There are times I would like to make the effort of throwing dinner for friends or family and cook everything from scratch. But the labor of love just takes so long. In spite of all the inspiration from Rachael Ray, the 30-minute meal is actually more myth than fact. Thawing your food alone may take almost an hour. Then there’s the diligence of slow cooking the meat to your desired tenderness. Not to mention the many times you will have to change pots and pans, as the vegetables, which cook faster, have to be cooked much later than the meat—you...