!

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8 am craving: Spicy Thai Curry Noodles

Spicy Thai Curry Noodles: In many cultures this would be considered the perfect breakfast food!

This morning I woke up early anticipating to do a vigorous yoga practice. Instead, I stayed back and gave into my 8am craving!

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Snow day comfort: Madras Carrot Soup with Turmeric

On snow days like today when you feel cooped up inside, it’s time to get in your kitchen and create some winter comfort food.

Whether it’s a curry or a warming soup, Indian spices can help you embrace the winter cold and not have you wish for the beach!

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Spicy Chai Drinking Chocolate

I hope you don’t get me wrong advocating this Spicy Chai Drinking Chocolate beverage so early into the New Year. The Mayans may not have predicted the end of the world correctly, but they did know a thing or two about chocolate!

The Mayans were the first true chocolate aficionados embracing chocolate for its restorative and mood-enhancing properties.

A little dark chocolate shouldn’t upset anyone’s new year’s health regimens.

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Chai Spiced Indian Diwali Shortbread ~ Nan Katai (Khatai)

Diwali, India’s Festival of Lights is not complete without an indulgence of delicious foods!

Nan Katai (Khatai) is Indian shortbread. This recipe uses Arvinda’s Chai Masala for an aromatic accent.

Recently, I had a conversation with Nadine Sharon Anglin for Canadian Living about Diwali foods.

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