With today’s busy rat race schedule, most of us don’t have the time to make homemade dinners or whip up an apple pie from scratch. But there are shortcuts to make it look like you did, in half the cooking time. Jane Kirby, food editor of Real Simple magazine, shows you how to “fake it, don’t make it” in their September issue. Check out the recipes below.
TORTILLA TORTA Jane Kirby
Makes 8 servings
Heat oven to 375F. Lightly coat a 9-inch-square or 10-by-7-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Remove the chicken meat from the bones; coarsely chop. Combine the yogurt and cream in a bowl.
Arrange a third of tortillas in the baking dish and top with half the salsa, chicken, half the cream yogurt mixture, 1 can of chilies, and a third of the cheese. Top with a third of the tortillas; the remaining salsa, chicken, cream yogurt, and chilies; and a third of the cheese. Cover with the remaining tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more or until bubbly and the cheese is browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
IF YOU MADE IT FROM SCRATCH: 5 HOURS9123674604816049029153chicken4pound1 3 1/2 to 4 pound cooked chickenplain yogurt16ounce1 16 ounce container plain yogurtheavy cream1cup1 cup heavy creamcorn tortillas9ounce1 9 ounce package corn tortillasjar tomatillia salsa16ounce1 16 ounce jar tomatillia salsachopped chilies, drained4.5ounce2 4 1/2 ounce cans chopped chilies, drainedcheese8ounce1 8 ounce package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
THAI SHRIMP SALAD Jane Kirby
Makes 4 servings
Combine the Cole slaw mix, shrimp and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and garnish with peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.
Hands on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
9123674604843408260499cole slaw mix1 10-ounce bag cole slaw mixshrimp1 12-ounce bag frozen large cooked shrimp, thawedcilantro 0.3333333333333333cup1/3 cup fresh cilantro leavesasian-style salad dressing such as sesame-ginger0.3333333333333333cup1/3 cup or more Asian-style salad dressing such as sesame-gingerpeanuts0.5cup1/2 cup chopped peanutslime1 lime, cut into wedges
Recipes excerpted from the September issue of Real Simple magazine. Copyright ©2001 Time, Inc.