Nut

This dish is what I call a “Retro Metro.” Back in the day, Chicken Divan—poultry, poulet sauce, broccoli, and mushrooms—was a continental cuisine staple. As a special treat, my mom would take me to NYC to the Magic Pan for Chicken Divan Crepes. This is an easy cosmopolitan update on the classic. The broccoli is swapped out for asparagus and the preparation time is reduced. Enjoy!

Do you have trouble making up your mind? How does this sound: grilled meat, salad, take-out Thai food, and pizza, all in one meal? There are no special ingredients required; you can get them all in the regular market and have this pizza on the table in less time than it would take the delivery man to get to your door.

You can make this dish again, subbing cubed white or dark meat chicken for the lamb if you have extra spice blend on hand.

Make a Thanksgiving dinner, Southwestern style, any night of the year with this stuffing shortcut.

This is my favorite fish dish in the book. Try it and you’ll taste why.

With veggies and pasta in one dish, there’s no need to make any sides—plus, you only have to wash one pot!

Polpette are baby meatballs and these are stuffed with a pine nut (buttery, slightly crunchy surprise) and a currant or raisin (to keep the meat moist).

Serve all of these variations with tomato and onion salad or mixed greens and some good bread.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

I was in an Albertson’s grocery store in Park City, Utah, and picked up a sack of chipotle-coated raw cashews and started eating them while I was still shopping. WOW—were they ever good! I read the ingredients for the coating and used it to make a Western-style chicken and vegetable stir-fry.