Did you know you can make a delicious soup with all the good stuff in matter of 5 minutes, by simply putting every ingredient together into a blender, followed by chilling in the fridge, just in time to serve? I know, I’m bordering on ‘how ludicrous!’ but I assure you I am not lying! Give this one a shot and thank me later!

Sandwiches,Savoury Yes, a wholewheat pizza base – never thought I would come to this, but here we are. It’s what kids do to you. This recipe is delightfully easy, the edges crisp up well, and if you roll it out thicker, you would see some bubbles too. Of course, you cannot compare this to a neapolitan crust or something as authentic as that, but it makes a satisfying healthier version. I make this our green pizza – with lots of pesto, a bit of cheese, lots of zucchini ribbons, olives and capers, along with chili oil drizzled generously. baked to perfection within 10 minutes, this is a good one! The Recipe Serves 6-7 Ingredients Flatbread: yields: 6-7 flatbreads 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 2 ½ tsp instant dry yeast 1 tbsp honey ¼- ½ cup warm water Topping: 1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons ½ cup pesto handful of shredded cheese / feta cheese / buratta cheese olives capers fresh basil red chilies extra virgin olive oil or chili oil Instructions Flatbread: Stir the ¼ cup warm water with instant dry yeast and honey and set aside for 10 minutes In a big mixing bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and salt Once the yeast has bloomed, make a well in the center of the flour Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and stir to make a dough. Add more water if required Knead for 5-6 minutes Place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth Place in a warm place for an hour After the hour is completed, knead the dough for a few minutes Then divide into 6-7 equal size shaped balls and roll out into rounds Spread a generous amount of pesto on top of each flatbread Add cheese, zucchini ribbons, olives, capers, red chilies, fresh basil and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or chili oil Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 10 minutes Serve hot Can add buratta cheese or feta cheese on top and another drizzle of EVOO on top before serving

This is a delightful sandwich loaf bread that uses ragi flour ( I use coarse flour) with whole wheat flour to make a bread loaf – and for required binding, I had to add some all purpose flour as well. I have done this recipe without maida, and I do not recommend it – this was my only option. You can surely sub the sugar with honey, and I use instant dry yeast. It is quite a delight to make, simple and easy, non fussy, and yields a very big loaf that is soft and tastes perfect with a pat of butter. Almond milk was my choice of milk, because I always have that laying around and need to use up, but regular dairy milk works also. This does not compare to white sandwich bread and the comfort that comes with it, but works for those looking for a healthier alternative. If you do not have an issue with regular white flour,  by all means, replace the entire amount of wholewheat flour with white flour, and you’ll achieve the consistency you will fall in love with. The RecipeServes Ingredients 3 cups ragi flour 1 cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 tbsp sugar 3 tsp instant dry yeast 2 tsp salt ¼ cup almond milk (or regular milk) 2 cups warm water ¼ cup olive oil some extra milk and oats for top Instructions In a bowl combine the three flours, sugar and yeast and mix well Then stir in the salt Make a well in the center and add the milk Take a big fork to the center well and stir slowly, whilst pouring in the warm water, to slowly incorporate the dough together Then tip the dough out onto a greased surface and knead for 5 to 8 minutes Then place the dough into a greased large and deep bowl and cover with a cloth Place the bowl in a warm place to rest for 2 hours After the two hours check the bowl and the dough should have doubled. Punch back the dough – it will not be very airy, but it should be smooth and easy to knead Knead for 5 minutes on a greased surface Prepare an 11-inch loaf tin by greasing it Gently coax and fold the dough into a log the same size as tin and place inside the tin Cover and let it rest for 30-40 more minutes – it should have risen well once again Brush some almond milk on top gently, and sprinkle oats on top (optional) Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 25-28 minutes Remove from oven and allow to cool within the tin on a cooling rack Once completely cooled, turn out and slice and eat!

Savoury The weather has been erratic and it takes much efforts to get out of bed from beneath the two blankets. I am not normally a soup person, but this cool weather has managed to rekindle the craving. I am always craving spice more than sweet and the lingering winter requires warmth as well and a warm, thick soup is what the soul needs. Carrots are in abundance in this season and they are this lovely hue of red and taste the best they possible could at this time of the year. So I felt a carrot soup was in order, but with some more warming flavours such as ginger, garlic and my recent obsession – coconut milk! I used coconut oil to cook in instead of regular, and really, that’s all there is to it, with some salt and pepper. Let the carrots and ginger take the focus. I add some water to lighten it up, but you can also add vegetable stock and reduce the amount of coconut milk if you aren’t feeling as indulgent. The ginger and garlic are natural anti-inflammatory and hence help soothe cold, runny noses and body pains. By the way, this soup counts as: Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy Free! The Recipe Serves 1 Ingredients 1 tsp coconut oil 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tsp grated ginger 2 tsp minced garlic 100ml coconut milk 50 ml water 1/2 tsp salt Instructions Heat the coconut oil with ginger, garlic and onion in a medium stove pot on low heat. Once they are fragrant, add the carrots and salt. Stir for a few minutes and let cook until the carrots have softened slightly. Then pour in the coconut milk and water and give a few stirs before covering to cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before blending down. Serve warm with a drizzle of coconut milk on top.