20 Quick Dinner Fixes

Keep these ingredients on hand to jump-start a quick and simple dinner.

Toss with short pasta, sausage and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Add to risotto.
Purée or mash with aged Cheddar cheese for a great alternative to mashed potatoes.

Spread on salmon, top with artichoke hearts and bake.
Toss with short pasta, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and basil.
For a quick appetizer, spread on pear half, drizzle with honey and broil.

Combine with good sherry or balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, then . . .

Toss with cold rice, garbanzo beans and chopped red bell peppers for a rice salad.
Use as a marinade for chicken breasts.
Toss with couscous, shredded rotisserie chicken, green onions and fresh spinach.

Purée with garlic, nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for roasted red pepper pesto.
Toss in pasta or rice or omelets.
Put on pizza, focaccia or grilled sandwiches.

Whisk with soy sauce, garlic and lime juice; pour over pork loin or chicken and bake.
Spread on a small wheel of Brie cheese and bake.
Heat and drizzle over ice cream.
Dollop on bruschetta with goat cheese.

Cook, then sauté until browned and crunchy and toss with a green salad.
Toss with beans and dressing for pasta salad.
Add to chicken broth with vegetables for a quick soup.
Combine with sautéed garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes and basil.

Preserved Figs make a delightful gift for foodies. All you need is a pound of dried figs, 1-1/4 cups red wine vinegar, 3 Tbsp sugar, 8 whole cloves, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Cook everything except the figs over medium heat until sugar dissolves, add figs and simmer for 10 minutes. Pack figs in sterile jars, cover with syrup up to 1/2 inch from top of jar. Seal and process in water bath for 10 minutes. When cool, cover the tops with a piece of fabric, pinked on the edges, and tie with a ribbon. Serve these sweet and sour figs with sausages, pate, chicken, curries or in a salad with feta cheese.

Soanna
3/4/09 10:55 PM

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