Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less?

It’s 5:30pm, and everyone wants to know, “What’s for dinner?” You look as perplexed as they do, since you’ve been working all day as well. In a pinch for what to cook, but don’t want to spend all night in the kitchen? Try these recipes that will have everybody fed before the 6 o’clock news comes on.

Chicken:

~ Chicken Breast Parmesan (serves 4)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half)
2/3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 cups spaghetti sauce
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Rinse chicken with water, coat with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Place in glass microwavable dish and cover with wax paper. Microwave for 7 minutes on high. Remove; pour spaghetti sauce over chicken and top with mozzarella cheese. Microwave another 3-4 minutes.
(Tip: Keep this dish low sodium and low fat by using low-sodium spaghetti sauce and low-fat mozzarella cheese!)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 22 minutes

~ Honey Mustard Chicken (serves 6)
One 20-oz can chunk pineapple
6 halved boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp cornstarch
�¼ cup honey Dijon mustard
Drain pineapple (reserve liquid.) Sprinkle chicken with thyme and garlic. Brown in oil. Stir juice and honey mustard into pan with chicken (save 2 tbsp juice to mix with cornstarch.) Add cornstarch mixture and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes, until thickened. Add pineapple and heat. Yum!
(Tip: Use pineapple canned in its own juice ~ a great way to sneak in some fruit with your dinner!)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Beef:

~ Easy Beef Stroganoff (serves 4)
1 pound of beef round tip steaks, cut 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick
4 cups wide egg noodles
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 package brown gravy mix
1/4 cup sour cream
Cook egg noodles according to package directions, keep warm. Slice steaks lengthwise in half then crosswise into 1″ wide strips. In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat until hot. Working in 2 batches, add beef and garlic. Stir-fry each batch 1 minute or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook). Remove from skillet; season w/ salt and pepper and set aside. 4. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms in remaining 2 teaspoons oil for 2 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat. Add gravy mix and 1 cup cold water to mushrooms; blend well. Return skillet to heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 minute or until sauce is thickened. Return beef to skillet and heat through. Serve over noodles; top with sour cream.
(Tip: Prepare the meat and mushroom mixture the night before for easy assembly when you’re ready to cook!)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

~ Swiss Burgers (serves 6)
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (about 3 oz.)
1 can (8 oz.) sauerkraut, heated and drained
1/3 cup Wish-Bone�® Thousand Island Dressing
Shape ground beef into 6 patties. Grill or broil until done. Top evenly with cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. Serve, if desired, with rye or pita bread.
(Tip: Also terrific with Wish-Bone�® Just 2 Good! �® Thousand Island Dressing!)
Prep time: 10 minutes

Pasta:

~ Pasta with Pesto (serves 8)
2 cups fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
�¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Romano cheese
1 packet (16-ounce) very thin spaghetti
Prepare basil by rinsing it and tearing off the leaves. Discard the stems. Chop garlic in a food processor or blender. Add basil and salt. Process. Add olive oil. Process until smooth. At this point you can put pesto aside for later use, or freeze. When ready to serve, mix margarine into pesto with a fork and blend well. Blend in cheeses. Set aside. Make spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Mix pesto into pasta.
(Tip: If pesto is too dry, carefully stir in a small amount of spaghetti water.)
Total time: 30 minutes

~ Three-Bean Pasta (serves 6)
1 lb medium egg noodles, uncooked
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 16 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 chopped red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse under cold water and drain again. In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, kidney beans, chickpeas, green beans, onion and bell pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Toss pasta with dressing and serve.
(Tip: Adding the beans creates not only a colorful meal, but much-needed protein!)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Vegetarian:

~ San Francisco Stir-Fry (serves 4)
�¼ cup arrowroot
2 tsp ginger powder
4 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp barley malt syrup
3 cups water
�¼ cup roasted sesame oil
1 cup coarsely diced red bell pepper
1 cup coarsely diced onions
1 �½ cups flaked seitan (or 2 cups diced firm tofu)
4 to 8 mushrooms, quartered
1 cup coarsely diced green bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery, cut on a diagonal
14 snow pea pods, stemmed and cut in half diagonally
3 cups cooked brown rice
Scallions and tomato-peel roses, for garnish (optional)
Combine the ingredients for the sauce (the first six ingredients on the list) and set aside. Preheat wok or sautÃ?© pan before adding the oil. (If the oil is put in first, it will burn before the vegetables go in.) When the oil is hot, sautÃ?© the red bell pepper, onions, seitan, and mushrooms for a minute. Continue stir-frying until the vegetables are half-cooked (about 2 minutes). Add the green bell pepper, celery, and snow peas, and continue stir-frying for another 3 minutes, still over high heat. Give the sauce a quick stir to dissolve the arrowroot. Then pour it in the wok and blend all the ingredients. Stir vigorously to prevent the sauce from lumping. (The sauce will not thicken unless the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. If necessary, dissolve about 3 tablespoons of arrowroot in water and add immediately.) Serve over brown rice, using 3/4-cup rice per portion. Garnish with a scallion “flower” and/or a tomato-peel rose, if you wish.
(Tip: Take the time to prepare all of your ingredients before you start, to get that tender-crisp taste and avoid overcooking.)
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

~ Black Bean Paella (serves 4)
�½ diced cup red bell pepper
One 15-oz can fat-free black beans, drained
�½ cup frozen peas, thawed
�½ cup green bell pepper, diced
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 chopped cup onion
1 minced tsp garlic
1 �½ cup fat-free rice
3 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 chopped 15 oz can low sodium tomatoes
�¾ tsp paprika
Lightly spray large saucepan with nonfat cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic and cook until vegetables are soft and tender. Add rice, chicken broth, spinach, tomatoes, and paprika and increase heat to high. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, 13 to 15 minutes, until liquid is almost absorbed. Stir in black beans and peas and heat through.
(Tip: For a completely vegetarian meal, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Nobody, especially working parents, likes to spend the day worrying about what to make for dinner. And while planning an entire week’s worth of menus is ideally a Sunday afternoon task, it’s not really practical in the land of rush-rush.

So, the next time you’re hard pressed to find something edible for dinnerâÂ?¦ don’t call the pizza guy or hit a fast-food place on your way home. Whether you’re a carnivore or a vegan, these recipes are much tastier (and cheaper) than anything you’d find in a take-out box ~ all in 30 minutes or less.

Enjoy!