Real Food

I believe the heart of the family beats in the kitchen. Food fuels our body and nourishes our soul.

I share here real food made using whole ingredients with big flavour, fresh herbs and health-boosting spices, all influenced by my roots in India and my travels. That’s what you will find here. But I’m also not one to spend hours in the kitchen, as you can tell from my healthy shortcuts and tips in every post. My kitchen is a little complicated — we have a number of food sensitivities in the family — so I tend to make food that is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and tomato-free. Often but not always.

nisha-ramesh-Q5mPPGld5Zk-unsplash
Decadent No-Waste Carrot Halwa

Of all the halwas that my mother makes, this used to be my least favorite. And then a few years ago, well after my 40th birthday, one day sitting at my mom’s dining table in India, something changed. I remember thinking, “Wow, how could I have ever disliked carrot halwa?” It’s not just the luxuriant, […]

sigmund-OWVF8-s-RYs-unsplash
All kinds of Stuffed Peppers

My mom used to make stuffed peppers for dinner all the time. Peppers are one of the veggies that grows quite easily and is available aplenty in season. She would stuff them with a mixture of spiced potatoes and then top with cheese. I loved the little bit of crispiness that a quick broil would […]

Beets
Pink and Lovely Beet Raita

This pink-tinted, beet-forward raita has over the years become a steady favourite. It’s absolutely gorgeous, impressive enough for company, and downright easy to make on a busy weeknight. Watch my TV segment, Cook Once, Eat Thrice, on CTV’s The Social for tips about this recipe. DID YOU MAKE THIS DISH? I’d love to hear from […]

Cooling Foods for summer | Maple and Marigold
Top 10 Foods to Stay Cool This Summer

food can either have a heating effect on our bodies or the reverse, a cooling effect. Here is my Ayurveda-Inspired list of Top 10 cooling foods this summer. There is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of stew on a cold winter’s night. It never fails to make me feel warm and cozy as the […]

red-lentil-fritters-2
Masoor Daal Kebab | Red Lentil Fritters

An Indian classic, Masoor Daal Kebab is made with red lentils, steamed broccoli + turmeric! Split red lentils or Masoor Dal (dhuli) is one of the more underappreciated lentils in India. They have a delicate and sweet flavour, break down really fast during cooking and a simple, healthy, delicious meal can be ready in way less time than […]

puneeta-ctv-the-social-rotisserie-chicken
Rotisserie Chicken: Unexpected Weeknight Rockstar

Watch: CTV The Social — Rotisserie Chicken: The Unexpected Rock Star of Weeknight Dinners. Three meals that transform an accessible grocery staple into multiple weeknight dinners that taste great and benefit the health of people and the planet. Rotisserie chicken is a cheap and cheerful item that most people have on their shopping lists, after […]

puneeta-ctv-the-social-rotisserie-chicken-soup
Chicken Soup

An easy way to use rotisserie chicken! Homemade, made from scratch chicken soup is blissful comfort cooking at its best. In this case, we are using the broth made earlier after shredding the rotisserie chicken, add in rice or barley from the night before. Transform this ordinary bowl into scrappy cooking at its best by […]

puneeta-chicken-bowl
Build-a-Chicken-Bowl

An exciting way to use rotisserie chicken! Inspired by a traditional Mexican breakfast that is normally served with eggs, my version of Chilaquiles are flavourful and comforting like the original but also easy to pull together on a busy weeknight. Without fail, this is a dish that will soothe and transport you to sunshine and […]

puneeta-chicken-chilaquiles
Baked Chicken Chilaquiles

A great way to use rotisserie chicken! Inspired by a traditional Mexican breakfast that is normally served with eggs, my version of Chilaquiles are flavourful and comforting like the original but also easy to pull together on a busy weeknight. Without fail, this is a dish that will soothe and transport you to sunshine and […]

puneeta-salmon-recipe-orange-cilantro
Easy Salmon Recipe with Orange and Cilantro

Delicious salmon everyone loves! Salmon is on the menu in our home every couple of days. But there was a time when my kids thought fish was just “ewww.” That changed with this easy salmon recipe made with orange and coriander. My husband is a big meat and potatoes fan and so fish was rarely […]

Sweet & Sour Broccoli Stir-fry Maple and Marigold
Double Your Veggies with Sweet & Sour Broccoli Stir-Fry

Broccoli is often on top of my Good Mood Food list, and for good reason. It’s rich in Vitamin C and fibre. It’s great for our gut health and mental wellbeing. And best of all with the right combination of ingredients and technique, it can be totally delicious. Yes, this Sweet & Sour Broccoli stir-fry […]

mapleandmarigold-recipe-sweet-spicy-stir-fry
Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry

Save Your Watermelon Rinds and Orange Peels! Big on flavour but with few ingredients, this dish fully represents good food — food that tastes good and is good for us. In this dish with my earth-savvy tips and using food that would normally be thrown away like orange peels and watermelon rinds, we are doing […]

Maple + Marigold Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly news with tasty recipes, health-boosting foods, sustainable swaps and tips to live well.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.
Tree--Pledge_01--Maple_and_Marigold

Use what you have, reuse what you can, reduce what you throw away, and repurpose the rest.

Subscribe to the Maple + Marigold Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive news with tasty recipes, health-boosting foods, sustainable swaps and tips to live well.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

Scroll to Top