DINNER IN MINUTES

Linda Gassenheimer
Linda Gassenheimer has been writing for the Herald since 1987. Her column, Dinner in Minutes, features quick and easy dinners using foods bought in one stop at the supermarket. Her Helpful Hints and Shopping List make getting dinner on the table a no-brainer event. Linda is the author of fourteen cookbooks. Her newest books are The Portion Plan: How to Eat the Foods You Love and Still Lose Weight and Prevention's Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes. You can hear Linda on WLRN 91.3 FM every Thursday 1:30-2 p.m. Visit Linda's Web site, DinnerInMinutes.com, for quick and easy recipes.

Email Linda at lgassenheimer@miamiherald.com.

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Dinner in minutes

One-pan pork salad makes it a holiday for the cook, too

Try this quick and easy barbecue pork salad for Memorial Day weekend. It has a barbecue flavor without heating up the grill. This is a one-pot meal that’s great for two, or increase the recipe for a crowd.

Dinner in Minutes

Make Mom’s day with easy pasta salad

Make this quick Roasted Chicken Pasta Salad for Mom on her day and enjoy a family meal at home. It uses only one pot, won’t heat up your kitchen and takes only 20 minutes to make.
Dinner in minutes

Crusty scallops bed down on spinach

Chopped peanuts and flaked coconut form a savory-sweet crust for fresh scallops. Sauté the scallops and serve them on a bed of sautéed spinach flavored with coconut milk. Rice microwaved for a minute, tossed with shredded carrots and also flavored with coconut milk makes a quick side dish. The carrots get slightly cooked in the heat of the cooked rice.
Dinner in minutes

Juicy chicken gets zippy, crunchy coating

Horseradish mixed with mayonnaise gives zip to boneless, skinless chicken thighs, while panko bread crumbs form a golden crust. Chicken thighs have great flavor and remain juicy when sautéed.
Dinner in minutes

Lamb steaks make festive dinner for two

Lamb steaks drizzled with mint pesto sauce is a perfect dish for this holiday weekend or any weeknight dinner. Slices of lamb are cut from the leg to make a steak 3/4- to 1-inch thick with a round bone in the center. They are sometimes displayed in the meat case, or you can ask the butcher to cut them for you. They make juicy and tender steaks.
Dinner in minutes

Welcome spring with salmon and asparagus

Salmon with olive tapenade served with fettuccini and asparagus is a great harbinger of spring. Pan-searing the salmon makes it crisp on the outside and tender and moist inside. The salmon takes only a few minutes to cook this way.
Dinner in minutes

A wine-spiked bath yields moist, flavorful salmon

Poaching salmon in white wine produces a moist, flavorful result. Broccoli and carrots, poached with the salmon, add to the flavor and the resulting sauce. Sautéed grape tomatoes complete the dish.
Dinner in minutes

Baked shrimp are juicy and flavorful

Baked Shrimp and a Love Apple side dish is a 15-minute dinner that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day. The cooking method leaves the shrimp juicy, firm and flavorful.
Dinner in minutes

Soup is a comforting meal in a bowl

Known as Pasta e Fagioli, this soup may be one of Italy’s most famous soups. The combination of pasta and beans is heart-warming, and can be served for two or a crowd. It’s perfect to serve to friends during Super Bowl. Leave the pot on the stove for everyone to help themselves.
Dinner in minutes

Tangy mustard sauce flavors lean pork

A tangy, Dijon mustard sauce flavors juicy, tender pork for this French-style dinner. Red peppers and tomatoes tossed with pasta complete this quick meal.
Dinner in minutes

Parmesan-topped fish a snap in the microwave

Fish fillets topped with melted Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese can be made in minutes using a microwave. Penne pasta tossed with fresh basil is a simple side dish. The secret to this recipe is using best quality Parmesan.
Dinner in minutes

Rich, peppery French steak dish a festive holiday choice

A perfect quick dinner for the holiday season is steak au poivre, French for steak with pepper sauce. I used a small piece of beef tenderloin, but any other quick-cooking steak — strip, rib-eye, skirt or flank — can be used.
Dinner in minutes

Turn shrimp tapas into quick dinner

Hot, spicy shrimp with lots of garlic is popular as tapas. It’s normally served on its own, but by adding thick country bread and a quick salad, it becomes an entire meal.