Soup/Stew

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Plantain Soup This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Rice sticks turn up in soups in many parts of Asia. This recipe was inspired by an aromatic soup offered at Bo Ky, a Vietnamese noodle parlor on Bayard Street in New York City.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

A colorful one-dish meal with lots of flavor. If you like things spicy, use the larger amount of cayenne pepper.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe is adapted from George Lang's book The Cuisine of Hungary.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The cooking water for these beans becomes a flavorful broth to serve them in.

"I literally didn't know how to boil an egg until I was in my 20s — when I tried to impress a guy by making dinner for him," writes Sally Siegel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I didn't have much success with the dinner or the guy, but I regrouped and put together a repertoire of fairly elegant dishes I felt confident making. Luckily, my husband, Loren, likes to cook as much as I do, so we really work as a team when we give dinner parties. We're both real estate agents, and we like to entertain clients — we've made some great friends by selling houses to them." Silky and light, this blender soup would make a delicate summer starter. Bonus: It comes together very quickly.