The Editors of Cooking Light - COOKING LIGHT 3-Step Express

3-STEP EXPRESS COMFORT FOOD Contents WELCOME! Busy schedules can play havoc with serving healthy meals, especially if you want something quick and comforting. Whether youre a beginner in the kitchen or a seasoned cook, you need dinnertime solutions your family will enjoy. At Cooking Light , weve made it possible to create great meals with short ingredient lists and quick-cooking techniques, the mainstay of 3-Step Express . Think of your favorite comfort foodsmeat loaf, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, mac and cheese, tomato soupthe list goes on. Weve streamlined the steps, but not the flavors, or the comfort youll feel when enjoying these favorites. Start by prepping your pantry with a few basic ingredients, and youll find that even your shopping trips will be easier, leading to fewer mad dashes to the store at dinnertime.

Whether friends are stopping by or youre cooking for family, these easy meals deliver big, bold flavors and wont exhaust the cook. Short ingredient lists and less than 15 minutes hands-on prep put less stress on you, making meals more enjoyable. Savor the flavors of your favorite foods and the comforts of home-cooked meals. the editors of Cooking Light HELPFUL FEATURES Recipe-specific tips to guide you along the way Look for these suggestions for tailoring the recipes for your familys tastes or for the ingredients you have on hand Suggestions for enjoying it at another meal, perhaps for lunch tomorrow Easy ideas to complete the meal Express Kitchen Guide The secret to mastering 3-STEP EXPRESS meals is to stock your kitchen with the right ingredients. STRAIGHT FROM THE PANTRY Keep these staple ingredients on hand so quick weeknight meals are within reach. STORE-BOUGHT CRUSTS Prebaked crusts from makers such as Boboli and Mama Marys will cut significant time from your prep work.

Simply add your favorite toppings for a quick pizza night. TOMATO PASTE This thick, rich paste is made by cooking tomatoes for several hours, creating concentrated flavor. If a recipe calls for only a tablespoon or two, drop the leftover by tablespoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Transfer to a freezer bag, and freeze for future use. Its also available in a tube to simply squeeze out what you need. BOIL-IN-THE-BAG RICE No more boiling over the rice or burning it as it cooks.

Simply place the bag of white or whole-grain brown rice in boiling water and heat. Other options include pre-cooked rice, such as Uncle Bens Ready Rice, which heats in just 90 seconds in the microwave. This version offers basmati, brown basmati, jasmine, long-grain, and long-grain and wild-rice options. CHOPPED CHILES Canned chiles can make a ho-hum dish much more exciting. While commonly used in enchiladas and other Southwestern dishes, canned chiles go mainstream in eggs, soups, and casseroles. Stir them into chopped tomatoes and cilantro for a quick salsa or saut with vegetables for a spicy side dish.

ORZO This small pasta, about the size of puffed rice grains, cooks quickly. You can turn almost any pasta salad into a quick-cooking dish by substituting orzo. FLOUR TORTILLAS No longer limited to quesadillas, flour tortillas can be topped with sauce and turned into a pizza crust, baked over an inverted glass bowl to create a salad shell, cut into wedges and baked for chips, or cut into strips and cooked in broth to create dumplings. GNOCCHI These small dumplings, made of flour and potatoes, can be found vacuum-packed near the pastas in your grocery. They can be boiled in just a couple of minutes, and then added to casseroles, or sauted with a little olive oil for a quick side dish. PASTA Dried pastas are certainly convenienttheyre ready in about 15 minutes.

Have a selection of your favorite shapes in the pantrythe smaller, thinner varieties cook more quickly. Pasta keepa indefinitely in an airtight container. CANNED TOMATOES Crushed, diced, stewed, and whole tomatoes are handy for the quick cook. Also try fire-roasted tomatoes, tomatoes with basil, and tomatoes with chiles. GARBANZO BEANS For a quick source of protein, keep reduced-sodium garbanzo beans (chickpeas) on hand. Toss them with pastas, stir into soups, or add to salads.

JUMP-START CONVENIENCE These easy add-ins are the secret to creating satisfying dishes with minimal effort! MIXED GREENS Rinsing, drying, stemming, and chopping salad greens requires time. Ready-to-use spinach and greens eliminate those steps. Be sure to inspect them in the store to ensure theyre fresh and in prime condition: no black spots or wilting. TRI-COLORED SLAW MIX Slaw becomes an easy side dish when you start with pre-shredded cabbage. And, it makes an easy topping for sandwiches without the chopping typically required. REFRIGERATED PASTA For those nights when you dont have 15 minutes to cook dried fettuccine, reach for refrigerated pasta.

Its done in just a minute or two and is an essential ingredient in many comfort-food favorites. BOTTLED GRATED GINGER With just the turn of the lid of bottled ginger, you have fresh ginger flavor in seconds. Reach for a bottle or tube of ginger, and say good-bye to the leftover pieces of ginger root shriveling in the back of your refrigerator. REFRIGERATED PESTO Creamier and brighter in color than the jarred shelf-stable version, stir refrigerated pesto into a pasta sauce or soups, or toss with pastas for a jolt of fresh basil, Parmesan, and pine-nut flavor. PRECHOPPED VEGETABLES Look for onions, bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, and more in the produce section to speed up any recipe. REFRIGERATED CANNED PIZZA DOUGH This dough isnt just for pizza, although it does make a fabulous and quick crust.

To make quick calzones, roll it out, cover it with favorite toppings, fold it over, and bake at 425 for 10 to 12 minutes. REFRIGERATED POTATOES Refrigerated mashed, shredded, and wedges of potatoes become the cornerstone of many comfort recipes. Look for them in the produce, meat, or dairy section of your grocery store. They are ready to heat in the microwave, brown in a skillet, or roast in the oven. ONIONS Onions are available chopped or sliced in white and purple varieties. Whats the best part? No more tears from stinging eyes when cutting fresh onions.

MINCED GARLIC Bottled ready-to-use garlic is available in most groceries. Simply use 1 teaspoon for each clove of garlic in the recipe. Once opened, store in your fridge for up to several months. FLAVOR BOOSTS Keep these everyday pantry items on hand so you can quickly and easily boost the flavor of almost any type of dish. DIJON MUSTARD No longer just a sandwich condiment, it can emulsify a vinaigrette or thicken a stew. Rub it on meat or fish before baking for flavor or use it to help adhere breading to baked pork or fish.

It also adds tang to potato salad or mashed potatoes. Youll appreciate so much flavor from just one ingredient. HOISIN SAUCE This thick condiment is made from sweet potatoes, wheat, or rice mixed with vinegar, sweeteners, and lots of aromatics. Although its name means seafood paste in Cantonese, theres no seafood in the mix. SEA SALT A coarse-grained sea salt will offer crunch to a dry rub for meats, often a nice touch on the grill, particularly in fast-cooked items like fish fillets. SOY SAUCE AND FISH SAUCE Add lower-sodium soy sauce to meat loaf, burgers, steak, chicken, and barbecue sauces.