Fast Food in 15 Minutes or Less By Jorj Morgan It is possible to avoid the after-work-urge to cruise through the corner drive-in restaurant. This is especially true if you are armed with the knowledge that there are plenty of easy-to-make meals that come together in just a few minutes. Experts agree that there are many benefits to cooking at home including stress free family time together, substantial food dollar savings and improved meal nutrition. Here are a few tips to make weekday suppers as easy as 1 - 2 - 3. Tip 1 Plan in advance. Have a weekly meal plan and grocery shop ahead. You don't want to have to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work. Choose simple supper recipes on busy days. Tip 2 Make extra. When you do have extra time to cook, make enough for more than one meal. Prepare items on the weekend that you can reinvent into a fun meal on weekdays. Tip 3 Keep the cupboard stocked. Make sure that you keep your pantry stocked with staples that you like to blend with your fresh ingredients. Take a look at these quick dishes and see if one or two will fit into your weekly meal plan. CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD Use a grill pan or skillet to quickly grill four chicken cutlets that have been seasoned with your favorite spices. (Try fresh lime juice, dried oregano, salt and freshly ground pepper.) While the chicken cooks, wash and dry a large head of Romaine lettuce. Tear the lettuce into strips and place in a large bowl. Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board and cut into thin diagonal strips. Add fresh Parmesan cheese and croutons to the salad. Add the chicken and toss with your favorite Caesar dressing. Serve with warmed rolls for a very simple, healthy salad supper. Here is a terrific Caesar inspired dressing for all of you garlic lovers. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and 3/4 or more (1.6 ounce tube) anchovy paste. Add 8 pressed garlic cloves. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup good quality olive oil. Store extra dressing in an air tight container for several days. MUSHROOM, BACON AND CHEESE QUESADILLA Cook 1/2 pound bacon in a skillet. Drain the fat from the pan and cook 1/2 pound mushrooms in the same skillet. Place 1 (10-inch) flour tortilla in the skillet over medium high heat. Top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, half of the bacon, mushrooms and 1 tablespoon chopped green onions. Top with another tortilla. Cover the pan briefly, to allow the cheese to melt. Be careful not to burn the tortilla. Use two spatulas to carefully turn over the quesadilla. Brown the other side and continue melting the cheese. Remove the quesadilla to a platter. Repeat with two more tortillas and the rest of the ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Garnish with sliced black olives and thinly sliced jalapeno peppers. Tip 2 Opportunity Make extra grilled chicken when preparing Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. Store well. Later you can add strips of grilled chicken to your quesadilla or to a pasta dish like the one described below.) PASTA WITH BROCCOLI, SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND SAUSAGE Steam 2 cups broccoli flowerets in a microwave oven. Prepare 1 pound pasta (like penne) according to package directions. Drain the oil from a 7 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes. Put the oil in a small bowl. Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Brown 1 pound mild Italian sausage links, sliced into rounds, in a skillet over medium high heat. When the sausage is cooked add the sun dried tomatoes and broccoli to the pan. Drain the pasta and place it into the same pan. Toss well. Add as much of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes as needed to coat the pasta lightly. Toss again. Shave pieces of Parmesan cheese over top. Serve the pasta from the skillet with garlic rolls and a toss salad. Tip 3 Opportunity Keep sun dried tomatoes packed in oil in your pantry because they have tons of uses. But, don't hesitate to substitute with a jar of roasted red pepper - which you also keep on hand. The recipe above works equally well with steamed asparagus tips, roasted red peppers, sliced grilled chicken and goat cheese. You can make the most of what you have on hand - and what you have prepared in advance! ROASTED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets with olive oil and squeeze the juice of a whole lemon on top of each one. Mix together 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Rub this mixture over the top of each fillet. (Remember Tip 3 - don't hesitate to use your favorite combination of dried spices to create a special flavor for your salmon rub.) Roast the fillets in a shallow baking pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile make a sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Combine 1 large peeled and seeded cucumber, 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, salt and freshly ground pepper. Pulse to combine. Microwave a 10 ounce package of frozen spinach. Serve each salmon fillet on top of a spoonful of spinach. Serve the cool sauce on the side. Here comes a double Tip 2 Roast extra salmon. Store well. Use "leftover" roasted salmon for a second fun meal. Chilled, flaked salmon is a great addition to a Nicoise style salad with crisp green beans, boiled new potatoes, hard boiled eggs, flavorful olives and a drizzle of vinaigrette dressing. Just as easily, leftover salmon morphs into baked salmon cakes. Combine flaked, cooked salmon with chopped onion, green pepper, fresh herbs, a slightly beaten egg and just enough fresh bread crumbs to bind the mixture together. Cook the salmon cakes in a small amount of olive oil turning once. Serve with prepared chili sauce mixed with a dollop of mayonnaise. SPICED UP TURKEY BURGERS Mix together, in a large bowl, 1 1/2 pound ground turkey, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno pepper, 1/2 cup diced red pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped green onion, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 beaten egg. Divide the turkey mixture into four portions and form into thick patties. Heat a grill to medium high heat - or use your trusty indoor grill pan. Season the patties with salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill the patties approximately 5 to 8 minutes per side for medium. Remove the turkey burgers from the grill and place each one onto a whole wheat bun. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sliced red onion, a slice of tomato and several slices of avocado. (Don't hesitate to save time with Tip 3. Substitute canned jalapeno for fresh and 1 teaspoon dried cilantro for 2 tablespoons fresh.) Now that you have the idea, here are some other quick tricks: SIMPLY SAUTEED FISH FILLETS There is a basic difference between fish and poultry or meat. The distinction is that fish is tender before you cook it. Therefore you do not need to utilize a long cooking process that is design to tenderize or break down the food. This translates to quick cooking for most fish fillets. Simply season the fish with your favorite fresh herbs, lemon or even lime juice. Quickly cook the fish in 1 to 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat tuning once. Remove the fish to a platter and keep warm in a low oven. In the same skillet make a sauce for the fish by adding 2 tablespoons chopped green onion, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 cup canned diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon drained capers. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish fillets and serve with a fresh veggie and rice or pasta. HOME BAKED BREAD You're right - you can't make bread in just fifteen minutes. But you can make great bread with less than 15 minutes of preparation. Simply dump all of the ingredients into a bread machine, set the timer, and dash off to work. When you return home, there is a fragrant, warm loaf of home made bread waiting for you to slice. Try this recipe for Ricotta Bread. Combine 6 tablespoons half and half, 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, 1 whole egg - slightly beaten, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups bread flour in the bucket of your bread machine. Place 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast in the yeast compartment. Set the timer and go. There are lots of little tricks that you can use to make great, fast food. I bet you even have a secret that you are willing to share with other time-constrained pals to help them access their inner chef. Email Jorj at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your quick recipes and we'll share them with everyone. Also see: • After-work answers to the what's for dinner question are found in your pantry Jorj Morgan is the Director of Lifestyle Content for BlueSuitMom.com. She is the author of At Home In The Kitchen.