Blender

This Szechwan dish is traditionally made with toasted sesame paste, but peanut butter has been substituted here with good results. One secret of this light but flavorful rendition is to dress the noodles just before serving them. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"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.

Puréed ancho chilies lend a rich, sweet, and only mildly hot flavor to this chili. To make a hotter dish, do not remove the veins or seeds from the chilies. If anchos or similar dried chilies are not readily available, substitute one roasted and peeled red bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes when puréeing.

This cake should not be assembled until just before serving.

A thick, rich soup that's very satisfying on a cold day, especially with warm tortillas or biscuits alongside.

Pipián Verde con Pollo Serve with Classic Red Rice and tortillas.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At Erna’s Elderberry House the ravioli-like dumplings are prepared with homemade pasta, but wonton wrappers make an easy substitute.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.