Magical meals in 15 minutes

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 1998 by Lorna Sass, Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

What can the average person do in 15 minutes? Take a shower. Walk a mile. Read the morning e-mail. Enjoy a cup of herbal tea. But what about fixing a nutritious, low-fat dinner? It'll never happen, you say. We say it can. At your house, some night soon.

Preparing nutritious meals in minutes is a snap, if you just keep a few simple ingredients on hand and know the right shortcuts. We've gathered recipes for five fast meals that go from prep to table in a quarter of an hour. The ingredients are available in most supermarkets and natural food stores; preparations are simple and cooking times are minimal. Best of all, these dishes are guaranteed to tempt vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike.

Now you can rest assured that the next time your hungry crew corners you on a busy weeknight and asks "What's for dinner?" you'll have some foolproof tricks up your sleeve for delicious, quick-serve meals.

Recipes and strategies excerpted from Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian by Lorna Sass. Copyright 1997 by Lorna Sass. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow & Co., Inc.

Whole Grain Tabbouleh

6 SERVINGS

Here's a twist on the traditional Middle Eastern tabbouleh that uses whole grains or bulgur. The whole grains make this salad chewier and more filling than a typical tabbouleh. I especially like to prepare this dish with kamut, a large golden grain with lots of character and a buttery taste. You'll also get good results with wheat berries, brown rice, barley or any combination of your favorite grains.

3 cups cooked whole grains (such as
  kamut, wheat berries or brown
  rice) (see glossary)
2 cups seeded and diced plum
  tomatoes
2 cups peeled, seeded and diced
  cucumber
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint or 1 to
  2 tsp. dried
3 Tbs. roasted garlic oil, or 3 Tbs. plain
  olive oil plus 2 to 3 small cloves
  garlic, minced
3 to 5 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  to taste

* Don't take cooking (or life) too seriously!