Fixing A Nutritious Dinner Doesn’t Have To Take All Night

You can create fast, flavorful and healthy dinners after work without spending the whole evening in the kitchen.

In an echo of the early ‘70s, busy cooks are using prepared foods in combination with fresh ingredients to create a new crop of family meals. The difference: Today’s convenience foods offer a wide selection of low-fat, low-sodium and high-fiber alternatives.

This sampling of recipes uses smart shortcuts to reduce preparation time and make such favorites as hearty homemade soups and skillet suppers weeknight-quick.

Quick Italian Meatball Soup

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey breast or lean ground beef

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1 egg white cup water

1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning blend

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Soup:

2 cans (13-3/4 to 14-1/2-ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1/2 cup (2 ounces) small pasta, such as tiny bowties, ditalini or shells, uncooked

5 ounces (1/2 of a 10-ounce bag) fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (3 cups, packed)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine meatball ingredients; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place in shallow baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine broth and tomatoes. Cover; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add meatballs. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until pasta is tender.

Stir in spinach. Remove from heat and let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 6 servings.

Preparation time: About 25 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving (with ground turkey breast): 200 calories, 3.5 grams fat (16 percent fat calories), 40 milligrams cholesterol, 16 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 890 milligrams sodium, 27 grams protein.

Linguine with Mushroom Caesar Sauce

8 ounces linguine (uncooked)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sliced onion

1 pound fresh white mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups small Caesar- or Italian-flavored croutons

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Fill a large saucepan with salted water; bring to a boil. Add linguine; cook until pasta is firm-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid; set aside. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and start to release their liquid, about 6 minutes.

Stir in roasted red peppers, salt and pepper; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid; pour over linguine.

Stir in croutons and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Preparation time: About 20 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving: 335 calories, 15 grams fat (40 percent fat calories), 12 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrate.

Southwest Chicken and Vegetables

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

1 (10-3/4-ounce) can Campbell’s Healthy Request condensed cream of chicken and broccoli soup

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 cups cut-up vegetables (combination of broccoli, corn and red bell pepper strips; see note)

4 cups hot cooked rice, made without salt

Spray medium skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until browned. Set aside.

Add soup, milk, lime juice, cilantro, pepper and vegetables. Heat to a boil. Return chicken to pan; reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve over rice with additional lime juice, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Preparation time: About 35 minutes.

Note: Substitute 16-ounce package frozen vegetable combination for cut-up vegetables, if desired.

Nutrition information per serving: 502 calories, 6 grams fat (11 percent fat calories), 78 milligrams cholesterol, 368 milligrams sodium, 73 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 37 grams protein.

Moo Shu Beef

1 pound beef round tip steaks, cut 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick

3 cups packaged coleslaw mix

2/3 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in cup water

8 flour tortillas (8-inch diameter), warmed

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

Marinade:

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons sugar

Cut steaks lengthwise in half and then crosswise into thin strips.

In medium bowl, combine marinade ingredients; add beef, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef (1/2 at a time) and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until outside surface is no longer pink (do not overcook). Add coleslaw mix, green onions and cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly.

To assemble, spread one side of each tortilla with 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce. Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture into center of each tortilla. Fold bottom edge up over filling. Fold right and left sides to center, overlapping edges.

Yield: 4 servings.

Preparation time: About 30 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving: 501 calories, 13 grams fat (23 percent fat calories), 34 grams protein, 62 grams carbohydrate, 6.3 milligrams iron, 1,055 milligrams sodium, 69 milligrams cholesterol.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Laura Carnie, a certified family and consumer scientist and food consultant in Coeur d’Alene, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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