Life of Fun By Robin Miller

Quick Fix Meals

spenD time prepping now anD enjoy weeknigHt meals in a flasH.

GOT AN HOUR this weekend? If you are like me, that is about all you have. But get this — spend that hour in the kitchen having fun and prepping meals and you can enjoy weeknight meals in a flash. What is “a flash” in “Robin-speak?” How does 15 to 20 minutes grab you?

My “morph” strategy is to take one ingredient and turn it into several different dishes during the week. I explore beyond your basic chicken with delicious dishes that transform into completely different meals the second (or third) time around.

Main recipe: Balsamic roasted Pork Tenderloin Serves 4

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray

• 2 2-pound pork tenderloins

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the pork in the prepared pan and season the top and sides with salt and pepper.

46 PARENTLIFE MARCH 2008

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, and thyme. Spoon the mixture over the pork, then roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 160 degrees (pork may still be pink in the center and that is OK, so long as the temperature is right) about 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes if possible.

Let the pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing one-third of it crosswise into 1-inch- thick slices. Serve the sliced pork for this meal and refrigerate the leftovers up to three days or freeze up to three months.

Morph recipe: Pork Sloppy Joes Serves 4

Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups leftover pork (see main recipe)

• 1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

• ½ cup ketchup

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke seasoning

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup frozen corn kernels

• 4 kaiser rolls

Method:

In a large saucepan, combine the pork, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, liquid smoke, basil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Set the pan over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the corn and simmer 5 minutes to heat through.

Spoon the mixture onto rolls and serve hot. 

* For more great quick fix meals (including two more morph recipes for this main recipe), check out Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller (Taunton Press, 2007). Used by permission.

Robin Miller has 12 years of experience as a food writer and nutritionist. She is the host of Quick Fix Meals on the Food Network. Robin has a master’s degree in Food and Nutrition from New York University. She lives in Arizona with her family.