It’s hard enough to get a home-cooked meal on the table during the week without giving up another hour!
Now that we are on daylight-saving time, at least there’s more light to cook by in the evenings, and a new crop of “quick and easy” cookbooks gives lots of ideas on how to take that lost hour back.
These days, saying “That’s so Martha Stewart” can just as easily mean a simple baked fish dish as a complicated dinner party. In her new book, “Great Food Fast,” Stewart and the editors of her cute little magazine, Everyday Food, offer 250 time-saving recipes and clear how-to instructions for mealtime building blocks.
The magazine’s food editor, Sandy Gluck, says the pictures in the book and the magazine are the real thing – nothing’s faked – so that readers see what they can do at home.
“Readers tell us, ‘I have to get dinner on the table, I want it to be healthy, to appeal to the whole family and not take too long,”‘ Gluck says by phone from New York. “It’s a big puzzle but it’s an interesting puzzle.”
And she has some ideas on how to fit the pieces together:
Two for one: If you’re roasting a chicken why not roast two – have one that night and then next night you can transform the extra bird into something else?
Multitasking: Put the pasta water on before you make the sauce. “If you’re doing vegetables, throw them into the pasta water at the last minute – you’re saving time, energy and water,” says Gluck.
Use the freezer: Look for recipes that you can double and freeze half.
Appeal to different tastes: Make a plain base (like a spaghetti sauce) that kids like and add hot peppers and olives to part of it to jazz it up.
Plan just a little: Clean lettuce all at once. Get it really dry and put it in a bag with a damp paper towel so it will ready for a fast salad. “If I’m sautéing onions I’ll sauté extra for another dish,” Gluck says.
Her tips will help you avoid using packaged foods, she says. “It winds up being more expensive and you don’t know what’s in it,” she says. “In the end dinner’s so important. You talk about what happened during the day, you regroup, it’s nurturing and nourishing.”
The mother of two young boys and host of “Quick Fix Meals” and “Robin to the Rescue” on the Food Network, Robin Miller swears by her “meal kits,” prepped ingredients waiting in the fridge for their turn at the stove.
“If you have time on the weekend, use it to get meals ready for the week ahead. Make it your hour. Throw on some comfy clothes, crank up the music and get out your ingredients for the week,” she writes in her new book, “Quick Fix Meals.”
In typical multi-tasking style, Miller spoke by cellphone while shopping at Super Wal-Mart in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she lives when she’s not shooting in New York or Los Angeles: “The whole strategy of Quick Fix Meals is to take 45 minutes on the weekend and you will get three complete meals on the table in 20 minutes or less during the week.”
She says people will often stop her to say thanks for getting them off takeout. “They tell me they are spending more quality time with their family, eating better food and stressing about it less,” says Miller.
Here’s how:
Make meal kits: Chop vegetables and store in plastic bags. Precook rice or pasta and store in bags or containers. Cook, roast or bake chicken, turkey, pork, beef, fish and vegetables so that you just reheat, assemble and serve.
10 pantry essentials:
1. Olives (especially stuffed olives and Greek olives, such as kalamata)
2. Jarred roasted red peppers
3. Toasted sesame oil
4. Flour tortillas and/or corn tortillas (store in freezer)
5. Canned diced tomatoes
6. Cooking spray (olive oil and butter flavor)
7. Reduced-sodium broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
8. Dried herbs and spices (thyme, oregano, bay leaves, chili powder, ground cumin, curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg)
9. Elbow and other small-shaped macaroni
10. Quick-cooking brown, white and jasmine rice and couscous
Keep it fresh: Chop fresh herbs just before using them in a dish. So, for example, if a recipe calls for chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (typically added at the end of the cooking time), chop them while the dish is cooking. Shave time off the meal prep by washing fresh herbs when you get home from the grocery store, wrapping in paper towels, and refrigerating until ready to use. You can also store cleaned fresh herbs standing up in 1 to 2 inches of water in a small vase or jar in the refrigerator. At mealtime, you can just grab the leaves and get chopping (or snipping with scissors).
Food editor Kristen Browning-Blas can be reached at 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com.
Watch it!
“Robin to the Rescue” 5 p.m. Sunday on The Food Network
“Quick Fix Meals” 8 a.m. Saturday The Food Network
“Everyday Food” 11 a.m. Saturday on Channel 6 (returns March 31)
Chinese Pork in Lettuce Puffs
From “Fit and Fast in Minutes” by Linda Gassenheimer, who promises this dish takes only 5 minutes to cook (after chopping the ingredients). Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 4 medium cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (not toasted)
- Salt and pepper
Garnishes:
- 3 green onions
- 1 medium cucumber
- 8 large iceberg lettuce leaves
- 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Directions
In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, sherry, garlic, ginger and honey. Add pork and allow to marinate while you prepare garnishes.
Wash and remove root ends and damaged leaves from green onions. Cut into 4-inch pieces. Slice each piece lengthwise into long slivers. Place in a small bowl.
Peel and cut cucumbers into 4-inch pieces. Cut lengthwise into thin slivers. Place in a small bowl.
Remove lettuce leaves in whole pieces to form cups. Wash and drain, place in a large serving bowl.
Spoon hoisin sauce into a small serving bowl.
Heat sesame oil in a wok or skillet on high heat until smoking. Add pork and marinade. Separate any pieces that cling together. Cook without stirring 1 minute. Turn meat and stir-fry 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl.
To serve, place bowls with green onions, cucumber, lettuce, hoisin sauce and pork on the table. Take 1 lettuce leaf and spoon a little sauce into it. Add a few green onion slivers, cucumbers and some pork. Roll up and eat like a wrap.
Wine ideas: This dish would do best with a wine that’s light enough to let all of the flavors sing. You could go the riesling route – this crisp white is always good with pork and ginger – but you could also try a light red like a Beaujolais: Duboeuf is the king of the region, and Jadot and Drouhin also make good, easy-to-find, affordable examples. Just avoid any “Nouveau” you find on the shelf at this time of year. -Tara Q. Thomas
Wild Mushroom Tart with Broccoli Rabe and Goat Cheese
If you think a real tart is beyond your reach, all this fancy-looking dish requires is a little prep and a store-bought pie crust. From “Robin Miller: Quick Fix Meals,” serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups sliced wild mushrooms (any combination of cremini, oyster, portobello, shiitake, button, and porcini)
- 4 cups chopped broccoli rabe (or spinach)
- 2/3 cup low-fat milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (or shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar)
Directions
Press pie crust into the bottom and up sides of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring a few times, until they release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook, stirring a few times, until tender, 3-5 minutes. (If using spinach, drain off excess liquid.) Remove from the heat and pour into the pie crust.
If you’re stopping here: After filling has cooled, cover tart pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely in refrigerator before cooking.
When you’re ready to eat: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk milk, eggs, sage, salt and pepper. Pour into tart pan. Sprinkle goat cheese evenly over the top, then bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. At this point, you can refrigerate tart up to 3 days or freeze up to 4 months.
Reheat thawed tart in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or thaw and reheat in the microwave (thaw for 3 minutes on LOW, then reheat for 3 minutes on HIGH). If it suits you, you can slice the tart into pieces and freeze them individually so you can just grab a piece for lunch or a snack.
Wine ideas: Bring out the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and sage with a pinot noir. If you’re feeling fancy (this tart can take it), go for the seductively silky, violet-scented pleasures of a Chambolle-Musigny; otherwise, grab a bottle of Talus pinot noir from California: its fresh cherry flavors and bright acidity can be had for less than $10. -Tara Q. Thomas
Cod with Leeks and Tomatoes
Cod is a lean fish that is available year-round and can be baked, broiled or poached. Its mild taste pairs well with sharp flavors. Other firm, mild fish, including halibut, sole or haddock, can be used in place of cod. From “Great Food Fast,” serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced, rinsed well, patted dry
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
- 4 cod fillets, each 6 to 8 ounces and 3/4 to 1 inch thick
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-by-13 inch baking dish, toss together leeks, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil and bake until leeks just begin to soften, 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven. Add tomatoes and toss to combine. Season both sides of cod fillets with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; place on top of the vegetables.
Cover dish and bake until fish is opaque throughout, 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Time saver: Prepare leeks ahead, and keep in fridge. First cut away and discard root and dark-green leaves, then thinly slice white and light-green parts crosswise into rounds. Wash leek rounds well. Leeks can be extremely dirty and are best cleaned after they’ve been trimmed and cut. Soak cut leeks in a bowl of cool water; lift them out, replace the water, and complete until no grit remains at the bottom of bowl. Drain on paper towels.
Wine ideas: Pour the same sorts of white wines that you would for the tuna salad and Greek chicken recipes here, or go to Spain for the waxy, lemon-bright flavors of an albariño. Nora, Burgans and Pazo de Senorans make terrific variations for less than $20.
-Tara Q. Thomas
Melted Mozzarella, Prosciutto and Fig Jam Sandwiches
Whether heated to make a sauce for pork tenderloin or here to perk up grilled cheese, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of fig jam. Jeanne Besser and Susan Puckett, authors of “The 5:30 Challenge,” recommend Whole Foods Adriatic Fig Spread and Stonewall Kitchen’s Fig and Ginger Jam. They adapted this recipe from Marlena Spieler’s “Grilled Cheese.” It makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup fig jam or preserves
- 8 slices Italian or French bread
- 8 ounces buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 8 thin slices prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Directions
Spread fig jam on one side of bread. On 4 slices, layer mozzarella and prosciutto slices. Top with remaining bread, jam side down, pressing to seal. Lightly butter the outside of each sandwich.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sanwiches until cheese has melted, turning as needed and pressing down with a spatula to seal. Or, use a panini press or George Foreman grill.
Tuna and Garbanzo Bean Salad
A protein-rich, super-fast salad you can put together without a trip to the store. From “The 5:30 Challenge,” by Jeanne Besser and Susan Puckett, makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 shallot or 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
Directions
In a large serving bowl, combine beans and tuna, stirring lightly to break up tuna. Add celery and shallot, stir to combine. Toss with vinaigrette until coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Wine ideas: Pour a glass of vermentino from Sardinia: its bright, lemon-lime flavors in combination with this summery seafood salad can transport you to the seaside. Argiolas Costamolino and Sella & Mosca La Cala both run less than $15.-Tara Q. Thomas
Skillet Lasagna
Any brand of curly edged lasagna noodles will work here, but do not use no-boil lasagna noodles. If the pasta is especially dry and shattery, you may need to add extra water to the skillet while the pasta cooks. To make things go even quicker, you can replace the mozzarella and Parmesan with 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend. From “The Best 30-Minute Recipe” by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated, serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 6 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles
- (8 noodles), broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 (26-ounce) jar tomato sauce, such as marinara (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
Directions
Making the minutes count: Mince garlic and measure out pasta while meat cooks.
Cook meat in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, breaking it into pieces with wooden spoon, until fat renders, 3-5 minutes. Drain meat and return it to skillet.
Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle broken noodles into skillet, then pour in tomato sauce and water over top. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.
Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.
Time-saver: Use jarred tomato sauce. The Cook’s Illustrated editors recommend the following brands:
Patsy’s Marinara ($8.95 for 24 ounces), which scored highly among tasters, contains fresh garlic instead of garlic powder and had a good, chunky texture (though its high price tag might deter some).
Bertolli Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce ($3.69 for 26 ounces) also scored highly and was admired for its fresh flavor and texture, which was described as “meaty” with an agreeable balance of tomato chunks and purée.
Barilla Pasta Sauce ($3.59 for 26 ounces), was liked by tasters for its good balance, fresh flavor, and chunky texture.
Wine ideas: This laid-back “lasagna” needs a laid-back wine – something like Tenimenti Angelini’s Tuttobene, the juicy, simple $11 Tuscan red recommended as the wine of the week last week.-Tara Q. Thomas
Basic Braised Greens
Cooked greens almost always taste better when they include more than one variety. This recipe includes two sturdy salad greens that cook in about the same time so they can be cooked together. Minced anchovies are a nice addition at the end, if you like them. This recipe from the San Francisco Chronicle serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound escarole
- 1 pound curly endive
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Hot pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
Directions:
Core greens and wash well. Drain in a colander.
When they are no longer drippy, chop them coarsely. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Sauté until garlic begins to color. Add greens. They will be bulky at first, but will quickly wilt. Stir to coat with the oil. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until greens wilt and are tender enough for your taste, about 5 minutes.
Most greens will throw some liquid so you won’t need to add any. If greens threaten to cook dry before they are tender, add a splash of water. Season with salt. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Grecian Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
Yes, you can make a dinner in the microwave that doesn t involve carboard boxes and plastic films. And you can serve
this in the dish it s cooked in. From The 5:30 Challenge, by Jeanne Besser and Susan Puckett, makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 4 5- to 6-ounce skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 12 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth or white wine
Directions
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart microwave-safe casserole dish, fit chicken thighs snugly in a single layer. Add garlic and arrange artichoke hearts evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Pour in chicken broth or wine (or a combination of both). Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Let stand 2-3 minutes.
Time savers: Use ready-peeled garlic. If you can’t find frozen artichoke hearts, use rinsed, canned water-packed artichoke bottoms.
Wine ideas: Having lived in Greece, I’m partial to a cold glass of fresh retsina when it comes to the tricky matter of matching wine with artichokes. But not everyone appreciates retsina’s wonderful pine-tree scents and flavors. For those who don’t, try a high-acid Greek white without pine resin, such as a Santorini white from Gaia, Sigalas or Boutari (all under $20).-Tara Q. Thomas
Classic Shrimp Scampi
From Lidia Bastianich’s authoritative book, “Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen,” (Knopf, 2001), this dish takes about 15 minutes, start to finish. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or broth
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 3/4 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
- Cooked pasta or crusty bread
Directions
In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread.
Roasted Salmon with Lemon Relish
From “Great Food Fast,” makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup raisins
- Slivered zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup boiling water
- 4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups loosely packed)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, 5-7 minutes. Remove from sheet and reserve.
Meanwhile, place raisins and lemon zest in a small heat-proof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside.
Place salmon fillet on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain and discard liquid from raisins and lemon zest. Return raisins and zest to bowl, add lemon juice, pine nuts, parsley and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Dividing evenly, make a bed of spinach on each of 4 plates. Place a salmon fillet on spinach. Spoon lemon relish over the top.
Wine ideas: Pour the same sorts of white wines that you would for the tuna salad and Greek chicken recipes here, or go to Spain for the waxy, lemon-bright flavors of an albariño. Nora, Burgans and Pazo de Senorans make terrific variations for less than $20.-Tara Q. Thomas
