Potato

If you can't find haricots verts--thin French string beans--buy the slenderest green beans you can find. Pack the prepared potatoes and beans separately, then arrange them on a platter when you reach your destination.

If you choose to make this hash with eggs, you’ve got breakfast. Take away the eggs, pair it with a green salad, and dinner is served.

For a more substantial salad, add one cup chopped cooked chicken breast or one cup drained flaked tuna.

Store-bought potato chips, heated to crisp and refresh, would make this a very quick hors d'oeuvre.

"For our anniversary, my husband and I went to Fiddle Heads in nearby Buffalo — a restaurant that’s always our first choice for special occasions," says Noreen Flynn of Kenmore, New York. "The chicken with mashed potatoes and greens I had last time was terrific; it would even be good enough to serve to guests during the holidays." Marinate the chicken overnight to make the most of the fresh herbs — their flavors will infuse the meat, with delicious results.

(GIGOT D'AGNEAU AUX POMMES DE TERRE ET OIGNONS)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In making this omelet, the key is in the movement of the skillet, which must be positioned and repositioned over the heat to evenly color the side, top, and bottom of the omelet. A non-stick skillet is essential.

A spectacular, satisfying side dish that's a quick and easy partner for sausages, grilled steaks or roast lamb.

Mustard greens, increasingly common in supermarkets today, cook as quickly as fresh spinach. Their assertive taste is terrific here in a warming winter soup.

Aromatic spice and herb blends can quickly turn an ordinary soup recipe into something extraordinary. Here they transform a basic carrot soup into a special concoction you'll crave again and again. So start utilizing the "cook once, eat twice" theory; just freeze half of the recipe or make a double batch whenever possible.

Market tip: Go for Dungenesse crab from the Pacific coast or blue crab from the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic coast.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Hummus, a dip/spread traditional in many Middle Eastern countries, is usually made with chick-peas (garbanzo beans), but we use white beans for a change of pace. It is delicious with steamed potatoes and artichokes as well as blanched broccoli, cauliflower and green beans.