Chef in Residence
Dinner on the Table in 15 Minutes?
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
It is possible to have REAL food prepared, cooked and on the dinner table in just 15 minutes. Yes! The following recipes can be incorporated into a weekly meal plan on those days when you know you won't have much time for the kitchen. Before you think about take-out or a drive-thru, try preparing one of the following recipes and become a believer that real food can be fast!
Meal: Salmon
How to Do it in 15 Minutes:
Broil Salmon, meanwhile, saute Bok Choy and Snow Peas
Plate and Serve
Silky Miso Salmon with Bok Choy & Snow Peas (Serves 4)
1/4 cup white miso
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
2 large cloves garlic
4 6-ounce thick salmon fillets, with skin
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large bok choy heads
8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Preheat broiler. In a small bowl mix miso, rosemary, and 1 clove pressed garlic. Add 2 tablespoons water to form a paste. Coat skinless side of salmon with paste. Rub turmeric into salmon until it turns golden. Place fish on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Broil for 2 minutes until golden brown; immediately place in 500-degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes until just cooked through (keep it moist).
Meanwhile, coarsely chop bok choy. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large wok. Add bokchoy and snow peas. Cook 2 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly. Add 1 clove pressed garlic with a small pinch of salt. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Remove fish from oven. Transfer vegetables to 4 large plates. Top with fish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Meal: Steak
How to Do it in 15 Minutes:
Boil water for the pea pods
Broil the steak
Make the garlic sauce while the steak is cooking
Make the pea pods
Prep the bread
When the steak is finished, toast the bread
Steak with Garlic Butter (Serves 4)
1½ pound flank steak
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons bottled crushed garlic
pinch of ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Heat broiler. Season steak with salt and pepper. Broil steak about 6-inches from heating element, turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes, or until medium rare.
Sauce: In small saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add garlic, pepper, Worchestershire sauce and any accumulated steak juices. Serve with Sesame Pea Pods and Rosemary Bread.
Sesame Pea Pods (Serves 4)
2 6-ounce packages pea pods
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
teaspoon ground black pepper
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pea pods. Let water return to a boil. Cook pea pods 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse pea pods under cold water to stop them from cooking. Toss with sesame oil, salt, and pepper.
Rosemary Bread (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
½ 9-ounce loaf Italian or French bread, sliced horizontally lengthwise
½ teaspoon dry rosemary, crumbled
¼ teaspoon salt
Heat broiler. Spread butter over the bread. Sprinkle with rosemary and salt. Broil 4-inches from heating element 1-2 minutes, until toasted.Cut into 8 slices.
Meal: Chicken
How to Do it in 15 Minutes:
Prepare Chicken and Broil
Meanwhile, prepare couscous, then saute spinach and currents
Plate and Serve
Tandoori Curry Chicken (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon curry
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, or other full-fat yogurt (see Tips and Tricks below)
1½ pounds thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets
Heat broiler. In small skillet over medium heat cook curry, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until fragrant and toasted. Stir yogurt into toasted curry until combined. Put cutlets on jelly roll pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken cutlets. Careful not to cut through the cutlet, with a small knife make parallel slashes diagonally across cutlets about ½-inch apart from one another. Spread yogurt mixture over cutlets. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source about 7 minutes or until just cooked through.
Make-Ahead
The chicken can be marinated in the yogurt mixture up to 12 hours before cooking.
Tips & Tricks
Greek yogurt does not break down under the broiler. If you are not using Greek yogurt, full-fat yogurts have a better chance of not breaking. However, even if the coating does break, it still has a great flavor. It simply doesn't look as nice.
Cinnamon Couscous (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 box (10 ounces) plain couscous
In small pot over medium high heat, heat oil or butter. Add cinnamon and cook stirring about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Immediately add water, couscous and salt. Cook according to package directions.
Spinach with Currants (Serves 4)
2 packages (6 ounces each) fresh spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup currants
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until it shimmers. Add currants and spinach. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes, or until spinach is almost fully wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Substitution(s)
Any finely chopped dried fruit (such as apricots, raisins, or cherries) can be substituted for the currants.
Reach out to Chef Lisa at or on Her Webiste
Meal: Salmon
How to Do it in 15 Minutes:
Broil Salmon, meanwhile, saute Bok Choy and Snow Peas
Plate and Serve
Silky Miso Salmon with Bok Choy & Snow Peas (Serves 4)
1/4 cup white miso
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
2 large cloves garlic
4 6-ounce thick salmon fillets, with skin
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large bok choy heads
8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Preheat broiler. In a small bowl mix miso, rosemary, and 1 clove pressed garlic. Add 2 tablespoons water to form a paste. Coat skinless side of salmon with paste. Rub turmeric into salmon until it turns golden. Place fish on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Broil for 2 minutes until golden brown; immediately place in 500-degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes until just cooked through (keep it moist).
Meanwhile, coarsely chop bok choy. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large wok. Add bokchoy and snow peas. Cook 2 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly. Add 1 clove pressed garlic with a small pinch of salt. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Remove fish from oven. Transfer vegetables to 4 large plates. Top with fish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Meal: Steak
How to Do it in 15 Minutes:
Boil water for the pea pods
Broil the steak
Make the garlic sauce while the steak is cooking
Make the pea pods
Prep the bread
When the steak is finished, toast the bread
Steak with Garlic Butter (Serves 4)
1½ pound flank steak
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons bottled crushed garlic
pinch of ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Heat broiler. Season steak with salt and pepper. Broil steak about 6-inches from heating element, turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes, or until medium rare.
Sauce: In small saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add garlic, pepper, Worchestershire sauce and any accumulated steak juices. Serve with Sesame Pea Pods and Rosemary Bread.
Sesame Pea Pods (Serves 4)
2 6-ounce packages pea pods
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
teaspoon ground black pepper
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pea pods. Let water return to a boil. Cook pea pods 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse pea pods under cold water to stop them from cooking. Toss with sesame oil, salt, and pepper.
Rosemary Bread (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
½ 9-ounce loaf Italian or French bread, sliced horizontally lengthwise
½ teaspoon dry rosemary, crumbled
¼ teaspoon salt
Heat broiler. Spread butter over the bread. Sprinkle with rosemary and salt. Broil 4-inches from heating element 1-2 minutes, until toasted.Cut into 8 slices.
Meal: Chicken
How to Do it in 15 Minutes:
Prepare Chicken and Broil
Meanwhile, prepare couscous, then saute spinach and currents
Plate and Serve
Tandoori Curry Chicken (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon curry
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, or other full-fat yogurt (see Tips and Tricks below)
1½ pounds thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets
Heat broiler. In small skillet over medium heat cook curry, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until fragrant and toasted. Stir yogurt into toasted curry until combined. Put cutlets on jelly roll pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken cutlets. Careful not to cut through the cutlet, with a small knife make parallel slashes diagonally across cutlets about ½-inch apart from one another. Spread yogurt mixture over cutlets. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source about 7 minutes or until just cooked through.
Make-Ahead
The chicken can be marinated in the yogurt mixture up to 12 hours before cooking.
Tips & Tricks
Greek yogurt does not break down under the broiler. If you are not using Greek yogurt, full-fat yogurts have a better chance of not breaking. However, even if the coating does break, it still has a great flavor. It simply doesn't look as nice.
Cinnamon Couscous (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 box (10 ounces) plain couscous
In small pot over medium high heat, heat oil or butter. Add cinnamon and cook stirring about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Immediately add water, couscous and salt. Cook according to package directions.
Spinach with Currants (Serves 4)
2 packages (6 ounces each) fresh spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup currants
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until it shimmers. Add currants and spinach. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes, or until spinach is almost fully wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Substitution(s)
Any finely chopped dried fruit (such as apricots, raisins, or cherries) can be substituted for the currants.
Reach out to Chef Lisa at or on Her Webiste
