With the holiday hoopla starting, you might find it easy to get frazzled — at home and outside the home. Chances are, when supper time comes around, there’s not much energy left to cook. But just how many takeout and fast-food meals can your budget and waistline support? How can you serve healthy, comforting suppers that taste like you’ve been cooking all day? Here are four tips to score an A+ in Quick Meals 101.
Pasta always works in a pinch. You probably already have several good, quick pasta recipes. Here is one more, courtesy of “Quick From Scratch” by Food & Wine Books; makes 4 servings.
Bow ties with salami and artichoke hearts
3/4 pound bow ties pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 pound sliced hard salami or sopressata, cut into 1/4-inch strips about 1 1/2 inches long
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups drained marinated artichoke hearts, cut in half lengthwise
1/3 cup black olives, such as nicoise or kalamata, halved and pitted
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook bow ties until just done, about 15 minutes. While pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan. Add salami; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in the artichoke hearts, olives and pepper; cook until heated through. Drain pasta. Toss with the sauce and parsley.
Make meals in advance. This might mean at night after the kids are tucked in, or on a less-hectic weekend afternoon. This entree from Eating Well magazine can be made up to 3 days in advance; makes about 17 cups of comforting, nourishing soup. All you need is some good bread on the side.
Southwest vegetable chowder
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 cups chopped onions
3/4 cup diced celery, including leaves
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup each: diced red bell pepper, diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
9 1/2 cups defatted chicken stock
6 1/2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
2 1/2 teaspoons dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups frozen corn kernels
1 cup coarsely chopped reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
(plus extra shredded cheese for optional garnish)
One 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco (or to taste)
In a 6-quart pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and peppers; cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes or until onions are soft. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute or until blended. Gradually stir in stock, potatoes, mustard, marjoram and white pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in corn; simmer 2 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of mixture to a food processor or blender. Add 1/2 cup cheese. Puree about 1 minute or until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl. Repeat with 2 more cups soup and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Return purees to pot, along with green chilies. Heat, stirring, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Taste and adjust seasonings with Tabasco, salt and pepper. Cool and refrigerate up to 3 days in advance. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes before serving.
Use a slow cooker. This entree from Betty Crocker uses apples and butternut squash, which are both in season right now; makes 4 satisfying servings.
Pork chops with
apples and squash
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large unpeeled cooking apples, cored and cut into fourths
4 pork loin chops, 3/4-inch thick
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cut apple pieces crosswise in half. Remove excess fat from pork. Layer squash and apples in slow cooker. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Coat pork with sugar mixture; place pork on apples. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or until pork is tender. Serve hot.
Start with one or two prepared foods, then add fresh ingredients for a made-from-scratch taste. This recipe from “Great Food Without Fuss” by Frances McCullough and Barbara Witt is a quick and delicious side dish for take-out chicken; makes 4 servings.
Ten-minute black beans with tomatoes and coriander
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut, corn or safflower oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
One 14-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
One 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Heat oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic. Saute, stirring, until onion is almost translucent but still firm, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring, 2 minutes more. Add beans, Tabasco and salt; stir to combine. Cover skillet and cook until beans are heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.
