rachel ray can bite it.

30-minute meals my ass. sure, if i spent my workday choreographing my evening meal, created a script, and had people wash my dishes, arrange the ones i would need at the front, making sure i had soy sauce on hand, etc., my meal prep time might speed up too. in this house, i've been making REAL 30-minute meals. all right. admittedly, sometimes they take a little prep. like, i really do wash all my greens at once so they're ready to use. and i do have the luxury of being able to come home at lunchtime to make rice or press tofu. you'll be glad to know that i walk home at lunch, not drive. because that just wouldn't do. today i was going to make rice at lunch, but i forgot. this kind of thing happens a lot. kelley's real 30-minute meals pasta alla early concert (got to leave by 6!) enough pasta for you and a friend (plus leftovers) one can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed sundried tomatoes (5-6 - DRY dried, cut into bite-sized pieces) two cloves garlic, chopped to your liking half pound mushrooms, chopped big small bunch cooking greens, chopped handful of golden raisins olive oil, of course put your water on. heat up oil in medium-hot pan. throw in mushrooms and garlic. cook until mushrooms have given off their water. drop your pasta and tomatoes in salted, boiling water. throw greens in pan with mushrooms, turn the heat down to low, and let them wilt. add beans and raisins. cover and let beans heat through. pasta should be done by now. drain and add to pan. add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, nutmeg...whatever your heart desires. more olive oil if you're feeling it. grate on some parm if you're into cheese like that. serve. oooh, yeah. how long did that take? LESS than half an hour? thought so. serve with a glass of water and watch an episode of arrested development if desired. tonight we had a tofu/noodle/baby bok choy dish that was good, but doesn't bear repeating. but it did take almost exactly 30 minutes to prepare, INCLUDING dish washing! ha HA!