VIBRANT VEGAN BUDDHA BOWL

Getting into the groove with this vibrant vegan buddha bowl!! 

This super delicious healthy buddha bowl is packed with grains, nutrients, and tons of veggies to fuel your body and mind.

If you've been following my blog, you would know how obsessed I'm with buddha bowls. I find them so satisfying and nourishing! It's my favorite thing at the moment. You can add whatever veggies, grains, seeds available at home, combined with your favorite dressing, and have these for your breakfast, lunch or dinner!

This fast and easy salad come together in just 10 minutes. It's exciting blend of flavors, textures, and colors will leave you wanting more! This recipe is completely vegan and gluten-free.

This vibrant buddha bowl is filled with veggies like broccoli, peas, corns, tomatoes, served with brown rice and combined with ginger lime dressing.

You can dress this salad bowl with your favorite dressing, or just leave them undressed! I made a delicious, simple ginger and lime dressing, and it's so much cheaper and better than the store-bought stuff.

To make this, you'd have to cook brown rice ahead of time. I like to make big batches of brown rice (or quinoa) and keep them in the fridge so they are ready to make healthy dishes like these.

The broccoli, peas and corn stays vibrant here, because all you're doing is a quick steam then tossing with olive oil, lemon and salt. I have used fresh sweet corn. You can also use tinned corn for this salad.

I love using frozen peas in my salad. Well, you don't need to cook them but do remember to wash them with warm water, else you'll end up up with a wet mushy salad. When they are little warm, mix them up with olive oil, vinegar, lemon and salt. 

I always try to make this salad differently, depending on what is available at my home. Just have a look what you have in your kitchen, and play around with vegetables, herbs and spices, and try to make it as per your liking! For the recipe, follow these few simple steps that I have listed below.

VIBRANT VEGAN BUDDHA BOWL

Serves: 2 People

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes 

Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown rice, rinsed
1 cup broccoli, cut into florets 

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup fresh corns (low/ no salt/ tinned or frozen)

1 tomato, cut in circular shapes

2 cups cooked brown rice (or quinoa)

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided use

1/2 teaspoon salt or as per taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided use

Dressing

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 sugar (optional)

Salt and pepper as per taste

DIRECTION 

1. Boil rice: Bring 2 cups of water to boil into a large saucepan. Once water starts boiling, add 1 cup brown rice, a pinch of salt, cover with a lid and reduce to simmer. After 30-35 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the lid and let it stand for 10 minutes. 

2. Steam broccoli: To steam, place broccoli florets and a pinch of salt in a steamer basket with 1 inch of water. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with cold water, preferably ice cubes with it. After 2 minutes, remove the florets with a slotted spoon in a colander and immediately, plunge the florets into a bowl of ice cold water. After a minute strain them, and keep it aside. Place the broccoli in a large bowl, toss it with the oil, lemon and salt.

3. Frozen peas: Next, wash frozen peas with warm water, toss it with the oil, lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Steam or boil corns: Steam or boil fresh 2 medium corn cobs till the kernels are tender. You can steam them in an electric cooker, pressure cooker, or steamer. I cooked them in a pressure cooker, add corns along with 2 cups of water, for 4 whistles. Let them cool down and drain the water. Now place it in a bowl and toss it with olive oil, vinegar, lemon and salt.

5. Slice raw veggies: Slice any raw veggies of your choice. I added fresh tomatoes in my bowl.

6. Prepare the dressing: To make a dressing, whisk 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon vinegar in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Assemble your bowl: Assemble your bowl, add brown rice, steamed broccoli, corns, peas, and sliced tomatoes. Season the bowl with salt and pepper. Drizzle the yummy ginger lime dressing and gently toss them to combine.

8. Eat mindfully, enjoying all the flavors and textures!!! 

IF YOU LOVED THIS RECIPE, YOU WILL LOVE:

RAINBOW BUDDHA BOWL : Healthy, filling and a delicious wholesome meal, filled with rice, beans, broccoli, bell peppers, cucumber and combined with almond butter lime dressing to give it a touch of sweetness! 

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Dahlia Flowers | How to grow Dahlias in Pots

1. Growing Dahlias in Pots

Dahlia are incredibly beautiful and vibrant flowers, comes in exciting array of colors, adding spectacular beauty throughout summer.

They come in fun and striking colors from pastels to gold, neutrals to bronze, bright magenta to deep purple, dark red lavender to peach, and add a dazzling view to the garden!

Dahlias blooms in various forms, and in various varieties like spiky, ball, decorative, cactus, collarette and pompoms.

They can grow well both in pots and gardens. They are fluffy, full, luscious and looks very fascinating. You can also place these beautiful flowers by making floral centerpieces to brighten up your home.

Dahlias are grown from seeds or tubers. They need to be planted in spring season, after the threat of frost has passed. They grow up to 5-6 feet and bloom with flowers of 10-12 inches across. You can buy these flowers from nurseries or even online.

2. Plant Dahlias Tubers

Planting dahlias in a pot is a great choice for people who have little space in gardens but remember to choose a pot which is at least 12 inches in diameter and depth for optimum growth. Buy pots which are heavy as dahlias grow up to 5-6 feet and are a long standing flowers.

Soil the plant with compost and sand or humus and plant the tubers at least 6 inches deep, and about 2 to 3 feet apart, to get healthy and beautiful flowers. Avoid manure or fresh compost as it's too high in nitrogen. Continue adding soil until just an inch of empty space is left. It will take around 15-20 days to grow. Do not water the tubers right after planting, wait until the sprouts have appeared above the soil.

3. Caring for your Dahlias

Dahlias thrive in full sun with a minimum of 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. Water them at least twice or thrice a week. They start blooming about 7-8 weeks after planting. Spray these flowers with fungicide or insecticide as needed.

They are often discarded after they stop blooming although they can be planted again from the cuttings. You need to cut the plants back to 2-3 inches above ground, trim the yellow leaves and mulch heavily so that they bloom again in fall season.

It's surprising, how many people think that Dahlia is hard to grow, but it's absolutely not, you just need to know the basics. I hope these few tips have helped you.

Happy Gardening!
Have a beautiful day!

10 SUPERFOODS YOU SHOULD BE EATING RIGHT NOW

Superfoods are the special category of foods that contain a wide variety of antioxidants, fiber, minerals and vitamins. These little fellas are great for your nervous system, offer protection against heart diseases, help in reduce inflammation, and support the immune system.

Stock your kitchen with these superfood staples. You can easily incorporate them into your everyday meals. They are easy to consume, relatively available in every supermarket and grocery store.

1. Tomato

Tomatoes are the most commonly used fruit. They are the major dietary source of lycopene, which improves the bone mass and boost immune system. It may also reduce the risk of cancer and heart diseases. Tomato contain fat-burning compound known as 9-oxo-ODA which helps with fat loss. They are both nutritious and delicious and can be easily incorporated in your diet.

Tomatoes are the important ingredient of many cuisines. They are used to make sauces, soups, salads, pizza, lasagna, pasta and many other variety of dishes. Remember the tomato soup I made last year?

2. Spinach

Spinach is the world's healthiest superfood. These dark green leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamin A, B, C, E and K. They are an excellent source of magnesium, potassium, calcium, choline and folate. Spinach can lower the risk of cancer and heart related problems, it can control the diabetes and reduce blood pressure. It plays an important role in building healthy skin tissues and promoting blood cell growth.

You can add them in salads, sprinkle it on pasta and add in your smoothies. You can also make a simple sauteed spinach recipe in a pan.

3. Green tea

I'm a tea-lover and a pretty regular one. I always start my day with a cup of green tea. There are lots of varieties of tea like - black, green, white, oolong but my favorite is green tea. Green tea is becoming popular specially in the fitness world. It contain all the antioxidants that boost metabolism and could help in reducing the risk of diabetes, heart attack, stoke and cancer. It contains less caffeine than coffee, helps with weight loss and keep the immune system strong.

Add it into a lukewarm water or add milk or lemon for more flavor and enjoy.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt is a dairy product prepared from the bacterial fermentation of milk, often sweetened and flavored. It can also be prepared at home. There are plenty of benefits of yogurt, they are helpful in developing stronger bones, improves the immunity and the digestion system. It's rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Yogurt can be blended or served as a base of smoothies. It can be added in soups, curries and can also be cooked with tofu or paneer. You can cook kadhi, yogurt based curry or raita, common condiment eaten in Asia and India.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a perfect breakfast as it's filling and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. They are great source of fiber, potassium and calcium. Oats are natural superfood, made out whole grain and fiber which helps in reducing the cholesterol and blood pressure. They are great as a breakfast, snack, a post-work-out snack.

Eat it as a porridge replacement, sprinkle over your cereal, or your smoothie.

6. Sprouts

I love eating sprouts as it's a wonderfully high protein, low fat snack which includes all the nutrients. Sprouts are the most convenient and healthy superfood. They are energy boosting enzymes, extremely alkalizing and rich in micro-nutrients. They are loaded with protein, vitamin B1 and B6, vitamin K and minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorous and zinc..

Add them in salads, coleslaw.

7. Purple carrots

Wow, now purple carrots are my favorite! As the name suggest, it has bright purple skin and flesh that comes in the shade of yellow and orange. According to an Australian study, purple carrots are the next big superfood. It's a relatively unknown superfood, filled with anti-inflammatory goodness. It is rich in anthocyanin, help in in treating neurological disorders like Alzheimer's, improving heart related problems. They are low in calories and rich in dietary fibre, vitamin C, K, potassium and manganese are a good source of carotenoids.

Add them in your salads, smoothies or can also stit-fry it.

8. Garlic

Garlic, the pungent member of the allium family is widely popular in Asian and Indian cooking. It's a great source of vitamin C, B1, B6, manganese, copper, biotin and fiber. It helps in regulating sugar level and help people with type1 and type2 diabetes. Garlic also has lot of anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It contains high levels of sulphuric compounds which helps in lowering down the cholesterol level, reducing the blood pressure, boosting the immune system and supporting the digestive health.

They are used to add flavor in variety of dishes like soups, dips, stir fries, stews, etc.

9. Lentils

They are practically the cheapest and the easiest superfood to prepare. These pulse are used in many Asian and Indian countries. Lentils requires a long cooking time in kitchen but they make a delicious and healthy snack. They are high in iron, protein, and other nutrients. They are known for managing blood sugar levels and keep you full for hours.

Use variety of beans to make lentil soup or curries, add them to quesadillas along with other fillings, add them to salad, eat them with Indian breads or rice, or just as a snack.

10. Beets

Beet is the most beautiful vegetable. They are blood red in color. It has a sweet and earthy flavor. It is also used as a natural coloring agent. Beet roots are high in vitamins A, B & C, Potassium, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorous and Fiber. It helps in the treatment of anemia, indigestion, cancer and heart diseases. Beets are also good for pregnant women since they are a source of Vitamin B. It's low in calories and high in carbs. Vitamin C helps in fighting cancer and helps to prevent Respiratory problems.

It is frequently added as an ingredient to salads, soups and pickle, you can also make a beetroot drink.

Which is your favorite superfood?
How do you incorporate it into your diet?

x

ONE YEAR BLOGIVERSARY

One year blogging anniversary

Happy birthday to the THE FOOD ROOT!!!
It's our one year blogiversary!

I still can't believe, that a year ago, my little blog went live. It has been a wonderful journey since then. I made many new connections, learned new things and discovered some creativity.

I want to thank my friends, family, fellow-bloggers and readers for their continuous love and support! Thank you for sticking by me throughout this journey.

These are 10 best recipes of my blog!

How it all started 

Exactly one year ago, sitting in my cabin, I had a life-altering realization, that I don't want to restrict myself in the current circumstances. I quit my well-paying corporate job and realize it's important for me to find my passion and purpose in life.

I was not clear in my head so I thought of giving myself a well deserve break. Knowing that I'll never go back to the same old job, I registered for hobbies that interested me like interior designing, gardening, writing, yoga, sketching, cooking and photography.

I trusted my gut instincts and came up with the idea of blogging. I set up my own blog, found my voice and attract few readers as well. It allows me to truly understand what i am looking in my career and life.

Thus began my journey as a food blogger!!

Challenges

I took baby steps in the blogging world and it's been such a learning experience, since then. There are so many things that I've discovered in my first year of blogging.

I initially started blogging with a blogspot account but after six months I bought a domain name and connected the domain to the web host and it became www.thefoodroot.com  

I started making accounts across all the various social media platforms as they are great for networking, building followers and sharing content.

I build my e-mail list and worked on website navigation, sitemaps and other similar stuff.

Then comes SEO aka Search Engine Optimization, a nightmare for new bloggers like me. The more I use to google, the more complicating it use to get. At one point, i just blatantly ignored it but then i realize if i'm sure about my blogging career I need to educate myself in SEO.

I'm still struggling, but I've been working dedicatedly on my blog growth and taking it to the next level.

Achievements

I also wanted to share a few things I'm extremely proud of achieving this year. My blog is growing with over 34 posts and 13607 page visitors. I managed to grow a bunch of new beautiful followers on various social media platforms;

Facebook       155
Instagram    1200
Twitter         1140
Pinterest      2750
Google+           20

I also got my Google AdSense account approved, with a month old domain. ;)

Coming into the blogging world, I didn't know what to expect. Though, my success seems small but I'm happy to see the progress.

Goals 

I've been thinking of settling a little challenge for myself. In my journal, I had set a goal for 4000 followers on both Twitter and Instagram, 500 followers on my Facebook page by the end of 2018. I want to increase the weekly and monthly page views of my blog as well.

I need to schedule my posts and monitor the deadlines... want to come up with a nice pretty logo, new blog layout, learn photography. I had coupe of session with my brother but I've long way to go.

I also hope this year, I can also learn more about the SEO.

I cannot wait to see what the next year of blogging has in store! 

Thank you

Thank you all for taking time to read my post. Thank you for liking, commenting, retweeting, sharing my posts! This is the best reward I could ask for. I truly am happy to have connected with all of you. Sending an abundance of love to you all.

X
Anshika


P.s. The idea of writing this blog could not be possible if my mother would have not helped me as she does all the cooking. ;) I would also like to give a huge shoutout to my brother Udit, as he taught me photography and other tech related stuff. Thank you both! love my family!

DAHI VADA ON A PLATE

Dahi vada on a plate! Couldn't resist sharing all the yumminess we gobbled up! This is my first post of 2018 so I think I should start it with something sweet and savory, so what's better than Dahi vada.

Dahi vada is an Indian street food that is usually served in stalls but can be easily made at home. It's a popular chaat in North India served along with mint and tamarind chutney. There are different versions of this snack made in the other parts of the country as well like dahi bhalla in Delhi, thayir vadai in Tamil Nadu, perugu garelu in Andhra Pradesh and many more.

These deep fried lentil balls, made from urad dal batter are bathed in thick beaten yogurt with a drizzle of mint and tamarind chutney. They are so light, fluffy and melt in your mouth so good.

My Mom makes this traditional dahi vada on special occasions as my family is a die-hard fan of this snack. It's one traditional dish that always grab attentions from our guests.

You need just a few ingredients to make these delicious vadas. Soaked urad dal, ginger, green chillies, salt and cumin. Simply add all the ingredients, and blend the soaked urad dal to a smooth batter and deep fry over medium flame. Let it cool down a little, and put them into a large bowl of water and squeeze out the excess water and transfer to thick beaten yogurt. Drizzle mint and tamarind chutney over it and enjoy....!!

DAHI VADA ON A PLATE

Soaking time: 3-4 hours
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4-5 people
Author: The Food Root

Ingredients

1.5 cup - urad dal
1 cup - yogurt
1 inch ginger, grated
2 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon - salt or as per taste
1/2 teaspoon - cumin powder
1 cup - water
1/2 teaspoon - baking soda
Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Soak urad dal : Wash 1.5 cup of urad dal under running water. Add water, preferably 2 times of the volume of the beans. Cover and place it in a bowl and soak it for atleast 3-4 hours. Drain the soaking water and rinse it with fresh water.

2. Grind into a smooth batter : Add dal, ginger, green chillies, salt, cumin powder, 1 cup of water into a grinder and make a smooth batter. Remove the batter to a bowl. Add baking soda and mix well. Let it rest for some time.

3. Beat until it's smooth : Beat the batter until light and fluffy. If the batter has thin consistency, adjust by adding couple of tablespoons of semolina.

4. Whisk yogurt : Meanwhile take fresh yogurt. Whisk it till it gets smooth. Keep it in the refrigerator.

5. Fry the vadas : Heat the sufficient oil in a deep pan for frying the vadas. Once the oil is hot, spoon in the small sizes of the mixture, spaced apart. Fry over medium heat on both sides, until golden brown about 2 minutes. (You may need to do this in 2-3 batches). Spread the vadas on a sheet and let it cool on a room temperature.

6. Soak the vadas in water and squeeze out the excess water: Take a large bowl of water and soak these vadas into them for 5-10 minutes. Then, take each vada in your hand and gently squeeze out the excess water.

7. Pour the whisked yogurt: Place these vadas in the serving bowl and pour the whisked yogurt.

8. Garnish and Enjoy: Drizzle mint and tamarind chutney over it and enjoy! I don't like to add sev to this, as I prefer it to be simple but you are free to add if you like it.

 
NOTES

1. Add baking soda in the urad dal batter to increase the fluffy texture.

2. If the batter has thin consistency, adjust by adding couple of tablespoons of semolina.

3. Before pouring whisked yogurt on the vadas, soak the vadas into the water and gently squeeze out the excess water.

4. You can make it sweet and spicy by adding sev and chutneys.