Some Smoothie?

It's winter and would you like to have some....
I think Smoothie of any fruit or flavour is one drink which can be consumed in all seasons; the best part is that you can  even drink it at room temperature. This is my third post this month with strawberries and some how I don't seem to get enough of them this winter.I seem to enjoy them more in the morning and it does make my day :)


1 cup pumpkin purée (boiled & blended to a fine paste)
2 cups strawberries
1cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1tsp cinnamon powder
2tbs sugar (add more if you like yours sweeter)
some cinnamon powder for dusting & strawberry for garnish

Blend all the ingredients in a blender with some ice if you prefer. I like my strawberries to be huge chunks of pieces; you can blend them however you like.Serve cold or at room temperature in individual glasses, garnished with some strawberries and dusted cinnamon powder.Serves 2.

My tastebuds: Pumpkin gives it a nice smooth texture and I like the mix of pumpkin, strawberry and cinnamon.

This is my submission to this month's Healing Foods - Winter Squash (pumpkin), hosted  by the taste space and Siri's Corner.

Spinach, Strawberry & Ricotta Cheese Salad

Strawberries are in season!!!  I love strawberries for it's sweet flavour and  it's gorgeous colour .You will definitely be seeing a lot more posts from me this strawberry season.
Since they are very perishable, strawberries should not be washed until right before eating or using in a recipe. Do not remove their caps and stems until after you have gently washed the berries under cold running water and patted them dry. This will prevent them from absorbing excess water, which can degrade strawberries' texture and flavour.
This salad is the easiest salad that I've ever tried and it's not only tasty but also gorgeous looking too.

20 big sized leaves, washed, patted dry
20 pieces strawberries cut in halves (fresh or frozen)
 ricotta cheese for garnish (I used home-made)


for the dressing
2tbs olive oil
1tbs red wine vinegar
1tsp lime juice
2tbs honey
1tsp cinnamon powder
salt to taste


Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and refrigerate it for an hour before serving.
Break  spinach leaves into desired sizes and place them in a serving plate or a salad bowl. Arrange the strawberries and  ricotta cheese on the bed of spinach if using individual plates or just toss all of them together in a salad bowl. Drizzle it with the prepared dressing and serve at room temperature. Serves 2.

My tastebuds: It's a great combination and the flavours blend in perfectly. A must try this strawberry season!

Tip: Dry cottage cheese may be substituted for ricotta, but the flavour will be milder and a bit saltier. You may wish to smooth the cottage cheese by putting it through a blender with 1tbs skim milk.

This is my submission to this week's Souper Sundays, hosted by Kahakai Kitchen, to Gulten-Free Holiday, hosted by The Whole Gang, to this month's Only Greens, hosted by Sara's Corner and Foodelicious and to Hearth and Soul, hosted by Girlichef.

Passion Fruit & Couscous Trifle

Passion fruit juice has always been one of my favorite. I like the flavour and the sweet fragrance of the fruit. I recently visited my mother-in law and got to taste  her freshly grown passion fruit. Strangely, not many people know about the fruit as it is rarely found in any super markets in India; at least I've never seen anyone selling it here. I've always tasted them fresh from the garden. I came back home excited with a basket-full of passion fruit and an urge to try something totally different.
Passion fruit is rich in vitamins A and C and  a good source of potassium and iron. The seeds are high in fibre.I used to throw away the seeds,  thinking that they may be bitter, without even tasting them. Only recently, I discovered that the seeds are not bitter and also have a nice crunchy taste.
If using the pulp and seeds simply cut in half and spoon out the flesh. To extract the juice, scrape the pulp and seeds against a sieve with a wooden spoon (if you want to omit the seeds). A lot of fruit are needed for a little juice, but a little juice goes a long way.A syrup made by boiling down the diluted juice with a little sugar further intensifies the flavor and makes a wonderful fruit salad dressing or cocktail ingredient.
I was inspired to try this recipe in one of the websites, taste.com and liked the entire blend of flavours. I have made some changes in comparison to the original and the result turned out to be tasty and visually appealing.

125ml mango juice
1 tbs caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds removed
100gms couscous
4 large passion fruit, pulped
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
1 cup sweet cream
Extra cinnamon for sprinkling

In a small saucepan, heat mango juice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until simmering. Add couscous, cover and set aside. Stir with a fork to separate the grains.
Divide the couscous into 4 portions. Using 200ml glasses, place a layer of passion fruit and banana in the base of each glass followed by couscous then a layer of sweet cream. Repeat the layers finishing with a layer of sweet cream.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and allow it to set for 4-5 hours or overnight. Serve cold. Serves 4.

My tastebuds: Passion Fruit & Couscous trifle is a pleasant surprise. Every bite transforms you to a world of flavours.

This is my submission to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by A Food Lover's Journey.

Cinnamon Spiced Chickpea & Sweet Potato Salad

Cooking for me has always been rejuvenating and especially when I'm mixing and trying something completely new and different. Kitchen is a space where I get lost into different flavours. I started cooking at an age of 11 and even till today I've always enjoyed every bit of it. I'm sure everyone of us have that private space to rejuvenate :)
Indian salads are very limited and I guess we  tend to concentrate more on the mains.Chopping of some cucumbers and onions is the last minute thingy, just to include some greens in the diet.
I've always enjoyed making salads and that's why  I try to mix and match different flavours and these healthy experiments are worth a try to include in your daily diet.

2 cups chickpeas, boiled or canned
2 cups  sweet potato, cut into cubes
1 tomato, cut into thin slices
7-8 basil leaves
2tbs olive oil

for dressing
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp wasabi paste
1tsp red wine vinegar
1tbs olive oil
2tbs tahini (home-made)
salt to taste

Grill the tomato pieces in oven, griller or pan. I grilled the tomatoes in a pan with 1tbs of olive oil. Grill on both sides and set aside to cool.
For the sweet potato, place the sweet potato cubes into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for five minutes. Drain and dry well. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the potato cubes and sauté on all sides until golden-brown. Allow it to cool.
Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients for the dressing. Mix chickpea, sweet potato and basil  with the prepared dressing. Allow the salad to set for half an hour before serving.
Decorate the salad with grilled tomatoes and serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 2 as a meal.

My Taste buds: My favourite combination of tahini and cinnamon makes it a combo again. Although wasabi seems to be lost in the mingle and you feel that you did taste it. Overall a successful experiment.

This is my submission to My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Lisa's Kitchen and The Well-Seasoned Cook, to SOS Challenge - sweet potato, hosted by Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Affairs of Living, to Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen and to Thanksgiving dishes hosted by gluten free easily. Sweet Potato