European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Need Quot complicated lives and sophisticated tastes could Cope her survival tactics include a Well locked pantry Advance planning cooking double batches on sunday at general Mills the Home of Betty Crocker Home economists Call weekday cuisine Quot Assembly cooking Quot recipes that mix canned Deli Frozen and fresh foods Are shortcuts by Anne Byrn Cox news service there is no shame in a shortcut especially when it s 5 p.m., you be worked All Day and everybody wants to know Quot How soon is dinner Quot so Stop feeling guilty and take the advice of a growing number of serious foodies who have started to understand your workday reality. Many of them have been taking shortcuts behind closed Kitchen doors for years. Now they re confessing to them in Public a and in cookbooks Michele Urvater a new York professional Cook wrote the monday to Friday Cookbook so people like her with included in Betty Crocker s 40th anniversary Cookbook. Quot you might Stop by the Deli Tor some meat pick up sliced fruits for dessert and vegetables at the supermarket salad bar for a Quick stir Fry or have a from scratch meal stashed in the Freezer at Home Quot says Marcia Copeland Betty Crocker s director of food and publications. Even professional chefs with hectic schedules Are feeling the time Pinch. Jacques Pepin nationally known cooking instructor and author of the Short Cut Cook says Quot without question my goal is to prepare delicious food with the least amount of cooking and cleaning Quot that might mean tossing Frozen hash Browns into a pot of soup instead of peeling and chopping fresh potatoes. Or for unexpected guests whipping up a hot fruit Gratin with Frozen raspberries and Pound cake. Pepin admits he has drawn the ire of colleagues for suggesting shortcuts Quot just because you re saving some time to get a Good hot meal on the table during the week does t mean you la never Cook from scratch again Quot Urvater says she tired of the feeling that occurred about 4 or 5 each Day when Quot you can t think of what to make for dinner and know you be got nothing in the House so she came up with a system for getting Well balanced workday dinners on the table regularly it is explained in depth in her new Cookbook. Not that the concept is new Many a casserole has been built by dumping together cans of condensed soup onion rings and Greet i Beans but Urvater not Only advises opening cans she adds panache to it. And because she prepares Low cholesterol meals each Day for her clients creating Low fat recipes is second nature to her so much the better for those of you fighting cholesterol. Her system goes something like this a set up the pantry. Some nights you la have nothing fresh and nothing leftover so you la pull together a fast meal that is Quot pure pantry a such As Urvater s barbecued Black Beans and Rice containing canned Black Beans canned tomatoes and Green chillies Frozen Corn and Barbecue sauce Urvater a pantry would t be Complete without canned tomatoes and Beans Rice and pasta canned Chicken Broth some onions and carrots even sesame Oil and Sun dried tomatoes from the ethnic Section of the supermarket. A choose the right equipment. Sharp knives save time. Cut food into a Fine Dice and it will Cook faster. Food processors blenders pressure cookers microwaves toaster ovens and electric mixers also shave preparation time. A make a weekly Calendar. Quot Good planning ensures you la have enough ingredients in the House with which to make supper Quot she says and it will reduce the trips to the supermarket Urvater has an erasable monthly Calendar on the refrigerator. She writes her commitments on the Calendar shops on the weekends and before going shopping glances at the Calendar to see the types of meals Shell have to Cook that week a make a detailed shopping list Urvater keeps a list of items she always has in the House onions Chicken Broth stores it on a computer disk and prints it out weekly. Quot tack it on the refrigerator and just make a Check next to the item when you need to replace  a match meals to schedules. If everyone in the House will be Home late monday Cook a soup on sunday that can be reheated in portions monday night. If All but one person will be Home at the dinner hour tuesday do a stir Fry that can be reheated or served at room temperature for the late arrival. A plan sunday Quot Start up Quot meals. Cook roasts soups stews anything that guarantees leftovers for the week. Or do pasta or Rice salads that can be served later m the week. A learn to Recycle. Not just your aluminium cans but also leftovers from restaurants or from dinner the night before casseroles can be thinned with liquid and served As a hot soup the next Day. Stir Fries can be dolled up with a Vinaigrette and eaten chilled or reheated and served atop pasta or lentils a divvy up tasks when you can. Children can measure ingredients scrub potatoes heat water for pasta even make a simple salad dressing. A keep cleanup speedy. Cook one pot meals. Do away with lots of gadgets a cutting Board and Sharp knife can do most any task she says. Clean As you go. Then soak. Recipes for satisfying dishes in a matter of minutes c x Ourse by course tips for preparing Quick meals by Anne Byrn Cox news service try some of these tips to make Quick nutritious weekday meals for yourself or your family salads Cook your favorite pasta Drain and rinse. Add bottled salad dressing plus vegetables and meats from a salad bar mix marinated artichokes vegetables olives and torn greens. Add crunch to salads by adding nuts or Chow mom noodles vegetables and grains Purchase Cut up vegetables from the supermarket salad bar and stir Fry or add to salads. Add Broccoli or cauliflower florets or slices of carrots and Zucchini to a pot in which pasta is cooking. Vegetables will Cook in slightly less time than dry pasta about the same As fresh Drain toss with Olive Oil and season. Recycle leftover cooked vegetables in salads soups pasta dishes or casseroles turn leftover potatoes into potato salad chowder or hash Browns. Thin Salsa with Beer or a Tierese spread with milk and use As a Quick sauce Over hot or cold vegetables save leftover Rice for Fried Rice. To Speed it up add thawed Frozen Oriental vegetables. Boil More pasta than you need for a Given evening Drain toss with vegetable Oil and store in the refrigerator in a Zipper lock bag for several Days to reheat drop briefly in boiling water. Rely on Rice mixes and canned Beans for Hearly nutritious combinations a Spanish Rice with Black Beans for example. Entrees for a breakfast Sandwich on the run serve egg salad or scrambled eggs in a Tortilla. It s More expensive but buying pre sliced or cubed cheese saves time. For a satisfying late night supper place a slice of cheese Between two slices of toasted bread. Microwave on microwavable paper Towel on medium Power 50 percent for 1 minute. For a Quick Fondue thin cheese soup with White wine or Beer and serve with cubes of Iresh fruit and French bread. Marinate Boneless Chicken breasts in italian dressing or Barbecue sauce and Grill or saute. For an easy Chicken salad Combine chopped cooked Chicken with equal parts Mayonnaise and Plain Yogurt season to taste. Add leftover cooked vegetables and fish to canned Cream soup for a fast chowder. Stir cooked shrimp or other shellfish into your favorite Spaghetti sauce and serve Over pasta. Cut fish steaks into 1-Inch cubes for kebabs. Freeze on cookie Sheet for one hour. Place in covered Container and freeze. Thaw slightly before threading onto skewers. You la have kebabs at a moment s notice. You Don t have to buy fancy bread crumbs to coat fish for sauteing. Use Cornmeal and Chili powder for a cajun taste crushed cornflakes or crushed Cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Keep Frozen meatballs to add to sauce. Form seasoned ground beef into balls and freeze on a cookie Sheet. Store in a Zipper lock bag for up to six months. Grill extra steaks and burgers to reheat later in the microwave. Heat leftover cubed beef in a Barbecue pizza or Taco sauce and serve in tortillas pita breads or buns. Dessert freeze Flavoured Yogurt in Small paper cups add Sticks Lor Frozen pops. Fill store bought crepes with fruit ice Cream pudding or whipped Cream. Layer Frozen Pound cake with Frozen Yogurt and slice As you would a terrine. Saule sliced pears apples or bananas in butter or Margarine add Brown sugar to taste and a splash of rum if desired by Jean Shifrin Cox news service Turkey Tortellini soup makes 4 Servings preparation time 10 minutes cooking time 18 minutes 3 cans 10v4 ounces reduced sodium Chicken Broth 2 Tablespoons Rice wine vinegar or White wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 to 2 Tablespoons finely chopped Ginger Root or 1 Teaspoon dried v2 Teaspoon Oriental Chili paste optional 1 package 7 ounces dried cheese filled Tortellini 2 cups sliced Bok Choy 2 cups cooked Turkey slivers 2 Green onions sliced 1 cup Enoki mushrooms Combine Chicken Broth vinegar soy sauce Ginger and Chili paste in Saucepan bring to a simmer and add Tortellini and Bok Choy stems. Simmer 15 minutes. Removing Tortellini after it tests done. Add Bok Choy leaves Turkey onions and mushrooms and Cook just until Bok Choy leaves Wilt return Tortellini to soup a adapted from Betty Crocker s 40th anniversary edition Cookbook Corn cod and potato chowder. Makes 8 to 10 Servings preparation time 8 minutes cooking time 20 minutes 3 ounces Salt pork or in sliced Bacon Cut into 1/2-Inch cubes 1 cup diced onion 1 Small Leek cleaned and Cut into 1/4-Inch pieces 1 Teaspoon dried thyme leaves 5 cups fresh or canned Chicken Stock 1 cup water 3 cups Frozen hash Browns 1v2 cups fresh or Frozen Corn kernels about 6 ounces 1 Pound fresh or Frozen codfish fillets Cut into 1-Inch pieces w cup heavy Cream v2 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper a Teaspoon Salt or to taste place sail pork or Bacon in a Laige pot and conk Uvea High heat for 5 to h minute or until Cusp and in own add onion and Leek and saute i guile bin in thyme leaves Chicken Stock water and potatoes and bring mixture to a boil reduce heat cover and boil gently Toi 10 minutes add Corn and Lish and return to a boil cover 1 reduce heal and boil gently for i minute add Cream Pepper and Salt return to boil and serve from the Short Cut Cook by Jacques Pepin cumin scented butter fued pork makes 6 Servings preparation time 8 minutes cooking time 20 minutes 1 cup fresh Cilantro or Parsley leaves a cup Olive Oil juice of 3 Lemons or limes or about to cup juice 1 Small onion v2 Teaspoon ground cumin 1 Boneless pork loin about 1 i pounds trimmed of All fat and butterflied Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to Butterfly pork starting from one Long Side carefully slice the meat in two through its thickness stopping a Rich from the opposite Edge open the meat As you would a Book flatten in with your hands to make it As even As possible preheat broiler in a food processor 01 blender process Cilantro Olive Oil Lemon juice onion and cumin until smooth with a Sharp knife make shallow slashes across both surfaces of the pork place pork on a broiler pan or a rack atop a baking pan lined with Oil Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper pour half the Cilantro mixture Over pork spreading it evenly Over meal and working it into the slashes flip pork Over and repeat procedure on Ottier Side. Broil pork 3 inches from the heat for 10 minutes flip meal Over and Broil until cooked through about 8 to 10 minutes remove pork from oven and let rest 15 mules thinly slice meat across Grain and serve Wilh pan Zicos from mor Utay to fruity t ook Hook by Michele Urvater Page 14 the stars and stripes the stars and stripes Friday january 17, 1992 Page