Want A Hot Meal But Don’t Have Much Time? Try These Recipes

Cool evenings call for a hot main dish, but how does a harried cook fit it in … tonight?

That’s the dilemma many family cooks face. As demands increase and schedules get tighter, fewer and fewer Americans have the time to prepare full, nutritionally sound meals every night of the week.

Each of the following dishes provides a variety of ingredients for nutritional balance, while their assorted cooking requirements fit into varied time slots.

The pot roast requires a few minutes of preparation, followed by two and a half hours of slow, unattended cooking, interrupted only by the quick addition of barley about an hour before serving. Add the peas and sour cream at the last minute, allowing them to heat through while slicing the meat.

Moroccan Chicken freezes well for quick reheating on the busiest of days. Shrimp and Tofu Oriental Style requires only a few minutes from start to table.

Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Barley

1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck arm, blade or shoulder pot roast

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound medium mushrooms, halved

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1-1/4 cups ready-to-serve beef broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup medium pearl barley

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup dairy sour cream, optional

Trim fat from meat. In large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; brown evenly. Remove beef from pan; season with salt and pepper.

Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to pan; cook and stir until onion is lightly browned. Return beef to pan; add broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer 1-1/2 hours (a little more or less if needed to fit your schedule).

Add barley to pan; cover and continue cooking 45 to 60 minutes or until beef and barley are tender. Remove beef to serving platter; keep warm. Remove bay leaf.

Add peas and sour cream, if desired, to pan; stir just until hot. Carve pot roast into thin slices and serve with barley mixture.

Yield: 8 servings. Nutrition information per serving (without sour cream): 293 calories, 31 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams fat (37 percent fat calories), 498 milligrams sodium, 91 milligrams cholesterol.

Make-Ahead Moroccan Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken leg quarters, skinned

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 medium carrots, cut into chunks

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup golden raisins

2 cinnamon sticks

1-1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

5 cups water

2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks

2 cups couscous or rice, prepared according to package directions

In large, nonstick soup pot, place olive oil over high heat. Add chicken and cook about 10 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, chickpeas, raisins, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and water. Bring to simmer, reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, serve immediately in large bowls over couscous or rice.

To freeze, transfer to plastic container with tight-fitting lid and let cool, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 40 minutes. Cover tightly and freeze until needed.

Thaw in refrigerator 12 to 24 hours. Reheat in a large, covered soup pot over medium-low heat. Bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Serve as above.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Shrimp and Tofu Oriental Style

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, finely grated

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 pound cooked shrimp (see note)

pound tofu, drained and cubed, or 3/4 pound chicken breast meat, cubed

1 or 2 red or green bell peppers, cut into small pieces

5 scallions, chopped

4 cups cooked brown rice (see note)

2 cups mung bean sprouts

Soy sauce

In wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ginger, garlic and shrimp. Saute 2 minutes, then add the tofu (or chicken), peppers and scallions. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, then add the rice and bean sprouts. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the rice is hot and the bean sprouts are partly wilted. Sprinkle with soy sauce and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 (2-cup) servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 414 calories, 12 grams fat (26 percent fat calories).

Note: If beginning with raw shrimp, start with 1/2 pound; boil for 2 minutes, then shell and devein. To speed preparation of brown rice, either use a quick-cooking variety or prepare ahead and freeze in meal-size portions for reheating. To reheat thawed rice, add 2 tablespoons of liquid to the rice in a nonstick saucepan, cover and heat 4 to 5 minutes on top of stove or in oven. In microwave, cover the container and microwave on High power for 1 minute for each cup of rice.

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