THC HEARTBYTES

Today is Friday, so of course, I’m going to talk about some Fab Food Folks in just a minute. And share some awesome popcorn flavourings you can make at home and while enjoying a horror movie marathon. I mean it is Friday the 13th - Bwahahahaha!

It’s not exactly breaking news that we should be trying to eat organic as much as possible to avoid the deadly pesticides sprayed on produce and fed to livestock. That’s why it’s really cool that so many farmer’s markets are coming up across the city and that too on the weekends. This means you can actually visit them, shop at leisure, interact with some really interesting people doing wonderful things in the space of organic, vegan and what I call FREE FOOD: sugar-free, oil-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and of course, guilt-free because cruelty-free and try out delicious snacks and drinks made from healthy and natural ingredients.

These markets are held on the weekend at Malad, Powai, Juhu, Chembur, Bandra, Cuffe Parade, Birla Kreeda Kendra in Girgaon, and Versova. Some are on Saturday and most are on Sunday. They’re usually open in the morning and shut by lunch time. I’ll be sharing exact timings, location, address and contact info for each market on my Facebook page, just look for The Heart Chef, I’ll be sending across the link on whatsapp.

Ok so let’s not forget it’s Friday the 13th, and what’s better to snack on during a horror movie marathon that homemade popcorn? But popcorn can get boring. And there’s only so much butter you can drizzle before it starts to taste like a heart attack waiting to happen.

So here are some interesting popcorn flavourings you can whip up at home, either making a couple of different batches or keep trying all till you find your fave:

No more crappy microwave popcorn! Freedom from carcinogenic gunk that tastes good but lines your arteries for a looooong time. You know what you need to do for the popcorn-flavouring recipes, just hop on over to THC’s Facebook pg or whatsapp me your email address and say POPCORN FLAVOURING RECIPES.

That was it for today’s episode, catch you on Sunday where we will Take It Easy and celebrate all the different harvest & spring festivals of India. Plus, I’ll be launching a cuke-lear attack on boring ways to eat cucumber. Because there’s at least 5 different ways to enjoy this water-rich member of the gourd family, and I’m going to share them with you.

You have a good start to the weekend and I’ll talk to you next on Sunday. This is me, Simona - The Heart Chef signing off with a big hug. From my heart to yours.

Sweet basil seeds are 42% carbs, 25% fats, 20% protein, and have a load of ALA or alpha-linolenic acid, which comes from the high level of Omega-3 fatty acid present in the seeds. The best part though? They contain zero calories and are free of cholesterol. Learn more in this episode about why you should be ingesting them.

What are cold soups? No they’re not hot soups that are allowed to get cold, those taste terrible!

Cold soups are what I turn to when it’s sweltering hot outside and the face melting heat makes my appetite take a bit of a downturn. If you’re also struggling with being hungry but not really wanting to eat anything heavy, cold soups can be a real boon.

They’re easy to make, you can use ingredients that boost your immunity, and they can be delicious at the same time. What’s not to love?

So here are 5 cold soups that I recommend for this crazy blistering summer:

Gazpacho, Melon & Kiwi, Cucumber & mint, Carrot & ginger, Watermelon & feta.