The make-it-fast field of cookbooks and magazines is crowded these days, but the concept is well over 50 years old, says Laura Shapiro, a culinary historian and author of “Julia Child,” a new biography of one of America’s best-known cookbook authors.
Packaged-food companies “manufactured” the idea of the time-crunched family cook to encourage women to buy prepared foods as ingredients for dinner dishes after World War II, Shapiro says.
With the growth of two-career homes and a more mobile society, time constraints are much more real today, she says, giving the books a natural market.
Seasonal and healthy ingredients began to play a bigger role in the 1980s, and in recent years moved to the center of things, she said. Now the important thing is for the books to also look good, she says.
Loving photos of finished dishes just a decade ago were more likely to be found only in “the great, glorious” high-end gourmet books, she said. Now quick-prep books feature them too.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Everyday Food brand is arguably among the sharpest purveyors of these philosophies today, industry watchers say.
Each digest-sized magazine includes vivid photography of every dish. Sections such as “On the Side,” feature easy recipes like roasted carrots and shallots that could add interest to even the plainest broiled chicken.
On April 1, “Great Food Fast” by Everyday Food hit the top of The New York Times paperback advice best-seller list.
Everyday Food deputy food editor Allie Lewis Lewis says each recipe in the magazine is checked for taste, health quotient and ease. Her personal test: “Is this something I’d want to go home and cook on a Tuesday night?”
Here are two quick dinner recipes and a fast-but-fancy breakfast idea.
-The Associated Press
RECIPES
Indian-spiced Chicken Burgers
These burgers burst with flavor and would be a perfect red-meat substitute on a hot summer day, when lighter fare is in order. The authors suggest serving with watermelon slices on the side. From Everyday Food’s “Great Food Fast,” makes 4 large servings (each is two pita halves and four burgers).
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4-5), cut into rough chunks
4 scallions, whites and greens, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and freshy ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for coating grill grates
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Four 6-inch whole-wheat pita breads
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Directions
For the burgers, heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, toss chicken with scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and K teaspoon pepper. Set aside to marinate at least 10 minutes (and up to 30 minutes).
Transfer mixture to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped, but not pasty, 10-12 times. Gently form the mixture into 16 patties, each 3/4-inch thick (about 3 tablespoons of mixture per patty).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grill grates to coat with oil. Season patties with additional salt and pepper. Grill until opaque, about 2-3 minutes per side.
While burgers cook, make sauce. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Halve pitas crosswise and place two patties, cucumber slices and some cilantro in each half. Serve with yogurt sauce.
Blueberry Muffins with Caramelized Bananas
Use a few simple ingredients to give store-bought muffins a gourmet makeover. Caramelized fruit is an easy way to make any breakfast (or dessert) decadent. Generally, hearty fruits do best. Pineapple rings, apples, pears, thick slices of kiwi, even large pieces of mango work well. A lower-fat version of this dish can be had by using cooking spray (such as canola oil) instead of butter. The taste won’t be quite as rich, but the browning and toasting will be fine. Makes 2 servings.-J.M. Hirsch, The Associated Press
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
2 large blueberry muffins, cut in half down the center
1 large banana
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Place muffin halves, cut side down, in skillet.
Toast 2 minutes, or until browned. Transfer muffins to 2 ovenproof serving plates, cut side up. Place plates in the oven to keep warm.
Add remaining butter to skillet and return to medium-high heat.
While butter melts, slice banana in half lengthwise, then cut each half in two across the center. Place bananas in the skillet and cook, moving them gently in the pan to prevent sticking, for 3 minutes, or until browned.
Gently flip the bananas, sprinkle them with brown sugar and cinnamon, and cook 2 minutes more.
To serve, set one section of banana over each muffin half, then spoon any sauce from the pan over them.
Spicy Seared Shrimp
This recipe’s prep time is cut in half if you buy tail-on, deveined shrimp. To grill the shrimp, use wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes. Skewer the shrimp, draining and reserving the marinade, and grill them over high heat until just cooked through. Baste with the marinade occasionally. Serve with crusty bread and a salad. Adapted from Ruta Kahate’s “5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian Recipes Using Five Common Spices,” serves 4.-Bonnie S. Benwick, The Washington Post
Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3-4 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2-3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds large shell-on shrimp
Directions
In a nonplastic (nonstaining) bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, cilantro, cayenne pepper to taste, turmeric and salt. (Some frozen shrimp are salted, so remember to take that into account.) Stir well and taste; the marinade should be tangy and spicy. Set aside.
Rinse and shell the shrimp, leaving the tails on, then devein them.
Add them to the marinade as you work, and toss to coat evenly.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet and heat over high heat until the oil is smoking. Add the shrimp and marinade.
Stir or toss the shrimp, then cover the skillet to keep the marinade from evaporating. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the shrimp are just opaque.
Transfer to a platter, pouring any remaining juices over. Serve hot or at room temperature.
