Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

This is something I cook almost every week. We love Mexican food and Spanish Rice is great in salad bowls, burritos, quesadillas, or as a side with beans, meats and soups. If nothing else, my son likes them with yogurt as well.



1.5 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth/water
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup black/pinto beans
2-3 tsp Taco seasoning (or blend of cumin powder,garlic powder,paprika)
1 tbsp canola oil/butter
1/4 cup salsa of your choice
handful of soy chunks (soaked in warm water for few minutes)

Heat oil/butter in a wide pan. Add garlic and onions. Saute until onions are translucent, add tomatoes. Cook for few minutes until tomatoes are tender. Add taco seasoning, salt (if not using chicken broth) and salsa. Cook for few seconds and add beans and soy chunks. Saute until combined then add rice and water/broth. Bring the mixture to boil and simmer covered until rice are done (approx 10-12 minutes)

I have tried lots of variations by adding different vegetables and meat options- Spinach, Mustard Greens, Turkey, Roasted Peppers, Soy Chunks, Corn. Above mentioned recipe can be used as a base. Feel free to experiment!

Extra Kick: Instead of adding chopped tomato, increase the quantity of salsa to 3/4 - 1 cup

Spinach with Yellow Lentils (Dal Palak)

Spinach with Lentils (Dal Palak)

My son likes Spinach. I try to add it in his favorite dishes for added nutrition. Spinach curry is a North Indian main dish and I make the modified version with added Yellow Lentils-Moong Dal) for extra protein and creamy texture



4 cups water
1 cup split yellow lentils (Moong Dal)
1 pack chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3-4 cloves garlic
salt to taste
1 tbsp cream - optional

For tempering:

1 tablespoon ghee/ or cooking oil (clarified butter)
1 tsp ginger paste
2 dried red chili peppers
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pinch asafoetida powder (hing powder)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, chopped (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes)
2 tsp mild curry powder (I frequently use MDH Kitchen King, mild mix of essential spices)- should be adjusted according to taste

Combine the water, lentils, spinach, garlic, turmeric, and salt in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil and cook until the lentils are tender and the water,lentils and spinach is nicely blended together, about 15 minutes. Alternately, you can pressure cook the same (5 minutes!)

Heat the ghee in a medium pan (I usually use little bit more ghee than 1 tbsp for my son's benefit). Add asafoetida powder, after few seconds add red chili peppers and cumin seeds, and let the seeds splutter. Add onions and ginger cook onions on medium heat until golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are well cooked and the ghee begins to separate. Add curry powder and cook for few seconds. Stir the mixture into the lentil mixture. Add cream (if using) and simmer for few minutes to let the flavors blend in. Serve hot with flat bread (Naan) or rice.

Note: For a creamier consistency (I do it very often for my son!), I blend the lentil mixture in my Magic Bullet

Potato and Corn Chowder

Potato and Corn Chowder

3 medium diced potatoes
1 cup corn (I used creamed corn)
2 cups chicken broth/water
3/4 c. water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream (optional)1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup pasta sauce (I used Prego Mushroom Sauce last time I made it)


In India we use pressure cooker a lot. It is convenient and fast and the cookers are heavy bottomed so you can continue simmering without any problem.

In a pressure cooker melt butter until heated. Add chopped garlic and saute for few seconds. Add the Pasta sauce (alternately you can saute 1/2 chopped onion until golden brown and add 1 tomato until the tomatoes are well cooked) and cook for couple of minutes. Add potatoes, corn and broth (or water) and pressure cook for 5 minutes. If you are not using a pressure cooker, you can bring the broth to boil and simmer potatoes and corn until potatoes are soft. Let the cooker loose pressure and let the soup cool down little bit.
the soup using a blender (I use my Magic Bullet) . Put the blended soup back the the cooker/sauce pan. Add milk and bring to boil. Add Cheese and let it melt while stirring the soup for couple of minutes. Add cream is using and cook for a minute. Adjust salt/seasoning if needed.

For my little one, I add more butter in his bowl. As I am struggling to help him gain weight and have him eat more carbs, I serve this with thin spaghetti - potatoes and pasta = win win for bot of us :). He loves to play with the spaghetti and feed himself (while I feed him spoonful of chowder on the side!)

Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

1 cup steamed potatoes and butternut squash
1 cup milk
1/c cup chicken broth/water
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 cup cooked elbow macaroni
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
garlic salt/garlic powder/garlic spread seasoning to taste
salt to taste (if not using garlic salt)


Add steamed veggies, milk to a blender and puree.
Add some water if the puree is very thick.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add garlic (seasoning/powder).Add flour and stir briskly. Add the puree and
broth and bring to Boil. Simmer for few minutes and add cheese. Once the sauce is smooth,cheese is melted add pasta and cook for couple of minutes.


Flavor twist: Add couple of tablespoons of your favorite pasta sauce

Black Bean Soup

Black bean soup

1 cup canned black beans with liquid (or boiled black beans)
1 cup chicken broth/water (or more according to desired consistency)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp taco seasoning
2 cloves crushed garlic/ 2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes


Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add crushed garlic and saute for few seconds(if using). Add tomato sauce and cook for few minutes. If using crushed tomatoes, let the tomatoes get tender. Add taco seasoning and garlic powder. Add beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add broth/water and bring the soup to boil. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cook for few more minutes while you crush the beans with the back of a ladle. For my son, I blend the soup using my Magic Bullet.

Richer version: Add 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup whipping cream in last few minutes of cooking.

I serve it with rice.

Serving suggestion: Add few crushed tortilla chips just before serving

Quick Curry with Rice

Quick Curry with Rice

Cooking Indian curries take a long time. On weekdays it just seems impossible to spend an hour to whip up a nice curry for the little one. This is my quick version of the popular Indian 'Butter Chicken Curry'. I use pasta sauce as a base. The pasta sauce is precooked-onions,tomatoes,garlic,etc. So saves time for preparing the base. Far far from the traditional recipe !

2 cups pasta sauce (I use First Street Mushroom as it has a mild flavor)
1/2 cup cream
1 cup milk
2-3 tsp taco seasoning /Indian spices such as powdered cumin, clove, cinnamon, coriander
1/2 cup Chicken Broth /water
few sprigs of fresh coriander/cilantro (optional)
1 tbsp butter (optional)
small pieces of roasted chicken (optional)
cooked rice

Add the pasta sauce to a sauce pan and bring to boil. Add the spices- Indian spices/taco seasoning and let it cook for couple of minutes. Add milk, water/broth and bring to boil. Add chicken pieces (if using). Add cream and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the water/milk depending on how thick you want the curry to be. Add butter (if using). Garnish with cilantro (toddlers don't care about garnish though!) Serve on a bed of rice/or with flatbread (naan).

My son likes some extra curry in a cup so he can help himself by eating it like a 'soup'

Note: Instead of chicken, you can add cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese)

Health tip: This is traditionally a 'heavy' curry and I don't mind the calories for my son. However, you can replace cream with half and half or just milk and use soft tofu to thicken the curry.

Next time I will also try to add some chopped spinach or mustard greens

Hearty Veggie Soup

Hearty Veggie Soup

My son is not a major fan of potatoes. This is one way I get him to eat potatoes as well as other healthy vegetables. He likes the soup with pasta as well.

1 cup steamed veggies - carrots, potatoes, broccoli,corn
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
garlic salt/garlic powder/garlic spread seasoning to taste
salt to taste (if not using garlic salt)
pinch of oregano

1 tbsp butter (optional- I add it for my skinny LO)
1 cup water/chicken broth

Add first five ingredients to a blender and puree. Add water/chicken broth to the puree. Add the puree to a sauce pan and bring to Boil.
Simmer for few minutes and add butter.

The color of this soup may change depending on the Veggies used.

Reduce Calories: Substitute cream with half and half/or milk, omit butter

Add ons: Crushed Tortilla chips/ croutons/ small pasta