Oh my, has it really been more than two months since I posted on this blog? Yikes, I believe it has! Bad Nimmie. 

I have tried some new recipes in the past couple months, but have been too distracted by other things to write about it.

Anyway, this photo above is the breakfast I made for my mom this morning. She has to work today. She’s a pharmacist at a hospital, and people need their meds on Mother’s Day too! I got up at 7:30am so I could make fresh waffles from scratch. Here is a previous blog post with the recipe. They were delicious! I had one and a half and so did my mom.  

My little brother Avi made her a lovely card and framed drawing (below), which was wrapped beautifully by his teachers at school.

I wish my gift had been as thoughtful, but alas it was a gift card to Ann Taylor. That is her favorite store though. I did better last year, I found this really awesome dress from French Connection that was on sale at Macy’s. Oh well, now I better get something really good for her birthday this August!

Since it’s Mother’s Day, I thought I’d share a few things I love about my mom…

1. She makes everything more fun.

2. She cooks amazing, delicious, healthy food.

3. She is ambitious and never gives up. She went to pharmacy school when I was in high school, and now she loves her career!

4. She always gives me and my brother Avi good advice. (We try to listen to it AND follow it. )

5. She motivates me to be the best me that I possibly can!

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

Disclaimer: Forgot to take a photo, so closest resembling photo above pulled from: http://iamahoneybee.com/2012/01/24/spinach-salad-with-shrimp-avocado-and-grapefruit-with-citrus-vinaigrette/

This is a really great salad that my mom has been making recently. It’s very quick to put together, sounds fancy, and tastes delicious- just how I like my recipes to be!  And of course, it’s very healthy and satisfying.

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Quick Asian-style shrimp salad

• 1 cup cooked shrimp
• 3 cups chopped lettuce
• 1/2 avocado, cut into bite-size cubes
• 2 medium oranges, cut into bite-size cubes
• Dressing: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, drizzle of sesame oil, drizzle of hot chili oil, drizzle of agave nectar, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, splash of vinegar, 1/2 lemon juice

We buy a large bag of cooked frozen shrimp from Costco and thaw the shrimp in warm water for about 5 minutes. The rest is just chopping up the veggies, adding shrimp, and tossing it all with the dressing. And that’s it, you have a quick meal!  You can modify the dressing as you like, adding a little more of a certain oil or a little less of another. I find that you can have a really flavorful salad even with a drizzle of a couple of different oils! I like to make olive oil the star of the show since it’s good for you.  The agave nectar balances the salty taste. 

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I try to eat healthy most of the time and save my indulgences for rich, home-cooked meals like thai curry and creamy pasta. Since a good chunk of my days is spent at work, I make sure to bring food from home and keep my cube/staff fridge stocked with healthy snacks. Recent snack has been flaxseed crackers from Trader Joe’s, peanut butter, and raisins.  This keeps me away from the vending machine. It’s important to keep your body nourished!

Anyway, good night and hope you had a lovely Easter!

This is not Caesar salad per se, but the closest that I get to it at home. I don’t have time to deal with eggs, garlic, and anchovies, I save that for the restaurants! You might think it’s not worth dedicating an entire post to lettuce, but something wonderful happens when you chop it up and toss it with ranch dressing, freshly shredded parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. That’s the magic I’m talking about here! 

I’m often amazed by how easy it is to do certain things (like make a salad) and yet I don’t do those things on a frequent basis, even if I know how good it would be for me. Another example is doing a quick 5 minutes scalp massage with almond oil. You think, damn, I have so many other things to do, last thing I want to do right now is worry about my hair. But then you turn 40 and your hair is less than stellar because you never gave it any attention. Same thing goes for your body, when it comes to salads. A little goes a long way. (Sorry to everyone out there who is 40, when I start getting closer to that age, I will shift my statements to “when you turn 60″)

We’ll end on a note of animal humor…

I went to a UCLA alumni event last night called Dinner for 12 strangers. (I’m the third person from the right.) I finally did it, woo hoo! I have been wanting to go to one of these dinners since I was an undergraduate student. But, I didn’t have a car at the time and it was hard to figure out how to get to someone’s house clear on the other side of Los Angeles. Okay, maybe the larger reason was that large social gatherings with complete strangers are not on my list of favorite things in life. At this dinner, though, I happened to know the host and I brought a friend along with me. I think the experience would have been just as enjoyable either way, but it’s hard to take that first step and try something new on your own. Lesson learned here is that sometimes you just have to get out there and who knows, you could have a great time when you least expect it! 

We ate lots of good food, prepared by Peggy and her sister Patty, chatted and conversed about anything and everything, and played two rounds of Mafia before having to call it a night because us busy Bay Area Bruins had to get to work/class in the morning. I found that just about every other person in the room was either an engineer or in the tech field. We also had two aspiring teachers, one massage therapist/legal trainee, a Netflix employee, a certified public accountant, an aspiring lawyer, and I don’t remember what else! Oh right, and there was also an aspiring doctor because guess what…..

I’M GOING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL!!!!!  The school is right here in the Northern California, an added bonus, and the program is excellent. In four years, I will become a physician! More on that later, but just had to tell you guys the great news!

Cornbread

Awesome cucumber thingies

A fun display of sweets

More interesting goodies

Hot chocolate cupcakes, my favorite treat of the night!

Just realized that I forgot to take any actual dinner photos, these were just the appetizers and dessert. (I guess I was too busy eating the dinner…) Man, did those two ladies do a great job at throwing an excellent party! I’ll be taking some pointers for my next dinner party, including the lovely little cursive signs that explain what the food item in question is. A nice little touch!

Dear WordPress friends, it’s been too long! I’m here today to share a recipe for an Indian vegetarian dish that I made this past Wednesday. My mom wrote the recipe and wanted me to test it out to make sure it could be followed by a cook who is new to Indian cooking (i.e. me). As it turns out, my mom forwarded my blog information to a woman at her hospital who is putting together a cookbook with recipes from employees and their family. An “Employee Recipe Book” essentially, to raise money for the March of Dimes foundation. (Just as background, my mom is a pharmacist.) I’m excited to  have my recipes be part of a cookbook! They requested an Indian recipe from us as well, and so that’s why my mom wrote this recipe and had me test it out. I was happy to have another push to learn to make some yummy Indian food.

This Chickpea and Potato Curry is vegetarian and very, very healthy. It is packed with protein and full of flavorful spices, including a nice addition of ginger and garlic. (You could always make a ginger-garlic paste to use in recipes like this. I used one that my dad had made earlier in the month.) Fat content is very minimal. This dish can be enjoyed on its own with a side of plain yogurt, over a bed of rice, or with roti. I’ve been trying to cut carbs from my diet lately, so I just had it on its own with the yogurt. It’s very tasty! Sometimes if I have mini pita pockets in the fridge, I also pack one with my lunch so I can dip it into the curry. This is a nice option if you don’t want to make roti. 

Chickpea & Potato Curry

2 medium boiled & peeled potatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)

2 (14oz) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 cups water (add more water if thinner curry is desired)

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp crushed ginger

2 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp red chili powder (1 tsp for spicy)

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp coriander-cumin powder

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp toasted cumin seeds, powdered (optional)

2 tsp salt

½ cup chopped cilantro

1. In a medium pot, heat oil over high heat. Add chopped onions, lower heat to medium, and sauté until golden brown.
2. Add tomato paste, ginger, garlic and stir it into the browned onions. Next add chili powder, ground turmeric, coriander-cumin powder, garam masala and toasted, ground cumin seeds (optional). Mix vigorously until well-combined and cook for a couple of minutes. Do not let mixture stick to bottom of pot.
3. Add both cans of rinsed and drained chickpeas and the bite-sized potatoes to the above mixture in the pot.
4. Stir until everything is mixed well together.
5. Add salt and four cups of water and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling, lower heat, cover (not completely, leave small space for steam to escape), and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and remove from heat.

*You can dry toast the cumin seeds in a skillet and then powder in a mortar and pestle, or in a grinder. This is an optional ingredient.

*Deep is a good brand for coriander-cumin powder and garam masala (available from any Indian grocery store).

Rows of chocolate- just what I love!

These are soooo awesome! They are moist, fluffy, and light at the same time- quite amazing. And very easy to make. I watched the movie No Reservations in the background (really fun movie complete with an awesome Italian soundtrack that’s perfect for when you’re in the kitchen) and whipped these up in a snap.

Thank you Kim for the recipe! You now have two pingbacks from me. I will no longer have to resort to boxed baking mixes when I am craving a good ol’ chocolate cupcake.

So, my friends, give these LOW FAT cupcakes a shot- you will not regret it!

Double-Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup 1% low-fat buttermilk

1-1/4 ounces dark (70 percent cocoa) chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (about 3 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to granulated sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with muffin cup liners. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Per cupcake:  156 calories, 6g fat (3.4g sat), 24g carb, 3.1g protein, 132mg sodium

From Cooking Light

Carrot pineapple muffins

Happy Friday! (Just about…) Another week comes to a close. How is everyone doing with their New Year’s resolutions? I think I’ve been doing a decent job. I went to the gym twice this week and didn’t stuff my face with sweets…score! Also, work has been pretty productive and I’ve been able to get in some reading before I go to sleep. And finally the big one: I’m trying to get into medical school this Fall. Yes, it’s the first time I’ve said this on my blog! But we’re pretty well-acquainted now and I thought it was time to tell you about my biggest resolution for the year, and for my life! I have some interviews coming up, and I’m getting ready. Fingers crossed!

With all these things on my mind, I’m looking forward to kicking back on Friday. I’m ready to do a lot of baking and maybe watch a movie in the background. It’s pretty good timing actually because I’m visiting my friend (and my manager!) on Saturday and seeing her baby girl for the first time. She has been on maternity leave since December and I’ve been taking on more at work because of it. I have missed her a lot and am really looking forward to this visit. So, of course I have to bring some baby-warming gifts! Haha…you know what I mean. A new baby in the house is a very special milestone in one’s life, and it needs to be recognized and celebrated. I’m going to make her a batch of the muffins picture above: Carrot-Pineapple Muffins. I also want to make some of these Double-Chocolate Cupcakes from Kim’s blog- I have printed out the recipe and pinned it to my board. Both these muffins are low fat, and both are scrumptious (can’t exactly vouch for the chocolate cupcakes yet as I haven’t made them, but I can just tell I’m going to love them).

And on Sunday, we are having a Lohri party. It’s an Indian tradition- it should be fun to sit around the bonfire and talk, eat, and listen to music. I’m going to try to fit in a hike earlier in the day with my friend, if it’s not too cold. That’s about it, sounds like it’s going to be a good weekend!

If this sounds delectable then you are right, it is exactly that. I like to spend some time on the weekends perusing other people’s blogs, hopeful that I will be inspired or maybe find a new favorite recipe. I found this one on a blog called Naturally Ella. Maybe you have seen this blog before, it is pretty darn awesome and I’m sure to visit it again. This dish is a low fat mac and cheese that Erin from Naturally Ella created, and it has a nice helping of sweet potato in it. Can you believe that I’ve never cooked with sweet potato before? Well, it’s true, this was a first.

At a Farmer’s Market this past weekend, I managed to get the last two sweet potatoes at one of the stands. At first I thought, what’s so special about these things? And now I realize, what’s there not to love about sweet potatoes? They are healthy, full of vitamin A, and delicious. And notably, the creamy texture allows you to make a nice puree that you can add to a sauce to make it thick and rich. I made such a sauce here, poured it over a few cups of pasta and spinach, and popped it in the oven to make a healthy and filling dinner!

Thank you Erin for the inspiration. I always love stumbling across a wonderful new recipe, and this is one I will make again. The only thing I would change is this…to find a way to add a punch of flavor to it. I’m not sure how to do that- hot sauce, spices, herbs? I’ll have to tinker with it next time (but not too much, don’t want to ruin a good thing). 

It’s great as it is though, and tastes AWESOME even the next day. I had it for lunch today in the break room and quite a few people were eyeing it and asking me “Ohhh, did you make that?” 

I was able to respond proudly, “Why yes, I certainly did!”

Here is the link to the recipe again: Sweet Potato and Spinach Mac and Cheese.

Trust me, it’s not too complicated to make and well worth the effort! There is even an easy, printable recipe card on her web site. I love the idea of easy read, printable recipes- I’ll have to figure out a way to do that myself!

Cheers,

Nimmie

Delicious bowl of dalia

My life has been a whirlwind these past couple of weeks, as I expect all of yours have been during the holiday season! A lot of it was excellent fun, which I am very thankful for, and yet yesterday was somewhat of a slow start to the New Year as I rested at home due to what I presume is a viral infection. It has progressed somewhat and I woke up today with a terrible headache. I still have horrible memories of my last illness in November, when I got body aches/chills and felt so miserable that I could barely get out of bed. It’s not so bad this time. I think I bolstered my immune system with Vitamin C/herbal supplements and fresh fruit packed with antioxidants, such as pomegranate. I’m not completely out of the woods yet, and I’m back at work, but I’ll try to sleep early tonight and get some rest. 

Over the past couple of days, I also had a good amount of that lovely porridge you see above, which has helped as well due its nutritional value. It is a sweet porridge that is best served warm. More milk can be added based on your preference, but I like mine somewhere between thick and thin- a happy medium. 

Dalia- Sweet Indian Porridge

Ingredients

• Butter
• Dalia/cracked wheat (get it from an Indian store, the ones in supermarkets have varying textures)
• Water
• Milk
• Sugar

**These instructions are still a work in progress. I will have to make it at least once more in order to be sure of the measurements and cooking times. The recipe below is more for general guidance- I will probably be editing it later!

Heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a deep pot. On medium-high heat, add 3 cups cracked wheat and stir continuously and vigorously until browned. Be careful to not let it burn (turn dark brown or black). Add 6-8 cups of water (you want the wheat to be submerged) and allow water to reach a boil. Lower to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes, cover with lid but leave a crack for steam to escape. Stir every couple minutes or so. Once wheat has poofed up (expanded noticeably) and water level has reduced, add milk to the consistency you could like the dalia/porridge to have. Then, add maybe a third more milk (I’m still tweaking this). Now, let the milk reach a boil again. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Lower to a simmer and cover with lid again, leaving a crack open for steam. Let it cook for another 10 minutes, this time stay near it so you can constantly stir it every minute and make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. As the wheat cooks, it will absorb the milk and fatten up even more. When you think it is just about fully cooked (stick a spatula in and if it is thick and the wheat looks nice and plump, you are done), turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and move it off the burner. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes and then it is ready to eat! You can add more sugar to your individual portion if it’s not sweet enough, but it’s good to not make it too sweet- the goal is to keep it healthy and nutritious!

You can make a large pot and keep it in the fridge for the week

After I made a large pot of this I was as happy as a clam. I finally made an Indian dish all by myself! It was a triumphant moment. For the first time in a long time, I played the role of the main chef instead of the sous chef. My mom sounded out instructions and I did all the prep work and the cooking. (I usually shy away from trying to make Indian food because my parents can make it so much better and whenever I try, I’m constantly second-guessing myself.)

Granted, this is one of the easier dishes to make, but sometimes you need a push to take any step at all, easy or not! What was my push? I wanted to get started on my New Year’s resolutions, of course!

Next on my list of MATTAR PANEER. It’s going to be awesome. It’s my favorite Indian dish of all- total yum. Served over a bed of white rice, it is delicious, healthy, and vegetarian.  

Some of my other New Year’s resolutions are to:

1. Exercise on a more consistent basis. 
2. Stay away from large cookies.
3. Take a more active interest in understanding news items such as the “fiscal cliff”- seriously, I don’t get it.
4. Try new things and go on new adventures- Groupon is great for this!
5. Read more books, and be patient (I just finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and was so curious about the ending that I rushed through the last third of the book.)
6. And finally, put in my best efforts for my work and educational goals each and every day, and be proud of my accomplishments!

Exercise more? Check. Three hour walk around Lake Chabot on New Year’s Day with my friend Michelle. 

What are your New Year’s resolutions?