LIGHTNING QUICK MEALS March 2, 2005 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

I want to make you faster than the speed of sound . . . faster than a speeding bullet . . . faster than greased lightning. I'm sure you get the message. I'm talking speedy, quick, swift, and accelerated. Relax, you don't have to train for a marathon. I want to make you a rapid-fire cook.

Why am I concerned about your kitchen speed? In my last column, I explained that our American habit of eating out is one of the major contributors to the current obesity epidemic. Eating more meals at home is a sure way to fight obesity.

But home eating requires home cooking. Many persons responsible for preparing the family supper cite lack of time for meal preparation as the reason they often bypass the kitchen for eat-out food. Check out the following tips I culled from a variety of sources to see what will work for you.

Advance Planning
Planning in advance what you'll cook is the starting point for fast home meals. Spending a little time deciding what you'll cook each night for a week (or month) will save lots of time usually spent staring into the pantry and wondering what you can throw together for a meal. A stitch in time saves nine, you know.

A good planning tip takes advantage of that free calendar you received in the mail or at a local business. Write on the calendar what you will prepare for supper each night for a week or month. You can also note in which cookbook a recipe is found along with the page number. Get really organized and add family scheduling information such as the kids' soccer games to help you remember when supper will be at a different time.

Stock Up
Stock up on kitchen equipment that can speed up food preparation. Nonstick cookware and bakeware save cleanup time. Having two sets of measuring cups and spoons allows you to measure consecutive ingredients without repeated washing.

Take advantage of convenience products, such as chopped garlic in a jar from the produce section (refrigerate after opening), shredded cheese, and lettuce in a bag. And I don't care what my mother says - instant rice is just fine. She's actually eaten it at my house and survived.

Preparation Tricks
Follow the old adage of work smarter, not harder to get out of the kitchen in a New York minute instead of Texas time. For example, when you start preparing a meal, place a dishwasher-proof bowl on the counter. Use this as your garbage bowl for egg shells, margarine wrappers, and other messy items instead of making several messy trips to the garbage can. When you're finished, just toss the contents of the bowl into the trash and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

Spray your grater with cooking spray before grating cheese for easier cleanup.

Measure dry ingredients before wet, and you'll be able to measure more items before stopping to wash measuring utensils.

Instead of dipping chicken pieces or pork chops in messy beaten eggs before breading, just brush the meat with a little light mayonnaise and sprinkle with bread crumbs. This technique is not only quicker but gives you a nice, moist finished product.

The next time a recipe calls for stick butter or margarine, try this. Remove the amount of butter needed for the recipe; then use the wrapper as a guide to slice the rest of the butter into tablespoons. Put the slices in a see-through container and refrigerate. The next time you need just a tablespoon or two of butter, it's ready and waiting.

Meals on Hand
With a little advance work, you can keep on hand the makings of meals that will be a flash in the pan to finish up. Brown a pound of ground beef with one chopped onion. Pack the mixture in one-cup freezer containers. These can be thawed later for tacos, Sloppy Joes, or spaghetti. These units are especially nice when only one family member needs feeding.

Making potato salad can be a time-consuming job. The next time you bake potatoes for the family, bake some extra and refrigerate. When the potatoes are cold, they will peel easily, and you'll be "full speed ahead" on making your potato salad.

Another potato salad technique that I like is to cube small red potatoes, drizzle them with a little olive oil, and bake till tender. Baking the potatoes instead of boiling prevents messy boil-over accidents for me to clean up.

When preparing garlic bread, don't stop with one loaf. Individually wrap sliced loaves that have been spread with garlic and butter in aluminum foil and place in freezer bags. To serve one unit, just thaw and broil.

That's it for today. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? Notice, I'm assuming that reading my column is fun.

And now, check out the following recipes. There's no time like the present to get started on your fast cooking. Or as we people in agriculture say, make hay while the sun shines.

This really is it. I'm out of time sayings.

Combine all ingredients except paprika in saucepan. Simmer over low heat till cheese melts. Mix together well. Sprinkle a little paprika over top for color if desired.

Yields 4-6 servings.

Some scalloped potato recipes use cream for a smooth texture. This version calls for mashing some of the potatoes instead.

I got creative when I put this casserole together. I did not add the meat at the point specified in the recipe. Instead, I mixed it in after placing the potato mixture in the dish. At one end of the casserole, I mixed in ham as called for in the recipe. At the other end I stirred in precooked chicken andouille sausage to spice things up. This allowed me to satisfy mild and fiery family members at the same time.

I also used a little more meat than called for to help fill up my father; as a diabetic, he must limit potatoes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 12- x 7 1/2-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place potatoes in large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes or till potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan.

Transfer 1/4 of potatoes in large bowl. Add sour cream and mash with potato masher or back of large spoon. (There's no need to use the mixer; you'll just have to wash it.) Add Velveeta®, ham, and green onions to mashed potatoes; stir gently. Add mashed potato mixture to sliced potatoes and stir gently. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes or till heated through.

Yields 8 servings.

Recipe adapted from Kraft®.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 7/05/05