Eliza and I have so much common, especially when it comes to food. We both love a fresh snack in the summer time, starring two of the yummiest fruits: mangoes and papayas.

Mangoes and papayas increase the quality of proteins in your body, therefore helping the body to maintain energy. Both of these fruits promote skin and muscle healing, as well as heart health. They strengthen the immune system, and they aid digestion. This is why mangoes and papayas are such a versatile and healthy snack. Read more about the health benefits of these fruits in this post. 

Here is what you will need for a refreshing mango and papaya smoothie (dairy free!):

1 Cup of Mango (Chopped)

1 Cup of Papaya (Chopped)

½ of a Banana (Chopped)

2 tsp. Lime Juice

3 tsp. of Honey

2-3 cubes of ice

1 Cup Almond milk

Blend together until smooth, and then…

July is already here! Half the year has gone by, so quickly too. I wanted to make the most of seasonal summer fruit before everything went away. I shared mango recipes last week, and this week I’m going to be baking with cherries!!

I picked up a box of Kashmiri cherries from my grocer and pitted and chopped some of them today. Don’t let the pale color fool you- they are sweet even though they don’t look it. I was quite surprised myself!

The funny thing is, cherry was my absolute favourite flavor for everything when I was a kid. Cherry Kool-Aid, cherry Life Savers, cherry Nerds, cherry bubble gum and lollipops, cherry-vanilla ice cream…yet, cherries are the one fruit I have probably eaten the least of in natural form. You didn’t get them much in Kerala, and while at college in Delhi…well, let’s just say as a college student…

Cinnamon, said to come from the Greek word kinnámōmon, is a spice obtained from the inner bark of various trees which are members of the genus Cinnamomum. It has long been valued by various cultures, using it in religious events and as gifts, and has been used as far back as 2000 BC (source).

This aromatic spice is produced by first allowing cinnamon trees to grow for two years, at which point they are cut near ground level, allowing new branches to grow out of the stumps in a process called coppicing. These branches are then removed, scraped free of their outer bark, then beaten in order to loosen their inner bark. This inner bark is then removed, processed and dried, causing it to curl up into what we are familiar with: cinnamon sticks (source). From this point, it is either sold in stick form or as a powder which has a stronger…

Like any Indian, I love a good cutlet. And grey, windy rainy afternoons are always better enjoyed with a nice warm crispy snack like a cutlet.

My mother in law makes fantastic cutlets. She makes them with chicken, tuna, mutton, veg- you name it. And I’ve seen how much effort she takes. It is a half-day-long process: between seasoning and cooking the meat &  potatoes, to making the cutlet mash and putting everything together with breadcrumbs before frying. It takes effort, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.

But on a regular day when I am looking for a quick fix, these falafels are perfect. Here’s the thing:

• I have eaten falafel often enough. (I used to eat falafel wraps for lunch often at my first job.)
• I have seen how it is made.
• I know what you need to make it.
• Yet, I never considered making it at…

I made this tonight, and it is my BEST peanut sauce to date. I hadn’t planned on putting it up on the blog….so I ate it before I got to take any pictures. However, since it was SO yummy, I changed my mind last minute. If I make this again I’ll add a picture…in the meantime, here’s a picture from the web. I served this over brown Rice noodles, but it would be delicious over soba or rice as well.

Peanut Sauce

• 4 tbsp all Natural Peanut butter (use sugar free, the kind that separates from the oil…if you can grind your own, even better!)
• 1/3 cup of warm water
• 2 tbsp amino acids
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 garlic clove, grated let to sit for 5 minutes (I used garlic paste actually, from the indian grocery)
• juice of half a lemon (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce (more…