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Prepare a delicious meal in just 30 minutes? You can do it.

Donna Deane of The Times' Test Kitchen shows you how, as you follow along with the recipe and video demonstration.



The Power of Ginger and Basil
Although Three Cup Chicken is named for its three liquid ingredients--sesame oil, rice wine and soy sauce--its enticing aroma is what attracts your attention.

Hot Tip: Prepare the Skillet
Pair perfectly-seared scallops with a crusty French baguette. All you'll need are some sweet nectarines laced with a little Grand Marnier to complete the meal.

Omelet, Pizza Style
Portabello mushroom, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes--a pizza topping, right? But this combination works surprisingly well tucked inside an omelet.

A Swim Through Provence
Sole is a delicate fish that needs only a flash in the pan with butter and lemon to be delicious. When tomatoes and basil are at their best, they're perfect as an easy and elegant topping.

The Greening of the BLT
One of the best things about the classic BLT sandwich is its crunch. Here's one that's even crunchier, thanks to the an old-fashioned favorite: fried green tomatoes.

A Taste of the Islands
The "opposites attract" marriage of pineapple and pork gives Pineapple Salad With Grilled Mahi-Mahi this meal a special zest.

Have This Baby for Brunch
Topped with a mixture of summer berries and garnished with a dollop of whipped cream, an old-fashioned Dutch Baby pancake will delight any guest.

Cool From Start to Finish
Make an easy summer grain salad with an exotic flair. For protein, add tofu, which blends in subtly with the delicious herbs. Serve with pita bread and yogurt for dipping.

The More Swell Soft-Shell
Try an elegant version of the classic crab sandwich. Served open-faced with lettuce, tomato and aioli, it's a more dressed-up dish for a summer evening or an elegant lunch.

A Salad With Substance
A refreshing salad is hard to beat on a summer's night. But sometimes salad can be a bit light. Add heft and body with succulent gourmet bacon, chopped egg, crumbled feta and avocado.

It's No-Simmer Time, and the Sauce Is Easy
Fresh tomatoes are so incredible right now, who wants to cook them? This easy pasta dish combines ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, garlic and fresh mozzarella tossed with hot penne.

Meat and Tomatoes
Roasting cherry tomatoes, especially with a little garlic and olive oil, gives them a wonderful depth of flavor. Try combining them in a steak sandwich with crisp watercress dressed in a mustardy vinaigrette.

New Recipe for Ponzu: Just Open the Jar
Take five minutes to add a few ingredients to bottled ponzu sauce and you've got a great glaze for chicken. Serve this with stir-fried bok choy and steamed jasmine rice, and you've got a meal.

Summerize Your Shrimp
The sweet, tart and spicy dressing for this shrimp and avocado salad is a pick-me-up on a hot day, while the herbs in it are soothing. It's a good salad for summer meals.

Grill Steak, Grab Pancake
Spring onion pancakes are perfect for stuffing with grilled meats and vegetables. Just grill the meat and the pancakes, then have diners assemble the pancakes at the table. Buy some almond cookies and you have dessert.

Let's Panko That Crunchy Chicken
Pounded chicken is breaded with panko, Japanese bread crumbs that stay light and crunchy after frying. Served with a fresh herb pesto, a variation on traditional basil pesto, it's perfect for warmer weather.

Invite the Kernel for Scallop Salad
It's hard to resist the first corn of the season. But after you've eaten a few ears, try using corn creatively. This dish combines fresh corn with bell pepper and green onion to make a bed for seared scallops.

Burger à la Stroganoff
Bitoque is a French adaptation of bitok, a sort of Russian hamburger given a lighter texture with bread crumbs and served with sour cream sauce. Accompany it with matchstick potatoes and dandelion greens and serve fruit for dessert.

Hey, Waiter, There's Vodka in My Pasta
Adding a splash of wine to your pasta sauce is fairly common. But for something different, add vodka to a tomato sauce rich with cream and mascarpone cheese. A simple salad of butter lettuce and peppery radishes complements the dish.

Spring, and the Cooking Is Easy
For a burst-of-spring menu, make Sweet Pea and Wasabi Dip, Tofu With Shiitake Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy and Cherries With Plum Wine for dessert.

Tonight, It's Bacon and Eggs on Salad
Eggs for dinner? Why not? They're full of protein, versatile and super-fast to whip up. Use them to make a frittata--an Italian omelet--and add a variety of ingredients for a fusion of flavors.

Monday Night Pizzas
Mondays can be bad enough without hearing, "What's for dinner?" But with a pizza crust mix you can have a fast and freshly baked pizza without breaking a sweat.

Not Your Usual Bacon Pasta
Cook your pancetta and enjoy it in this pasta dish along with good bread and fresh grapes for dessert.

My Way--or the Thai Way
Thai food is very versatile, in addition to being good. Try pork (or tofu) and basil over extra-wide rice noodles. The result is a quick, one-dish meal.

This Comes From a Reliable Sauce
The key to this speedy shrimp dish is the cilantro sauce--a purée of fresh mint, cilantro and lime juice. Serve it hot, or prepare it ahead and chill it.

Bored With Pasta? Try Charding It
You may not know Swiss chard as well as, say, spinach, but combine this earthy green with pasta, and you have a fast and different dinner.

Stir-Fry Class: Hot Edamame
Edamame, or fresh soybeans, are often served at Japanese restaurants. But they're also easy to fix at home in a stir-fry.

Shell-Tossed Chunk Tuna
There are a few reasons to like tuna packed in olive oil. First, it's so moist. Second, it's so flavorful. And finally, it comes in really big chunks--a nice complement to pasta or gnocchi.

Crunching the Curry
Sometimes one extra step can make a difference in a dish. That's the case with this curried chicken. The little detail is in the toasted coconut garnish.

Tangerine Dream
When life hands you tangerines, make Tangerine-Marinated Pork With Stir-Fried Vegetables. Substitute chicken for the pork, if you prefer, and add your family's favorite vegetables.

Cool Evening, Warm Salad
Flexible and forgiving--that's this warm cabbage salad. Cabbage is hearty and sweet, and this dish is equally good without meat. Serve with thick slices of toasted country bread.

A Tropical Couscous
Couscous is so easy--it cooks in minutes and pairs nicely with many dishes. Here it's a good base for seared scallops, which have a delicate, buttery texture. Pineapple juice and roasted red peppers add color and tang.

The Weekday Cacciatore
Chicken Cacciatore, or Hunter's Chicken, is traditionally stewed for an hour or more. It's worth the wait if you have the time, but who does on a weeknight? This version reduces cooking time without sacrificing flavor.

Grilled Fish for the True Romantic
How to impress someone with a nice meal in a short amount of time? Serve grilled swordfish. It's impressive on the dinner plate--perfect for Valentine's Day.



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