Weeknight Meals

At the restaurant, this pizza is made with smoked chicken, but turkey is easier to get and works just as well.

The following tsimmes with beets, turnips, carrots, and meat came from Vilna to Brooklyn earlier in this century. When I make this for my family I do not tell the children that it includes beets and turnips. For some unknown reason they never ask me how the dish became so red. They love it.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Basil mayonnaise and avocado slices add an extra dimension to the good old bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Bloody Marys would go nicely with the food in this menu.

Great with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

The pancetta and cheese rind give this soup a rich, almost creamy flavor. We removed the stems from the Swiss chard, but if you don't want to waste them, feel free to put them in the soup as well: Once the leaves are sliced, chop the stems and add them to the soup along with the leaves.

The cumin really enhances this dish. Cook this spice with the onions to bring out its aroma. Lemon juice brightens the flavors while honey softens them.

The wine glaze both balances the natural sweetness of the beets and intensifies the savory beet flavor. In Tuscany, this is a favorite side dish for game and fowl.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This sandwich goes well with macaroni salad and sweet-potato chips. Scoop strawberry ice cream into waffle cones afterward.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Short Ribs Provençale with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes.

A delicate starter with a velvety texture. Market Tip: Freshly picked cauliflower is sweeter than the supermarket variety (and, when cooked, doesn't release the sulfurous smell that older cauliflower does).

Helena Seefranz of Rockaway, New Jersey, writes: "My mother, Ethel Lang Kelemen, was born in Hungary. She taught my older sister and me how to prepare many Hungarian dishes, but my favorite is chicken paprikas. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does."

Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, is traditionally made with long-cooked beef stock. Our quick version calls for deli sliced beef and canned beef broth instead.<

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Rice pilaf and roasted vegetables are good choices for side dishes. Using purchased pesto makes this dish a snap to prepare.

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.