Indian Spinach Soup

 A few days ago my mother had her wisdom teeth taken out. You know she's my mother because she got to hold on to her wisdom this long. I had mine out ages ago. Now, at least we're both dunces. Anyway, I digress. My mother was now less wise but also more squirrel cheeked. I decided it was time to be uncharacteristically nice and offered to make her soup.

My mother accepted the offer and immediately wanted to know what kind of soup. I decided on this spinach shorba, a fragrant and light Indian soup.

Now my mother grew up in India and is a fabulous Indian cook but when she heard of this soup, made with a spiced vegetable stock, she insisted it couldn't be really Indian. That's when wikipedia came in and a quick search of "shorba" proved this dish's origins. I'm kind of a food history/anthropology nut so I found it fascinating as well.

When most people (well, most non-Indian people) think of Indian food, they think spicy and fiery curries that leave one gulping water. Well, did you know that chilis didn't enter the Indian palate until well after the 1500s? Neither did tomatoes, potatoes or a whole host of other ingredients. European conquests did some terrible things for humanity, but it did spread a ton of different food stuffs around the globe.

The origins of this dish, and many other chili-less Indian foods, predates Columbus. Mughal emperors of Northern India brought chorba with them from Persian trade routes and would sip bowls of this delicate aromatic broth in their palatial surroundings.

So from the courts to the common kitchen, this soup continues to delight. It takes about 10 minutes to prep, another 20 to cook and can be served warm (which is how I like it) or chilled. Naturally vegan, it can be made glutenous or gluten-free. Enjoy!

Almond Flour Mini-Muffins with Honey Ricotta spread

Contrary to what these last two posts suggest, I never thought of myself as a baker. That title always went to my sister who would conjure up cakes and cookies while I stared, baffled, at recipes that wanted me to sift, fold, and mix but not overmix.

When I began cooking with my boyfriend, who is gluten intolerant, I thought baking and I would never meet again. We had a gluten-free cookbook but the ingredients lists (potato flour! tapioca flour! xanathan gum!) and complicated measures (3/8s? 5/16ths?) had me running for the hills.

It all changed when I discovered Roost and first heard of almond flour. After scouring the internets and reading testimonies of its ease of use and light taste, I decided to try it. It was love at first mix.

Seriously, these low-carb (really, almost no carb) muffins are so wonderfully easy, forgiving and completely guilt free. You can add almost any flavoring to the mix (I've made it with vanilla, lavender, even cheddar!) and pile on any of your favorite spreads. Really, these are the PERFECT afternoon jam vehicle. Boyfriend's gluten intolerance or not, I throw these together any time I need an excuse to dig into some new jar of jam.

I made mine small and snack sized, but if you increase the amount of batter, you can have regular muffin sized ones too! Even all y'all gluten eaters should give this baby a try!

Orange Chocolate Almond Flour Cake

"Mishti mukh karo"  or "have something sweet"...

In India, where my family comes from, every occasion is celebrated with something sweet. Birthdays, anniversaries, promotions- you name it. Beginnings are no different. So, to keep with tradition, my first post on this blog features something sweet. As some of you know, I haven't had a great track record with keeping blogs alive...but then again, none of them had such sweet starts.

This chocolate cake is one of my absolute favorites. This, along with it's cousin the flourless chocolate cake, is my go to dessert. It's easy, it's gluten free, processed sugar free, and it's a total crowd pleaser. Rich enough to have as dessert but simple enough to enjoy with a cup of coffee...you really don't need an excuse to whip this thing up. Recipe below the break!