mayurisjikoni

A simple dish of boiled pasta can be made into a tasty, delicious, satisfying meal with the addition of different sauces. FoodieMonday/Bloghop group members made 9 different lip smacking pasta sauces for the their #134th theme which was PASTA SAUCES. Click on the name of the pasta sauce and it will take you directly to the recipe. Spinach Sauce  Spinach Basil Almond Pesto Basil Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Tomato Sauce Roasted Pepper Sauce Three Cheese Sauce Lentil Bolognese Coriander Mint and Cashew Nut Pesto Marinara Sauce Alfredo Sauce

Ideal Workplace lunch Theme: Healthy Weekday Lunches BM#77 Week 4 Day 2    During my visits to Bangalore, I've prepared healthy and filling salads for my daughter to carry to work. She doesn't like me adding fruit to the salad. The salads have to be filling and yet not too heavy. Pasta salad is one of the salads I prepare just not for her but also for myself. Hot days usually means salads for lunch. I pack the dressing separately so that the salad stays crispy and one can choose the amount of dressing they want to add to the salad.    This parsley and walnut pesto tasted so amazing. Since it was a simple salad, the star is the pesto sauce. Initially I thought that the taste of parsley would be overpowering but believe me it was not... and I had to use the curly parsley instead of the flat one. Usually pestos call for a copious amount of olive oil. I decided to reduce the amount oil and used a bit of water instead. If you add water, the pesto stays good only for a few...

Blank mind    Today is one of those days when I have no idea what I want to write about. Usually before I go into the recipe, I have something to write about, family events, news, thoughts etc. There is a lot happening in this world but I have no inclination to write about it.        So today I'll just straight go to the recipe. #FoodieMonday #Bloghop team decided on a hot or cold rice recipe as our 81st theme . Taking rice as the main ingredient, we were suppose to make a piping hot dish or a cold dish. I didn't want to make anything piping hot as its just too hot here in Mombasa. So for cold I had options of kheer, phirni, rice pudding. My family didn't want anything sweet so I decided to make a cold rice salad, full of vegetables, fruits and nuts. This was our lunch, just the right sort of meal to beat the heat. Surprisingly, after having the salad we didn't feel lethargic because of the rice. I guess because the quantity of rice used is less and th...

A different taste    The August theme for Shhh Cooking Secretly was exciting. Participating pairs travelled to different parts of the world. We're going to be able to see dishes that are prepared in Indonesia, Brazil, Morocco, Sri Lanka, France and Mediterranean. I'm eagerly waiting to see what they all prepare. My partner for this month is the talented and friendly Shobha Keshwani. Her blog Shobha's Food Mazaa has different types of recipes ranging from simple chutneys to complex breads.If you're ever looking for some authentic Sindhi recipes then be sure to check out her blog.   Shobha and I got Moroccan cuisine. She gave me couscous and olives as the ingredients to prepare some Moroccan dish and I gave her lentils and tomatoes.Must admit that though I have heard a little bit about Moroccan food, I never really checked out the cuisine in detail as most of their dishes are meat based. So having couscous as one of the ingredients I was really happy. Couscous is a staple...

A Healthy Way of Life       Women constantly have to worry about weight issues. How many times have you heard men discussing about their weight problems? The world's general conception of a perfect figure, ideal weight, right curves in the right places for women is colossal. Men seem to just lead a happy, eat all you can sort of life without any issues. Not saying that there are no obese men, there are many with this fast pace and fast food era that we are living in. I've battled with weight issues ever since I delivered my twins. Have not managed to get back to my ideal weight. Being a food blogger really doesn't help, but I've been through all the programs and diets that most women try out... moong dal diet, salads and soups only, detox diets, yoga, fast walking, gyming, cross trainers, treadmills, calorie counting etc etc. However, one thing that I lack is consistence as I get bored with a fixed routine very easily.      Now that I'm in my 50s, I just ca...

Satvik Food   According to the Ayurveda(Indian traditional medicine), food is divided into 3 main groups, Satvik (Satvic), Tamasic and Rajasic. Food not only nourishes the body but affects the mind too. In this fast paced world our food is not only loaded with chemicals through fertilizers, canning, processing but we tend to overindulge in fast foods that are bad for our body, mind and health.We all get tempted by cheesy pizzas, delish bakes, silky chocolates.   Satvik foods are smooth, savory, easy to digest, light and fresh. Satvik foods encourage mental clarity, good health and peace.Foods belonging to this group are rich in Prana(life force). Foods included in this category are basically lacto vegetarian foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, fresh diary products, grains and pulses, natural sugars, nuts and seeds.Consuming these foods balances out the destructive gunas and keeps our mind calm, positive and healthy. Following a satvik diet eliminates the Tamasic and Rajasic g...

Floods everywhere    These days the news is mostly on the floods in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya and how people are getting to work and back home. Traffic delays, flooded main roads, water in homes, power station shut down because it gets flooded, resulting in some areas going without power for hours or even days. Everyone is busy blaming the County. While that is true that the county did not prepare for the rains by cleaning out the drainage, its our fault too. Rubbish which includes plastic bags, plastic bottles, paper, cigarette boxes, food packages etc are all thrown mindlessly on the roads and the roadside. So many times I have seen hawkers leaving dirty and used plastic bags on the roadside, people having lunch or dinner and throwing plastic cups and plates on the roadside. Where does all this rubbish land up? In the drains and as a result blocks the drains. Blocked drains means water cannot pass through. Yes it is also true that more and more buildings are coming ...