Quick Recipes to Rescue

“Master Chef Mom to the rescue!”

Mission Mom: The question of the day – What is for dinner?

As always, moms are scurrying to get the dinner menu ready on the table – something yummy, healthy but not tedious.

So I decided to share some of my dinner menus with you when pressed on time or can not think of what to make. These recipes are quick, under 15 minutes, healthy, and could be adapted to variations your kids prefer.

According to my religion, Jainism, we do not eat anything which hurts a life; therefore, I have been vegetarian since birth. Yes, we do have milk products like cheese, butter, milk etc., but not eggs because we believe that the egg has life in it which is going to become a chicken. So, all these recipes are vegetarian friendly and you may substitute them for other ingredients if you like.

SANDWICH AND SOUP

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A grilled sandwich with cucumber, tomatoes, potatoes, and cheese sprinkled with some chaat masala (spices) is the perfect combination of crunchy and soft. Combine that with soup of your choice – like tomato, corn, mixed vegetables, or black bean soup and you have your dinner ready.

My kids prefer tomato soup, so I chop the tomatoes, put them in the Vitamix, pour hot water, salt, sugar, paprika, and blend it. Then on the stove, I add some butter and then pour the soup in and let it boil.

You can always add some protein or other veggies to the sandwich. Options such as Upton’s seitan or Trader Joe’s masala burger patties (taste pretty good) are available. I have not tried tofurky slices, but the reviews are pretty good on that too.

DAL & LENTIL

My most favorite that is tasty and hits the spot is Dal (lentil soup) and rice. You may think that sounds very boring, but believe me, this dal from Costco, is so yummy, all my kids crave it! The Madras Lentils come in a box of eight single pouches which you open up as you need them ($11). It is pretty tasty on its own, but if you want more flavor, you can always add more salt and spices to it.

I like to cook Japanese Nishiki rice with it since it is sticky rice compared to Indian basmati rice. That sticky rice allows me to mold the rice into different shapes so kids feel it is pretty cool what they are having.

You can have dinner ready in less than 10 minutes. You can even serve the lentils with some ready to eat Naan or garlic naan (from Deep) or Parathas (Tortillas).

CLASSIC BURGERS

Burgers are the most popular and easy item to cook. However, the trick is to have a few things prepped up beforehand. In my free time, I will make a large batch of 50 or so homemade patties and freeze them so that when I want to make burgers the patties are ready to use.

I will make sure my condiments are stocked up from before so I am not running last minute to get them such as pickles or jalapenos. I like using the Vegenaise company’s mayonnaise flavor or the chipotle mayo as the main base. I also like to stock up on Trader Joes Masala Patty which is my backup option if I do not have any homemade patties left.

I will grab the burger buns on the day. I spread the dressing on the bread, put some tomatoes, patty, avocado, lettuce, and voila dinner is ready!

Here is my recipe for patties:

1. In one pot, boil 5/6 potatoes till they are super soft. In another, I will cook 2 cups of quinoa.
2. Once potatoes are soft, peel them and smash them. Add the cooked quinoas with the potatoes. Then I add a can of black beans ( do rinse them quite well) and a block of tofu.
3. Now, in the food processor, I crush all possible veggies that I have in the fridge. I make sure it is super crushed where kids can not even taste or recognize there are veggies in there. I use cabbage, green, and red bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, corn, and spinach.
4. I add it to my potatoes. Then I add salt, black pepper, fresh lemon juice (all according to taste). I also add some Paneer Tikka Masala (Rasoi Magic) to give some flavor. You can substitute it with any other spices.
5. Last, but not least, I add semolina (Ravo/Sooji) since it helps bind the mixture and gives it some crispiness yet the softness of the patty is there. Then I cook to make small flat balls and cook them on the pan.

Uttapam – Pancakes

These pancakes are very healthy and nutritious. Sooji (ravo) or officially is known as semolina is very rich in protein, fiber, and good for digestion. Uttapam is a South Indian dish usually made from rice and urad dal(lentil) batter. This batter has to be kept overnight to let it ferment.

However, I like to use sooji in place of this batter because it is quick and makes them super crispy. There are two types of sooji, fine and coarse so make sure you get the fine sooji. This will make your batter smoother and your uttapam will become very thin.

You can also add as many or fewer veggies as your child likes. I like to usually add tomatoes, bell pepper, and cheese for kids. For adults, I will add tomatoes, bell pepper, chili, coriander, onion, and cabbage.

For one bowl of sooji, you have to add two big spoons of yogurt. Then add a cup of water and mix it till the lumps are gone. You want the consistency to be not too liquidy and not too thick – kind of like pancake batter.

Add salt according to taste and throw in the veggies. Mix it and use a non-stick pan for better results. Spread some oil, and take a scoop of the mixture, and spread it on the pan like a pancake. Cook both sides equally and enjoy!

Tortilla Pizza

The quickest, easiest, and the most favorite of all the kids! This is a dish that all my kids will have without creating any fuss.

Since most of the ingredients are store-bought, I like to choose the healthier options from the store-bought. I use the uncooked whole wheat flour tortilla (Costco) which has wheat, sugar, salt, and oil. I use the Barilla pasta sauce or if they like pesto pizza, I like the Vegan Kale and Cashew Pesto (Trader Joes).

My kids prefer plain cheese pizza, but I like to load them up with few veggies. I use the Vadilla chopper to chop broccoli, zucchini, red or green bell peppers super small and then saute them till they are soft. (This is my favorite chopper to chop anything small and saves time!)

Now that you have your ingredients, you are ready to make the pizza. I will cook the tortilla on one side properly, then spread the sauce, veggies, and cheese. Then I place the uncooked side on the stove and cook it on low-medium heat for good 5 minutes till it’s crispy and golden-brown from the bottom. Dinner is ready!

Remember, all these ingredients are substitutable to choices that your child likes. I hope this helps you when you are at a loss of what to make for dinner! Share any of your quick – to – go recipes.

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