30 minutes: hey, it's harvest time!

Long before the leaves burst into a blaze of autumn hues, saturated shades of bright pumpkins, vibrant peppers and jewel-like apples appear on the produce scene to make cooking a colorful--and flavorful--breeze. These recipes showcase the season's best and give a spicy preview of the good things to come.

OXO 60-minute timer, $13 at oxo.com

SAVORY PUMPKIN-CORN CAKES

Serves 4 * 30 minutes or fewer

Serve these Southwest-inspired hotcakes
topped with your favorite salsa.

  2 large eggs
  1 cup pumpkin puree
  1 Tbs. vegetable oil
  1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
  1 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
  1 tsp. diced jalapeno pepper,
    or to taste

1. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil,
chipotle powder and cumin in bowl.
Stir in remaining ingredients.

2. Heat skillet coated with cooking spray
over medium heat. Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of
batter onto griddle, flattening each with
back of spatula. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or
until bottoms begin to brown. Lightly
coat tops of cakes with nonstick cooking
spray, and flip. Cook 3 to 4 minutes
more, or until browned. Repeat with
remaining batter. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 330 CAL; 12G PROT; 16G
TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 37G CARB; 105MG
CHOL; 50MG SOD; 6G FIBER; 4G SUGARS

LATE-SUMMER
CRUSTLESS PEPPER TART

Serves 4 * 30 minutes or fewer

Mini vegetables add visual interest
to any meal, and petite sweet
peppers hold a particular charm.
But if you can't find them,
just substitute full-sized peppers
cut into strips.

  2 Tbs. vegetable oil
  8 oz. mini sweet red and
    yellow peppers, cored,
    seeded and sliced into rings
  1 medium-sized zucchini,
    chopped
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  4 large eggs
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup chopped cilantro for
    garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Heat oil in deep, 10-inch
ovenproof skillet over medium
heat. Add peppers, zucchini and
garlic, and saute 10 minutes,
or until vegetables begin to soften.

3. Whisk together eggs, milk
and 1/4 cup water in small bowl.
Stir in cheddar and Parmesan
cheeses. Add egg mixture to
vegetables in skillet. Cook 5 to 7
minutes, or until almost set,
lifting the edges of the tart to let
uncooked eggs run underneath.

4. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake
5 minutes, or until top of tart is
golden brown. Sprinkle with
cilantro, and slice into wedges.

PER SERVING: 241 CAL; 13G PROT; 18G
TOTAL FAT (5.5G SAT. FAT); 8G CARB; 230MG
CHOL; 240MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 2G SUGARS

STIR-FRIED WILD RICE

Serves 4 * Vegan
30 minutes or fewer

Now that wild rice is available
pre-cooked and vacuum-packed
in many supermarkets, you no
longer have to boil it an hour to
enjoy its nutty flavor.

3 Tbs. frozen lemonade
  concentrate
2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. sesame oil
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 Tbs. minced garlic
4 oz. snow peas, trimmed
4 oz. green beans, trimmed
1 10.5-oz. pkg. garlic-flavored
  or Asian-flavored baked
  tofu, cubed
1 10.5-oz. pkg. precooked
  wild rice

1. Whisk together lemonade
concentrate, soy sauce, sesame oil
and 2 Tbs. water in small bowl.

2. Heat 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
in wok over medium heat. Stir-fry
mushrooms and garlic in oil
5 minutes, or until mushrooms
begin to brown. Add snow peas
and green beans, and cook 2
minutes more, or until just tender.
Remove vegetables from wok.

3. Heat remaining vegetable oil
in wok. Add tofu and rice, and
stir-fry 5 minutes, or until tofu
begins to brown. Stir in lemonade
mixture. Fold in vegetables,
and cook 2 to 3 minutes more,
or until rice is coated with sauce
and vegetables are heated through.

PER SERVING: 352 CAL; 18G PROT; 17G
TOTAL FAT (2G SAT FAT); 33G CARB; OMG
CHOL; 673MG SOD; 6G FIBER;9G SUGARS

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE
PANCAKES

Serves 8 * 30 minutes or fewer

For a decadent brunch or dessert,
offer these triple-chocolate treats
topped with a dollop of raspberry
jam. The recipe makes 8 5-inch
pancakes.

  2 cups all-purpose flour
  3 Tbs. granulated sugar
  3 Tbs. cocoa powder
  1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
  2 large eggs
  1 cup fat-free milk
  1 6-0z. container
    chocolate-flavored yogurt
  1 Tbs.  vegetable oil
    plus extra for the pan
  1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Sift together flour, sugar,
cocoa powder, baking powder
and baking soda into large bowl.

2. Whisk together eggs, milk,
yogurt and oil in separate bowl.
Stir in flour mixture until
batter just comes together. Add
vanilla extract, then fold in
chocolate chips.

3. Heat large nonstick skillet
or griddle greased with vegetable
oil over medium heat. Pour 1/2 cup
batter into skillet. Cook pancake
3 minutes, or until edges are
brown and dry and small bubbles
appear in pancake. Flip, and cook
3 minutes more, or until second
side of pancake begins to brown.
Repeat with remaining batter,
greasing skillet with oil between
each pancake. Serve hot with
raspberry jam or maple syrup,
if desired.

PER SERVING: 253 CAL; 8G PROT;
7G TOTAL FAT (3G SAT FAT); 41G CARB;
55MG CHOL; 157MG SOD; 2G FIBER;
15G SUGARS

APPLE-GINGERSNAP CRISP

Serves 6 * 30 minutes or fewer

This warm apple dessert is so
good--and comes together so fast
--you'll want to make it all fall.

  2 Tbs. unsalted butter or
    margarine
  2 tart apples, unpeeled,
    cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
  2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
  1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  2 cups dried apple slices
1/4 cup candied ginger,
    finely chopped
 20 gingersnaps, crushed,
    plus whole gingersnaps
    for garnish, if desired
  1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1. Heat butter in skillet over
medium-high heat. Saute fresh
apple slices 5 minutes, or until
tender. Stir in juice, sugar, fresh
ginger and cinnamon. Cook 5
minutes, or until liquid is syrupy.

2. Add dried apple slices and
candied ginger. Reduce heat
to medium, and cook 3 minutes
more, or until heated through.

3. Sprinkle bottom of 2-qt. bowl
with 1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps.
Stir remaining crumbs into apple
mixture. Layer apple mixture
and yogurt in bowl. Garnish with
whole gingersnaps, if desired.

PER SERVING: 342 CAL; 4G PROT; 7G
TOTAL FAT (3.5G SAT. FAT); 70G
CARB; 14MG CHOL; 210MG SOD; 5G
FIBER; 38G SUGARS