ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180028
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHY MARTIN KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE If you're not sure what day of
the week it is, let alone what you're making for dinner, welcome to the club.
School is in full swing.
The reality of homework, lunch boxes and car pools is a rude awakening
after 10 weeks of taking things a little easier. Even if you don't have kids
in school, you're no doubt getting caught up in the heavier traffic and busier
pace of post-summer life.
Well, take a chance to regroup: do some planning, grocery shopping and maybe even a little cooking ahead; a ready-made pot of chili or soup can be a lifesaver on a hectic weeknight.
We've rounded up a work-week's worth of quick main-dish recipes to get you started. Mapping out detailed menus may be too much for you (or me), but it pays to stock up well enough so that you know there's something to cook for dinner each night; frantic grocery-store stops are no way to start your evening.
At our house, the basics include chicken breasts, lean ground beef, soy-based ground-beef substitute and Italian turkey sausage; lots of frozen vegetables, including stir-fry mixes; celery sticks and peeled baby carrots for pre-dinner snacking; salsa, reduced-fat jack cheese and flour tortillas for burritos and quesadillas; boiling-bag brown rice (more nutritious than white); tuna; canned beans of all kinds; spaghetti sauce and pasta, pasta, pasta.
Now let's deal with a more immediate concern: tonight's dinner. Here are three in-a-pinch main dishes that serve at least six. They're fast and fairly healthful, my family likes them, and you almost certainly have the makings for at least one of them:
*Everybody's Favorite Hot Dish: Cook a pound of pasta shapes (elbows, ruffles, etc.). Meanwhile, brown a pound of ground beef or bulk Italian sausage along with a chopped onion and a couple of minced garlic cloves. Drain the meat and pasta, put them back in the pot and stir in a 32-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce. Spread the mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, sprinkle with about a cup of grated cheese (any kind) and run it under the broiler until the cheese begins to brown.
*Mexican-Flavored Rice and Beans: Cook and drain 2 boiling bags of rice (or use 4 cups leftover rice). Rinse and drain a 16-ounce can of beans (pinto, black, kidney, etc.). Stir together the rice, beans and 1 cup salsa in a 11/2-quart casserole. Cover and microwave on high for a couple of minutes, just to heat through. Sprinkle with about 1 cup grated cheese (jack is good) and microwave, uncovered, for another minute or so, just until the cheese melts.
*Mom's Tuna-Noodle Salad: Cook a pound of pasta shapes (shells are nice) for about 6 minutes. Add a package of frozen baby peas to the pot, and stir until the water returns to a boil; the peas and pasta will be done. Drain, return to the pot, and add cold water and ice cubes to cool it down fast. Meanwhile, drain and flake 2 cans of tuna, and stir it together in a large bowl with 1 cup mayonnaise (or 1/2 cup mayo plus 1/2 cup no-fat sour cream or plain yogurt). Add chutney or chopped fresh herbs to taste. Drain the cooled pasta and peas really well and stir them into the tuna mixture.
recipes for:
QUICK BEEF AND CHEESE BURRITOS
LINGUINE IN MUSHROOM CAESAR SALAD
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH LIME-GINGER MARINADE
ROAST SNAPPER WITH RED PEPPER PUREE
HONEY-LIME GLAZED CHICKEN
GARLIC POTATO PIE
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. Convenience foods, such as Success boil-in-bag beansby CNBand rice and precut salads, help you make hearty meals in minutes.
2. Savory Garlic Potato Pie is quick and filling. color.