Carrot

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Vegetable broth is rich and delicious when made correctly. The peels add color and vitamins, and the mushrooms lend great flavor. There are many varieties of veggie broth in cans too. Try both homemade and canned. You also can substitute canned chicken broth for the Fresh Vegetable Broth in any recipe.

Asparagus heralds spring! It still may be a little early, but as the asparagus season moves along, the stalks will be less woody.

The glaze can be made a day ahead; it is intensely flavored, so use it sparingly. Take the roast out of the fridge one hour before cooking. What to drink: Merlot or Australian Shiraz.

It appears on your plate wrapped up like a present. But there's more to this dish than pretty presentation. When you bake salmon, potatoes, and fresh herb-sprinkled vegetables in parchment paper, something magical happens. Nestled in the package, the ingredients cook in their own juices. And when you snip the papillote open, dinner reveals itself in a cloud of aromatic steam. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Cooking Time: 6 hours on HIGH plus another 6 hours on LOW
Slow Cooker Size: 5 quart There will be no leftovers. This recipe will make you fall in love with your slow cooker. Your house will be perfumed with the aromas of southern France. Enjoy!

Trimming all corners and ragged edges from the carrots and potatoes is very Japanese; rounded edges also ensure even cooking. In Japan we used metal molds to cut our carrots into plum blossoms for a seasonal motif. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but may require additional sitting time.<P> This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101927"Grilled Chicken Wings with Two Thai Sauces</epi:recipeLink>.<P>You'll need to marinate this salad for at least 2 hours so that the flavors have a chance to develop.

Roast these up to four hours ahead; put them in to reheat when the prime rib is done.

"My wife, Jean, and I run a coffee farm on the Big Island of Hawaii," writes George Fike of Keauhou Mauka, Hawaii. "I really love to cook, so we entertain a lot, and I enjoy planning the dinners as much as I do making them. I tell people the best restaurant in town is our house! Since I do most of the cooking, recipes must either be relatively fast or look after themselves." Based on George's mother's recipe, this is an easy, moist, and tender carrot cake with delicate tropical flavors and macadamia nuts. There are a lot of ingredients, but they come together in just minutes.

To cut down on prep time, use cooked lobster meat, available in some fish markets and supermarkets, or follow the directions below for cooking frozen lobster tails.