Shortcut #3: Be Prepared

There's no rule that recipes need to be prepared on the spot from scratch. Preparation just requires one of two things: time or money. If you've got more time, prepare the vegetables, sauces and meat that you need the day before you have to start cooking. If you've got more money, supermarkets sell pre-chopped vegetables, pre-marinated meat and plenty of spice mixes.

Recipe: Tuna Pesto

Cook penne according to label; drain and return to pot. Add basil pesto, tuna, and artichokes to pot. Cook for 3 minutes.

With these three shortcuts and these three recipes, you should have no problem getting a meal ready that will satisfy anyone's appetite. The only part of these meals that will take time is eating them.