Quick recipes for a working mom

You've just made a kick-ass presentation, gave the slacker at work a piece of your mind; picked up the laundry and now you're back home. You're now scrambling through the fridge wondering what to make for dinner. We're right here to rescue you!
We got top chefs Ristic Milos, Meldan D'Cunha, Paul Kinny and fab cook and mum Nita Khatau to rustle four quick and yummy recipes for you to try out:
Meldan D'Cunha, Chef and Owner, Tavira gives us the recipe for an easy starter/snack.

Jaldi Five (serves one)

Ingredients

1 tsp maida
1 egg
Cheese
1 slice bread

For topping: Use chopped boiled chicken or grated paneer mixed with red chilli flakes and mixed herbs (sachets that come with home delivered pizzas), chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Method

1. Cut one slice of bread into small croutons (dices). Toast in a frying pan with butter and chopped garlic till crisp. Keep aside.
2. Make a batter with flour and water. Add salt and an egg and beat it till smooth.
3. Add some oil in a frying pan and heat. Pour the batter and spread in pan. Immediately sprinkle the topping over the fritter. Cover and cook for a minute on slow fire.
4. Turn the fritter over, spread the garlic croutons on top, grate cheese over the croutons and cook with lid on for a minute. Serve with ketchup, chilli sauce, etc.

Preparation time: 20-25 minutes

"Salads and soups are easy to make and are healthy too. Moreover, they're liked by everyone in the family," says Paul Kinny, Executive Chef, Intercontinental, Mumbai.

Rucola and Baby Spinach Salad (Serves 2)

Ingredients

Rocket leaves 50 Gms
Baby spinach leaves 50 Gms
Artichoke petals 5 Gms
Caramelized walnuts 10 Gms
Orange segments 10 Gms
Feta cheese 10 Gms
Olive oil 15 ml
Salt to taste
Bell pepper to taste

For dressing

Orange Tang 10 Gms
Maple syrup 15 ml
Honey 5 ml
Orange juice 25 ml

Method

1. Tear the rocket and baby spinach leaves.
2. Soak in cold water for 10 mins till crisp and then drain
3. In a bowl add the crisp leaves, artichoke petals, caramelized walnuts and toss gently adding the salt, pepper and the olive oil
4. For the dressing reduce the orange juice till it thicken to this add the tang powder, maple syrup and honey. Season with salt and pepper
5. Place the tossed salad leaves in a large plate
6. Spoon the dressing over this.
7. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and orange segments

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

"For the modern day woman health, time and taste matter. The easiest thing to do is to order food, but in the long run, its not healthy. An easy, fast, tasty and healthy dish to prepare is noodles. The only thing you need to do on your way home is buy the ingredients below", says Ristic Milos, Head Chef for Zenzi Bandra and Zenzi Mills.

Chicken noodles in soy suace

Ingredients

Egg noodles
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Onions
Carrots
Been sprouts
Long beans
Soy sauce
Chicken
Ginger
Garlic

Method

1. Cook the noodles
2. Cut all the vegetables in small pieces except the ginger and garlic which needs to be grounded
3. Heat the pan before adding the oil
4. Add the oil
5. Fry the chicken for one minute
6. Then fry the ginger and garlic
7.Then add all the vegetables and fry it for two minutes
8. Add the cooked noodles
9. And season with soy sauce

And you are ready to dine!!

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes.

Here's a recipe straight from a mother's kitchen. It's an easy to make, nutritious and a yummy recipe from Nita Khatau a housewife.

Paneer-spinach rolls (serves four)

Ingredients

Wheat flour
Oil Water
Salt
Paneer 250 gms
Spinach half a bunch
Onions 1 medium
Green chillies 2
Chilli sauce to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method

For the wraps, make dough from the wheat flour, oil, water and salt and knead till soft. Make rotis form the dough. Simply roast them on a tava and don't let them fluff.

For the stuffing

1. Finely chop or crumble the paneer. Finely chop the onion.
2. Sauté the onion for about 2 minutes, add the chillies, spinach and sauté till the water from the spinach dries out.
3. Add the paneer and then add the chilli sauce, salt and pepper. Fill this in the rotis and roll them. Now put some butter in a heated pan and toast the roll.
Here you go! Yummy rolls are ready to be served.