Quick 30-minute rescue for dinner

Since the last column was about the virtues of family meals, I am going to share my quick, 30-minute no-fail dinner recipe for Chicken Tortilla Stew. It's the kind of dish that is a can of this, a can of that, and before you know it, it's good eats.

Easy, easy, easy and fast. Yes, I am fond of Mexican cooking and this soup is hearty and more like a stew. I just threw it together one day and have been making it ever since.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small to medium yellow onion
2 small carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. chopped roasted garlic (I buy it in a glass jar.)
2 cans stewed tomatoes (you can substitute diced)
1 12.5 oz. can of white chicken breast packed in water (break it up with fork).
2 Tbsp. Tone's chicken base (or you can use chicken broth, a chicken cube, whatever)
1 can of yellow kernel corn
1-15 oz. can of Ranch style beans
1-5 oz. pkg. Mahatma saffron yellow rice
1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash

Saute the onion and carrots in olive oil on low to medium heat until onions are almost clear, add roasted garlic.

Toss in all other ingredients. And cook over medium high heat until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with Mission chips and a side salad.

Didn’t I tell you this was easy? This is also a great way to use leftover baked chicken.

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In honor of Halloween, I have a nifty treat you can quickly make for office friends, your child's teacher, or just for decoration. You'll need a box of vinyl serving gloves—the type worn by restaurant servers—a bag of candy corn, small rubber bands, popped popcorn, a $1 bag of the Halloween "spider" rings, and some black and orange curling ribbon. Put one candy corn into the end of each finger and thumb, now fill the gloves with popcorn, (stuff it down into the fingers), secure at the wrist with the rubber band; work the spider ring onto the ring finger. Tie two lengths of each color ribbon over the rubber band and curl with the side of a knife or scissor. Voilå! A really cute holiday treat.

*Another tip using the gloves, just fill them with water and ice, makes a great addition to Halloween punch recipes, a floating hand, moowahaha...

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And, finally, a Reader asked me to mention an 11th ANNUAL HOLIDAYS ON A HIGH NOTE HOME ENTERTAINING BENEFIT (ATHERTON, CA.)  On Monday, October 20th, 2008 from 9:30 AM-2:00 PM, flowers will help struggling Peninsula families when the Foothill Auxiliary to Family Service Agency of San Mateo County hosts its 11th annual "Holidays on a High Note" home entertaining benefit at the Menlo Circus Club, 190 Park Lane, Atherton. The annual sell-out event will feature: A special floral presentation, "East Meets West Asian and European Design Cultures," by celebrated, Dutch-born, master designer and California resident René van Rems, AIFD; approximately 25 tables of holiday table settings and festive floral displays from the Bay Area's best designers; a floral auction; and a boutique marketplace. There is also a luncheon, booksigning a and workshop For more information, please call 650-403-4300 or visit www.familyserviceagency.org.