When I saw the name of this pasta recipe, Cheapskate Pasta, I wondered what it was. It’s in Francine Segan’s new book, "Pasta Modern: New & Inspired Recipes from Italy." In a recent interview she told me that it’s a recipe to use up foods from your cupboard. It’s also an easy vegetarian recipe. I’ve adapted her recipe for this quick ...Read more

Here's a short-cut version of a Southern favorite: Gumbo Soup. It’s comfort food that can take hours to make. This gumbo captures the flavor without the hours. It’s a one-pot vegetarian meal.

The key to good gumbo is cooking the oil and flour together to form a rich, light brown roux. This gives the gumbo its distinctive flavor. Okra gives ...Read more

Crispy coconut flavors these shrimp for a tasty quick dinner. My husband wanted to have some coconut-crusted shrimp and I wanted to bake them rather than fry them. Mixing coconut and panko breadcrumbs with a little oil was the answer. The mixture coated the shrimp, and they baked in only 10 minutes. One secret to make sure both sides are cooked ...Read more

Is it too early to think about leftover turkey? How about a different kind of turkey sandwich: a quesadilla? It’s a turkey-and-cheese-filled tortilla. They’re pan-fried and served with coleslaw. You can make them with leftover turkey or chicken, or buy roasted turkey breast at the supermarket deli. In fact, you can use this recipe for any ...Read more

I added cinnamon and cumin to meatballs for a Moroccan take on my family favorite of meatballs and pasta. To speed up the preparation, I used frozen diced onion and minced garlic for the recipe. The meatballs need to be turned over during cooking; the best way to do this is by using two spatulas, one underneath the meatballs and one on top to ...Read more

I decided to use fresh tuna for these little cakes instead of canned. It gives them a taste of the sea.

Fish cakes in general can fall apart, especially when turning them over. Here are some tips to avoid this. Make sure your skillet is very hot, but on a medium heat. Use a wide spatula when transferring the cakes to the skillet. Once in the ...Read more

With Halloween just around the corner, I’m thinking about apples and cider. For this dinner, I add them to pork with a hint of rosemary for a Halloween treat. Charred sweet potatoes add a colorful side dish. They keep well; make extra to go with another meal.

October is a perfect month for apples. Many varieties are available. Rome and Golden...Read more

Here’s a different take on chili. It’s made with black beans instead of kidney beans. These give a lighter texture to the chili and are perfect for a vegetarian meal. The broccoli in this recipe is cut into small pieces that absorb the flavor of the tomato-based sauce. This chili tastes great the second day, so make extra for another quick ...Read more

I love to make lasagna, but it takes time to make. So, I created this Skillet Lasagna. It has the flavors of my favorite lasagna but takes about 15 minutes to make. It’s perfect for a comforting fall weeknight meal. The lasagna noodles are broken into small pieces, boiled and added to the meat sauce to absorb the flavor. A quick green salad ...Read more

I tasted a delicious salmon infused with a flavorful teriyaki sauce at the Vale Food Company in Miami, a healthy, fast casual restaurant. I asked Sunny Ilyas, CEO of Vale Food Co, how it was made. His answer was a form of reverse searing. First the salmon is baked in the oven for a few minutes, and then it’s sauteed in the sauce. It’s a ...Read more

Noticing so many eastern Mediterranean and Lebanese restaurants becoming popular, I was hungry for a quick dinner with their savory and aromatic flavors. Using za'atar found in the spice section of the market, I created this quick dinner with very little effort.

Za'atar, a spice mixture used in many eastern Mediterranean countries, is made with...Read more

Adding thin slices of steak to a taco makes a tasty and quick home-cooked weeknight meal. You can serve these tacos flat, and each person can make and fold their own. Or, if you like, you can serve them in a taco holder. If you don’t have one, bend aluminum foil into a taco holder shape and use that instead. Adding avocado cubes to the tacos ...Read more

I wanted to make this enchilada dinner in a hurry without having to wait for my oven to preheat or to cook the filling ingredients. The answer was my microwave. It cooked the filling ingredients, then warmed the tortillas and, finally, cooked the entire enchilada dish. Another plus: No pots to wash. When the meal was over, all the dishes went ...Read more

This mock “risotto” takes only 10 minutes to make and doesn’t need constant stirring. Instead of using traditional rice for the risotto, I use orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, and a large nonstick skillet for this quick meal. The orzo has a creamy texture when cooked this way. Using a large, nonstick skillet instead of a saucepan increases the ...Read more