Desperation Dinners!: Home-Cooked Meals for Frantic Families in 20 Minutes Flat

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2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2/3 pound total), fresh or frozen

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 cup frozen chopped onions

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) fat-free chicken broth

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup commercially prepared pesto

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. If the chicken is frozen, run hot water over it so you can remove any packaging. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and microwave 2 minutes, uncovered, on high, to begin defrosting.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-low heat. Cut the chicken (fresh or partially defrosted) into bite-sized chunks, adding them to the pot as you cut. Raise the heat to medium, add the chopped onions, and cook 2 minutes, stirring from time to time.

3. Add the broth and raise the heat to high. Cover, and bring to a boil. Drain the tomatoes and add them to the pot, along with the Worcestershire and garlic, keeping the lid closed as much as possible. When the soup boils, reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook at a slow boil until the chicken is no longer pink but is still tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in the half-and-half, pesto, and salt and pepper. Let the soup rest off the heat for 1 1/2 minutes, then serve.

Serve 4 generously

HARVEST PORK CHOPS

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) fat-free chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

2 1/2 cups "instant" (5-minute) rice

4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops (each about 3/8 inch thick; about 1 pound total), fresh or frozen

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 medium onion (for 3/4 cup slices)

Black pepper to taste

1 large tart apple, such as Granny Smith (for 1 cup slices)

1/2 cup apple juice, white wine, or water

1 tablespoon dark or light brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

1 bag (8 ounces) cabbage coleslaw mix

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

1. Combine 1 cup of the chicken broth and the water in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, begin step 2 (if necessary) and step 3. When the liquid boils, add the rice, cover the pan, and remove from the heat until ready to serve.

2. If the pork chops are frozen, run hot water over them so you can remove any packaging. Place the chops on a microwave-safe plate and microwave 2 minutes, uncovered, on high, to begin defrosting.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter over low heat in an extra-deep 12-inch nonstick skillet that has a lid. Peel the onion, cut it in half lengthwise, and cut each half into 4 crescent-shaped slices, medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the pork chops (fresh or partially defrosted) to the skillet, pepper them to taste, and cook until brown on the first side, about 3 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cut the unpeeled apple in half, core it and cut it into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Turn the pork chops and add the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth, the apple juice, brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar. Stir well. Immediately add the apple slices and coleslaw mix. Stir to coat the slaw with sauce. Cover the pan, raise the heat to high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, just until the chops are no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water in a small container that has a lid. Shake well until the lumps disappear, then set aside.

7. When the chops have simmered for 8 minutes, uncover the skillet, shake the cornstarch mixture again, and add it to the skillet, stirring constantly. Stir until the sauce is the desired consistency for gravy, about 2 minutes.

8. To serve, place a chop on a bed of rice on each serving plate and top with some onions, apples, cabbage, and gravy.

Serves 4

GINGERED SALMON CROQUETTES

48 small square soda crackers with unsalted tops

1 can (6 ounces) skinless, boneless salmon

1 small onion

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice from frozen concentrate

1 teaspoon bottled chopped ginger

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mango chutney, such as Major Grey's

1. Place the soda crackers in a 2-quart or larger bowl and crush with your hands to make medium-fine crumbs. You should have roughly 2 cups of crumbs. Pour 1 cup of the crumbs onto a plate and reserve.

2. Add the salmon and its liquid to the bowl with the remaining crumbs. Peel the onion and grate enough on a handheld grater to make 1 tablespoon with juice. Add the grated onion to the salmon, setting the remaining onion aside for another use. Stir in the sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise, the lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and Worcestershire.

3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Shape the salmon mixture into four 3-inch patties about 1/2 inch thick. Press both sides of each patty into the reserved cracker crumbs to coat, adding each patty to the hot oil as it is coated. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

4. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and the chutney in a small bowl and stir to blend well.

5. Place the patties on serving plates and top each with a dollop of chutney mayonnaise to serve.

Serves 4

Excerpted from Desperation Dinners! Copyright c 1997 by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross. Reprinted by permission of Workman. All rights reserved.