April 5, 2010, 8:27 pm
updated Apr 5, 2010, 9:03 pm

SERVING up a SMILE 4/05/10: READY in NO TIME

GREEN TIME: Part III

Just in case you missed them:
Green Time, Part I: Is Fat a Matter of Convenience?
Green Time, Part II: Time to Spy


As much as I would like for the world to believe that I eat seven-course gourmet meals, three times each day (and feed them to my husband in bed), the fact of the matter is that I am a very busy lady. I take on more than I possibly have time for in this lifetime--or the next--and I have lousy organizational skills which leaves me running around like a jackass most of the time (oh yeah, they RUN). I usually cook one or two lengthy, messy, involved meals each week (any more and I’d surely be single by now because poor Joe usually ends up cleaning up after me). The rest of the time, I have two types of meals: those that I’ve cooked in “bulk” for later and those that I throw together on the spur of the moment.

You’ve heard Kel ask “WWLMD?” and remind us to “Feed Your Body What it Needs.” Well, Kel’s right, that’s exactly the kind of thing that I do several meals per week. It's also the way Kel eats several times per week: Calavasitas a la Sylvia Meets a Matava Bowl. Either we’ve just come home from the gym and are famished (naturally) or we are rushing out the door to Girl Scouts or, more recently, it’s just too darn pretty to waste hours of cooking time indoors. There are even some nights I am just too busy writing a book to waste time in the kitchen (how’s that, Jim?).

My basic rule is whenever I am feeding myself or my family, I try to gather foods from each of the four columns below. You will notice that I left fruit off but that’s because I never need incentive to add fruit into a snack or meal. I tend to eat fruit all day long as I graze my way from mealtime to mealtime. Also take note that the choices need not be limited to those that fit on this chart!




What does this mean? Well, really, anything goes. I may begin with a bed of whole wheat cous cous. Salmon is great with a little olive oil , cumin and lime zest, and grills or broils in minutes. If I am grilling, why not throw a little asparagus on the grill. Dinner is done in 15 minutes.

This morning’s breakfast is pictured at the top of the page. Before leaving for work last night, I tossed beans in the slow cooker. Since they were hot and perfectly cooked when I came home this morning, I grabbed the opportunity for a quick breakfast of a poached egg, fresh avocado, a dab of salsa and some cilantro. A fresh jalapeno would have made this meal perfect but in the interest of quickly preparing what’s on hand, I did without (poor me). Actually, my version of huevos rancheros was delicious even sans fried tortilla and jalapeno. Tummy filling and full of nutrients, I had all the energy I needed to procrastinate the day away (and could have accomplished great things had I so desired).



Lentils may not cook as quickly as cous cous, cream of wheat or quinoa but from their dry state they do cook much faster than beans. Get them started on the stove, uncork a bottle and kick your feet up for thirty well-deserved minutes. Or, even better, go play a few rounds of Wii Resort while you wait.

Other Green-in-NO-Time Chart combos to consider:

whole grain tortilla + broiled chicken + cheese + sundried tomatoes and sautéed escarole w/ olive oil and garlic

whole wheat pasta + steamed shrimp + garlic + lemon zest + grated zucchini

quinoa + grilled pork chop + pine nuts + sautéed broccoli raab (+ cranberries, why not?)

Get the idea? The possibilities are endless. The following ready-in-minutes food prep methods will have you sitting down and eating sooner than later:

1 – Pound meats flat with a meat tenderizer and broil or grill very close to heat source. Chicken breast broils (mess free!) in about five minutes (3 minutes 1st side, 2 minutes 2nd side) Try quickly tossing it with some Greek yogurt with mint, lime zest and a pinch of cayenne or cumin.

2 – Cook whole potatoes first in microwave by first pricking several times with a fork and then placing in oven under broiler for crisp skin. Or, heat until ¾ of the way cooked and slice into ½” rounds, brush with oil and grill or broil (flipping ½ way through) until both sides are brown and crispy. This works for both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes.

3 – Don’t limit yourself to meal-time specific foods. Eggs and cream of wheat for dinner? Kel says yes! Shrimp for breakfast? Of course! Especially in an egg white omelet with avocado (on a spelt English muffin, yum!). Smoothies are great for lunch. And like my Italian relatives taught me, lettuce sautéed in olive oil with garlic makes a nice breakfast side dish. Then again, crispy, curly frisée tastes pretty great alongside some steamed salmon and a poached egg on a Sunday morning.

4 – Don’t forget about all of those pre-cut, ready to eat veggies in your fridge. Same goes for the leftover steamed broccoli from last night’s dinner.

5 – Pull your cheese grater out and grate veggies into dinner while it cooks (or over dinner on your plate). Grated veggies cook fast and are an easy way to get the nutrients in. Use parsley and cilantro as veggies instead of garnishes. A cup of chopped, flat leafed parsley melts and disappears into a pot of food quickly but offers great flavor and a nice nutrient boost.

6 – Keep it simple. As you notice, most of the foods that I’ve plugged into that chart are minimally processed (or not processed at all).


At the end of the day, your body will thank you for taking a little extra time to take care of it. But when extra time is not available, these tips should offer assistance in getting dinner ready fast while feeding your body what it needs (check’s in the mail, Kel).

Love the foods that love you back.

~ Lynn



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