By Tamara Holt

Fast (yes, less than 15 minutes!) and Healthy Meals for Fall

As autumn begins, the cold weather cook's dilemma sets in. You start
craving serious flavour and fantasising about long-simmering stews
and rich creamy sauces. Then smartest part of your brain
says, "Stop." You don't have the time to turn into a chef and you're
determined not to let a little chill in the air ruin your goals to
eat better.

You can't have it all. Can you? Well, yes.

These extra-fast, super-flavourful recipes keep the fat low, the
nutrients high, and the timer set for no more than 15 minutes!

Instant Chicken and Herb Stew
The speed secret to this recipe is using already prepared
ingredients: leftover chicken (or Schneiders Oh Naturel!â„¢ Chick'n
Strips if you prefer to go the meatless route), canned beans (be
sure to rinse and drain them first) and prepared pesto sauce. You
will be amazed at how much rich flavour you can get in only 15
minutes.

Sauté one chopped onion and two minced garlic cloves in one
tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until
they get soft. Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups diced chicken or
diced Oh Naturel!â„¢ Chick'n Strips, one zucchini cut in 1-cm. cubes,
one cup cannellini beans, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Heat just to boiling,
and add 2 tablespoons prepared pesto and a bit of salt just before
serving.

Warm Sausage Salad
You can use any type of sausage you like—turkey, lamb, chicken, pork—
for this meal-making salad. The quickest pick will be one of the pre-
cooked, heat-and-serve brands.

Cook 4 sausages in a skillet according to package directions. Slice
the sausage in half-inch slices. Combine 8 cups arugula, one thinly
sliced fennel bulb, 1 1/2 cups sliced roasted red peppers, and 1/2
cup thinly sliced red onion in a large bowl. Add the warm sausage
and 4 Tbs. bottled balsamic dressing and toss well. Serve right away.

Pork Chops with Apples and Country Mustard Cider Sauce
If you have a few more minutes but want fewer dishes to clean, you
can cook the pork chops first and let them rest while you make the
sauce in the pan you cooked the pork in. Just be sure to drain off
any extra fat that's left in the pan after cooking the pork.

Sprinkle 4 pork chops with salt and pepper and cook them in a large
nonstick skillet over medium heat until brown and cooked through, 8
to 10 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, in another skillet, cook one
Granny Smith apple cored and sliced about 1-cm thick with 1 1/2 cups
apple cider, 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard, 1/8 teaspoon salt and
a pinch black pepper over medium heat. Remove the apples as soon as
they are tender and keep cooking the sauce until it just starts to
get syrupy. Serve the apples and sauce over the chops.