Vegetarian

With this recipe in your repertoire, you’ll be tempted to start a weekend tradition of serving waffles for a special breakfast treat. Double the recipe when you have guests or so you’ll have waffles to freeze for quick breakfasts later on.

Assemble the ingredients for this oatmeal in the slow cooker before you go to sleep, and a heart-healthy breakfast reminiscent of apple pie will await you in the morning. Unless you have a large family, you’ll even have enough left over for another breakfast later in the week.

Ready in no time, this chunky and spicy soup requires very little cleanup.

This hefty snack cake gives you a double dose of carrots—such a scrumptious way to eat your vegetables!

Adding fresh apple gives this gingerbread a deep sweetness.

You’ll know the holidays have arrived when the spicy aroma of gingerbread cookies fills your home!

A rustic whole-wheat biscuit topping complements the lightly sweetened fruit of this homey dessert.

For a flavor change, replace beef or chicken broth with this tasty, so-easy-to-make broth. If you have extra broth, see the Cook’s Tip on Freezing Broth (page 51).

Sliced almonds add crunch to the crumbles topping plump slices of sweet, firm-fleshed nectarines in this fragrant dessert.

Spoon sliced peaches or nectarines and caramel topping over these extra-creamy flans for a special treat.

Terrific all by itself, this lemon cream is even more delicious with a double dose of raspberries, plus gingersnaps and lemon zest.

By roasting bell peppers instead of using the bottled roasted variety, you will cut a lot of sodium from these crostini, or “little toasts.” For an attractive presentation, arrange the hors d’oeuvres in a pinwheel design on a serving platter.

Sautéed mixed mushrooms become delectable appetizers when you combine them with garlic, feta, and horseradish sauce, then use the filling in flaky mini phyllo shells.

Bananas are a good source of potassium, which is an important nutrient for lowering blood pressure. These bananas, enhanced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, crown brown rice pudding, which is served barely warm.

Easy enough for weeknights and special enough for guests, this dessert pairs cool and creamy ricotta cheese with liqueur-soaked fruits. You can substitute two cups of almost any other fruit you like, and you may want to try other flavors of liqueur as well.

This spicy mixture is delicious on cucumber rounds or unsalted baked corn tortillas.

Bananas Foster goes tropical with the addition of pineapple and toasted coconut.

For a double dose of spice, serve this “scent-sational” dip with crisp gingersnaps. The combination is perfect as a slightly sweet appetizer or a bite of quick dessert.

Fear of falling? Not with these frosty, airy soufflés.

Adding horseradish to sour cream and dill gives you a dip with zip!