MAIN Home Life Cooking Quick Meal Tips

Remember the foods your grandmother used to make. The breads, sauces and meals that seemed to be perfect with every bite? It was her dedicated time that made practice perfect. Years spent perfecting cooking skills paid off in the foods she served to the family.

Today's busy schedules mean, for many, that we are not the cooks our grandmothers took the time to be. Most of us just don't have the luxury of spending hours lovingly preparing meals. Truthfully, even if we did have the time, prepackaged foods and microwave meals make cooking quick and easy.

The days of stay at home moms spending hours in the kitchen have disappeared into history. Instead, the modern age has exploded to delete, multiply, and shake up our daily timelines with often-conflicting responsibilities. It's tough to get the family together at a preset dinner time when work, sports and social commitments don't fit a neat pattern.

We are not always able to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and still keep a busy schedule together. The problem is that in this fast paced, microwave age we still want to enjoy the taste and nutrition of great home cooked meals.

"Taste really matters and that's why chefs, cooks, and so many foodies alike have little tricks up their sleeves to quickly add lots of flavor in simple ways. They make dishes taste delicious without spending a lot of time in the kitchen," says Emily Richards, professional home economist and spokesperson for Catelli Healthy Harvest whole grain pastas.

Spicing and cooking shortcuts may bring good tasting food to the table, but what about health concerns? Delicious is important, she says, "but so is nutritious - which includes reducing fat and increasing fiber when possible."

Here are a few tips for the kitchen to keep handy:

• Spice-Of-Life. Did you know that the secret ingredient in some desserts might be basil or cumin? And with red meat, it might be ginger or nutmeg? Sage is a fabulous spice for vegetables, so is curry, and horseradish is sensational with fish, seafood, or salads. The more you experiment with herbs and spices the more flavor your food will have. Besides adding taste, many herbs and seasonings add to the nutritional value of the food.

• Nutri-Burgers. Meat is packed with protein and minerals but the trick is to keep it lean. Next time you cook hamburgers for example, try lean ground chicken or turkey. Kids often complain about lean meat burgers. The fat is what keeps the burger moist. An easy solution is to try adding some vegetables such as shredded carrots, onions, potato and/or green peppers to perk up the taste. Grill and enjoy.

• Quick Fish. Poach fish fillets without a recipe. In a pan half full of simmering water, sprinkle a savory blend of spices and a few lemon slices, add the fish, and poach for 10 minutes. In the oven: season fish with a generous drizzle of lemon or orange juice, or a seasoned vegetable cocktail juice. Bake for about 10 minutes until fish flakes when tested with fork. If you're grilling, wrap the fish in foil and add about a tablespoon of water or veggie cocktail juice mixed with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Season and grill for about 10 minutes for a healthy and tasty alternative to burgers.

• Pasta Perfect. For a quick, delicious, low fat Pasta Primavera, choose a favorite whole grain penne, linguini, or fusilli, and cook in boiling water until almost tender. Add a generous amount of frozen mixed vegetables and cook for 3 more minutes. Drain well and toss with some extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When you use oil, try extra virgin olive oil. With its rich olive taste and quality, you can use less.

Just because you spend less time in the kitchen doesn't mean you can't still enjoy good old-fashioned home cooking!