30 Minutes or Less

"Because I love to cook, I'll use any excuse to make dinner for my family or friends. Most of the recipes I concoct are partly based on how the ingredients look—presentation is very important to me," Dave Purdy of Hopewell, New Jersey. "Here, I combined celery root with Swiss chard because the colors and textures contrast so nicely." This tangy side dish would be good with roasted poultry or meat.

A simple salad with a tangy dressing-perfect for and April picnic.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

The poblano chilies can be prepared one day ahead, and the vegetables can be chopped and sliced one day ahead and then refrigerated separately in resealable plastic bags. Then the whole dish just requires a few minutes of cooking time before serving.

Personalize these pizzas after cooking them by adding your favorite toppings, such as prosciutto, basil, arugula, or roasted vegetables. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Irish bacon, sliced and packaged, is increasingly available at supermarkets. If you find it at the butcher counter, ask the butcher to slice it into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

If you trim and blanch the green beans and turnips one day ahead of time, this dish will come together in just minutes.

An easy version of the famous Cobb salad.

Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, writes: "I've been a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off three times, so I'm something of an expert at cooking with prepared doughs and bread mixes. Even though these items are simple to use, many people don't venture beyond the package directions. For each contest, I experimented with dozens of recipes, and some of my favorites have been breakfast dishes and desserts. Nowadays I don't enter as many competitions as I used to, but my family still looks forward to my latest creations." A quick breakfast using prepared dough.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. When blood oranges are out of season, you can use any type of seedless orange.

If you are using a single 12-inch nonstick skillet for this recipe, make the red cabbage and onions first. Transfer to a heated serving bowl and cover to keep warm, then clean skillet and cook salmon. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min

This is one of the few recipes that works better in a microwave than a conventional oven. The mild-flavored squash gets its name from the fact that the interior, when cooked, separates into a glorious golden tangle of long spaghetti-like strands. That intriguing texture goes well with a Moroccan-inspired combination of supermarket spices. The larger the spaghetti squash, the thicker and more flavorful the strands.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min