Microwave

Soft goat cheese is a splendid spread for wraps, with a special affinity for red peppers.

I opted to make these only as soft tacos, as the filling is a bit too sensuous (a polite word for “messy”) for quesadillas. This is definitely a knife-and-fork dish.

The combination of sweet potatoes, chilies, and cheese is downright sensuous. Serve with Summer Squash and Corn Sauté (page 209) and a simple tossed salad.

In another super-easy, nearly instant tortilla recipe, chewy baked tofu stands in for chicken. You may not find this wonderful product in the supermarket; look for it in natural foods stores.

Here are those handy refried beans again, in a different guise. They help hold this tortilla specialty together.

I always keep a can or two of refried beans in the pantry and flour tortillas in the freezer for those nights when I am on the verge of reaching for a take-out menu. Even if you are bone-weary by dinnertime, these two ingredients are the ticket to nearly effortless yet highly satisfying meals such as this one and the following burritos.

If you’re feeding “meat-and-potatoes” kind of people, try this out on them. It’s quite hearty, but not so “meaty” that it would put off those who aren’t fans of meat substitutes.

Good Southern corn on the cob (available nearly all year around) served with these tasty kebabs results in a meal recalling outdoor summer barbecues. A sure cure for winter doldrums!

This is as luscious-tasting as it is nourishing.

A few choice ingredients contribute to this elegant potato salad. If you like goat cheese, you’ll love this one.

Nutritious sweet potatoes need little embellishment to make a flavorful soup. This one is made extra easy by microwaving the sweet potatoes ahead of time, sparing the cook from having to scrape and dice them. Just scoop, mash, and heat for a comforting, nearly-instant soup.

Our microwave polenta technique puts an end to nonstop stirring.

Savoring dark chocolate daily is linked to lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can lead to excess belly fat. Chocolate and flat abs? Fab.

No yolk: Egg whites and meringue cookies are virtually fat-free, making way for heavy cream in this chocolaty dish. And yet each portion comes in at only 234 calories.

Serve these pillowy rolls along with the ham and set out small bowls of your favorite mustards. Double the recipe for a large crowd—or, if you want to forgo baking your own, brush store-bought rolls with the egg wash, sprinkle with the caraway salt, and warm them in the oven.

Take a close look at the graveyard, and you might see a zombie rising from the dead—if you see a rotting hand reaching out from underground, you can be sure the rest of the zombie will soon follow. They're coming to get you… This delectable mud cupcake gives you a taste of the grave from the zombie's perspective. Remember to warn your guests that the hand is secured using a toothpick.

The three Ts of soy (TVP, Tofu, and Tempeh) join forces to create a protein-packed burger that will rock your socks off.

We're big fans of associate food editor Mary-Frances Heck's method for poaching eggs in the microwave.