Deadline cooking is all about the ingredients. Select the right high-flavor, low-prep ingredients, and great meals practically assemble themselves.
Success depends on rethinking your shopping and pantry stocking habits.
Here are some high-flavor pantry staples for the deadline cook:
m Capers. Add them to salads, pasta, chicken stir-fries, or even blend a few into salad dressings. Go easy on them; they can be quite salty. Rinse if you want to tone them down.
m Sun-dried tomatoes. Stick with those packed in olive oil, as they are easiest to work with.
m Olives. Try some of the stuffed green varieties, such as those with feta, almonds or jalapeno peppers in them.
m Smoked salmon. Sure, it goes great on bagels with cream cheese. It’s also wonderful tossed with hot pasta or cut into slivers and sprinkled into a salad with goat cheese, as in the recipe that follows.
Smoked salmon salad
3 cups mixed salad greens
1 earn of fresh corn (raw)
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh baguette, warmed in a 200 F oven
Divide the greens between two servings plates. Set aside. Carefully cut the kernels from the ear of corn. Divide kernels between the two plates. Cut the salmon into thin strips and scatter them over each salad. Top each salad with half of the pine nuts, goat cheese and fresh dill. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then drizzle over each salad. Serve with baguette. Makes 2 servings.
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