Here’s a guide to some prepared products and condiments to keep on hand to make assembly cooking simple and creative. If the higher prices of some of the items, such as cut vegetables and cooked chicken, are discouraging, remember the adage “time is money.”
In the cupboard
– Small pasta, such as rice-shaped orzo, tiny bows, fine angel hair and couscous (granular semolina) cook quickly and can be the base of a main-dish salad. Additions could include chopped vegetables and onions from the supermarket salad bar, chopped fresh herbs (such as dill) and smoked fish or chicken from the deli case.
– Instant rice generally gets poor marks for texture, but several new quick-cooking rices rate well in our book. For example, a brown rice that cooks in 10 minutes retains much of the chewy texture of traditional brown rice (which requires 40 minutes to cook) and all of the nutty flavor. For added taste, cook the rice in broth or bouillon, or substitute spicy tomato juice or salsa for part of the cooking liquid. Stir chopped, cooked meats, vegetables and beans and shredded cheese into the cooked rice for a substantial main dish.
– Likewise, seasoned rice and sauce blends cook quickly-about 12 minutes in a microwave oven-and are natural bases for additional ingredients such as chopped herbs, diced tomato, frozen vegetables and canned beans.
– No-boil or instant lasagna noodles make assembling a pan of lasagna a snap-and they save dirtying another pot.
– Canned beans, such as garbanzo, black, pinto and white beans, add variety and texture to all sorts of fast meals, including soups, salads, chili, stews, pastas and rice dishes. Bean flakes rehydrate in 5 minutes with boiling water and form the base for refried beans, soups and dips. Canned refried beans can be served as is for a side dish or used inside a burrito or enchilada. Or stir in a few tablespoons of salsa and a few dashes of hot pepper sauce for a quick bean dip.
– Bottled sauces, such as salsa, pesto, remoulade sauce, Thai peanut sauces, Asian teriyaki and hoisin sauce brushed over fish, chicken and pork chops while they grill or broil add interest, flavor and color. If time allows, marinate the chicken or pork in the sauce 1 or 2 hours before cooking.
– The ethnic aisles of large supermarkets hold many canned or bottled foods that can turn ordinary cooked pasta, rice, meats and vegetables into new dinner ideas. Canned or bottled caponata, for example, an eggplant, tomato, celery and olive mixture, is great over pasta or pan-fried meats and grilled fish. Likewise, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, instant polenta, olive paste, chili paste with garlic and Thai seasoning mixes often offer quick flavor solutions.
– Vinegar, such as seasoned rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar and sherry wine vinegar, add lots of flavor to fresh salads, slaws, cooked vegetables and stir-fries. They also can be used as a marinade for fish fillets and chicken breasts destined for the grill or broiler.
– Dessert sauces, such as bottled caramel sauce and lemon curd, can be used for more than just ice cream toppings. Caramel sauce can top brownies, cakes and fried bananas. Lemon curd makes a fine filling for a fruit tart when spread over a cooked tart shell or spooned into shortcake cups.
– Canned fruit packed in juice, such as apricots and peaches, puree nicely in a blender or food processor for an instant dessert sauce or ice cream topping.
In the refrigerator/freezer:
– Cooking fresh produce has never been easier thanks to items such as peeled baby carrots, cut broccoli and cauliflower florets, cleaned salad greens and spinach leaves. Shredded coleslaw mixes and broccoli slaw (julienned broccoli stalks, carrots and red cabbage) adequately form the base of a fast side dish or main-dish salad or stir-fry.
– While rotisserie chicken has its place in our grocery carts, sometimes it’s just more convenient to stock up on chilled cooked chicken or chicken pieces. They keep (unopened) for more than a week in the refrigerator and can be eaten as is, reheated or shredded for adding to salads, stir-fries, soups and casseroles.
– Fresh pasta cooks faster than dried. Frozen filled pastas, such as tortellini and ravioli, can be cooked and eaten hot with a bottled pesto or marinara sauce or chilled and tossed with bottled salad dressing, frozen peas and diced green pepper for a hearty pasta salad. Whichever pasta you choose, always start the water to boil before assembling the rest of the ingredients.
– Prepared pizza crusts come in all shapes and sizes these days. Keep a couple on hand for doctoring up for a quick meal even the children will eat.
– Keep quick-cooking meats, such as turkey cutlets, fully-cooked sausage, boneless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin and steaks, in the freezer. Most can be cooked frozen (allow a little extra time) or thawed carefully in the microwave oven.
– The freezer case offers more choices than ever before for fast vegetable fixes. Today, mixed vegetables could be anything from broccoli, corn and red peppers to a Western-style combo of potatoes, green beans, onions and red peppers. Add the mixtures to cooked pasta or soups, or fry with leftover potatoes for a quick hash.
– Likewise, frozen fruit sports new combinations, such as a blend of kiwi, pineapple, mango, papaya and red grapes. Use the fruit for salads, compotes and as layers in a parfait. Or puree frozen fruit into an easy sorbet or thaw it and puree it to serve over pound cake, angel food cake or ice cream or for a refreshing fruit soup base.
Here are a few quick-cooking recipes, using some of the products mentioned above.
WESTERN SKILLET SUPPER
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Leftover rotisserie chicken and cooked roast or ground beef work well in this casual supper entree. Serve warm store-bought biscuits or cornbread and a salad from the salad bar to round out the meal.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 package (16 ounces) Western-style frozen vegetable mix (a combination of potatoes, green beans, onions and red peppers)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 cups shredded cooked chicken or beef
1/3 cup salsa or chunky tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Salt, pepper to taste
1. Heat chicken broth to boil in large skillet. Add vegetable mix, cover and cook until vegetables are almost tender, about 6 minutes. Uncover and boil hard to evaporate any remaining liquid, about 2 minutes.
2. Move vegetables to side of pan. Add oil to center of pan and heat. Then add chicken and cook and stir all the ingredients until potatoes are slightly golden and chicken is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in salsa, cilantro, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
CAPONATA-TOPPED PASTA
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Bottled or canned caponata, an Italian dish of eggplant cooked with tomatoes, celery and olives, makes a speedy pasta topping for a meatless entree. It also is good over pan-fried turkey, chicken or veal cutlets.
1 can (7 1/2 ounces) caponata, such as Progresso eggplant appetizer
1/4 pound pasta, such as mostaccioli, cooked
1/4 cup shredded six-cheese Italian blend
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1. Put caponata into a 2-quart microwave-safe serving bowl. Microwave on high (100 percent) power until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in pasta to coat well. Microwave on high until hot, about 2 minutes. Top with cheese and basil.
SMOKY BARBECUED PIZZA
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Use any prepared, baked pizza crust or toasted pita rounds for this simple pizza.
1 large red onion, sliced
1 large green bell or poblano chili pepper, halved, seeded
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1 large Boboli bread or 3 pita rounds
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded or 1 cup cooked ground beef (drained)
1/2 cup shredded four-cheese Mexican blend
Crushed red pepper flakes
1. Heat broiler. Put onion slices and pepper halves onto broiler pan. Broil, 4 inches from heat source, turning once, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Chop pepper.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread barbecue sauce over Boboli crust. Top with cooked onion slices (separated into rings), pepper pieces and chicken. Top with cheese. Cook directly on oven rack until heated through and cheese is golden, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper flakes to taste.
SPICY HOMINY RICE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serve this hearty mixture as a side dish for a Tex-Mex-style meal or as a meatless main dish with a crisp salad or slaw and bread sticks.
1 package (4.4 ounces) Spanish-style rice and sauce
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 of a 15-ounce can hominy, drained
2 tablespoons hot salsa (or hot pepper sauce to taste)
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1. Prepare rice according to package directions either in the microwave oven or on the stovetop. When cooked, stir in remaining ingredients.
