Explore the flavors of Portugal in this quick pasta dinner. It's made with chorizo shrimp and orange juice. It’s sure to please the whole family.

Chorizo is a cured smoked pork sausage. I like to keep frozen shrimp on hand for quick dinners. They defrost in a bowl of cold water in about 5 to 10 minutes.

Helpful Hints:

— Use any type of ...Read more

One of my favorite Chinese dishes is lo mein, which means mixed noodles. Noodles are a staple of Chinese cooking and are served at birthday dinners because they represent long life.

The dish has a smoky flavor produced by stir-frying in a very hot wok. Restaurants use special wok burners to achieve high heat, which is difficult to duplicate at ...Read more

A crisp coating of cornmeal is great for grouper fillets, adding texture to this sandwich supper. Mayonnaise mixed with sweet pickle relish makes a quick mock tartar sauce for the grouper.

Cooking cauliflower florets in the microwave saves time and helps it absorb the lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Black olives and red pimentos add to this...Read more

Going light on your calories after the holidays? Here’s a warm, welcoming vegetarian soup that won't break your calorie bank and takes only 15 minutes to make.

To speed cooking, I used the largest sauce pan I had. It’s really a Dutch oven or pasta pot. The large diameter helps the mushrooms and onions sauté faster.

Many Italians like to ...Read more

Celebrate the new year with this honey whiskey sauce over tender steak. Flavored whiskeys have become popular. You can find spicy, cinnamon, chocolate ginger and even salted caramel whiskeys. The honey whiskey creates a perfect sauce for the steak and this holiday dinner.

The recipe calls for raising and lowering the heat. If you have an ...Read more

Spaghetti Bolognese is an Italian favorite. Here’s a light version that’s quick, easy and won’t break the calorie bank. Using ground chicken gives a new flavor twist and lightens the dish. The secret to the rich flavor is to thinly slice the onions, celery and carrots cook them until they are sweet. Another hint is to add orange zest to ...Read more

Fragrant spices flavor this hearty vegetarian soup. It’s a one-pot meal that can be made in 15 minutes. You just add the ingredients to the saucepan, cover with a lid and let it cook.

Garam masala, ginger and turmeric are the spices used. They can also be used to flavor rice, cooked vegetables or to spice up bought salad dressings.

HELPFUL ...Read more

Here’s a warm and comforting meal that can be made in minutes using only one pot. For this easy dinner, tender lamb cut for kabobs and fragrant spices cook with canned lentils. It’s a family pleaser.

This recipe tastes great a second day. If you have time, make double the recipe and save half for another quick meal.

Helpful Hints:

— ...Read more

Pizza is always welcome in our house. This all-vegetable one is light and quick to make. I like pizzas that have a crisp crust on the bottom. Making it in a skillet means I can bake it in the oven and finish it a few minutes on the stove. This makes sure the bottom is crisp, not soggy.

To get a fresh dough aroma, I use a ready-to-bake thin ...Read more

What do you do with Thanksgiving leftovers or really anytime you have a lot of leftovers? This turkey bowl is an answer. You can use your leftover stuffing, turkey and vegetables or use whatever cooked meat or vegetables you have in your fridge. Use this recipe as a guide for amounts and how to use them.

Helpful Hints:

— You can use ...Read more

Here’s a new way to serve salmon. It’s baked with a crisp, crunchy Parmesan crust that adds texture and flavor to this meaty fish. Good quality Parmesan cheese makes a difference. Look for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or the best quality you can find.

Helpful Hints:

— You can use any type of spaghetti.

— For best quality Parmesan, grate...Read more

For a new twist on meatloaf, I added an Asian wasabi flavor. This meatloaf takes only 15 minutes to bake. The secret is to place the meat loaves on a baking sheet, which lets the hot air circulate all around the meat.

Wasabi is the Japanese version of horseradish. It’s an Asian root vegetable that is sold in paste and powdered form. The ...Read more

Here’s a 10-minute meal that perks up boneless pork chops. It’s fast and easy to dress up pork chops with a tangy maple syrup glaze that packs a lot of flavor.

Look for real maple syrup made from maple sap. Artificial maple syrup is made with corn syrup. It should say where the syrup is from on the bottle.

Using the microwave oven to make ...Read more