Time-starved cooks take note! Every recipe this week can be prepared, start to finish, in under 30 minutes!
Our schedules seem to be busier than ever these days but our families still need to be fed. Just coming up with an idea for a main dish can be a huge dilemma. Every busy cook knows that the actual cooking of a meal is only half the battle –the other half is creativity. This week's recipes are all entrees. Every single one is both timesaving and delicious! All can easily be paired with a fresh salad, bread and a quick dessert. Think of the extra time that you'll be able to spend with your family enjoying the dinner hour together. (These recipes will work for friends, too!) Happy cooking!
Beef Tenderloins with Wine Sauce
4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
Trim any separable fat from steaks. Press pepper onto both sides of steaks. In a large skillet, cook steaks in hot butter over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until desired doneness, turning once. Transfer steaks to a serving platter, reserving drippings in skillet. Keep steaks warm while preparing sauce. For sauce, stir onion into reserved drippings in skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat. Carefully add broth, wine and marjoram to onion in skillet, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Return to heat. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Boil gently; uncovered, about 2 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Serve sauce over steaks. Serves 4.
Oriental Beef and Noodles
1 (3-ounce) package oriental noodles with beef flavor
1/2 pound beef sirloin steak, cut 3/4-inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus additional
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, bias-sliced (1/2 cup)
1 (6-ounce) package frozen snow pea pods, thawed
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh snipped Italian parsley
2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cook oriental noodles according to package directions, except drain the noodles and reserve the seasoning packet. Meanwhile, trim separable fat from the steak. Cut the steak into thin bite-sized strips; set aside. Pour the vegetable oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as needed during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add carrot and celery. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from the wok. Add the steak to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or to desired doneness. Return carrot and celery to wok. Stir in the noodles, reserved seasoning packet, pea pods, water, parsley, teriyaki sauce, ginger and red pepper. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serves 2.
Apricot Pork Medallions
1 cup quick-cooking rice
3/4 pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon butter
1 (16-ounce) can unpeeled apricot halves in light syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup red currant jelly
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, trim separable fat from pork. Cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices. With a meat mallet, pound each slice between plastic wrap to a 1/2-inch thickness. In a large skillet, cook pork in butter over medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Meanwhile, for sauce, drain apricots, reserving 2/3 cup of the juice. Set juice aside. Cut apricot pieces in half. In a small saucepan, stir together reserved apricot juice and cornstarch. Stir in red currant jelly and vinegar. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in apricots and heat through. Divide rice among 4 dinner plates. Top with pork medallions. Spoon hot sauce over pork. Sprinkle with green onions. Serves 4.
Sherried Pork
3/4 pound pork tenderloin
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sherry
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
Dash pepper
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
Trim any separable fat from pork. Cut pork crosswise into 4 pieces. With a meat mallet, pound each slice between plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine egg and milk. In another bowl combine cornflake crumbs and garlic powder. Dip each pork slice into the egg mixture, then dip into the crumb mixture, coating well. In a large skillet, cook pork slices in hot
butter for 6 to 8 minutes until pork is no longer pink, turning once. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Stir the 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sherry, bouillon granules and pepper into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to boiling. Boil rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture thickens slightly. Serve over pork slices. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.
Mustard-Orange Lamb Chops
8 lamb chops, cut 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
Trim separable fat from chops. Place chops on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat to desired doneness, turning once after half of the broiling time. (Allow 7 to 9 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness.) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, stir together the orange marmalade and mustard. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Spoon over chops. Serves 4.
Lemon Chicken
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
Lemon slices, for garnish
Rinse chicken, pat dry. Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet until 1/4-inch thick. In a shallow dish stir together flour and pepper. Lightly coat each piece of chicken with flour mixture. In a large skillet, cook chicken in hot butter over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until no longer ink, turning once. Keep warm. For sauce, in a small bowl, stir together chicken broth, lemon juice and cornstarch. Add to skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in green onions. Serve chicken with hot sauce. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4.
Margarita Chicken
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
4 flour tortillas, warmed
1 medium tomato, cut into 8 wedges
1 medium avocado, seeded, peeled and sliced
Lime slices, for garnish
For glaze, in a small saucepan, stir together lime peel, lime juice, tequila, honey, vegetable oil, cornstarch, garlic salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once after half of the broiling time and brushing with some of the glaze during the
last 5 minutes. Arrange chicken, warmed tortillas, tomato and avocado on individual plates. Drizzle with the remaining glaze. Garnish with lime slices. Serves 4.
Oven-Fried Flounder
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs
3/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon water
1 pound flounder fillets
Tartar sauce
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place butter in a shallow baking pan. Place the pan in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until butter melts. In a shallow dish, stir together the cornflake crumbs, onion salt and pepper. In another dish, combine beaten egg and water. Dip fish fillets in to egg mixture. Coat with crumb mixture. Place in the baking pan on top of the melted butter. Bake, uncovered, until fish flakes easily. Serve with tartar sauce. Serves 4.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of the cookbook, Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 525-0350 or by email at debbic@cateringbydebbicovington.com .
