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.

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Instant Pot Dulce de Leche aka Caramel

I’ve had the Instant Pot for a while now but it’s only recently that I’ve actually started to have fun with it. This delicious, gooey Dulce de Leche, aka — caramel recipe is just that — fun! It also makes a fabulous hostess gift or a little bit of indulgence on a cold wintry evening. […]

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Turkey Keema Matar Curry – Traditions Old and New

Keema Matar curry is a ground meat and peas curry that’s very popular in South Asia. Traditionally in India, this slow-cooked dish is made with mutton and is served at special occasions. I have reworked the traditional recipe, taken a couple of shortcuts and used my favourite protein, turkey mince.  Make extra and freeze some of this turkey keema matar […]

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6 Genius Hacks to hosting a stress-free Diwali party

Diwali is a festive time for many people around the world. Homes are cleaned and decorated and lights are put up. Rangoli – coloured art with powder – is drawn on the floor to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Who doesn’t want more of that? Food is a big part of the celebration. […]

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Apple Peda | Indian Sweet with a Canadian twist

Recently I was invited by the Ontario Apple Growers to visit apple farms around Toronto. On that day not only did I learn how hard Ontario farmers work to bring their fresh and local apples to city folk like us, I also learned how ideal the weather is in the Great Lake region for apple farming. […]

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Warm Potato Salad | Potatoes with Fenugreek Leaves with an Instant Pot shortcut

If you’ve tasted butter chicken, you have eaten fenugreek leaves. The flavour is warm, slightly bitter and immediately transports you to the villages of India. This warm potato salad with turmeric and fenugreek leaves is my secret weapon. The flavours are perfect for chilly days when I yearn for Indian food but don’t feel like […]

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Choosing the Right Cooking Oil

For a long time, Canola was the oil of choice in my mom’s kitchen in India. What I didn’t know then was that it had likely been imported all the way from Canada. Choosing the right cooking oil is tough. In this article I share my four criteria for simplifying this decision.  Last month I was […]

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Packing a School Lunch For Kids

School at lunchtime is no fun. Ours is normally served in the gymnasium, a large smelly room with no air circulation. So I’m not surprised to hear that children are skipping eating lunch and lunch boxes are returning home unopened! Here are some tips to pack a school lunch for kids that they will actually […]

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Instant Pot Meal Prep for the Week – 6 Meal Ideas and Tips

Meal prep is just one of the ways I stay sane. And when nothing else works as it should during the week, I know this – everybody is hungry at the end of the day. Since the Instant Pot came on the scene, my Sunday meal prep has become a whole lot more enjoyable….and speedy. […]

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The Healthiest (and most delicious) Way To Cook Brussels Sprouts

Vegetables often get a bad rap. People tend to cook the hell out of them and then when the texture and flavour disappear, people grumble that they taste like nothing, and that kids don’t like them. Duh! So I thought I will share with you how I got my kids to love brussels sprouts. My […]

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5 Instant Pot accessories you need to buy….and 3 that you don’t

It took me a while to love my Instant Pot. But now that I do – truly, madly, deeply – comes the next big question. What accessories do I need to go with my favourite kitchen appliance? Instant Pot Accessories – Do you need them all? There a ton of options out there, and if you […]

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7 Tips to Motivate Picky Eaters

Packing school lunches day in and day out is a tough job and if you’re reading this you know you are stressing out about what your kids eat….or don’t eat, every day. Add into the mix picky eaters and kids’ lunch boxes returning home still full every day, and you need to read this. 7 […]

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Easy Dinner Recipe With Red Lentils (Crispy Fritter Recipe)

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored as part of the Lentils.org #GetPrepped #LoveLentils campaign. The opinion and narrative is all mine.  Dinner time driving you crazy and looking for an easy dinner recipe? Cooking a wholesome and delicious meal is easy when you have lentils in your pantry. Double the ingredients in this crispy lentil fritters recipe […]

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