Joie De Vivre -

Cake & Cupcake Heaven, Fruit Inspired, Sweet

Apple Muesli Breakfast Muffins

After nearly two years of homeschooling, we are finally back to full-blown school with snack times and unearthly early mornings. Which comes to my need to find some nourishing breakfast staples that can be made in a jiffy and will keep the kids going till snack time in school. Our roster typically includes fruit / nut butter / maple syrup topped porridge, vegan oat chia seed pancakes, buttered honey toast, grilled cheese toast, dosa/ uttapam and buttermilk pancakes, with a side of storybook time.

There are some mornings when the struggle to get anything in order, on schedule, seems truly impossible. It is for those days, that I would stash Read more…

April 12, 2022 | 0 comment

Appetisers and Hors D'oeuvres, Entree, Salads, Savoury, Vegetables & Sides

Ottolenghi inspired Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrots with Sumac Greek Yoghurt

Eating vegetables has taken on a real centre stage in my life right now, and quite honestly, I hope the trend continues. Skipping grains in favour of millets and vegetables like sweet potato have really fuelled me, made me feel less sluggish and far more productive. Some of my favourite vegetable pioneers include Ottolenghi, and this recipe by Noor (who is one of Ottolenghi’s recipe developers) is beyond incredible.

This particular recipe is loosely inspired by the smashed carrot salad – I used some sweet potato and carrots cut into wedges, roasted with thyme, garlic, salt pepper finished with a generous heaping of greek yoghurt seasoned with sumac and zaatar, some quick pickled onion, microgreens, pine nuts / pistachio slivers and a few dollops of homemade vegan pesto (EVOO + basil + salt + walnut + garlic).

Cocoa Almond Cookies

I’ve never followed a paleo or keto diet – but these keto and paleo friendly cocoa almond cookies were too tempting not to try, and they made the perfect Sohfit treat, as well as a treat for my 10-month old! It was hard to determine how long these cookies stay well, because despite making almost a dozen batches in the last 3 months, there were days when a batch of cookies was completely wiped out in a day! But if by some magical chance you are able to store the cookies, I would suggest a steel box or a cookie tin, at room temperature in a cool spot, not in the direct heat of the Indian summer.

DISCLAIMER: these cookies may not look insanely fantastic, but OMG, they taste incredible! Read more…

May 29, 2020 | 0 comment

Appetisers and Hors D'oeuvres, Cuisines, Entree, Salads, Savoury, Vegetables & Sides

Rainbow Bowl

It’s not possible, or agreeable, to delve into any interaction, virtual or (ah, if only) physical, without inquiring about the mental health of the other person. These times are trying for all, albeit in different ways, but trying nonetheless. I am extremely grateful for all the luxuries that we have, that all our loved ones are in good health, and that we have access to nature’s bounty. With that in mind, making simple cold summer food with what’s in the kitchen is a no-brainer. The key is having a dynamite dressing to tie in the vegetables, and add a carb or card replacement (like I did, with my black bean noodles)

Eating plant based and eating fresh are something that will always be a sustainable and sensible option for your body, to boost your immunity and to provide you with the nutrition and strength you need, to fight against these trying times, medically and emotionally. Read more…

April 29, 2020 | 0 comment

Bread, Cake & Cupcake Heaven, Fruit Inspired, Sweet

Lemon Almond Yoghurt Cake

In the Covid-19 haze, I don’t know what inspiration hit me to decide to do a lemon cake. Possibly the overkill of banana breads spreading over my Instagram feed made it a little bit of a cringe-worthy feel to bake that. I do appreciate the need to use up bananas that are a bit too mushy for anything else – but there’s great other options for bananas. Here are some of my staples:

1. Slice and freeze bananas to use in oats, smoothies, parfaits or any other breakfast or snack concoction.
2. Freeze and blend with good quality cocoa powder for amazing nice cream. I always have a batch in my freezer for those midnight sweet cravings during our non stop Netflix and eat sessions.
3. Banana oat pancakes with cinnamon vanilla and a splash of almond milk – greatest breakfast or treat for all ages (including my 9 month old!) Read more…

April 10, 2020 | 0 comment

Joie De Vivre

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes [Vegan, Gluten Free]

Quarantine means a lot of time in the kitchen for me, innovating a new recipe using what’s available in the fridge or pantry, and lots of baking with Sitara. I’m not one of those moms that’s gets too worked up about her consuming sweet too much, but I do believe in moderation and healthy habits. Lucky for us, she’s always made greener, wholesome choices herself, I mean her favourite colour is green!

But since mama-baby baking has become a more frequent activity, I wanted to alternate using classic ingredients like sugar, butter and flour with ingredients line almond flour, coconut oil, whole rolled oats and almond milk. The results have not disappointed at al! From the daily 1000 odd articles on 🦠 we consume, one cannot ignore that sugar is the greatest compromiser of immunity. So especially in the absurd times to live in, cutting down or replacing sugar with alternatives is one step I would definitely suggest making the effort to inculcate. Read more…

April 7, 2020 | 0 comment