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Archive for the ‘Indian-Inspired’ Category

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Tandoori Marinated Tofu using Arvinda's Tandoori Masala on skewers on a bed of curried barley.

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.

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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Tandoori Spiced Dark Chocolate Truffles

Tandoori Spiced Dark Chocolate Truffles

So the saying goes, “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Based on this idiom one would think ‘feed them’ and they’ll be happy, right?!

Not always the case! As someone who likes to cook, I was a bit disappointed to know that not every man can be won over by food!

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Spicy Curried Spaghetti

On rainy days, I seek comfort food. Must have something to do with the dampness and cold feeling in the bones. To me, a spicy pasta is comfort food.

This spicy comforting two step curried spaghetti was perfect for a windy, damp Friday night dinner!

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Chef Andrew Muto’s Bombay Lentil Salad.

Dear green lentils…where have you been all my life?!

In India, we consume over 60 varieties of lentils and beans ranging from channa dal, chick peas, urid dal, masoor dal, moong beans to kidney beans.

Variety is definitely the spice of life! You can have a different dal cooked in its own unique way and never feel bored with this amazing protein source.

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A shuffle on a Classic Pumpkin Pie! My version has an Indian twist ~ chai spices, saffron topped with pistachios.

For years now our pastry chef customers have raved about using Arvinda’s Chai Masala in a classic Pumpkin Pie recipe, saying it’s the perfect autumn combination of warming spices. It makes sense since the blend contains both nutmeg and cinnamon, two spices found in a Classic Pumpkin Pie recipe.

It’s a little bizarre that after all my countless Thanksgiving dinners over the years, my family’s tradition was never to have pumpkin pie. This year I put my foot down and said, “We’re having pumpkin pie!”

Of course that comes with an Indian twist! Spiced with Arvinda’s Chai Masala, infused with saffron and topped with pistachios you could be fooled into thinking this was an authentic Indian sweet!

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Niagara White Peaches are in season! Add some chili, lime and sea salt to enjoy this local fruit ~ Indian-style!

When traveling in India, one of my fondest memories is to enjoy freshly picked fruit with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of chili powder and sea salt. Whether it’s a tart mango or pineapple–Indians love their spices on everything!

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These Tandoori Spiced Potatoes are one of the easiest side dishes I know and are perfect for a summer picnic. Tastes good hot or cold!

With summer coming to a close the thought of savouring days outdoors and picnics are on my mind. Today I’m sharing a really simple side dish, Tandoori Spiced Potatoes which I’ve made this countless times this summer. Preparation is easy and they really hit the spot if you’re looking for a savoury and spicy bite!

I served these last weekend at a trade event so here is the recipe for those who were asking! Enjoy.

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Fiddleheads native to North America are available early spring. No longer a camping delicacy, fiddleheads are now found at natural food stores like Whole Foods Market.

My foray into the world of wild foods (namely fiddleheads) came to me as a teen in girl scouts, learning about wilderness survival techniques and edible foods safe to eat if stranded without food provisions on a camping trip.

Starting out in Brownies, moving onto Girl Guides, Pathfinders and finally Rangers, I had twelve years immersed in the Guiding movement imparting me with some of my best childhood memories and camping experiences hands-down!

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Spicy Mac n' Cheese perfect for a rainy night!

Yesterday at the dentist’s office I luckily caught the final hour of The Oprah Show. I had great timing.

Everyone in the waiting room watched in silence, hanging onto Oprah’s every last word as she delivered a monologue of her life lessons, experiences and wisdom to loyal viewers and most loved fans in farewell to the long-lasting show.

How do you close 25 strong years of programming into one short hour? How did Oprah choose her words and what messages to convey to sum up her dense breadth of experiences and immense amount of wisdom she’s gained over the last two and half decades?

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A regal cupcake for the Royal Wedding ~ Chai Spiced Cupcake with Shirkhand Icing.

At the moment my British accent is on and I’m ready to watch the Royal Wedding in a short few hours. After all, the memory of watching Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981 hasn’t really left me.

Shortly thereafter, I was given a commemorative Royal Wedding book as a gift from one of my cousins sent from abroad. This book became one of my bedtime picture book “reads” night after night, as I leafed through the photos of the guests gussied up in their royal wedding attire and alluring fascinators. I can’t remember how many times I looked at that book.

Tonight I went through some old boxes looking for that commemorative book. I hung onto it all these years because the memory of the wedding of the century is a memory I won’t forget. After looking in every possible place, sadly I realized the box of odds and ends containing the keepsake book was thrown out as “junk”.

I’m shattered.

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