Celebrate Color With Spicy Lemony Buttermilk

India today is celebrating the festival of color-HOLI. This is one of my favorite festival, because irrespective of race, religion, cast and creed every body today is playing and painting each other with colors.
WE may not be always aware that colors play a very important role in our life .We are drawn to colors- needed to bring balance in our lives, which is the main goal of every healing. The use of color as a therapy is a truly holistic and powerful for thousands of years.
In our world color dominates our live from reading sign in the roads to seeing a fruit whether ripe or not or the vegetables are in good condition or not color play a vital role.
It affects our mood blue is claming while red can make us tense. We are living in a colorful world but some time we forget to appreciate this gift of life. But today in India and all over the world where there are good number of Indians (like US,UK, South Africa, Trinidad and many more) along with the citizens, will celebrate color with great passion.
HOLI in India signifies light , life and surge of energy. Earth cast off her darkness and is ready to entrenched in the bright color of life.
This is also an important religious festival in India because it also signifies the love of Lord Krishna and Sree Radha. The mischievous cute Krishna took different colors and colored Radha and the Gopis . He also used to play with pichkaris ( big syringes tusked to sprinkle colorful water). This instance thus become an occasion of merry making every year. It is this mischievous spirit of courtship that enters this festival. Holi thus honors the Divine love of Lord Krishna and Sree Radha.
Shed the black from your life and take the red, yellow and greens . Discard pessimism and take a view on the brighter side. It is the time to sing ,dance ,laugh ,love, color all, color yourself , color your life – says Holi.
Wishing you all A Very Very Happy Holi!
A favourite drink of ours during Holi which a neighbour hood aunt used to make for us. It is really tasty and healthy and refreshing during the summer months.



INGREDIENTS:

Yoghurt     3 cups plain
Cold water  1 cups
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Black salt      ½ tsp
Pepper         according to taste
Sugar           1tsp
Coarsely grind 
roasted cumin seed   ½ tsp
Cilantro and 
mint leaves to decorate
Crushed ice to serve

PROCEDURE:
Pour the yogurt and water into blender for 1 min.
Add in the cumin, season to taste with salt and pepper and bled together.
Serve over crushed ice
Garnish with a sprinkle of cumin powder and finely chopped cilantro and mint.
So enjoy, and those who are far from India and want to drench in real color then India is welcoming you with open arms to visit during Holi festival and return with a lifetime experience of love and color.

WISHING YOU AGAIN A VERY VERY HAPPY HOLI!

Enjoy this favorite holi song from the Indian film you will get the idea of the festival and surely enjoy.



BE IN COLOR, HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.

*Help Japan- In midst of all this happiness how can we forget that our brothers and sister in Japan is going through  enormous trouble due to the gigantic earthquake and Tsunami. I have created a squidoo page,  from there you can send  your donation to the legit organisation who are working for their relief.Please make some time to visit Help Japan. Every single money earned from this page will go to Save the children . So please visit and  share this page with your friends  in whatever way you can. Thanks for all your help and support .

Mexican Chickpea Soup

Wish you all A Very Happy Belated Women’s Day.
On Women’s day I cook a hearty Mexican Chickpea Soup for my friends. I never knew that it will come out so wonderful because I missed one of the main ingredients that is chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I could not find them nearby and I have to use my foodie brain to make a substitute. I use pickled green chilly instead and that take away a portion of Mexico but it taste great. Take a look of the recipe.
Ingredients:

Butternut squash   1 bowl peeled, cut into 1 inch square
Red Bell pepper    1 cut into 1 inch chunks 
Onion              1 cut into wedges
Garlic             5 to 6 cloves peeled
Oregano            1 teaspoon
Cumin powder       1 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon    1/2  teaspoon
Olive oil          2 table spoon
Chickpea           1 can, rinsed
Corn               1 can,  drained
Tomatoes           2 ripe, diced
Salt and pepper    to taste
Chopped cilantro    1/2  cup

For pickled Green chilly
Green chilly   4 to 5 deseeded 
Salt           1/4 teaspoon
Pepper         1/4 teaspoon
Paprika powder  1/4 teaspoon
Tomato sauce    1 tablespoon
Vinegar         1 1/2 table spoon
Oregano         1/2  teaspoon
Onion chopped   1 teaspoon
Garlic chopped  1/2  teaspoon
Mix all this ingredients for pickled green chili and leave it for  8 to 10 hours.When you use it in soup just chop them and add.

Procedure:
Put all the fresh veggies in a roasting pan now sprinkle salts, pepper, add chopped garlic and onion and one tablespoon of f oil in it. Coat well. Heat the oven to 425°F then roast the vegetables stirring just once for 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned and tender. Place a saucepan over a low heat then put the remaining oil in it add cinnamon powder, oregano and cumin powder stir for few second then add 5 large cups of water. Then add the chickpeas, tomatoes, corn and pickled green chilly with a spoonful of the mixture in which you dipped the chilies or you may use 1 teaspoon of minced canned minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Bring to boil then simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes till the flavor blend. Stir in the roasted vegetable and chopped cilantro.
You can sprinkle little bit of cheese if you like and garnish with a lemon wedge. Serve with bread rolls or corn tortillas. Your delicious Mexican Chickpea Soup is ready.

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.
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Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

Today I thought to spend some time making a very easy and healthy veggie which will be awesome to taste. So I make sautéed spinach with garlic . If you don’t have much time in hand and want something that will be quick to make and great to taste then this sautéed spinach with garlic can be your choice.
Ingredients:

Spinach      10 ounce (tough stem removed)
Garlic          2 table spoon chopped
Olive oil      2 table spoon
Pine nut      3 table spoon 
Golden raisin  2 table spoon
Lemon zest    1/2  tea spoon
Lemon juice   1/2  tea spoon
Butter         1/2  tea spoon (optional)
Salt  and pepper  to taste 

Procedure:
In a non stick skillet heat olive oil then add chopped garlic and pine nuts ( you can use less pine nuts but for me I love the buttery nutty crunch). Stir for few second then add the spinach and salt. Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Then add  freshly ground pepper, lemon zest and golden raisin. Mix well. Remove from heat then add butter and lemon juice, mix it and serve immediately. Instead of butter you can use shaved Parmesan cheese. But as I am on my weight watch schedule so I avoid both butter and cheese. This is an awesome side dish, you can have it with grilled fish and chicken or simply with bread rolls. I am sure you will love it simple yet unbelievably satisfying taste.
Be Happy And Stay Healthy.
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Valentine’s Day Food Festival – part 2

This is my last post for Valentine’s Day food festival. I hope you all have enjoyed delicious festive recipes. I want to end this festival on a sweet note so two delicious sweet dish for you-
First recipe from a very sweet dear friend of mine Katerina. Thanks dear for sharing this decadent recipe with us.
                            
             Chocolate Charlotte with Rum

This second recipe is a very easy one which I came across when one day I was blog hopping and looking for something simple and sweet . I found Anne Strawberry’s blog and get this beautiful recipe which I think you all will like.
                           
           Cinnamon Honey Greek Yogurt Dip

I hope this sweet dishes will help you to relish your sweet memories.

Last but not the least- How can Valentine’s Day food festival end without real love stories. Here is something very interesting for you all.Check out this awesome love story and then share your love -



Be In Love For all the days of your life!

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.
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Steamed Prawn In Orange Juice

First I want to wish you all A very Happy and Happening Valentine’s Day!
I think in every and each occasion food plays a great role to bind hearts, we can’t deny the fact that good food set the mood whether you want to propose you dream date or want your hubby to buy that diamond necklace for you or to convince your teenage kids to visit their grandparents in weekend, it’s the good food who have silently serve the purpose and today is the another day to celebrate the season of love with delicious foods. Though Valentine’s day has been seen mostly related as a day of romance but for me it is a day to shower our love unconditionally without seeing the age, race , color ethnicity, religion, distance or time because in every human heart looks the same and love has it same sweet color and flavor.
Now my recipe for the day is a sweet simple easy to cook recipe which you will definitely love-

Ingredients:

Prawn 10
Butter/diet butter 2 table spoon
Garlic   1 teaspoon (chopped)
Orange juice  4 to 5 table spoon
Parsley chopped  hand full
Salt and pepper  to taste 

Procedure:
Devein and clean the prawn. In a bowl take butter, garlic chopped, orange juice, salt and pepper and chopped parsley then marinate the prawn very well with this ingredients. Then put the prawn on steamer and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until done. Your delicious steamed prawn in orange juice is ready to relish.

                                          
            Be In Love And Enjoy The Day Of Love!

In my coming post their will some delicious recipes for the food festival and if you feel you can still submit your favorite Valentine's day recipe link.

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.
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Valentine’s Day Food Festival

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For Valentine’s Day food festival three of my beautiful loving friend bring their favorite recipes for you. So now I present three tasty, appetizing, scrumptious, yummy, luscious, delectable, mouthwatering recipes back to back just for you. I am taking this opportunity to thank Heavenly Housewife, Catherine and Claudia for sharing their wonderful appealing kitchen creations with us.
Check out-

Martha Stewart’s Rose Water Sandwich Cookies

Grilled Chicken with Grilled Eggplant

Choco PB Dulce frozen pie no bake

Delicious cookies, pies, grilled chicken will make your dinner table rock. Also comeback for my Valentine's Day special post and those of my friend who want to submit their Valentine's Day super delicious recipes you can still do so, e-mail your link or submit it in your comments and be the part of the celebration.
Emmet Fox says -If you could only love enough, you could be the most powerful person in the world. So love a lot and feel the power of love not for a day but for the whole life.

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.

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Delicious Tomato Poppy Delight

I am celebrating Valentine’s day food festival in my blog. I am inviting all my blogging friends to  submit your guest post about your favorite Valentine’s Day recipe and I will post it to my blog. For the full month of February we will all celebrate the season of love in my blog. Love is the miracle cure and now science too have proved that when you are in love you produce" love hormone" Oxytocin which act as stress buster,increases immunity to repair, heal, and restore faster,faster wound healing,lowers blood pressure,protects against heart disease, reduces cravings and addictions, eases depression. So be in love. Today I will share a crazy love story with you hope you will like it!
Tomato and Poppy was good friend since child hood. As they grow up childhood friendship turned into unspoken love. Now tomato has to go to earn his living in a different city. Young handsome fresh tough tomato was everyone’s favorite and he was Mr. Charming for every party whether it be lunch or dinner. In this unknown city a sweet little black girl Nigella fall in love with Tomato. A party charmer Tomato never knew he will soon be under a critical situation where he has to choose between his child hood love Poppy and this new innocent love Nigella. But hard time came soon and the situation of sharp knife cut Tomato into pieces. Where Poppy on the other city was nurturing her good soul and day by day she is turning into a smooth paste of love and kindness. Nigella understood that Tomato was never meant for her so she talked with hot and happening rock star friend of her Green chili and told they only can spice up this love story and bring it to a happy ending with their other two friends Salt and Oil. So all of the four conspire to bring them together. They ask frying pan and her lid if they are willing to participate in this heart winning play or not. They agreed graciously. Nigella called Tomato and Poppy to take the final decision. Now it’s time for the climax and to put the stage on fire. Oil dripped into the pan it’s hot and Nigella knew yes it is the perfect time to plunge in. So Nigella plunged into hot oil. And Green chilly also slipped in. Poppy thought Nigella is committing suicide and couldn’t stay back and she too jumped. She try to bring back Nigella but after a minute roaming in the hot Oil she could not do so now she started screaming and asked Tomato for help. Tomato was talking with Salt nearby and when they saw situation is getting out of hand they jumped into the hot oil. Now it’s the work of the lid to give this romance a final touch. So she stayed there for a few minutes, haha… you can put all your fancy imagination of what happened within but when lid was off we saw Tomato and Poppy mingle together as made for each other couple and Nigella and Green chilly was smiling all around where as Oil and Salt was happy within to bring two beloved together. This is the delicious love story of Tomato And Poppy.
If it seems hard to find the recipe from this crazy love story then note the ingredients and procedure.
Ingredients:

Tough tomatoes   2 big chopped
Poppy seed paste  2 heaping table spoon
Nigella sativa    1/8 tea spoon
Green chilly      1 chopped
Salt              to taste
Vegetable Oil     11/2 table spoon

Procedure:
Heat oil in a pan . Then add the nigella sativa and choppped green chilly . As they splutter add the poppy paste stir for a few second carefully so that you don't burn the mixture. Now add chopped tomatoes and salt. Stir and cover the lid let it cook for five minutes in slow flame. Now take off the lid and stir until all the juices dried up and oil comes out. This delicious tangy tomato poppy go well with steamed rice or bread roll or if in hurry you can use it for your sandwich stuffing. I hope you will love this recipe.
I have created A Valentine’s day special page for squidoo name – Let the reason be love. I hope you will love the page. I am waiting for your views and special recipes.
Be Happy And Stay Healthy.
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