Prevention.com, June, 2006
Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less
by Marie Simmons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less
Ingenious shortcuts that allow you to serve up healthy fare in practically no time

It's possible to make delicious dinners on even your busiest days--and we're not talking takeout. The trick is choosing uncomplicated recipes that are well suited to midweek meals and then employing some clever ideas for keeping prep and cooking time to a minimum.

One often overlooked shortcut: using frozen foods, especially produce, which FDA research has shown to be just as nutritious as fresh. That's not all: Frozen vegetables--which require no cutting, shucking, slicing, or dicing--aren't just big time-savers. Because there's no waste from trimming or chopping, they're also economical. Don't worry that they won't be tasty, either; the seasonings in these recipes add great flavor and zip to the meals. In fact, this fare is so tantalizing, you'll probably cook it up even when time isn't tight.

1. Toss steak with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce.
2. Heat wok or large skillet over high heat. Add oil. Place steak in single layer and cook without stirring to brown, about 1 minute. Cook another minute, stirring once or twice, until all pink is gone. With slotted spoon or tongs, transfer meat to dish and set aside.
3. Add vegetables to skillet's juices and stir-fry over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Cook rice per package directions.
5. Add ginger and garlic to skillet and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add steak, cooked rice, scallions, peanuts, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir-fry until heated through.

Makes 4 Servings
Per Serving: 270 cal, 18 g pro, 23 g carb, 11 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 35 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 530 mg sodium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Time-Savers
Use Rice Expressions frozen organic rice. Each box contains three 10-ounce pouches of microwaveable rice that cooks up moist and fluffy in just 3 minutes and doesn't require any boiling or messy cleanup. Available in five varieties at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and other natural food stores for about $4.50.
Slice meat when partially frozen--it's quicker and easier than cutting it when it has thawed.

http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-3-82-301-5582-1,00.html