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Diwali- Indian New Year is on Wednesday this week. For those who are not familiar with the holiday- there is just one thing you need to know- it a fabulous time to eat good food including something sweet.

Regardless of  where you live in India or what tradition you follow, it is a day to eat sweets and spend time with your family and friends.

We usually get together with family and eat lots of delicious food. As I just mentioned, one of the traditions is to eat something sweet.

I had this sweet rice recipe which I thought would be perfect to eat on such an occasion. Actually it is ideal for breakfast with a steaming cup of coffee.

I grew up eating this delicious rice flavored with jaggery, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon and cumin seeds. It has an amazing nutty flavor. In this recipe I have used brown sugar instead- just to make it more accessible. I love eating this rice hot with a dollop of low fat tangy yogurt- it is delicious.

Try this one- it has an amazing flavor…
Click here for the recipe… »

It is time to talk about fourth of July recipes. I can’t believe it is that time already. It feels like yesterday when we were complaining about the cold and wet weather and couldn’t wait for summer to begin. Well here it is and it is time to plan a delicious yet easy meal for your family and loved ones.

I came upon a Thai theme for this holiday. I find it a lot easier  to come up with recipes if I have a central theme established. For this theme, mangoes came to mind. Usually for an appetizer, I like to do a salsa and chips. It is easy and delicious and not too filling. It also goes well with beer, wine and any other mixed drinks you may be serving.

I decided to make a Thai style salsa- what does that mean? Well,  you essentially add Thai ingredients including fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, cilantro, lemon juice and you have a Thai style mango salsa! I served it with rice chips I purchased from Trader Joes.

Try it for the upcoming fourth of July holiday….
Click here for the recipe… »

I am always looking for different ways to cook chicken- I guess so is everyone else. It is easy to pick it up while doing your weekly shop- or in my case- daily shop. I have to admit- I prefer chicken thighs to any other part of the bird. I find it very versatile, forgiving and full of flavor. I especially use it when making ethnic dishes.

I love making chicken tikkas- my daughter loves them- and I feel good about giving her delicious, organic meat with some veggies on the side.

I felt like eating tikkas but I wanted to prepare them a little differently than my usual. The cooking method is the same- it is the marinade that is completely different- sky is the limit when it comes to flavoring the yogurt. I made a spice mix which is similar to pickling spices used in Indian pickles. It is a classic mixture of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds with onion seeds, etc. It gives the chicken a delicious sweet, savory and liquorice flavor.

These are best if marinated over night- if you didn’t plan ahead, no worries- a couple of hours will be fine as well. Keep this recipe in mind as you start thinking of grilling outside- enjoy!!
Click here for the recipe… »

Did I mention I am trying to be healthier in the New Year? I am cooking with less oil and trying to come up with different, healthy dishes I can serve myself and my family.

The one thing I get stressed about are snacks. There are not a lot of healthy, non-sweet snacks you can pick up besides low-fat cheese, nuts and cottage cheese or even non-fat Greek yogurt. After a while, I get sick of eating the same stuff and crave something spicy and savory. If I am trying to eat healthy, I crave big flavor. The good news is, big flavor does not mean big calories. Cayenne pepper, for example does not have any calories- in fact it revs up your metabolism.

So, I looked in my pantry and found a can of chickpeas. I drained and cleaned them and roasted them in the oven until they dried up. I then took them out and mixed them up with roasted cumin seeds, smoked paprika and salt.

I treated the chickpeas as I would nuts. Nuts are great for you but do have quite a lot of calories. The roasted chickpeas had a nice crunch and the spices gave it a delicious savory taste.

I served the chickpeas with drinks but you can enjoy them in the middle of the day, between meals or anytime you get hungry. It is amazing how it fills you up…
Click here for the recipe… »

I tried a couple of new products the other day. Wild honeycomb and raisins on the vine. What are they, you ask? It is raw, unprocessed honeycomb that is gently removed from the beehive. Beekeepers simply cut the natural honeycomb into 12-inch square blocks, encase them in light wooden frames and wrap in cellophane. The amber syrup is naturally sealed inside the delicate beeswax combs, preserving its intoxicating floral fragrance and heavenly, sweet taste.

I had a get together the other day and served the honey with a variety of cheeses. I thought of our trip to Umbria, Italy and how many times we had platters of cheeses served with a variety of honey. It is a delicious combination.

I also tried raisins on the vine. They are delicately sun-dried Red Flame seedless grapes that are dried in clusters right on the vine in California’s Mojave Desert. They are a perfect choice for cheese trays and wine pairings. They are plump, sweet and full of a complexity of flavor that regular tray raisins don’t have. Their sweet caramel flavor with a hint of smokiness, and rustic, natural appearance.

Everyone at the party was asking me where I bought the delicious treats- well, you can order them from Friedas or Amazon online. You can also find them at your local Shop Rite stores.

Enjoy the delicious treats this holiday season…