Recipes With a Twist
Posts tagged toddler friendly
Creamy Pesto Macaroni
Aug 18th
Creamy Pesto Macaroni
I wanted to try making it ever since I noticed my son liked a ‘Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta’ from a local Italian restaurant. That inspired me try making Basil Pesto Sauce and this is what I made first using the Pesto sauce. This is not a perfectly low calorie dish. I can say it might be lighter than what I have looked online for an easy Alfredo or white sauce. It makes a creamy, indulgent and very flavorful pasta (thanks to the Basil Pesto) that I think everyone should enjoy once in a while. I used elbow macaroni as my son prefers it over Penne and other bigger pasta. You can use any pasta shape of your choice.
You need:
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cube (about 1 tbsp) Basil Pesto (I froze the Pesto I made in an ice cube tray!)
1/4 cup cream
1 cup milk
1 cup water (reserved after boiling pasta)
3-4 florets broccoli (optional)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Boil pasta as per package instructions. Drain and reserve about 1 cup water. (I added the broccoli florets along with pasta so they get really tender by the time the pasta gets cooked. This is a good trick when you want to sneak in some vegetables)
2. Heat butter in a medium sauce pan, add flour and stir briskly using a wire whisk.
3. Add garlic and saute for few seconds.
4. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and blend well until creamy.
5. Add milk, water and salt and bring it to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in Pesto Sauce, and then macaroni and cook for another couple of minutes. (Before adding in pasta, I mashed the broccoli with a fork and as you can see in the picture it blended nicely with the slightly green sauce)
7. Cook few more minutes if you want to thicken the sauce more, however it does thicken a bit as it cools down anyways.
8. Serve hot and garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Sprinkle some black pepper to add a little kick.
Black pepper can be mixed in when cooking the sauce as well but to keep the recipe ‘toddler friendly’ I preferred adding it while serving it for adults!
Enjoy! And yes, my son did enjoy his dinner very much so I am happily tagging this recipe is ‘Toddler Friendly’.
Creamy Pesto Macaroni
Tip: Stir in grilled chicken towards the end of the cooking to make it ‘Creamy Pesto Chicken pasta!’. Serve as is to the little ones and with a side of garden salad and sour dough bread for yourself.
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
Jul 26th
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
This post is long overdue. Last few days it was little hard to keep up with things. Even though it is getting late at night, I decided today I will make an effort to get back on track 
.
I made this soup few weeks ago as I experimented with these two ingredients: Brown Lentils and Collard Greens. I had tried both of them in separate recipes and my son enjoyed them all. This time I wanted to make something with both greens and lentils with a mild flavor that my son will enjoy as well. It made a great nutritious low calorie soup for us and since my son enjoyed it couple of days in a row (with rice and butter), I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’.
You need:
1 red onion, onions
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bay leaf
3 large cloves garlic
1 carrot, chopped
1 small zucchini , chopped
1 cup brown lentils
1.5 cups collard greens, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp salt / or to taste
A pinch of nutmeg powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp clove powder
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot or a pressure cooker
2. Add bay leaf and garlic and fry for few seconds.
3. Add onions, fry on low for about 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots and zucchini and cook for few minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, nutmeg, clove powder and turmeric powder and cook for couple of minutes.
6. Add brown lentils, collard greens and about 6 cups water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes.
7. If not using pressure cooker then cook for about 40-50 minutes on low-medium heat until brown lentils are cooked and vegetables are tender.
8. Adjust water and seasonings as per taste
9. Add lemon juice and oregano.
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
Serve hot! Its tastes great with toasted sourdough bread and makes a wholesome quick lunch – add some rice to the soup, lunch packed in less than 5 minutes
Toddler Approved Spaghetti with Collard Greens and Broccoli
Jun 24th
Toddler Approved Spaghetti with Collard Greens and Broccoli
So what do you do if your skinny little one gets most of his carbohydrates from pasta? Well try to invent recipes that makes the same old pasta taste different with some added nutrition. Sometimes I use traditional Ragu pasta sauce with some meat or make white sauce with some cheese and Spinach. So different variations for same old pasta! This time I had little bit time on hand, so I tried to make pasta with a homemade onions, tomatoes, and vegetables sauce. This also gave me some satisfaction of putting together a meal for him with minimum possible processed ingredients.
You need:
1 cup boiled thin Spaghetti, I cut the Spaghetti into smaller pieces before boiling
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Collard greens, chopped (or any other leafy vegetable like Spinach or Mustard)
3-4 Broccoli florets, chopped
salt to taste
pinch of turmeric to make it look yellow!
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic and onions and saute for few minutes until onions are tender.
2. Add tomatoes, turmeric and salt and cook on high for another 5 minutes.
3. Add Collard greens and Broccoli florets and cook for couple of minutes.
4. Add about three fourth cup water and bring it to boil. Simmer until vegetables are tender and a medium thick sauce is made. Adjust water if needed. Add the boiled Spaghetti and mix well.
Serve warm to the little one! My son enjoyed the colorful pasta with a very mild taste so I am happily tagging it as ‘Toddler Friendly’.
Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup (Low Calorie)
May 31st
Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup
Today I tried Moroccan Lentil and Garbanzo soup at Sweet Tomatoes. The soup was great- light, chunky, flavorful and apparently low calorie just the way I like my soups. I guess I liked it so much that I came home, looked up a few recipes and decided to make a batch for dinner (while I was cooking Mint Chicken Biryani for my husband!). The soup I tried had brown lentils but I did not have any on hand, so I decided to go with Red lentils. The mint aroma from the chicken biryani was so appetizing that I decided to throw in some fresh mint leaves as well. So an addition here and an omission there, what I have is Moroccan ‘Style’ Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup. The soup turned out great, we all had big bowls including my son- I added some rice and butter in his bowl. It has all ‘good for you’ ingredients-yellow squash, lentils, garbanzo beans, garlic and spices minus the not so needed cream and extra fat! Bonus: It passes my ‘toddler test’ so I am happily tagging it as toddler friendly. A large bowl or this soup with a side salad or bread also makes it a perfect filling 400 calorie lunch or 500 calorie dinner.
You need:
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 x 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
a pinch saffron strands, crushed
20-25 sprigs fresh cilantro
10-15 mint leaves
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/3 cup red lentils cleaned and rinsed
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, boiled
1 bay leaf
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bay leaf, followed by garlic and cook for few seconds. Add the onions, and cook for 5 -6 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add celery and cook for couple of minutes. Add squash, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt, saffron, cilantro, mint and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until spices and herbs are nicely blended with the vegetables. Add 8 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add red lentils, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes. Add black pepper to taste and serve hot.
Serves 8- if you like big servings
Easy Turkey Meatballs
May 24th
Turkey Meatballs
It is always great to have some meatballs on hand when you are in hurry and need to put together a quick and delicious meal. You can make sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, serve with pasta and even throw in soups. I usually make lean turkey meatballs instead of fatty beef ones and make more than I need so I can freeze some for quick meals (as a full time working mom I am usually short of time!). This is very basic recipe and is great for little ones since the meatballs do not have any kind of strong flavor. Even better, all it needs is just 10 minutes of prep time. I made a batch last weekend and made some meat sauce for my 2 year old.
You need:
1 lb ground Turkey meat (lean)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp garlic spread seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 egg
Turkey Meatballs-Mixed ingredients
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well
Turkey Meatballs-shaped
3. Grease your palms with Olive oil and make about 12 meatballs, rounded or small patties size
4. Line a baking dish with foil and thinly coat it with olive oil.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes
For the meat sauce: Cut up few pieces, simmer for few minutes in your favorite pasta sauce. Serve with pasta or rice. Since my son enjoyed the meat sauce – 2 days in a row, I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’. They also make healthy snacks for adults and great finger food for the little ones – just cut them in small pieces and serve with ketchup.
More to follow as I put together more meals with these Turkey meatballs. Although I must say, for my ‘Indian taste buds’ I will certainly work on this recipe and add more spices. Will surely post the ‘Indian’ version soon!
Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
May 9th
Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
Couple of weeks ago I tried red lentils soup at a local Mediterranean restaurant. It was light and flavorful and perfect for lunch. Although it did resemble a bit like Indian red lentils dish and we call it ‘lal masoor dal’ and it is commonly served as a main dish with rice or Indian flatbreads for dinner. I tried to make a similar soup but decided to add fresh pumpkin as well. It added nice sweetness to otherwise meaty flavored red lentils. My two year old son liked it as well so I am tagging it as ‘Toddler Friendly’.
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium tomato
2 cups chopped pumpkin
1 cup red lentils
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
salt to taste ( 1 tsp or so)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker/large pot. Add bay leaf and garlic and fry for few seconds. 2. Add onions and fry until medium brown.
3. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, nutmeg and cook on medium high for about five minutes.
Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup-chopped pumpkin
4. Add red lentils, 6-8 cups of water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. If using a pot, bring to boil and cook on medium for about 30 minutes (until lentils and pumpkin are well cooked and blended with water).
5. If needed, blend the pumpkin with lentils using a ladle.
6. Stir in fresh cilantro, sugar and lemon juice.
Serve hot with bread to make a complete meal.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Reduced Fat)
Apr 22nd
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I am a big fan of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar soup. Although I usually prefer lowfat/or at least reduced fat soups, I usually can’t resist this soup on a cold (even rainy) afternoon. I have tried a few recipes from different sources and all were way too rich. So I made few changes, increased quantity of carrots and blended the soup for a creamy and rich texture.
Last weekend I made a big batch for my family – served soup and toasted bread for adults and as pasta sauce for little one. I boiled macaroni (overcooked) and mixed with soup for my son. Since my son liked it – one day with pasta, one day as soup and one day with rice, I am happily tagging this recipe as ‘Toddler Friendly’. Even though it is a reduced fat recipe, it tasted pretty much like the original rich soup.
You need:
1.5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 cups water
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, grated (medium size)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tsp garlic spread/seasoning mix
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup cream
1. Heat butter in a large pot.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute garlic
2. Add bay leaf and garlic and cook for few seconds. Add onions and saute for few minutes and cook until medium brown.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup-saute vegetables
3. Add the broccoli and carrots and saute for few minutes. Add nutmeg, garlic seasoning and oregano and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Sprinkle flour slowly and cook over low heat, stir constantly for couple of minutes.
4. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer in medium heat for about 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add milk and cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. The soup should be thickened by now.
6. Pour in batches into a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and puree (I just pureed 3/4th the soup as I like some bigger pieces of vegetables as well).
7. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Adjust salt and pepper.
Serve hot, garnish with shredded cheddar.
Tip: For added flavor, you can also use low sodium Chicken broth instead of water. Although, I usually use water to keep the soup ‘vegetarian’. Chopped garlic and seasonings add lot of natural flavor to it.
Serves 6
Moong Dhuli Dal Khichdi with Mustard Greens and Spinach
Apr 11th
Moong Dhuli Dal Khichdi with Mustard Greens and Spinach
Khichdi is a popular dish all over India specially Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Bengal. It is usually made with rice and lentils (there are several variations using different types of lentils) as a base and vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, peas, sqash, spinach, potatoes, etc. are added in different combinations. Rice and lentils are cooked until very mushy and vegetables usually seem to disappear. It is considered as a very healthy dish – carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins all in one dish and is traditionally offered as early food to babies/ toddlers when they first start solids. Also, it is very easy on little stomachs. My son is 2 years old now and eats a wide variety of dishes but I still make it for him very often. In the recipe below I use plenty of greens-spinach, mustard and broccoli. Now that my son is little big, I make it slightly different from the traditional recipe because I add onions, tomatoes and garlic as well. Although I do stick to the ‘bland’ part and don’t put any spices. O yes, and my son also likes the yellow color. I must add that it is a popular dish among children and adults alike.
You need:
3/4 cup Moong dhuli dal (Yellow Lentils)
3/4 cup uncooked white rice (or 2 cups cooked rice)
3/4 cup Mustard greens (sarson), chopped
1 cup spinach, chopped
4-5 broccoli florets, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large tomato chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp desi ghee-unclarified butter/Canola oil
Pinch of Asafoetida
Heat ghee/oil in a pressure cooker (or a large pot). Add Asafoetida and after few seconds add garlic. Saute for few seconds and add onions. Cook until translucent or slightly browned. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric and cook until tomatoes are little mushy. Add spinach, mustard greens and broccoli and cook for couple of minutes. Add rice and lentils, about 6 cups of water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. After the steam vents out, open the cooker, mix well, add more water to adjust consistency. I like it neither too dry nor too runny. Adjust salt, if needed. If you use any big vegetable pieces, use a ladle to mash them-it will be effortless.
If you are not using a pressure cooker, add about 8 cups water and let the ‘khichdi’ simmer on low heat until lentild, rice and vegetables are all mushy.
Serve hot with yogurt and/or pickles. I usually add some additional ‘ghee’/butter to my son’s bowl.
Tangy Tomato Spinach Rice
Feb 19th
Here is a healthy dish for both kids and adults. Couple of days ago my son was not in a mood to let me do anything for dinner. I just spent 5 minutes of prep time and voila I had a healthy home cooked dinner for my son and a nice side for ourselves. Once again pasta sauce comes in handy, you save time and yet get added nutrition and taste. I made the rice very mushy for my son (Indian khichdi style) but you can reduce the water quantity by half to make them like regular rice.
You need:
1 cup rice
2 cup water
1 cup Pasta sauce (I used Ragu’s Marinara sauce)
1 cup chopped spinach (thawed)
1 tbsp butter
salt to taste
1. Melt the butter in a wide and deep pan or a medium sized pot.
2. Add pasta sauce, chopped spinach,salt and cook for couple of minutes.
3. Add rice and water and bring it to boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes or until rice are done.
I should mention, I topped it with a spoonful of desi ghee to add some calories for my son.
Serve as a main dish with yogurt raita or as a side.
Quick Mashed Potatoes
Dec 21st
Last Thursday I came home late and there was hardly any time until dinner. I almost took out a box of mashed potatoes thinking I can quickly whip some. But the ‘mommy’ and me couldn’t quite settle for the ‘boxed dried potatoes’ for the little know. So I decided to made a quick version:
You Need:
1 medium potato
1 tbsp butter (I used I can’t believe its not Butter)
1 tbsp whipping cream
1 tsp or more garlic seasoning
1 tbsp milk
3 cups water to boil the potato
Take a small cooking pot and set the water to boil. In the meantime, wash and wrap the wet potato in a paper towel. Microwave it for about 3-4 minutes until its more than half done. Let it cool for a minute, peel and coarsely chop. Add the potato to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain, while still hot, mash it with a fork. Add milk, whipping cream and butter and continue mashing till soft and fluffy. Add seasoning to taste. Total time spent 10 minutes!