These days, the major limitation for most cooks is time. Which is why recipes that can be prepared in minutes rather than hours are so appealing. When you’re trying to cut kitchen time, a few broad strategies can make a big difference. For instance:
1. Limit time-consuming procedures: “Well, duh!” you say.
But more specifically, this means putting the accent on fresh and handy ingredients rather than elaborate techniques. Fancy multi-step dishes don’t fit into a busy cook’s day-in and day-out schedule.
Go for meals with no-cook or barely-cook ingredients, just tossed together and dressed with a memorable hint of ethnic flavor. Make the most of fresh vegetables and luscious fruit. Toss in lightly toasted nuts for a little extra crunch.
2. Simplify meals: What are you making for dinner?
How about reservations, my dear?
OK, not that simple. But one-dish meals are time-savers. Concentrate on one recipe that combines our protein, vegetable and starch. Stir-fries, pasta and rice dishes cooked with vegetables and perhaps a bit of meat and nuts, entree salads, stews and boiled dinners are creative and fast.
3. Assembly required: At the table, that is, by each diner.
Tacos and fajitas are perfect examples of build-your-own cuisine. You and a helpful child or two concentrate on a bit of chopping, then bring everything to the table for a do-it-yourself assembly line.
4. Organize three work centers: This is something I learned in my first tiny apartment kitchen in college.
Store utensils near where you’ll use them. Have pots and pans near the stove top. Have small appliances stored below a clear counter with an electrical outlet nearby. Store dishes in cabinets near the dishwasher (or wherever your hand-washed dishes are draining/drying).
Organize the refrigerator so you can see what’s there and keep like-items, such as dairy, deli and fresh produce, near each other.
Now for a few simple recipes. Since scallops are one of my favorite fast foods, I’m taking this opportunity to share a few recipes I’ve enjoyed over the years.
SCALLOPS WITH WALNUT AND SNAP PEA ORZO
11/4pounds scallops (either bay or sea scallops)
2teaspoons Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
8ounces orzo pasta
1-2tablespoons olive oil
1teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2pound snap peas (or scant 1/2 pound Chinese pea pods), trimmed
1/2cup chopped toasted walnuts, cashews, almonds or hazelnuts
Rinse scallops and dry well with paper towels. Sprinkle herbs evenly over scallops. Cook orzo according to package directions (until barely soft); rinse and hold in covered pan.
Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Saute garlic, snap peas and walnuts in the skillet over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the orzo and keep covered.
Re-coat the skillet with a bit of olive oil and saute the scallops over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side until opaque and just barely cooked through and lightly browned.
Place the scallops on a plate with the orzo mixture and serve.
Makes about 6 servings.
CURRIED SEA SCALLOPS
11/2pounds large sea scallops (about 18)
1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
11/2teaspoons curry powder
1pound fresh broccoli florets, blanched in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper ginger sauce (recipe follows)
Clean and rinse the scallops in cold water; drain well. Transfer to a bowl. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and curry powder; set aside.
Heat a very large skillet until very hot over medium-high heat. Coat the skillet with vegetable oil. Add the scallops and saute them just until they are lightly browned and almost completely opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the scallo ps and set them aside on a platter.
Add the blanched and drained broccoli florets to the skillet with the drippings from the scallops and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the broccoli is barely tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Place the broccoli on the platter with the scallops. Drizzle with a bit of the hot pepper ginger sauce. Serve.
Hot pepper ginger sauce: Prepare this sauce ahead of time and keep it on hand to season grilled fish or chicken. Combined with a small amount of oil and a bit of vinegar, it makes an excellent dressing for green salads. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup finely minced green onions, 2 tablespoons chopped daikon (a white radish), 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons Vietnamese fish sauce (available in Asian food section of most supermarkets), 1 tablespoon canola oil, 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic, 1 teaspoon finely shredded fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot-pepper sauce).
Keeps in refrigerator for weeks and weeks!
Makes about 6 servings.
BAY SCALLOPS WITH SPINACH ANISETTE SAUCE
5cups fresh spinach (lightly packed)
1tablespoon minced shallots
1teaspoon minced garlic
1/4cup butter
1/4cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1pound bay scallops (rinsed and drained)
Juice of half a lemon
1teaspoon flour
3tablespoons anisette (a licorice-flavored liqueur)
1/4cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Drop spinach into a large pot of rapidly boiling water and blanch for about 20 seconds; remove, drain well and plunge immediately into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and then squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Place the drained and squeezed glob of spinach into your food processer and chop.
Saute the shallots and garlic in the butter in a large skillet for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another minute or so. Add the scallops and continue cooking until the scallops are lightly browned.
Add the spinach and continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened and have released their liquid. Squeeze the lemon half over the mixture, sprinkle the flour into the liquid and then deglaze the pan by adding the anisette and stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve all the cooked-on bits of food.
Add the heavy cream and gently stir until a light sauce has formed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Scrape the scallop mixture into an oven-proof dish and broil in an oven just until hot, bubbly and golden on top. Serve with pasta or creamy mashed potatoes.
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from “Bay and Ocean, Ark Restaurant Cuisine,” by Nanci Main and Jimella Lucas
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
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