As of today, it is officially winter!  For me, winter equals wearing warm fuzzy socks, snuggling under a blanket, and a cup of peppermint tea.  Basically anything that keeps me warm and cozy.  Food-wise, for me, the ultimate warm and cozy winter food is tomato soup with grilled cheese.  And, perfect for Christmas, this is a red, green, and white meal!

When I visit India, one of my favorite things to eat at a restaurant is tomato soup.  I have loved it since I was a little girl:  the freshness of the tomatoes (the ones we get here in the US just don't compare), the dollop of full-fat cream, and the big handmade croutons floating at the surface of the bowl.  If you've ever had this, you know what I'm talking about, and you know why tomato soup in India is the best!

I obviously cannot replicate soup from India here in the US (again, the tomatoes over there...); but I do my best by making it at home from scratch.  I also include a roasted red bell pepper to my soup because it adds a sweetness which is a nice balance to the acidity of the tomatoes.

Today was an incredibly grey and rainy day--to the point where we had a tornado warning and I had to hide in a stairwell for 15 minutes--which made me want to cook something comforting.  I had a few vegetables from the farmer's market and decided to combine them with chicken to create a curry dish that I could just eat with a spoon.  I can't overstate how perfect this dish was on such a gloomy day!

The base of the curry is a combination of coconut milk and tamarind.  The two ingredients work perfectly together:  the rich creaminess of the coconut milk is balanced out by the sour and tangy taste of tamarind.  The combination of coconut milk and tamarind is popular in Kerala, a coastal state in southern India.  Fish is eaten frequently in Kerala because it borders the sea, but I chose to use chicken this time.  You can easily make this a vegetarian/vegan dish too--just omit the chicken and add more vegetables!

It is finally fall!  It has been feeling cooler the past few weeks, but fall officially began a few days ago.  I love the cool mornings and evenings, and the sunny but mild afternoons.  I am one of those people who perks up at the idea of pumpkin-flavored everything, but moreso for homemade pumpkin bread and pumpkin ravioli than a pumpkin-spiced latte.  To me, there is really no better way to celebrate the start of fall than to combine beautiful winter squash with warm and comforting soup!

I adapted this recipe from one in the book The Kind Diet.  I am attempting to be a vegan for an upcoming ten-day religious holiday and was looking for good vegan recipes. This soup recipe is fantastic because it is incredibly filling from the combination of lentils and butternut squash.  It is also packed with all the nutrients you need--fiber, magnesium, potassium, and Vitamins A, C, and E from the butternut squash; protein, fiber, folate, and iron from the lentils; calcium and iron from the spinach; the anti-oxidant lycopene and Vitamin C from the tomato; and of course, the many health benefits of spices like turmeric and cinnamon.  This soup is an absolute health bomb!

My apologies for the delay in posting since the last recipe; my husband and I were on an incredible three week vacation.  We saw beautiful places, experienced rich cultures, and--most importantly--ate exquisite foods.  Now that we are back home, though, we are trying to erase the sins of one too many Nutella crepes!  My solution: Sriracha turkey kheema!

Kheema is often called the Indian version of the sloppy joe.  It consists of minced meat and peas cooked in tomatoes, onions, and a variety of spices.  It is a perfect option when you are trying to eat less carbohydrates.  Kheema is often made using mutton, but I made it with ground turkey to keep it healthy.  You can also use ground chicken if you prefer!  

My husband V and I have been quite busy as of late:  we are busy at work, we are planning a few vacations for the summer, and we are looking for a new place to live as our apartment lease is up soon.  In the midst of our daily hustle and bustle, it can be difficult to prepare home-cooked meals.  Whenever I feel that my days are overwhelmingly busy, I turn to my favorite kitchen appliance:  the slow-cooker.

My mom provided me with a recipe for making raajma, a curry made with red kidney beans, which is made on a stove and takes roughly 30 minutes to make.  Not that 30 minutes is a lot of time, but the idea of dumping the ingredients into the slow-cooker and not having to worry about it was much more appealing.  I often use my slow-cooker to make chili, and it turns out amazing because the ingredients have time to blend together and thicken.

Raajma has always been one of my favorite dishes.  It is so comforting, whether you are eating it with bread, rice, quinoa, or by itself.  I have found that many cultures have some variation of "beans and rice" as a comfort food.