I love pot pies. They’re warm, inviting and a great way to incorporate vegetables into a meal. This is a one-pot vegetarian dinner that takes 25 minutes to make. You can use any vegetables you like, using this recipe as a guide to the amounts needed.

For the sake of speed, I use biscuit dough instead of a pie crust. It comes prepared and can ...Read more

A bright, lemon sauce flavors delicate chicken tenderloins in this quick dinner. Tenderloins, or tenders, are a secondary muscle that lies directly under the chicken breast. As the name suggests, they’re very tender and need only a few minutes to cook. White wine and capers add to the lemony sauce for a tangy treat.

The tenderloins are ...Read more

My Italian friend invited me over for what she said was a new look at one of Italy’s most famous soups, Pasta Fagioli, or pasta and bean soup. She decided to add some ham to her recipe to make it a more filling supper. It was a great success. Here’s a quick version.

I use acini di pepe, a very small round pasta, for the soup. In Italy they ...Read more

Around this time of year with St. Patty’s Day coming up, shepherd’s pie comes to mind. The pie has a savory meat filling topped with mashed potatoes and cheese. It’s usually made with lamb or ground lamb, but it is also made with ground beef and then called cottage pie. There’s always a discussion whether the pies are Irish or English. ...Read more

Orecchiette is a little ear-shaped pasta that is typical of Apulia in Southern Italy. It’s perfect for this vegetarian dish. The small shape captures the sauce and mixes well with the other ingredients.

Broccoli rabe adds a crisp texture to the dish. It’s also called rapini and is closely related to the turnip family.

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On a recent visit to a Chinese restaurant, I noticed chow mein on the menu. It’s a traditional Chinese dish that sometimes takes a back seat to lo mein. Both are noodle dishes. Chow mein noodles are crisp and served with a light sauce. Lo mein noodles are soft and part of a rich sauce. This is a quick and easy version of chow mein that you can...Read more

Pork is known as the other white meat. For this easy dinner, I added a sweet and spicy flavor to pork tenderloin slices using the sweet flavor of cinnamon with a touch of cayenne pepper for spice.

I love the flavor and texture of butternut squash, but not the effort of peeling and cutting the whole squash. So I was delighted to find that ...Read more

Here’s a simple glaze to flavor skirt steak. It’s a quick recipe for Valentine’s Day or really for anytime you want a steak dinner. I make the Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini side dish in the microwave. It’s fast and saves washing another pot. Microwave ovens have different power levels. Use the cooking times in the recipe as a guide. The ...Read more

With thoughts of the Super Bowl this year in Glendale, Arizona. I decided on an Arizona-inspired meal. Chimichangas are fried burritos and a popular dish in Arizona. They’re usually made with a flour tortilla filled with meat, cheese and spices. There are many stories as to their origin, which is based on Mexican burritos. One is of a Mexican ...Read more

Honey brings a sweet taste to this stir-fried chicken. I like crisp stir-fries (not steamed), and TV chef Martin Yan gave me some tips. He said it’s important to let the ingredients sit for about a minute when added to the hot wok before tossing them. This allows the wok to regain its heat after the cold ingredients have been added.

A small ...Read more

Shrimp sauteed in garlicky butter fills these little mini burger rolls. A sauce of mayonnaise, mustard, scallions and some Old Bay seasoning is spread on the rolls. Old Bay is a blend of herbs and spices, usually celery salt, red and black pepper and paprika. It’s mostly used to season shellfish.

For the Quick Potato Salad, I doctored up deli...Read more

Sloppy Joes — ground meat in tomato sauce served over Cuban bread — have been an American favorite for over half a century. There are many claims to the origins of Sloppy Joes. One is from the H.J. Heinz Co., which, of course, made theirs with ketchup; another is a cafe in Iowa whose chef, Joe, created a “loose meat sandwich” in 1930. My...Read more

While looking for a warm and inviting winter meal, I thought a hot bowl of soup would be perfect. I love the welcoming smell of homemade soup. The best part is this soup is made in one pot and takes about 20 minutes from assembling the ingredients to cooking it. It’s a vegetarian meal that won’t break your calorie bank.

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