Easy and quick can still be delicious

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Karen Freeman

March 3, 2010

Karen Freeman The Daily Southerner Wed Mar 03, 2010, 10:58 AM EST

We all stay so busy these days. When we are really busy, usually something has to go.

Unfortunately that is often dinner. That means instead of cooking a delicious, healthy dinner at home, we grab take-out or we buy pre-packaged meals that we toss in the microwave and nuke our dinner. I do that sometimes, too.

We don’t have to do that. If we plan ahead a little, so that we have the ingredients that we need on hand, we can have a great dinner on the table in a short amount of time. This week’s recipes are easy and quick.

If you like to cook or if you want to start cooking at home a little more, do yourself a favor – prepare. On Sunday afternoon (or whenever you have a few minutes to spare) slice and chop some onions and peppers, put them in separate Ziploc bags in the fridge. Go ahead and chop a head of lettuce for salads throughout the week. Then when it’s time to cook, some of your prep is already done.

Our first recipe is a healthy scone! It’s only about 150 calories. You will really like this one. Spread a little sugar free jam or jelly on top and wow!

The second recipe is bow tie pasta. I love pasta, as you know by now. Bow tie pasta is a very pretty pasta so it’s a great one to serve to guests. Be sure that you don’t overcook it or it will come apart. Of course, any short, shaped noodle, such as penne, can be substituted for the bow tie. For an even bigger health benefit, use whole wheat pasta.

The third recipe is Mediterranean chicken. This give you the benefit of healthy ingredients and packs a lot of flavor. This recipe is a keeper. It’s on the table in a short amount of time and is very impressive.

The last recipe is called Greek chicken and vegetables. It’s probably not traditionally a Greek dish but is similar to Greek chicken dishes that I’ve had. It’s quite delicious. I love feta cheese. It’s probably my favorite cheese. Use a flavored feta for a little extra taste.

Sausage and Cheese Scones

1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

4 turkey breakfast sausage links, crumbled and browned

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup reduced-fat buttermilk

1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, mustard, and pepper. Add the butter and blend with a pastry cutter or two knives until the dough is crumbly. Add the sausage and cheese; toss to combine. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead for about 30 seconds. Pat the dough into a circle, approximately 8 inches across and 1 inch thick.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and brush with the egg white mixture. Cut into 10 equal wedges. Pull the wedges apart to separate slightly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the scones are lightly browned. Cool slightly and serve, or cool completely, wrap individually in air-tight covering, and freeze for future use.

Makes 10 scones

Bow-Ties with Lemon, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

1/3 cup sun-dried tomato halves (not oil-packed)

1/2 cup boiling water

8 oz. farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups baby spinach (about 6 oz.)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Place tomatoes in small bowl; add boiling water. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes or until very soft. Remove tomatoes, reserving soaking liquid. Slice tomatoes lengthwise into strips.

Cook farfalle according to package directions; drain.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook garlic and crushed red pepper 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is soft but not brown. Increase heat to high; add broth, lemon juice and reserved soaking liquid. Bring to a boil; boil 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup.

Reduce heat to low; add butter. Stir in tomatoes and spinach; cook until spinach is just wilted. Add farfalle; stir to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano.

Four servings

Mediterranean-Style Chicken

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup black olives, chopped

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

1 cup Finely Shredded Italian Five Cheese Blend

3 cups hot cooked Rotini pasta

Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. On each side or until done (165 degrees). Remove chicken from skillet.

Add tomatoes, olives and lemon zest to skillet. Cook 4 min. Or until hot, stirring frequently.

Return chicken to skillet; cook 1 min. Or until hot. Top with cheese. Serve over pasta.

Spaghetti Deluxe

8 oz box pasta/spaghetti noodles

1 lb ground beef

8-10 stuffed olives

1 cup sweet milk

8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 chopped onion

chopped green pepper

1 can tomato soup

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions, drain. Add cream cheese, tomato soup and milk.

Fry beef, onions and pepper until slightly brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble this into the spaghetti mix. Slice 8 olives.

Mix well and pour in casserole dish. Slice remaining two olives on top.

Bake at 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

This may be stored in the refrigerator and baked at a later time.

Greek Chicken and Vegetables

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained

2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 sheets (12x18-inch) aluminum foil

1 pkg. (4 oz.) Crumbled Feta Cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Toss chicken with beans, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Place 1/4 of the chicken mixture in center of each sheet of foil.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make 4 packets.

Place packets on grate of grill; cover grill with lid. Grill 10 to 14 min. or until chicken is cooked through (160 degrees) and vegetables are crisp-tender. Open foil packets; sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Did you know?

Clean spinach properly: Spinach holds a lot of dirt and must be thoroughly washed before using. Do not, however, soak spinach in water as it will wilt.

Fill large bowl with cold water and put spinach in water. Swish spinach around until dirt comes off. Repeat this process two or three times, using clean water each time, until no more dirt clings to spinach.

Spin dry spinach or pat dry with paper towels. Use immediately; or place clean, dry spinach between paper towels, if desired, and wrap in a perforated plastic bag or loosely wrap in a plastic bag and store in refrigerator.

Keep salad greens fresh: Wrap clean dry leafy greens loosely in a plastic bag or place in a perforated plastic bag and store in the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unwashed greens can be stored in the same manner. To make your own perforated bag, carefully poke holes in a plastic food storage bag using a sharp-pointed object, evenly spacing the holes over both sides of bag. If desired, greens can be wrapped in dry paper towels to absorb excess moisture before placing in the plastic bag and refrigerating.

Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

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