Cooking to Beat the Clock:
Delicious, Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes

 This week's cooking lesson on my
Cooking to Beat the Clock segment
on A Chef's Table is about CONVENIENCE PRODUCE and the recipe is 
Pasta Primavera and Spinach Salad 

Producing More Convenience

When it comes to computers, my wife, the computer guru of our family, says that if you wonder “why can’t someone invent a shortcut to make this task easier?” someone already has. When it comes to making dinner preparation easier, the gurus of your supermarket produce section have also invented a few things.

 You could probably do a week’s worth of salads with the myriad of salad mixes available, from coleslaw to mesclun. I like the cleaned greens and other vegetables, though I’m not wild about the dressings that come with many of them. I’d rather make my own Caesar dressing and put it on those pristine hearts of romaine, the tender inner leaves. Cleaned spinach also saves a lot of time. Now there is a bagged spinach with even cleaner leaves, and stems removed as well.

 Broccoli florets (sometimes mixed with cauliflower florets) are also extremely convenient for stir-frys and pastas. Some stores also carry broccoli crowns, the whole head of the broccoli without the stem.

 Sliced mushrooms are also becoming common. Button or white mushrooms can be used in stir-frys or salads. They can jazz up plain vegetables like string beans or asparagus, or make sautéed chicken breasts or turkey or veal cutlets a little special (perhaps with a splash of white wine or Marsala). Meaty portobellos can be part of a vegetable ragout over polenta or used as a filling for fajitas or tacos.

 Hate to skin your knuckles grating carrots? Think match stick carrots. Use them in salads like an Asian salad with daikon and ginger, a carrot salad with raisins and walnuts, or coleslaw. If you also don’t like peeling garlic, consider whole peeled cloves. Better yet, use chopped garlic from a jar. And don’t forget the salad bar. It’s a good place for bell pepper strips, sliced onions, celery crescents, and more.

 Yes, these items cost more. But don’t we always pay for convenience whether it’s valet parking or having a pizza delivered? And besides, vegetables don’t weigh very much.

 Pasta Primavera and Spinach Salad

•  3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic from a jar or 3 to 4 whole peeled garlic cloves

• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers,

• 6 ounces sliced portobello mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• 2/3 cup buttermilk

• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

• 8 to 10 sprigs dill, enough for 1/3 cup leaves when chopped

• 12 ounces broccoli florets

• 12 ounces dried capellini (angel hair) pasta or any fresh pasta

• 4 cups cleaned spinach leaves

• 1 cup match stick or shredded carrots

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions

• 1 cup sliced white or button mushrooms

• 12  large basil leaves

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan plus additional cheese to pass at the table

 1)Run the hot-water tap and put 2 quarts hot tap water in each of 2 pots (one large enough to eventually hold all the water and pasta). Cover and bring both pots to a boil over high heat, 8 to 10 minutes.

 2)Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan, Dutch oven, or wok over high heat. Chop the garlic if using whole peeled cloves. Halve the portobello mushroom slices, crosswise. Add the portobello mushrooms and red bell pepper to the saute pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic to the sauté pan and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables just begin to soften. Stir once or twice while cooking.

 3)Meanwhile, put the buttermilk, mayonnaise, blue cheese,  dill, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor or blender. Puree about 15 seconds until well combined. Check for seasoning and set aside.

 4)As soon as the pasta water boils, pour the water from the smaller pot into the larger pot. If using dried capellini, break in half. If using fresh long pasta such as fettuccine, cut in half. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pasta and the broccoli to the pot. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the pasta is done to your taste, stirring at once or twice during cooking.

 5)Meanwhile, discard any damaged spinach leaves. Put the spinach into a large salad bowl. Add the carrots, onion, and white mushrooms. Add 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss well. (Save remaining dressing for another use.) Stack the basil leaves, roll in cigar fashion, and cut crosswise into thin ribbons.

 6)When the pasta and broccoli are cooked, remove 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and broccoli. Put the pasta and broccoli into the saute pan with the mushrooms and red bell peppers over medium heat. And the basil, 1/3 cup cheese, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and half of the cooking water. Toss well. Add more cooking water if needed to create a smooth sauce. Serve the pasta with the salad.

 Serves 4

 Per serving:  625 calories, 23 grams protein, 84 grams carbohydrate, 23 grams fat, 5.7 grams saturated fat, 17.8 mg cholesterol, 1088 mg sodium.