Jill Silverman Hough

Because it's such a tender cut, pork tenderloin is relatively quick-cooking—and it's impressive to serve. Add steamed rice to complete the meal.

Supermarket roast chicken can be easily dressed up, as in this lovely salad. Look for almond oil at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Why get takeout when you can make orange chicken so quickly at home?

Serve with warm tortillas. 1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over, patted dry

Don't be tempted to buy precrumbled goat cheese, despite the time savings—it won't melt as well.

This dish requires just four ingredients (aside from oil, salt, and pepper). Serve with an arugula salad.

Start making the dough one day in advance; it needs to be refrigerated overnight.

It's the classic brunch dish—in salad form. Frisée, edamame, radishes, and red onions are sprinkled with prosciutto, then topped with a poached egg and hollandaise.

The fried eggs add extra unctuousness to a clever carbonara.

Six ingredients yield big dividends. Be sure to use a good-quality fruity olive oil.

All the flavors of the cold Spanish soup—in a chunky salsa. The secret ingredient here is smoked paprika, which is now available in the spice section of many supermarkets. That variety is slightly sweet, but a hot version (available at specialty foods stores) can be used instead, if you want more heat.

The chutney is macerated in vinegar and sugar, creating a syrupy sauce that also softens the fruit.

Crunchy, creamy, and just a little spicy (thanks to the wasabi).

When preserving ripe tomatoes, it's important to add bottled lemon juice to make sure the mixture is safe for canning. Bottled lemon juice is used instead of fresh because it has a consistent acidity. We prefer the flavor of organic; look for it at natural foods stores.

The combination of three varieties of apples gives this applesauce sweet-tart flavor and great texture.

This sweet-savory condiment is delicious with roasted or grilled meats.

Brown sugar gives this pear butter a caramel-like flavor.

Mix this relish into tuna or chicken salad, or serve with burgers or hot dogs.

Brandy adds a little kick to this jam. Spread on toast or serve with a cheese plate.

Small wedges of this luscious, superchocolaty cake go a long way.