| Ages ago, Native Americans of the Northeast gave names to the full Moons of the year, and we still use them when we talk about the Harvest Moon or the Hunter’s Moon. November’s Moon was the Beaver Moon, and this month’s full Moon on the 11th is known as the Cold Moon.
We hereby propose changing the Cold Moon to the Quick Suppers Moon. Is there any other month that has as many activities at night as December? Between concerts, school plays, Christmas parties, holiday shopping, Hanukkah gatherings, office parties, and other events, it’s rare to have a leisurely supper with all family members present.
Here are 20 ideas for fast suppers (total prep time under 30 minutes) to get you through every weeknight of December. (And it’s OK to throw your hands up once in a while and pop that frozen pizza in the oven, or pour bowls of cereal all around.)
1. Omelets or scrambled eggs with chopped red and green peppers for that seasonal touch. Serve with toast or French bread.
2. Spaghetti with prepared sauce (you can soup it up with fresh herbs or a dollop of pesto) and grated Parmesan or Asiago. While the water is heating, make a simple salad; while the spaghetti is cooking, set the table.
3. Tuna-bean salad: Open and drain a 12-ounce can of tuna. Drain and rinse a 16-ounce can of white beans. Finely chop one or two stalks of celery. Chop 1/4 cup black olives and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. Toss all together, moistening with a few spoonfuls of oil-and-vinegar (or other) dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread.
4. "Train-wreck" chili: Saute 1 pound ground beef with 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon ground coriander. Add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and a 16-ounce can (drained and rinsed) red kidney beans. Add 1 tomato can of water. Bring to a simmer, add 1 12-ounce can whole-kernel corn, and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in some leftover pasta if you have it. Serve hot.
5. Vegetable burgers (try the new oven-roasted vegetable variety), served on toasted buns with a slice of havarti cheese and a smear of mashed ripe avocado. Veggie burgers cook in about 2 minutes in the microwave.
6. Smoked turkey and rice salad: Cook 1 cup of rice in 1-3/4 cups water. While the rice is cooking, cut 6 ounces of smoked turkey (from the deli case) into thin strips; chop up a small red onion, a stalk of celery, and a sweet pepper (red or orange). As soon as the rice is cooked, spoon it into a serving bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients along with 1/3 cup salsa. Serve with warm tortillas.
7. Hamburgers or cheeseburgers, broiled or cooked in a heavy cast-iron skillet. Tips for success: handle the ground beef gently and don’t compact it too much; preheat skillet before adding meat patties; warm or toast the buns and butter them generously inside.
8. Sesame noodles: Cook a pound of linguini or spaghetti (or Japanese soba noodles if you have them). While the pasta is cooking, make this dressing in the blender or food processor: combine 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 5 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup mild vinegar (preferably rice-wine vinegar), 3/4 cup light sesame oil, and a shake of hot sauce. Blend well. Pour over hot drained pasta and serve. Garnish with sliced scallions if desired. Also good at room temperature.
9. Noodles and meatballs: Heat water for cooking a bag of wide egg noodles. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine 1 pound ground beef or lamb, 1 egg, a slice of bread shredded into crumbs, 1/4 cup milk, 1 minced small onion, some chopped fresh parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix well, using your hands. Shape into small meatballs. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet and cook the meatballs, shaking the skillet to turn them. This will take about 10 minutes. Serve meatballs over or beside the buttered noodles.
10. Salmon with rice pilaf. Cook packaged rice pilaf according to directions (this takes about 25 minutes). Ten minutes before rice is done, place a salmon fillet or salmon steaks in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and fresh herbs, and microwave for 8 to 9 minutes (cover with waxed paper, and check after 7 minutes to see if fish is ready). Serve salmon and rice with carrot and celery sticks and a bowl of hummus dip.
11. Steamed broccoli and sauteed fish: Place cut-up broccoli in a steamer or microwave cooker and allow 5 to 10 minutes for cooking. Take several thin fish fillets and dip them in milk, then dredge in seasoned flour. Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in a large skillet and fry the fish for about 2 minutes per side. Remove fish to a serving plate; add a squeeze of lemon to the pan to deglaze it and pour the oil and lemon juice over the fish. Dress the steamed broccoli with butter, lemon juice, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
12. Boneless chicken breasts cook in about 5 minutes per side. Try brushing on Caribbean jerk marinade or another of the many marinades/sauces on the grocery shelves. Pound the chicken before cooking to save more cooking time. Serve with a green vegetable and pasta or French bread.
13. Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches on rye bread, served with coleslaw from the deli, potato chips, and pickles. It’s a picnic!
14. Quick Chick Stir-Fry: preparation is everything in stir-frying. Set some rice to cooking. Cut up one or two boneless chicken breasts and chop or slice several mushrooms, half a red pepper, a small zucchini, and a small onion. In a wok or other pan, heat a tablespoon of oil until very hot; quickly stir-fry the chicken pieces and remove to a plate. Stir-fry the vegetables, keeping everything moving, until barely tender. Return chicken to wok, throw in a handful of peanuts or cashews, and add prepared stir-fry sauce.
15. Tacos: for this you will need taco shells, 1 can of refried beans, 4 ounces shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and salsa. For meat tacos, brown 1/2 pound ground beef in a pan and add taco seasonings (mix of chile powder, cumin, coriander, and salt). To assemble: warm beans in microwave; place cooked beef (optional) and warm beans in a taco shell; layer on remaining ingredients to taste.
16. Tortilla wraps: Wrap large flour tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Take a compatible assortment of leftovers (various cooked vegetables, cut-up meat, some grated cheese, and so on) and create your own burrito-style wrap. Place the wraps on a plate and warm in the microwave to heat the innards. Serve with salsa and sour cream on the side.
17. Stir-fried pork and apples: Using the technique described in 14, above, cut into thin slices 2 or 3 boneless pork loin chops, an onion, a sweet red pepper, a tart apple (cored but not peeled), and 2 garlic cloves. Stir-fry the pork in hot oil and remove to a plate. Stir-fry the rest for 3 or 4 minutes and add the pork. Stir in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sherry or red wine, 4 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Reheat briefly until well mixed. Serve with rice or noodles.
18. Pancakes served with plain yogurt, applesauce, and maple syrup. Bacon or ham steak on the side. It’s breakfast, but you can call it supper if you eat it at night.
19. Kielbasa, baked beans, and sauerkraut. Heat kielbasa in boiling water. Buy canned beans and heat on stove-top or in microwave. Buy sauerkraut sealed in plastic, not in a can. Serve the lot with grainy brown mustard.
20. Quick Potato-Bean Soup. Peel and cut up 2 large potatoes, and cook in a saucepan with water to cover until soft. Meanwhile, saute a chopped onion (or leeks if you have them) until soft. Drain and rinse a 16-ounce can of white beans. In a blender or food processor, combine cooked potatoes, onions, and beans and blend until smooth. Add the potato cooking water to thin. A splash of cream won’t hurt. Season to taste.
For more inspiration, pick up a copy of Let’s Eat In by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard (Prentice Hall Press, 1990), a cookbook for fast and pleasurable meals.
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