16 ready dinner Recipes

spring mix (suggest marketside , baby greens and radicchio organic available at walmart and food lion), cucumber peeled and sliced, petite carrots (the kind sold in ready to eat bags), grape tomatoes cut in half lengthwise, shredded cheese (your favorite - cheddar, colby, etc.) grated, croutons (your favorite ), fresh ground black pepper, salad dressing of choice, bacon - cooked and crumbled (optional), any other vegetable that you love on a salad

ready-to-serve long grain and wild rice, frozen french-style green beans, thawed, condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted, sliced water chestnuts, drained, chopped onion, sliced pimientos, drained, mayonnaise, milk, pepper, cubed cooked chicken, almonds, divided

prepared shrimp (i use the frozen ready kind ), angel hair pasta, cream of shrimp soup, celery (diced ), carrot (shredded ), green onion (sliced ), red pepper flakes, butter, paprika, water, chow mein noodles

refrigerated ready-made pizza dough or 2 (10 7/8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, cream cheese, at room temperature, mayonnaise or 1/2 cup low-fat, dry ranch dressing mix, head fresh broccoli, top florets only, spring onion , including tops, thinly sliced, fresh ripe tomato, peeled , seeds removed, diced, cucumber, peeled , seeds removed, diced, grated sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup) or 4 oz shredded parmesan cheese (1 cup), sliced green olives (optional) or black olives (optional), sliced purple onion, chopped (optional), sliced celery (optional), grated carrot (optional), minced red bell peppers (optional) or green bell pepper (optional), sliced and diced summer squash (optional), sliced mushrooms (optional), sliced asparagus spear (optional), almost any vegetables, you like raw (optional)

macaroni & cheese dinner mix, olive oil, chopped onion, sliced celery, ready crushed tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese (to garnish ), sliced green onions or celery leaves (to garnish)

ready -to-use chicken broth, apple juice, bay leaf (optiional), garlic powder, mild paprika, boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved, uncooked long grain uncooked white rice, fresh cut-up vegetables or 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

crushed tomatoes , including the juice (400 g), salt (or to taste), splenda sugar substitute, tomato paste, dried basil, crumbled, dried oregano, crumbled, cayenne pepper, chili powder, fresh parsley, minced, peeled seeded and diced fresh tomato, butter, olive oil, onion, chopped, garlic cloves, finely minced, button mushroom, sliced, fresh parsley, minced, prewashed baby spinach (i use the prewashed, bagged spinach for ease, otherwise, make sure your spinach is well-dried, 280-3), grated nutmeg, whole wheat flour, milk (i used partly-skimmed), salt, pepper, to taste (careful with the pepper as the tomato sauce is quite hot or spicy), egg white, mascarpone cheese, cheddar cheese, ready-made crepes, prosciutto or 8 slices good quality ham, minced fresh parsley, grated cheddar cheese

chopped onion, coarsely chopped zucchini, olive oil, dried basil, shell pasta, cooked, cheddar cheese soup, dijon mustard, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, recipe ready tomato, drained

chicken pieces (pref. a wheel with 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks), canola oil, onion, potatoes, mixed vegetables (variously called potjiekos mix here, or casserole vegetables ... or whatever. these are ready-to), string bean (green beans, chopped, bought ready-prepared at supermarket), sugar, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt (we use aromat), black pepper, coarse, vegetable stock (the granular type from a tin), water, hot pepper salsa (actually garlic-chilli sauce, available readily in sa and always in my condiments cupboard), chopped fresh rosemary or fresh thyme or garlic or dried herbs, from my spice drawer

brown gravy mix, water, condensed cream of mushroom soup (undiluted ), minced white onion, beef bouillon granules, celery seed, sugar, onion powder, red potatoes or 8 -10 small yellow potatoes, washed not peeled

cobb salad with grilled chicken, mercury , in dallas, special equipment 4 four-inch ring molds approximately 2 inches tall, champagne vinaigrette 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, egg yolk, creole mustard, canola oil, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a bowl whisk together the vinegar , egg yolk, and mustard. then slowly pour in the oil, whisking to emulsify. season with salt and pepper. refrigerate until ready to use., salad 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and flesh broken into large pieces, hard-boiled eggs, grated, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced, cooked bacon, diced, blue cheese , preferably roquefort, approximately 1 cup champagne vinaigrette (recipe above), head romaine , cut in julienne strips 2 inches long, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a large bowl toss the avocado , grated egg, tomato, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and enough champagne vinaigrette to just moisten the ingredients. with a spoon, mash everything together until it resembles a loose guacamole. season with salt and pepper. if you are not using immediately, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate., when you are ready to assemble the salads, set out 4 dinner plates. place a ring mold on each plate and fill it with salad. using moderate pressure, press the salad down with a spoon or fork until it is flush with the top of the ring. refrigerate the salads for 1 hour., chicken 4 boneless chicken breasts, approximately 6 oz each, basil oil (for garnish , optional), chile oil (for garnish , optional), grill the breasts until just done , about 5 minutes per side. may be sauteed, if you wish. keep warm., unmold the salads , hold down the top of the salad with 1 hand while you carefully remove the ring with the other, giving it a slight twist as you lift up if it doesn tsp move easily., warm chicken and place on top of the salads in a grid fashion, 2 pieces 1 way, 2 the other, and so on. drizzle the plate with the basil and chile oils, if desired. serve immediately. serves 4., this recipe comes courtesy of chef chris ward and his four-star dallas restaurant, the mercury.

cobb salad with grilled chicken, mercury , in dallas, special equipment 4 four-inch ring molds approximately 2 inches tall, champagne vinaigrette 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, egg yolk, creole mustard, canola oil, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a bowl whisk together the vinegar , egg yolk, and mustard. then slowly pour in the oil, whisking to emulsify. season with salt and pepper. refrigerate until ready to use., salad 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and flesh broken into large pieces, hard-boiled eggs, grated, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced, cooked bacon, diced, blue cheese , preferably roquefort, approximately 1 cup champagne vinaigrette (recipe above), head romaine , cut in julienne strips 2 inches long, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a large bowl toss the avocado , grated egg, tomato, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and enough champagne vinaigrette to just moisten the ingredients. with a spoon, mash everything together until it resembles a loose guacamole. season with salt and pepper. if you are not using immediately, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate., when you are ready to assemble the salads, set out 4 dinner plates. place a ring mold on each plate and fill it with salad. using moderate pressure, press the salad down with a spoon or fork until it is flush with the top of the ring. refrigerate the salads for 1 hour., chicken 4 boneless chicken breasts, approximately 6 oz each, basil oil (for garnish , optional), chile oil (for garnish , optional)

cherry pie, by edra ward, time for memories, cherry pie . . ., brown crust and spice and sugar, jucie fruit , piled high., twas baked in the big oven, along with three or four, thier wonderful aroma, came floating out the door ., we watched through all the making, often got a taste . . ., was so delicious, not 1 must go to waste., helped to pick the cherries, that made it extra good, carried in the wood ., we saw the dough mixed quickly, how fast the rolling pin, smoothed it out, so nice and round, just right to fit the tin., firm deft fingers worked, soon each crimson sphere, was ready to be covered, sugar and spice., top would then be dotted, cinnamon , here and there, latticed upper crust, was put in place with care., when twas time for dinner, how everyone would beam, as grandma cut the cherry pie, pour the rich thick cream ., filling for cherry pie, into your favorite unbaked piecrust , place the filling, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cherry juice, red coloring

barbecue sauce, grape jelly or 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam, frozen waffle cut french-fried potatoes or 3 cups frozen thick cut french-fried potatoes, ready-to-serve cooked bacon, chopped, dry breadcrumbs, finely chopped, honey-roasted walnuts or 2 tbsp almonds, finely chopped, barbecue sauce, poultry seasoning, uncooked ground chicken or 8 oz uncooked ground turkey, shredded italian cheese blend or 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack pepper cheese or 1/2 cup shredded gorgonzola, snipped fresh chives, dinner rolls or 8 cocktail-sized hamburger buns, split, sliced tomato, sliced lettuce