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This healthy, flavor-dense burger recipe features quinoa, adjuki beans, and sweet potato with Mexican (cuisine) flavors. You can pair it with your favorite burger bun (preferably gluten-free) or add to a salad (my favorite) to create a satisfying meal. You can also use these burger patties as a snack.

The great thing about homemade burgers is that you can make multiple batches and freeze for later use–a healthier and cheaper option to buying frozen burgers from grocery stores. This quinoa & adjuki bean burger with sweet potato recipe is kids-, teens-friendly as well.

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The world of the wide web is replete with articles on the benefits of drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning. Is it a healthy practice? Read on to find the answers.

If the proof were to be found in celebrity lifestyle, a few actors/models–Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce, and Gisele Bündchen to name a few– confess starting their day with warm lemon water in the morning. My own introduction to the morning lemon water started more than a decade ago, out of curiosity after reading an article in some magazine. After following the practice religiously for two weeks, I noticed a significant increase in energy throughout the day. Ever since, I have traded my morning cup of tea with a tall, warm glass of lemon water. …

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This quick avocado toast makes a simple yet satisfying snack–one that keep you full till your next meal. You can also use it as a side dish with lentil salads or soups. And the best thing about this snack (or side dish) is that it is super healthy and you can prepare it on a hungry stomach–in 10 minutes.

Avocado toast has become quite ubiquitous around the globe. During my travels, I have seen it frequently popping up on restaurant menus as a healthy snack or side, especially at the airport cafes.

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The Valentine’s day is around the corner and you are probably getting ready to make the most of the day by reaffirming your affection for the loved ones. How about taking a pause to make a commitment to love yourself as well?

The idea of loving ourselves is often associated with the self-centered notions of  “I, me, and mine.” Although a 2015 study [1] has debunked the link between the use of these personal pronouns with the inflated sense of self, putting oneself first over others is hardly the definition of self-love. Maybe it is worth looking for the clues to the definition of loving ourselves in our  own expressions of love and care toward relationships close to our hearts. In various life roles– a spouse, a friend, a colleague, a parent, or a daughter/son–we are quick to help and shower love others in myriad ways. But we often find shortage of self-compassion, time, and energy when it comes to loving ourselves. …

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Mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy are a combo made in the heaven. A combo that repeats on my Thanksgiving dinner table every year. I love this combination, but I am not a big fan of adding wads of butter or cream to my mashed potatoes. For me the solution is these cauliflower mashed potatoes, which are ultra creamy without any (dairy) cream. While the cauliflower mimics potatoes’ creaminess, it doesn’t cause the blood sugar spike like white potatoes. The mushroom gravy is a great companion and goes well with (vegan) turkey as well. You can totally make the gravy a day or two in advance  to lighten your cooking load on Thanksgiving day. …

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It would not be an overstatement if I say that we have had a long-term (culinary)affair with french fries. In the US, on average, we end up eating over 25 lbs of fries every year. WOW! It’s no a surprise that potatoes rank as the highest-consumed vegetable in the US;  most of that in the form of fries [1].  Come to think of it, french fries offer an irresistible combination of crunchy (texture), salty (taste), and fatty (fried) to our palates. But, the health effect of these easily and cheaply available packet-full of fries is not so scrumptious. Frying is the worst cooking method to prepare potatoes as it can potentially create carcinogens (keep reading). But you can replace those unhealthy french fries with these baked sweet potato fries. These are super easy and quick to make and you don’t have to worry about eating carcinogens with your fries.

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Zucchini (known as courgette in many parts of the world, especially Europe) is one of my favorite summer squashes. Although it is a fruit, in cooking it is better used as a vegetable. Zucchini–a vitamin C- and manganese-loaded fruit– is often not liked for its mushy, slimy texture and bland taste. This zucchini-lentil boats with green sauce recipe gives a complete makeover to zucchini. It offers a slightly crunchy zucchini texture accompanied by a complex mix of flavors from fresh herbs, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. …

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Cilantro and mint are two of the most nutritious herbs in the universe. And one of these two is the most-used herb in the world. Can you guess? Fresh herbs add complex and refreshing flavors to a recipe and increase its nutrition quotient. Both cilantro and mint offer health benefits ranging from improving digestion to preventing cancer. Fresh, homemade chutneys and dressings (like this Cilantro-Ginger Dressing) are virtually calorie-free unlike packaged ones from stores. In fact, packaged condiments including dressings contain a ton of chemicals and excess of salt, sugar, and fat. The worst deal is that they don’t taste refreshing like the ones made at home, virtually in few minutes. …

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