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| Quick Meals |
| In the '50s, it took an average of two hours to prepare a meal. By the late '70s, it still took about an hour, but today, people don't even want to spend 20 minutes in the kitchen. People are so busy they don't even have time to eat out! Yet many still crave the family time and home-cooked taste an evening meal at home provides. There are still 24 hours in a day, but people are working longer, and there are more families in which both parents are working than ever before. Children are incredibly busy. People are making a choice to spend their time in different ways; spending long hours preparing meals is no longer an option for many. When is the last time you saw someone sitting on a porch stringing green beans!? People are more likely to opt for carryout, or try one of the many new books that promise "meals in minutes". Some books give recipes for main dishes, combined with purchasing deli-prepared side dishes such as sesame noodles, green-bean or carrot-raisin salads, and sliced cucumbers in vinegar. Of course, many of these sides can be made quickly too, but doing so may extend the 15 minute dinner to 20 or more. Consider topping off each dinner with a purchased dessert, including cake, pie, sorbet and fresh fruit. Using convenience products helps tremendously. Convenience products buy you time. There are some really terrific convenience products that still allow you to prepare something that's fresh-made, but help you along, like using canned beans instead of having to soak them overnight. You can feel like you've cooked dinner, and that can make a big difference. Mealtime is still important family time, and people don't want to eat out of cartons. Shopping and Cooking Shortcuts The type of product you buy can help shorten the time spent on preparation and cooking. Here are some items to look for. Vegetables: Use precut fresh vegetables from the salad bar for stir-fry or side dishes, and buy bagged fresh greens for quick salads. Pasta: Refrigerated fresh pasta cooks in two to five minutes, as opposed to dry pasta, which cooks in 10 minutes. Refrigerated pasta also uses less water, so boiling time is reduced. Meat: Choose meat cuts that are 1 inch thick or less for quick cooking under the broiler. Boneless chicken breast halves are great timesavers, but chicken tenders cook up even more quickly. A quick meal isn't quick if there's tons to clean up. Anything I have to spend a long time cleaning up defeats the whole purpose of a quick meal. I make my pots do dual duty by cooking as much in one as I can. For instance, when cooking pasta, I toss in frozen or fresh vegetables toward the end to cook in the same water. Then, as the pasta drains in the colander, I use the same pot to heat up the sauce. It's not hard to make good food fast. Try pan frying, grilling or sautéing for quick meal preparation. Grilling is convenient, and the mess is outside so you don't have that cleanup time after you're all done. People are grilling year-round now. Time-Saving Techniques Skip the Store. You've got to plan ahead and eliminate trips to the store. Even if the store is on the corner, it takes time away. In the time you spend getting there and back, you could have had your meal done. Remember Roasting. It may take longer to roast a chicken than to stir-fry chicken chunks, but a roasting chicken doesn't take that long to prepare. While the chicken is in the oven, you can use the time to be with your guests or family, or you can prepare another part of your meal. Roasting is a good strategy to get some 'down time,' especially when you have company. Make Ahead. Anything you can make beforehand will make meal preparation easier. Many salads, side dishes and desserts can be made ahead, assuming you have the time! tom saaristo © Thomas Saaristo All Rights Reserved tom@tomsaaristo.com |