Happy Thanksgiving!

Blue Sky

Have you ever looked up straight at the vast blue sky...slivers of cloud...bluest blue? It feels so ethereal, so out of this world - like reaching out to the beyond. It's almost humbling! A force so much bigger than us....

Beautiful Earth!

Hello friends! It's been exactly a year since I started this blog. It's been both a very freeing as well as a grounding experience! Thank you to all those who have read my posts. 

Happy 1st Anniversary!!

CREAMY CORN SOUP for the chilly days!

Here is a chill busting, grounding soup recipe that will also warm your souls!!

     

Ingredients                                               

                                                                           

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (12 oz) frozen corn

1 medium size Russet potato

1 cup chopped zucchini

1 medium size onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic

1 Serrano pepper chopped 

1 cup vegetable broth or water

½ cup coconut milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Method

Heat the oil. Add the garlic, onions and potatoes. Saute them until they turn light brown. Now add the corn, zucchini and serrano pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium high. Add the broth, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and cook covered on medium low until potatoes are cooked. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool (maybe an hour or so).

Once the soup has come to room temperature, puree it in a blender until smooth. You can also sieve the soup to get a smoother texture. Serve the soup warm garnished with cilantro. 

Brussel Sprout - A Tiny Cabbage!

Many of you will agree with me on this - Brussel Sprout is NOT appealing - in taste or smell!! But did you know that it is one of the healthiest veggies around? Here are a few of the reasons it is a Hero!

1. It is very high in sulfur-containing substances called Glucosinolates (also found in kale, cauliflower, and broccoli ) that impart the pungent smell and taste. Along with a high concentration of vitamin K - these protect the body from a state of inflammation. And as you should know that long-standing inflammation in the body serves as the basis for diseases like cancer.

2. It is rich in Antioxidants like Vitamin C and Manganese which fight the bad guys - free radicals and protect the body from cancer.

3. It is also rich in Fiber which not only supports digestive health but also lowers cholesterol.

4. Believe it or not, it also provides Omega 3 fatty acids. So good for the brain and heart!

Here's a very simple and healthy recipe that I would like to share with you. 

Stir Fried Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

1 12-16 oz frozen package Brussel Sprouts 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you like it hot)
Salt n Pepper to taste

Method

Microwave the Brussel Sprouts as directed. Empty and drain the sprouts. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Just as the oil begins to heat, add the cumin seeds and as they start crackling, add the sprouts to the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Remember, they are already cooked in the microwave! So all they need is a good coat of olive oil and that charred roasted look. Shake the pan a couple of times. Turn off the heat and serve them hot and sizzling with a dash of salt and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Snack away!!

Acrylic Roses

On a lazy afternoon, my daughter and I decided to paint some roses in acrylic using the same colors!! What better way to spend some time together - the quiet hum of the ceiling fan, sunlight streaming down from the blinds, our paint brushes swirling the colors.....and of course the blanket of heavenly calm around us....

Enjoy the roses🌹🌹

             

Roses

Hello again!! It's been almost two months since my last post! And half the year has already gone by. But life gets busy sometimes...right? So this morning I woke up early and decided that I had to create something. I pulled out a picture of a bunch of roses I had taken a few days ago and water painted them. Hope you like the finished piece. 😊

                            

Desert Gem Cactus

Yesterday during an early morning visit to Sprouts, I was pleasantly welcomed by an array of cacti in rainbow hues just outside the store. I couldn't help but click a few pictures. These are called Desert Gem cacti for their jewel tones - emerald green, topaz pink, sapphire blue, fire opal orange and amethyst purple! They are easy to grow - don't need much water. Just put them in a bright spot and jazz up your living space🌷

An Affirmation for Everyday

A Little House in watercolor

Bliss

                                                 
                                          The first green of spring
                                          The wide blue sky
                                          A cool spring breeze 
                                          Bliss all around

A Watercolor journey!

Can you relearn something?

Once upon a time when I was a little girl, I loved to paint. I filled pages after pages with mountains, rivers, trees, flowers and deep blue skies. Opening my watercolor box, dipping my brush into water, swirling the colors - I lost track of time.....

Time passed. Other things became more important. I stopped painting. Every minute was too important to waste on trivial pursuits. There were so many more urgent matters to pay attention to, so much to achieve and a long way to go.

Some more time passed. Life changed. By then, some things had worked out and some had not. One day the watercolors found their way back into my life. I had totally forgotten how to use them! With a wet brush, I nervously picked up a color and slowly and shyly I worked my way through it - one stroke, one wash, one piece of art - at a time.

So yes, you CAN relearn anything. I am learning to get in touch with the child within, the part that loved to paint but had forgotten how.

A tale of two suns

Blue Lotus

Fairy lights

The sun was setting and I couldn't take my eyes off the ground, from the little flowers - twinkling in the light of the dusk, like fairy lights...

A Reading Surprise

My library has this rule - do not scribble on the pages of any book. Sometimes however it is really difficult especially when I come across an interesting phrase or an idea. Then off I scamper to hunt for a piece of paper and pen to scribble down and in that process I usually end up getting distracted. There goes my reading time.😒

This morning while reading I came across a beautiful phrase. I decided to note it down and just as I got up from my comfy chair, I realized that it was my "personal" book. I can't express the happiness and contentment I felt at that moment. I could mark that phrase, in fact anything else I wanted to in that book - with the brightest boldest pencil tip I could find!!! 🖉

Sun

Water colors meet gel pen again

Swirls

             A black gel pen and some watercolors got together one day...

                                                             

Sunburst

                                        A call to create

On a bright sunny afternoon

The Very Versatile Eggplant

Versatile because it can be enjoyed in so many ways - fried, grilled, curried or pureed into a dip. It also happens to be a healthy vegetarian option - low in calories and high in fiber.

So here is a simple recipe that can be had as a side dish or on a toast topped with avocados.

Ingredients                                            

1 eggplant washed and dried
1 tablespoon cornmeal
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (or any other herb of your choice)
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil

Method

Remove the ends of the eggplant. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt on the slices and let them sit on a colander for about 15 min. This removes the moisture and bitterness from the eggplant.

Mix cornmeal, cornstarch, salt, pepper, paprika and the herbs. Pat dry the eggplant slices with a towel. Coat each slice in the cornstarch mixture evenly and set aside.

Warm a flat bottomed pan and shallow fry the slices until golden brown on each side. To finish the dish, place the slices on a baking tray and broil them on low for about 10 min until you hear them sizzle.

Enjoy!!

Option 1 -

Option 2 -

Toast a slice of bread and top it with finely chopped spinach, a few slices of avocado and some shredded purple cabbage. 
A colorful toast!!

Crispy Spicy Tofu

Ingredients

16 oz extra firm tofu cut into cubes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt to taste
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method

Drain as much liquid as possible from the tofu. One way of doing this is by keeping the slab of tofu between two plates for about half hour and intermittently draining the liquid. Next pat the tofu dry and cut it into cubes that are at least 1.5 inches long. 

Mix the cornstarch, salt, pepper, paprika and sesame seeds. Dip each cube of tofu into the cornstarch mixture coating it evenly on all sides and set it aside. 

Heat a pan with the oil. Put the cubes one by one into the oil and let them get golden and crisp on their sides before turning them gently on the other sides. 

Serve them warm as a side dish or an appetizer.

Enjoy!!

A quiet little flower

Somewhere among the pages

lies a quiet little flower 

its petals of fiery shades

and a hint of summer

Mung Bean Sprouts

This post is a continuation of my last one on sprouts. I sprouted mung beans a few days ago and decided to stick with it for the long haul for 2 reasons - they are nutritious and so easy to sprout. 

I've posted these pictures for those who want to get started on sprouting. I can just say it gets easier with each try and it feels so good to watch something grow in a jar on your kitchen counter top.

Note - Wash hands and use clean kitchen equipment for sprouting. It's best to cook them before eating and try to consume them as soon as possible. Please refer to my last post for the benefits of sprouting.

 

Soak and Sprout

Super healthy ways to consume nuts, seeds, grains and beans

We already know these foods are nutrient dense powerhouses. But for our bodies to be able to absorb all that richness, we need to first understand the phytic acid connection.

PHYTIC ACID is found in all plant foods in variable amounts. It's not all that bad because it attacks cancer cells and is also an antioxidant BUT when consumed, it binds to important minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and copper in the gastrointestinal tract forming PHYTATES which can't be absorbed and so are expelled from the body resulting in deficiencies of minerals mentioned.

Coming to the rescue is PHYTASE - an enzyme found in the plant food, that deactivates the phytic acid. Rye, wheat and buckwheat are high in this enzyme while oats and corn are pretty low.
We humans cannot produce this enzyme but we can use methods like SOAKING n SPROUTING to activate this enzyme.

Here is a simple and easy breezy way to start. To begin I assemble a few old pickle jars, poly mesh bags cut into squares and some rubber bands. That's all!

SOAK
1. Place the grains or beans in the jar/s and wash them a couple of times with water until the drained water looks clean.
2. Pour room temperature water into the jar to completely submerge the beans.
3. Add some apple cider vinegar if soaking grains and some sea salt if soaking nuts, seeds and beans. This helps activate the phytase.
4. Cover the mouth of the jar with a square of poly mesh bag and keep it in place with a rubber band.

At the end of soaking period, you'll notice that the size of the grains or beans has increased.

SPROUT
1. After the soaking period, wash and drain the water from the jar through the mesh a couple of times until water is clear.
2. Make sure that all the water has been drained out. Now slightly invert the jar at an angle over a folded towel or rack and cover that bowl with a cloth in a dark area of the kitchen away from direct sunlight.
3. Twice a day - morning and night or every 12 hours, rinse and drain the grains/beans for the designated sprouting period.

This process removes some more phytic acid as well as releases the vitamins and makes the food a lot more digestible. As soon as the sprouts are ready, wash them one more time. I prepare only small amounts of sprouts at a time and cook them right after they are ready by gently boiling them in water OR by steaming them. I make sure that they are consumed in 1-2 days.

NOTE - It is very important to handle the sprouting process very meticulously using CLEAN hands, kitchen equipment and counter tops to reduce contamination and food borne illnesses such as Salmonella and E coli.

What's the best way to eat sprouts?
Sprouts always carry a risk for contamination as they grow under moist conditions. So it is safer to COOK them before eating. They can be added to soups or stews or they can be sauteed in olive oil.


Below is a table of some of the common grains, nuts, beans or seeds with their soaking and sprouting times. I have tried mung beans, almonds and black chickpeas so far. For all other grains or beans you might want to look up more information online or do some research.

Enjoy!! I would love to know about your sprouting experiences too.

Kale Pesto

A very easy n nutritious way to amp up your pasta!

Ingredients

5 cups coarsely chopped kale leaves
1/2 cup walnuts
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

Soak walnuts in water for about an hour. Chop garlic finely. Heat oil and add the garlic and kale leaves. Cook for 3-4 min on medium high heat. Lower the heat and add the walnuts. Add salt and pepper flakes and then cover and cook for about 5 min. If kale sticks to the pan, sprinkle some water. Let this cool and then blend it in a food processor.
This stays fresh for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or a week in the freezer.

You can enjoy this pesto in pasta, on toast or salads.

Note - I soak the walnuts to make it more nutritious. In my next post I will write about the nutritional value of soaking and sprouting in detail.

Pizza Toast

Is for those times when we crave for a wholesome snack without feeling too full (this does fill you up...but in a good way). My kids love it.

Ingredients

A slice of your favorite bread
olive oil
A few spinach leaves chopped
1-2 white button mushrooms thinly sliced
3-4 thin slices of a tomato
Cheese of your choice

1. Preheat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Dot a few drops of olive oil on the bread slice.
3. Layer your 'pizza' with spinach leaves, mushrooms, tomato and cheese. 
4. Bake your 'pizza' for 10-15 min until cheese has melted.

Enjoy😊😊😊 

Morning Glory

A splash of colors washes over the eastern sky

The winter sun just about to rise 

Here comes a morning in all its glory

A day pulsating with a new promise 

Weekend Art

"All eyes"

Happy New Year

 A very happy new year to you. Thank you for visiting my blog and taking a few minutes to read my posts. Today is the first Monday of this brand new year. As I tread on the grass wet from last night's rain, I look around and somehow feel in awe - everything from the blue sky to the bare branches to the leaves on my potted oregano - looks so much more brighter. Is it because it is a new day, a new beginning? This year let us appreciate the little things in life, the special people in our lives and the planet earth that sustains us.