Saute

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

This is a great entrée for entertaining or for a special weeknight dinner for your family. Either way, no one except you will know how easy it is to make. And your secret is safe with us.

Charmaine Haravey of Niwot, Colorado, writes: "I love spending my days in the mountains. It's one of the reasons that I moved to Boulder County. But since I started my new job, I don't have as much time to hike, ski, or enjoy my other favorite activity — cooking. Spending time in the kitchen has now become a luxury. Instead of making a complete meal in the evening, I prepare 'single-girl food' — namely cookies, grilled sandwiches, and egg dishes. But I don't use that expression negatively. For me, grilled cheese sandwiches are the ultimate comfort food."

A hearty Moroccan-style one-dish meal.

(Tonno alla Livornese) Of the countless preparations for tuna that diners will run across in coastal towns in Tuscany, this one is the most well known. It comes from Livorno, a populous port famous for its seafood restaurants. Simple and quick to put together, the dish combines the best of the area, from the delicious red tuna available mostly in spring and summer to the tomatoes that have become a hallmark of all of Italy. The sauce begins with a trito, a mixture of aromatic vegetables. Ripe tomatoes, a bay leaf and plenty of fresh basil complete it.

Skillet-toasted fresh breadcrumbs tossed with Parmesan cheese add crunch to this terrific side dish.

The tortilla strips need to dry overnight, so begin making this one day ahead.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

"As a student at Bloomsburg University, I spent many Sunday afternoons at Russell’s restaurant in downtown Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania," writes Marganne Hoffman of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. "A decade after graduating, I still crave their cheddar-crusted broccoli soup. I would be thrilled if the owners would share the recipe—and so would my family." The stems and florets are added to the soup separately so that the stems will cook until tender and the florets won’t overcook.

These can be cooked two hours ahead, then rewarmed in the oven just before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This may not be as good as a true foie gras, but it's similar enough in flavor for a dish that costs only pennies to make. Not only can the pâté be served on toast — it can also serve as a finish for a classic Beef Wellington or enhance a stuffing or a meat loaf.

Cemitas de Carne Enchilada A cemita is an oversize, slightly sweet, sesame seed bun that gives this Pueblan sandwich its name. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

Mark Taylor of West Hartford, Connecticut, writes: "I started cooking out of necessity when I first graduated from college, since I couldn't afford to eat out. Having grown up watching my mother cook for our large family, I used her recipes. She was always trying new dishes whenever we had guests and sharing her adventurous attitude toward eating. These days, even though my wife and I both work, we still cook several times a week. Now I tend to rely on recipes I've picked up from restaurants and friends. I enjoy experimenting with different ingredients and figuring out new ways to improve a recipe, as I've done with the one here." Serve the fish and sauce over couscous.