COOK FAST FOR BETTER HEALTH August 2, 2006 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Gandhi, the great leader of India, once observed that "There's more to life than increasing its speed." Mostly, he's right. Many of us do need to slow down and smell the roses or the coffee - whichever floats your boat.

But speed in the kitchen can be a good thing. It can help fight the obesity epidemic we're experiencing in America.

According to health experts, eating more home-cooked meals is a major way to fight the battle of the bulge. But the American lifestyle is busy and fast paced. Many home cooks don't have time to prepare involved dishes. Eating out becomes the easy and quick choice.

So turn to speedy recipes and kitchen tricks to put good meals on the table fast. Today's column is full of ideas to get you started.

Even though I found the original shrimp recipe in the "fast" section of a food magazine, I was surprised at how fast it really did go together. I increased its speedy prep even more (sorry, Gandhi) by using "easy-peel" frozen shrimp. I just place these under running water for a few minutes to defrost and then pop off the shells. The resulting shrimp are already deveined.

When cooking the pasta for the shrimp dish, wait and salt the water when it comes to boil. If you salt the water before heating, it takes longer for it to reach boiling. I honestly can explain the scientific principle behind this but that would take too long.

Depending on the size can of tomato paste you use to prepare the shrimp, most likely you'll have some paste left over. Don't toss it; freeze it for the next time you need tomato paste.

Place leftover tomato paste in a small freezer bag and press out excess air. Flatten the bag to about one-eighth of an inch and seal. Once the paste is frozen, you can break off a piece when you need it. No opening another can and washing the can opener.

Let's go back to the easy-peel shrimp. There's a huge variety of convenience products on the market. Take advantage of them.

Yes, convenience items may be more expensive than cooking from scratch, but they are generally less expensive than paying a restaurant to cook for you. And don't be a food snob -- packaged mashed potatoes are wonderful!!

A favorite fast food of mine is couscous -- a small, round pasta that tastes like a cross between rice and pasta. Though couscous is not technically a convenience food, it cooks in a flash.

Using the amounts listed in the package instructions or my directions in the recipe section, bring liquid and oil to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous and a pinch of salt; cover pan. Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Stir in some grated Parmesan cheese or fresh herbs to kick up the flavor if desired.

Okay, my guilty conscience is bugging me. I must confess that the real reason I like couscous is that I can prepare it without making a mess to clean up. Because you don't actually cook the couscous on the stove eye, it doesn't boil over as rice often does on me. I think kitchen speed should apply to clean up as well as to cooking.

Now on your mark, get set, go. Cook fast, lose weight, smell the roses.

Arrabbiata comes from the Italian word for "angry" and refers to the spicy tomato sauce.

Cook pasta; drain; and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt; add shrimp to pan. Cook 2 minutes per side or till shrimp are done. Transfer shrimp to a bowl. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, basil, and red pepper to pan; sauté 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or till sauce just begins to thicken. Return shrimp to pan; cook just till shrimp are heated through. Add parsley to pan, stirring well to combine. Serve over pasta.

Yields 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

If you wish, use fresh peaches and take time to peel and chop them.

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Mix eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add cubed bread to egg mixture and let soak 5 minutes. Stir in peaches and dried fruit. Pour mixture into lightly greased 8- x 8-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or till knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Yields 10 (1/2 cup) servings.

Recipe from Team Nutrition Iowa.

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 08/03/06