Welcome to the first edition of RPL at Home, where I share what I’m up to when I’m not in the kitchen or in front of the camera.
Each month, I’ll share snippets of what I’m working on, habits I’m cultivating, things bringing me joy, podcasts/books/TV shows I’m enjoying, and more. Think of it as stream-of-consciousness blabbering meets a semi-curated list of recommendations meets life update.
This month’s edition
1. What I’m watching, listening to, and reading
2. What I’m working on (in life)
3. What I’m working on (in the biz)
4. Recipes you might have missed
5. What I’m eating
6. What’s bringing me joy
What I’m watching, listening to, and reading
Watching
The show I’ve been most excited about tuning into is The Last of Us. I don’t typically gravitate towards dystopian sci-fi, and I must admit I’m an actual baby who wears noise-canceling headphones during the scenes with scary sounds (I know, I know), but…I’ve been hooked by the magnificent acting and the relationship between Ellie and Joel.
Pedro Pascal (Joel) is having a moment. And Bella Ramsey (Ellie) is a proud vegan!
Reading
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. I went full suburban and recently joined a neighborhood book club! And this was our first book. It weaves together two topics I knew nothing about (horse-riding rural librarians during the Great Depression) and the rare blue-skinned people of Kentucky, but I really enjoyed it. It’s written beautifully and hard to put down.
A few shorter pieces I enjoyed this month
He taught Americans how to cook Indian food
The Fleishman is in Trouble Effect
100 centenarians’ 100 tips for a life well lived
Listening
This recent episode from NPR’s Throughline tells the story of an Indian American man who argued in 1923 that he should be considered white and thus eligible to become a U.S. citizen. The episode covers the creation of race and the myth of whiteness, and for me, it brought up painful memories of my childhood where I wished I was white so I would not feel Othered. But it also made me proud because I no longer feel that way. I love when a podcast can teach you important stuff, prompt a good cry, and spawn a personal epiphany all at once.
What I’m working on (in life)
Becoming “a reader”
Back in first grade, we had a reading marathon. For every book you read, the teacher would paste a paper star on the wall with your name on it, starting at the bottom of the wall and working her way up. I read so many books that my stars started to creep up the ceiling (my poor classmates had no chance with this nerd). So I’ve always considered myself “a reader.”
But truth be told, I’ve put reading on the back burner since I started my business. While I did read 10 books last year (not bad), I read them all while on vacation because my regular life was “too busy.”
Recently though, I started doing a few things that have helped reading become a habit I look forward to:
- Joining a book club (see above)
- Carving out 10 minutes to read each night (it usually extends longer once I get into it) and 10 minutes to read each morning with a frothy matcha latte.
- Leaving my current book on the dining table so I read while I eat lunch instead of the usual doomsday scrolling
- Treating myself to a new book at our awesome local bookstore each time I finish a book
- Allowing myself to read whatever I want instead of forcing myself to read the latest self-improvement or productivity book.
And it’s working! I’ve read four books in the last three weeks. That’s four gold stars for adult Nisha.
What I’m working on (in the biz)
One of my favorite YouTube videos we published recently was for my Thai Green Curry recipe. The video is fun and playful, and you get to see my parents (and Max!) in a delightfully funny taste test.
On the recipe development side, I want to share more desserts this year (not a lot, just a little). I recently realized that I had published only 6 dessert recipes in the last 2 years. To be fair, one of them was my absolute best vegan brownies (recently picked by a group of 47 taste testers as the best vegan brownie!) and I don’t think I can top that recipe, but we all need a little more sweetness in our lives.
Have any dessert recipes you’d like to see? Leave your requests in the comments!
And here’s a sneak peek of recipes I’m working on! If you want to get notified when new recipes hit the blog, subscribe to my newsletter!
Recipes you might have missed
- Tofu Stir Fry. A Chinese restaurant-style stir fry with crispy-chewy tofu and a deeply savory sauce.
- Chickpea Curry. Big bold Indian flavors in an approachable weeknight dinner package.
- Creamy Coconut Rice with Five Spice Tofu. Creamy rice and five spice tofu crumbles meet nutrient-rich vegetables and crunchy peanuts.
- Beet Hummus. The most gorgeous dip you’ll ever make. Also nutrient-dense and so versatile.
- Thai Green Curry. My favorite takeout dish made at home! Easy but gourmet.
What I’m eating
During the week, we mostly eat leftovers from recipe testing and “bowl style dinners” using building blocks (and occasionally some sort of Asian takeout or pizza). One of my favorite things for those bowl-style dinners is vegan Tzatziki.
The tzatziki takes just 10 minutes to make and is so versatile. Last week for lunch, I spread it on bread from our local bakery (first, I toasted the bread underneath the broiler, then smeared with a cut garlic clove and drizzle of olive oil, my go-to method for toasting bread). Then I piled it with pan-fried tofu slabs, arugula dressed with Brightland olive oil & champagne vinegar, and pickled carrots. :::::chef’s kiss:::::
For dinner, a recent favorite has been to pair the tzatziki with crunchy roasted chickpeas or white beans and a simplified Greek salad with cukes, cherry or heirloom tomatoes, capers, kalamata olives (no olives for Max), drizzled with olive oil & vinegar + toasted pita wedges (or cooked farro) + pickled onions.
What’s bringing me joy
Bi-monthly “happy hours”: A technical happy hour involves adult beverages and usually a bar, but I’ve co-opted the term for something very different.
A couple times a month, I’ll end work earlier than usual and make hot chocolate. Meanwhile, Max pours himself a glass of wine and, upon my request, lights an obscene amount of candles in the living room and turns on the “relaxing jazz” station on Spotify.
Then we hang out on the couch until dinner time. We chat for a bit, sometimes about work, but usually about non-work stuff, and then we stare at each other silently like we’re deeply in love but also like we’re in a cult.
Just kidding, we read our respective books while I occasionally sneak a few sips of his wine (but not a lot because I discovered last year that drinking booze hurts my stomach and that getting old is a real party pooper).
This may not be a traditional happy hour in any sense of the word, but it’s an hour or two where I feel great happiness. And self-righteous because I am collecting more golden stars for all the books I’m racing through.
Hope y’all enjoyed this first edition of RPL at home! You might have noticed that I was sharing mini life updates in our newsletter recently, but the long-form blog format just felt easier and more natural, and I’m already excited for the April edition.
Please let me know what you’d like to see in next month’s edition (and if you have a more clever title than “RPL at home.”)!
Hi Nisha,
So glad my boyfriend found your You tube channel & now I’ve found your blog! Thank you for sharing your life & cooking talents. I love that your recipes are so easy & tasty. We made your tofu scramble & it was a game changer for us & tofu! Hugs from us to our new friend!
Hi Julie, that’s so sweet that both of you enjoy my recipes 🙂 I love to hear that the tofu scramble was a game changer–so easy and so versatile. Sending hugs back!
I enjoy the blog, thanks for being open and sharing your life. I am an avid reader and in a book club too. Keep up the great work you are doing!!
Great first RLP! The long form definitely flows naturally as I read. Keep up the great work.
I love your new post. Your recipes and websites have changed my life. I became a vegan a few years ago and I discovered you by chance and I learn how to cook vegan through the pandemic because of you. I have shared your recipes to many of my friends and people that showed an interest in vegan cooking. I am very grateful for all your hard work. Thank you!!!
Hi Mary, I’m so honored that my recipes have changed your life and helped teach you how to cook! Thank you for sharing my work with your loved ones–that’s the best support I can ask for!
Nisha, you are an inspiration to me in terms of health, wellness, and having “it” together. You have a real generosity of spirit and a great sense of humor. It’s nice that you share some of your challenges–such as trying to find a way to have more time together with loved ones and finding time to read. Thank you for sharing your solutions!
Well, don’t you know how to make a girl blush! I’m delighted you enjoy my sense of humor 🙂 And yes, finding more time with loved ones–isn’t that one of life’s greatest challenges?
You rock Nisha!! I PIN 99% of your recipes and envy your parents for having such an extraordinary child . Can’t wait for more updates and newsletters <3 🙂
Thank you for sharing my recipes with the pinterest world, Raquel! Your words flatter me, but I have to admit that my extraordinary parents are my biggest influence on my life!
Love this and you! I really like that you included the books, shows, and pods you’re listening to. It inspires me to have a more well-balanced lifestyle. Food (especially your recipes) is my favorite form of self care and wellness, I can see this being a “living with RPL” blog. With that being said, I’d love to see the ‘treats’ you gift yourself with on days that you need a ‘treat ‘yo self’ day. Even if it’s your incredible brownies, a new book, beach walk, whatever! Excited for this future!
Hi Ali! I gain so much knowledge and perspective from books and podcasts (occasionally, TV shows too), so they’re the best combo of fun and insightful. I hope you’ll find some good books/shows/pods to tune into 🙂 I love the idea of sharing my “treat yo self” days – excellent suggestion!
This was so fun to read! Thank you for posting! Your go to dinner lately sounds amazing and I’ve been binging chickpeas lately, so I might have to try to recreate it.
I had some amazing lemon sesame cookies at a vegan bakery recently and would love a recipe for something like that.
Thanks!!!
Oh my, lemon sesame cookies sound incredible! I love lemon desserts and anything with sesame, what a dreamy combo. I hope you’ll love that dinner combo! It’s so easy and tastes indulgent but fresh!
Count me as yet another fan of your first RPL at Home round-up! I really enjoyed watching the video of your parents testing the green curry (yum!). I also think it’s great that you’re trying to find more time for reading throughout the week! I love Goodreads for keeping track of what I’ve read (and I enjoy taking part in the yearly reading challenge… my own version of awarding myself gold stars, LOL). Be sure to check out the your library! Most libraries have a fantastic digital collection (great for ebooks and audiobooks) in addition to their regular collection. I now have library cards from various public libraries throughout California so I have access to more digital offerings… I encourage you to do the same! And if you join Goodreads, please let us know in a future newletter! It’s a fun way to share what you’re reading.
Thank you, thank you! Ooh I’ll have to look into Goodreads. I can’t resist giving myself gold stars lol. And yes, I’ve used this great app called Libby that allows you to check out books from your local library for free, which is so awesome. I am trying to balance that with supporting the amazing local bookstore we have in our neighborhood.
I really enjoyed reading this. Do happy you’ve started reading again. You might want to look at getting a Kindle. I love my Paperwhite Kindle. I’m looking forward to your next cookbook!