Basil

This burger gets its inspiration from Italy’s insalata caprese, which is a simple yet totally delicious layering of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomato slices, and basil leaves. Basically, I just transplant that salad onto a burger. Because it is so simple, it is of the utmost importance that each ingredient be in its prime. That means only the ripest, tastiest tomatoes, the freshest, creamiest mozzarella, and the brightest green basil will do. (If you can find it, make this burger with milky buffalo mozzarella for a delicious and authentically Italian treat.) All it takes to dress this Italian trifecta is a splash of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

This fantastically easy recipe utilizes bottled sun-dried tomato pesto to cut your prep time.

Bottled peanut satay sauce is a convenient way to add the traditional Thai flavor combination of basil, peanut, and coconut to your cooking.

To vary this flavorful dish, serve the sauce over another kind of pasta or brown rice.

Roasting vegetables usually takes 45 minutes or longer. The technique we use here takes only 15 minutes, yet provides excellent slow-roasted flavor. For a change, omit the pasta and serve the vegetables as a side dish.

When the French cook en papillote, they steam the food in cooking parchment. Here we use aluminum foil to provide the same results. Both preparation and cleanup are super quick.

The fresh herbs in this salad add an exotic flavor that’s reminiscent of Mediterranean favorites.