Valentine's Day Special

Planning to spend your Valentine's day at home? Then try these quick and easy Valentine's day special recipes and make your Valentine extra special.

Lemon-Thyme Brined Chicken

Hello everyone, Happy day to you all! I know you must be very busy with your Christmas preparations. Be it  home or a room makeover, make-ahead meals, shopping, guests, to name a few, . Still you need to keep the home festive-ready, need to cook festive treats and need to entertain guests. So few no-fuss recipes is what you need to make your work easier. And this recipe, with few ingredients, would just serve the purpose. Although it has very few ingredients, the way it is cooked, is what brings out an amazing taste! 

Lemon with any herb is a heavenly combination, isn't it? This chicken recipe has a beautiful lemoney flavour with the freshness of thyme. It is not a very spicy dish, but has a mild-elegant taste. And brining, yes the magic factor, takes any meat recipe to another level. I wet-brined for this recipe. With few spices, the brining creates a smooth spicy hint to the dish. So get the recipe down below and try it out and impress your family and friends. Wishes from cook the natural way!!!

Almond-Choco Cookies

Christmas without cookies 🍪 is incomplete, and freshly home baked cookies is what makes the home smells so festive. Whether baking them for the family or gifting them, home baked cookies bring so much joy and satisfaction. Diwali and Christmas are two of my favourite festivals that I love to celebrate to the fullest.Winters, Christmas, cakes, cookies, celebration, oh What a great time of the year!! Well with this recipe, I am starting my Christmas 🎅🎄 special series. Hope you like it. 

These cookies, as the name suggests, have the goodness and the richness of almonds . They add a beautiful sweetness and taste. And chocolate, who on Earth doesn't like chocolate cookies?! I have also used "cut out method" to shape the cookies (for a cleaner look) and with a slight difference, they came out perfect, a little crispier than the molded ones. You will also notice in the recipe that I have used cream instead of butter, Reason?- it makes softer cookies. Crispy outside and soft inside, these cookies make a great gift for your friends and family! So go-ahead and prepare these delicious cookies.  Happy holidays, enjoy the food to the fullest and for a while forget to cook the natural way 😉! hahaha!

Valentine's Day Special Recipes

 Let's celebrate valentines's day with these easy and quick recipes!

Best of 2015

Hi everyone, hope you are having a great start of 2016!! Ok, here are some of my best recipes of 2015. Hope you like them all and get inspired to cook the natural way!!

Clink on the TITLES for the recipes.

Apricot-Orange Cake

Every food-blogger is in love with their blog. For them, each and every recipe they cook, click, share and post is like their baby!! So it is for me as well, I love all the efforts I put in here. Although all our recipes are special to us but still there are some recipes which are our favourite. They have helped us to understand cooking and thus enhancing our cooking skills. This recipe is one such! I am a self-taught baker, baking still makes me nervous but when I get the desired results, it is so satisfying. So a successful baking attempt means a lot to me and makes me so happy. Well, this cake is just perfect in every sense. I can eat this all, without sharing!!. I often bake this cake before our evening tea times. I love it's texture and flavors. Apricots with orange, believe me, tastes great!! And in this festive time, this cake can be a big hit! So try this awesome cake and let the Christmas Celebrations continue......

Chocolate Coins (Egg-less)

I think I have never met anybody who doesn't like chocolate cookies!! The moment you bake them, they are gone! The whole home smells like heaven, isn't it? These icebox chocolate cookies are so delicious, so chocolaty, so soft and so easy that it can be an ideal treat or even an ideal giveaway this festive season. You can make the log ahead and bake them later or how about simply gifting your busy friends and family a frozen log (don't forget the baking instructions too)!! Well, I called these cookies chocolate coins for their shape and size. They are so quick to make that you can prepare them minutes before serving. They are egg-less too, so if you want them vegan, just use coconut butter instead (this will add extra flavour too). So bake them and enjoy them with a cup of milk or coffee or tea or simply enjoy them with nothing!!

Butter Cake (The melt-in-mouth cake)

When I was a child, Christmas time was one of the most loved time for me

 1) because of the cake treats 

2) because of the gifts 

3) because of the vacation time 

4) and; the winter time, my favourite season.

 Even now it is still the most loved time, but only the reasons have changed. Now I love Christmas 

1) for the cakes and cookies I bake for my girl 

2) for the gift(s) she smartly gets from us 

3) for that extra hour sleep cause of vacation time....hehehe 

4) and; for the cosy evenings we all spend together!!

This cake recipe is just a start to this festive mood. What I like about this cake is that it is so soft and delicious, it literally melts in your mouth!! So try this cake and enjoy the Christmas time!!

The Chocolate Cake

Ok it's MY BIRTHDAY today!!! Despite being busy these days, I don't want to spend my birthday without you guyz!! So today I am here with one of my favourite cake recipe!! Hope you like it, bake it and remember me while enjoying it. If you try this cake I am sure you gonna love me more....hahaha....it is so tasty!! And it could be a perfect cake for DIWALI  as well!!!! I just wanna thanks you all for being here today and I love you all for you have always cook the natural way with me!!!

Parsley-Parmesan Rice casserole

Ok I'm back after two weeks. Well, today I am here with a rice recipe using lots of parsley, which not only gives the recipe a gorgeous green colour, but also a wonderful taste! I usually impress my guests with this recipe and they find it very unique.
I love herbs a lot, I can't imagine my cooking without them. I always abide by using less oil, sugar and salt, and more herbs. Their flavour gives any recipe a new dimension. And parmesan cheese is ....what to say....it's yumm!! This rice recipe has both and I love it! I serve this dish with a very simple stir fry vegetable recipe which is on my Facebook page (CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE)

Simple ingredients, easy to cook, I am sure you will like it. So try it someday and cook the natural way! Hope you like it!!!

Brined Roasted Chicken

Weekend is here and I am in a mood of having something non-vegetarian. No,no no not a curry version, I am here with one of my best roasted chicken recipe. Lately, I've started brining the chicken and the result- soft, tender, perfectly flavored chicken! Everybody asks me how I do that! Well now all will know...hehe. Brining is basically soaking chicken in salty water along with other flavours which is optional. It moisten the meat and makes it soft and juicy. Since the day I learned about brining, I am stuck to it and will always be. Well this recipe doesn't have any Indian touch as I wanted to cook something different than the regular. The spices in the brine give the chicken an earthy flavour and the seasoning makes it very delicious. The most important thing about this recipe is that it has very less oil but still it is finger licking good, as they say..haha. I believe food can be tasty even with less or without oil. So, try this recipe someday and don't forget to cook the natural way!!!

Baked Beans Grilled Sandwiches

Being a Punjabi, I have eaten kidney beans, aka rajma, a lot, but never got bored eating them, in fact, I can eat them everyday!! Beans are not only look beautiful but also have many health benefits. They provide energy, fibers, antioxidants, folate and magnesium. They are also a good source of protein and iron. So happily add them in soups, stews, salads and more. I've had baked beans quite a lot time but this recipe is so delicious, buttery and flavorful and that's what I wanted!!! I tried many vegetables but found capsicum the best. Baking the vegetables with beans actually intensifies all the flavours together. So try it and cook the natural way!!! Hope you like it!!!!

Chocolate Brownies

Valentine's day is incomplete without chocolate, agree? I know you are!! So here is my favorite brownie recipe, which is so divine! I made it twice this week (on demand) , the first one was fudgy , chewy and the second batch was a little fluffy and cakey  , with only a slight difference in both of them, that  I will tell you later. I 've used  cocoa powder (I always run out of   chocolates no matter how much I stock, hehe) and used cream instead of butter ( for even softer brownies). So now you don't need to rush out and buy ingredients ( generally we have cocoa powder and cream at home)  to  have a stress-free valentine's special cooking!!! Have a wonderful valentine's day!! This recipe ends my valentine's day special week. Hope you like all the recipes, which were so easy yet delicious!!!

Coffee Cupcakes ( Easy and Quick) (valentine's day special)

I believe Valentine's day should be celebrated everyday. Expressing your love needs no special day, but still we have this most loveable day to celebrate our love with our loved ones. So spare some time  and make them feel special. If you are planning to spend time at home and want to cook something special yet easy and quick, here are some exact recipes for you which will save your time in the kitchen and let you enjoy the togetherness!!

 Here is the first recipe of valentine week-Coffee cupcakes- easy and quick to make, you don't need any beater, just use a whisk!! They are so divine, so fluffy, so soft and so heavenly that you won't stop at one!!These cupcakes are dairy-free too!!  Instead of melting the chocolate with butter or beating the cream to make the topping, simply use Hershey's chocolate syrup to cut short the time (remember less time in the kitchen). Enjoy the day. Hope you like it!!!!!

Red Spinach Cutlets

 

Have you ever eaten or heard of red spinach? If yes , then you have had another healthiest food on earth, and if not then you must try it!! 

Not only for it has almost all the spinach benefits but also for its medicinal properties, you have many reasons to try this leafy vegetable!! Not many people are aware of red spinach as it is grown only in some part of india (and America too). I've eaten this vegetable in many ways but I find having them like in these cutlets, tastier. The recipe is simple and can be baked or shallow fried ( I baked them) !
Hope you like it!!!!!

Christmas Chocolate Cake

Santa claus is coming to town, so let's try this cake recipe...:D. If you love chocolate cakes, you will love this recipe, so soft, so fluffy yet not sinful. I've used just few tablespoons of butter. Frankly, this recipe is not mine, I came across this recipe while learning about the boiling water-cocoa awesome technique, it actually intensifies the chocolate taste and makes your cake soft, so thought of sharing it with you. I mostly use yogurt frosting on cakes, but you can choose any frosting you like. I find yogurt frosting healthier, easier and tastier. Anyways, have a great christmas and celebrate life....Merry Christmas!!!!

Orange-Black Currants Tea Cake

It's Christmas time and winter is at its peak, a cup of tea (or 2 or 3 or 4 or.....:P) is perfect to feel comfortably divine! Everyone deserves a little treat with tea on such cold winter evenings and this cake is just perfect for this. Easy to make and very tasty. I've used very little butter in this recipe so enjoy it without much guilt. By the way, I didn't realise I have crossed 50 posts on my blog (Hey hurray), it's great!!! So try baking this cake and have a little treat from my side!!Hope you'll like it!!

Citrusy Dates Chicken Breasts

Few days ago I posted a dates gravy recipe which was well appreciated. So inspired with that I tried using dates in this chicken recipe too. Dates have a very unique taste that incorporates well in sweet as well as salty recipes. This recipe has a very interesting flavour, sweet, sour, salty and of course very datesy :)  The sweet lime juice gives this dish a very nice citrusy hint. I've used very little oil that makes it even healthier. So go ahead and celebrate this festive season with this easy baked chicken recipe!!! Hope you like it!!

Low-fat Fruit cake

 

I just love this cake, so easy, so quick, so soft and of course low-fat!!! I've used yogurt instead of cream and very little butter. You can also add fruits of your choice for the topping. I usually bake this cake on birthdays as it is very easy and quick, but it is also perfect for busy Christmas days. So impress your guests with this fuss-free yet fancy cake and enjoy together! Hope you like it!!

 

 

Whole Wheat Coconut Cookies

It's Christmas time, so let's get started with baking. I love cakes, muffins, cookies, yummy frostings....all divine!!! Although you can have them anytime but Christmas is the merriest time to satisfy the divine capacity of such indulgences. Starting with these whole wheat coconut cookies, which are easy to make and worth trying!!!  I almost always use this recipe and it is one of my best recipe of coconut cookies which never fails. Hope you like it!!!!