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Make quick work of family or company meals

The editors at America’s Test Kitchen have found easier ways to get sophisticated dinners on the table

By Kim Davaz

Needing to put a meal on the table fast doesn’t mean sacrificing great taste and an element of sophistication. Those busy and prolific editors at America’s Test Kitchen know that you might want to cook a meal nice enough for company (but not too out there for a regular family dinner) without spending the whole day in the kitchen.

“The Best Simple Recipes: More Than 200 Flavorful Foolproof Recipes That Cook in 30 Minutes or Less” is the place to look for meals that range from hearty, after-soccer-practice skillet pastas to company- worthy pork chops glazed with mustard and maple syrup and served with sweet potato hash seasoned with bacon and thyme.

A nice selection of salmon dishes includes one that uses asparagus spears as a cooking rack for the fish as it steams. The dish is finished with a white wine, chive and butter sauce - all with only one pan to wash.

All of this speed in the kitchen comes at a price: You have to have done your shopping or have a very well-stocked pantry, refrigerator and freezer. With some planning ahead, you can have company for dinner after a hectic day in half an hour, maybe a little more, depending on how fast you can chop or get that jar of capers open.

There is some reliance on prepared ingredients, but the thorough editors at America’s Test Kitchen have tried them all and use them to their best advantage. Tamale Pie is topped with crumbled, purchased cornbread, but if you had the time to make your own, it would be even better. The same goes with using frozen hash browns to top Shepherd’s Pie. It makes a much crispier topping than the traditional mashed potatoes, which you might like even better.

Recipes in the book end with little recipes for suggested sides (such as Pan Roasted Broccoli With Lemon and Herbs to serve with Shrimp With Romesco Sauce); smart shopping tips (they like my favorite Frank’s RedHot Sauce to season Crab Cakes With Herb Salad); preparation tips (photos show how to cut pork tenderloin for stir-fries); or some step-by-step photos to show how easy the recipes can be.

Nine vegetarian recipes include Mushrooms Cooked With Rosemary and Garlic in a Madeira Cream Sauce served with browned polenta rounds; and Sweet Chili-Glazed Tofu Planks With Bok Choi, shown served over rice. They don’t mention making the rice, but put it on before starting the tofu.

Some of the other recipes, especially in the pasta chapter, could easily become vegetarian by eliminating an ingredient: Leave out the bacon in Pasta With Spicy Cauliflower Sauce and replace the fat with some olive oil. The same goes for Rigatoni With Brussels Sprouts and Bacon.

Lots of the pastas are already vegetarian, among them the Farfalle (bow-ties) With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Arugula and Goat Cheese; Spaghetti With Red Pepper-Toasted Almond Pesto; and Lasagna Roll-Ups.

All the recipes are for main dishes. You’re on your own for sides (apart from those mentioned at the end of recipes) and desserts.

The Madeira and sage sauce for pork medallions would go well with chicken breasts. Serve this with pasta or rice and a nice green salad.

Pork Medallions With Madeira and Sage

Serves 4 to 6.

• 2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total), cut crosswise into 1 1/2 -inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup Madeira
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.

Cook pork until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium and, using tongs, stand each piece of pork on its side, turning as necessary, until sides are browned and meat registers 145 degrees, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil.

Heat remaining oil in the empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook mushrooms and shallot until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Off heat, add Madeira and any accumulated pork juices to skillet. Return to heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.