Mealtime pressure of the holiday season got you down? Ease the hurried rush of December by searching the fridge to see what you’ve got for a quick, creative dinner.
An array of mixed, sauteed peppers or eye-catching vegetables provides a bright and colorful complement to last-minute meals. While a red-yellow-and-green-pepper medley is a vegetable centerpiece, it can just as easily be served with grilled or sauteed poultry on a sumptuous holiday buffet.
Simply sauteed new potatoes or stir-fried mushrooms, particularly a threesome of fresh chanterelle, shiitake and oyster, accented with dried porcini and Madeira wine, bring an air of excitement and holiday entertaining panache as either a main or side dish.
Tips
*Bring food to room temperature before sauteing it.
*To prevent sticking, be sure the fat is hot before you add the food.
*If you are using a mixture of oil and butter, heat them until the butter has melted.
*When sauteing several batches of food, check between batches to be sure there is always a coating of oil on the bottom of the pan.
Red potato saute
Recipe key: Easy, Fast
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1 tablespoon each: olive oil, unsalted butter
2 pounds new red potatoes, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
Chopped parsley
Heat skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil; then add the butter. When butter foam subsides, add potatoes; shake to evenly coat. Fry until potatoes are crusty, tossing occasionally, 5 minutes. Add salt; reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking, 15 minutes. Uncover; increase heat to medium. Cook until potatoes become crusty again, 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; garnish with parsley.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 200 calories, 30% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 589 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Sauteed wild mushrooms with Madeira
Prep: 25 minutes
Soak: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
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Madeira is a fortified wine from Portugal. Port may be used instead.
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces fresh shiitake and oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup Madeira
1/2 cup whipping cream
Chopped parsley
1. Soak porcini in hot water until soft, 30 minutes. Rinse well; thinly slice. Set aside. Heat skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add olive oil; then add butter. When butter foam subsides, add shallots and garlic; saute until soft, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high; add reserved porcini, then fresh mushrooms in batches, about 30 seconds apart. Cook until mushrooms make a squeaky sound when rubbed against sides of pan or wok, 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in mustard, salt and pepper to taste. If too much liquid forms, push mushrooms up sides of skillet or wok; reduce liquid to consistency of light syrup. Add Madeira; cook, scraping up bits from bottom of pan, about 10 seconds. Add cream; cook until sauce is reduced and coats mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 243 calories, 73% of calories from fat, 20 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 56 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 317 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Sauteed red, yellow and green peppers with thyme
Recipe key: Easy, Fast, Healthy
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 each, cut in 1 1/2-by-1/4-inch strips: red, yellow, green bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Heat oil over low heat in a skillet or wok. Add peppers, thyme, salt and pepper to taste; quickly cook, stirring often, until vegetables become tender, but not browned, 10-12 minutes. Peppers can be kept 2 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator and reheated over low heat, if desired). Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 114 calories, 80% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 294 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
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