After finding so many of the store-bought options flavorless, we decided to learn how to make chili powder, and I am so happy that we did. The food coming out of our kitchen has never been better. I use this homemade chili powder for many recipes on Inspired Taste, including our homemade beef chili, vegetarian chili, this easy enchilada sauce, and my favorite fajitas. I also use it as a base for this homemade taco seasoning....

Simple Vegetable Rice Recipe

I knew I would bake them one day and I knew it would be when I was feeling particularly homesick, and that’s exactly what happened. I was compiling this list of Christmas Recipes from Kerala and felt like I had to have some cookies – and they had to be snowball cookies! I used pecans, one of my favourites, in the cookies. You can substitute with walnuts (I am not a fan of them) or cashew nuts....

Are you all pumpkin-ed out yet? Hopefully not – but even if you are, you just have to try this one. If you’ve been following for long you know I have just a slight love for ice creams made with coconut milk. But this one? This one not only takes the cake but probably the pumpkin and apple pies too. It’s a rich & creamy, yet healthier, take on holiday desserts....

Having grown up here, it feels weird to categorize this as a “vacation.” Yet we don’t make it back very often and when we do, so much has changed. This trip was part business trip, part visiting family, and part mini-getaway. This is by no means a comprehensive list or a city guide, just some highlights of what we did and where we went this time. follow the jump to continue reading (and disregard that it says “recipe”):...

Check it out – a video! We recently partnered with the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission to create videos about one of my favorite foods – the sweet potato. Here’s a recipe that will start to get you in the mood for fall, but is still light and fresh. Below are a few of my favorite screenshots. Scroll down (or click the image above) for the video. Special thanks to Rightfrog Productions for the video work!...

If you’re the salad-bringer in your family or circle of friends – this one’s for you. It’s super easy and also really bright & flavorful. It goes great with whatever you’re grilling and packs up well for picnics. You can make it in advance which, in my opinion, is a key element to summer salad-ing. My Tabbouleh Recipe Twist This is not a traditional tabbouleh recipe because, as you see, I’m using dried tart cherries (which are also sometimes called sour cherries) in lieu of tomatoes....

This is the best cheese lasagna I’ve made in a long time. We pack in five delicious kinds of cheese, one of which is mascarpone cheese, which makes this super creamy and decadent. If you’ve seen our veggie lasagna or meaty lasagna recipes on the blog, you know we’re big fans of lasagna. You won’t add veggies or meat to this cheese lasagna. It’s all about that pure cheesy goodness....

Skip the prepackaged French onion soup mix and make this homemade caramelized onion dip instead. I promise our recipe tastes much better than anything you can buy at the store. This sour cream and onion dip gets better over time, so save this recipe for when you need to prepare an appetizer ahead of time. I also love this black bean onion dip. Key Ingredients Onion: I use a sweet onion when making this dip....

We love rich chicken and bone broths, so it was a challenge to create a meatless vegetable broth that makes us just as happy. After a few tries, we came up with this rich, hearty veggie broth recipe. I could not be happier with how this turned out. I know you’ll love it. I often enjoy this homemade vegetable broth without anything added (it’s so satisfying) and use it as a substitute for chicken broth in my favorite soup recipes (also see these recipes for vegetable soup and creamy potato soup)....

Since I was out of eggs, I started searching for eggless mango cakes. Quite a few popped up and most had some other ingredient that I didn’t have either – like sour cream or buttermilk. Then I saw this vegan mango cake recipe in Holy Cow Vegan and decided this is it! A cake flavoured with mango and cardamom, what’s not to love, eh? I’ve always wanted to take an artistic shot like this....

This vegan Parmesan cheese recipe is my new favorite condiment. It’s sharp, bright, savory, and rich, and as far as I can tell, it’s great on just about anything. I’ve made vegan Parmesan in the past, but this time, I added one extra ingredient: lemon zest! Its bright flavor brought extra complexity to the savory, nutty mixture, and now, I can’t get enough of it. I keep a big jar on hand in the freezer, and I reach for it anytime a dish needs an extra punch of umami flavor....

Like you, we live busy lives and need dinner on the table quickly. That’s why I love this easy homemade spaghetti sauce. It’s quick and easy to make, plus it lasts in the freezer for months, which means I have a delicious meal anytime I need it. This simple meat sauce can be made in about 45 minutes. For a more authentic, slowly cooked meat sauce, try my favorite bolognese recipe with ground beef, milk, white wine, and tomato....

Now, my meals are as balanced as possible, and food in office helps me to do this immensely. We have a wide range of options in our office cafe and every day is a new and fresh day as far as meals are concerned. This is my typical breakfast on weekdays. Wheat flakes with 1/2 cup milk and one tsp sugar, one cup watermelon, one cup papaya and an orange (sometimes)....

I come up with my favorite rice bowl recipes on nights when I don’t know what to cook for dinner. Because rice bowls rely on components—white rice or brown rice, a protein, a veggie, a sauce—you can almost always improvise them without a trip to the store. Start with a base of cooked rice, and then, get creative! Simple ingredients can mix and match into a healthy, delicious rice bowl in an infinite number of ways, so don’t hesitate to have fun....

If the grocery store shelves are any indication, we’re all on the hunt for good bean recipes right now. I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but in Chicago, it’s hard to find canned or dried beans anywhere. Jack and I may have had to visit a few extra grocery stores as a result, but at the same time, I’ve been happy to see that people are buying beans....

We made it to Japan! I think it’s only fitting that our first post is about the first meal of the day. I wouldn’t normally recommend eating breakfast at your hotel, but in Japan you have to (at least once) experience the Japanese breakfast. If you haven’t heard of it, the concept might rock your mind… I mean, it is miso soup and fish for breakfast after all… This particular breakfast was at the Claska, a boutique hotel in Tokyo....

For years, I had a very routine “breakfast” that I would pick up on my way to work: a double tall soy latte at 110 degrees. (I know, I was one of those coffee-orderers). These days, I’ve swapped my beverage breakfast for a real one, my expensive coffee for tea, and my soy milk for almond milk. Although I now work from home, I still love to get a quick start in the morning....

Last week I had the opportunity to go on a super fun trip to Boulder Colorado to visit the headquarters of Celestial Seasonings. I’ve been drinking their tea for years so it was fun to learn more about the process of making tea and meet the wonderful people behind the brand. The trip started with the warmest welcome (the employees greeted us outside, cheering and holding signs with each of our blog names on them!...

Is it just me, or is half the fun of eating artichokes the sauce you serve with them? This artichoke dipping sauce recipe has been a favorite of ours lately. It’s creamy, rich, and tangy, a perfect savory accent for the bright, nutty artichoke leaves and heart. It’s easy to make (you only need 7 ingredients, and one of them’s pepper!), and it comes together in a fraction of the time it takes to cook artichokes....