This would be pure "from scratch" if you had time to peel and dice the tomatoes but if you had that much time why would you be here? Oh, you say the recipes are great even without the quick & easy? You're so nice.

2 stalks celery, chopped (l cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, Italian style, undrained
8 oz medium peeled cooked shrimp
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup water
Ground black pepper
Slivered fresh basil
Focaccia wedges

In a large saucepan cook celery and onion in hot oil just until tender. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. Add shrimp, cream, and water. Heat just until hot. Season to taste with pepper.

Ladle into bowls, top with basil and serve with focaccia wedges.

Here in South Carolina it’s in the 90’s today so it makes me feel a bit more comfortable to give you a chilled soup recipe – a lovely one, too.

1 hard-boiled egg yolk
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup chilled sour cream
1 large seedless cucumber chilled, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into 'j,-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup chilled buttermilk, well-shaken

Using a fork, mash together yolk and vinegar to form a smooth paste. Stir in sour cream until smooth. In a blender puree cuke, mint & salt with the buttermilk until smooth. Add this puree to the sour cream mixture in a stream, whisking -you do have whiskers, don't you; - or would it be better say "whisk-ers"? - until well-blended.

Serve in chilled bowls. Lovely.

The sausage here may give this tasty soup enough kick for most, but if you're a spice freak add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper; tht's what I would do.

1 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz chorizo sausage (about 2) cut into small dice
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 can (15 oz) each great northern beans & red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, un-drained
1 large potato, scrubbed and diced really fine
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Heat oil in a good sized sauce pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes,stirring occasionally.

Add the chorizo and stir it around with the onions for 3 or 4 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water, beans, tomatoes [with their juice], potato, carrot and oregano. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove the cover and simmer on high for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir evry 2 or 3 minutes and when it's ready serve immediately.

This soup is delicious hot or cold, and solves that perennial problem of what to do when you remember you bought avocados last week and now they’re too squishy to cut up for a salad or anything else so you decide to trash them but you remember this recipe and make it and receive great cheers and huzzahs. (Pretty long sentence, eh?)

4 cups chicken broth
2 really ripe, large Haas avocados
2 cups half-and-half (“light cream” to you Brits)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper 1/2 cup dry sherry
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Heat the chicken broth until hot, not boiling. Set aside.

Cut ‘cado in half, toss the pit and scoop out the pulp. Place in the food processor or blender, and purée. Turn off the blender and pour in the whipping cream, followed by the hot chicken broth, cumin, salt, white pepper, sherry and lemon juice. Pulse a few times, just until mixture is blended. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve immediately, or chill to serve later.

Sure, you can use water instead of beer, but you’d better have a darn good reason; the soup won’t have the same sharpness but it’ll still be very tasty.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (12 fluid oz each) evaporated milk
1 cup beer
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Toppings: crumbled cooked bacon, sliced green onions, croutons

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Add evaporated milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat; stir in beer, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and cayenne pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Season with salt. Serve with toppings - or don't.

Not many soups are ready as fast as this one; not many as tasty, either.

1 pint fresh small oysters
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups milk, warmed
1 cup heavy or whipping cream, warmed
Salt and white pepper to taste
sprinkling gound mace

Drain the oysters (freeze the liquor for another recipe – that stuff’s too expensive to toss).

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the oysters, and allow them to absorb the butter over gentle heat, 30 seconds.

Add the milk and cream. Season with salt, white pepper, and mace. Heat the soup slowly, stirring gently, just until the edges of the oysters begin to curl. Don’t let it boil. Taste for salt and white pepper. Serve at once.

You have a choice: (A) increase the amount of pecans you roast or (B) resist the urge to eat a handful before the soup is ready. Not really such a tough choice, is it?

1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 to 3 large carrots, sliced very thin (about 1 & 3/4 cups)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 2 cups water
For pecans 2 Ybsp pecans, chopped coarse
1 tsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a saucepan cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 3 or 4 minutes. Add carrots, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring another minute.

Add water and simmer mixture, covered, 20 minutes, or until carrots are very tender.

While carrot soup is simmering spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the middle of your oven about 8 minutes, or until fragrant (a really wonderful aroma)and a little darker.

Remove to a bowl and toss with butter and salt to taste – if you knew how tempting those nuts would be you’d have roasted extra so you could nosh while waiting for the soup.

When soup is done, puree it in your blender until smooth, then pour into bowls and top with pecans, assuming some are left.

By now you know that “Banzo” is my shortening of “garbanzo” (don’t like 3-syllable ingredients). I’m sure you also know that they’re also called “chick peas” and are the main ingredient in hummus dip. But, I’ll bet you didn’t know this way to use them or what you were missing.

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
I Onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 & 1/4 qt canned vegetable stock
2 & 1/2 cups finely chopped or shredded potatoes
1 14 ozcan chick-peas, drained
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 Cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp light tahine
3 & 1/2 cups triple-washed, packaged spinach, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a 4-5 quart saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and golden brown.

Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute.

Add the stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the banzos and simmer for 5 minutes more or until the potatoes are just tender.

Blend together the cornstarch, cream, tahini, and seasoning. Stir into the soup with the spinach and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (easy does it!) to taste.

Prep time and cook time on this quick and easy Chinese specialty should total less than ten minutes. Wow! And, vegans, just move along to another quick & easy; nothing here for you.

4 oz boneless chicken breast meat
4 oz honey-roasted ham
4 oz shelled medium shrimp
3 cups chicken stock
chopped scallions, to garnish

Slice the chicken breast very thin and chop ham into small pieces. If the shrimp are large, cut them in half lengthwise.

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil. Add the chicken, ham, and shrimp and return to a boil. Add salt to taste and simmer for I minute. and ladle into bowls.

”Zoopa” is Italian for “soup”, or at least that’s what my Italian friend. Joe, calls it. Whatever you choose to call it, I think it’s sure to become a favorite.

1/4 cup Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, in puree
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Heat the dressing and broth in large saucepan on medium heat. Add chicken and cook 3 min., stirring once.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, macaroni and basil and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 8 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Sprinkle with cheese.

Whew, that was really hard!

"Basic" suggests "options". Make it just as the recipe directs or for "un-basic" add broken-up pasta, cooked chicken chunks, peas instead of beans, haricot verts - What? You know, those extra-skinny green beans with the fancy French name - or whatever you think the "basic" needs. Actually, I think you'll be very happy if you just follow the recipe.

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 32-oz container vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth
1 l5-oz can cannellini (or other white) beans
1 l5-oz can kidney beans
1 9-or l6-oz package frozen green beans
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 5-oz bag fresh spinach or one 10-oz box frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup (2 oz) grated Parmesan
Crusty bread to serve with the soup

In a large pot, over medium heat, bring the tomatoes and their liquid to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth, white beans, and kidney beans and bring to a simmer.

Add the green beans and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and spinach and stir until wilted. It's ready.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the Parmesan serve with the bread. That's a meal in abowl.

Lots of ingredients in this mighty meaty soup. but nothing exotic and they all go together fast so you can still proudly put in on the table in about half-an-hour.

8 oz extra-lean ground beef
8 oz uncooked ground turkey breast
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 carrots, coarsely shredded
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups lower-sodium beef broth
2 14-1/2-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp snipped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
2 tsp snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 medium potatoes, chopped (2 cups)

In in a Dutch oven – that’s a big, heavy pot with a lid - cook beef, turkey, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add beef broth, undrained tomatoes, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; stir in potatoes. reduce heat.

Cover; simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. If desired, garnish with additional sage.

The secret is in the stirring: slow and in the same direction. You can do it.

4 cups prepared chicken stock, plus 2 Tbsp
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 green onions, chopped, including ends (optional)
Salt and white pepper, to taste

Bring soup stock, grated ginger and soy sauce to a boil.

While waiting for the boil in a small cup. combine the cornstarch and 2 Tbsp of chicken stock. Stir until dissolved.

Slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring the stock, until thickened. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Pour in the eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction. The egg will spread and feather. Turn off the heat and add the green onions, assuming you like green onions. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

I hope you're not one of those turkey-just-at-Thanksgiving people. It's good, it's often cheap. And it encourages you to make sweet potatoes - so VERY good for you. And left-over or canned sweets are what this recipe is all about.

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced paper-thin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 16-oz cans chicken broth
1 40-oz can sweet potatoes, drained, OR 2 cups mashed baked sweet potatoes
6 large fresh sage leaves
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
½ cup whipping cream or milk, (optional)

Melt butter in a large pan. Add onion and garlic; cook over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes.

Add broth and sweet potatoes. Cover; heat to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 to io minutes.

Transfer to a blender; add sage, black pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth. Blend in cream or milk if desired.

That took, what...15 minutes?

Orzo? What's that?

You Know, those tiny pastas that look like rice with a bad case of the "bloats".

1/4 c. diced celery
1/4 c. diced onion
2 qt. chicken stock
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
2 oz. orzo
1 & 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 bag baby spinach, torn or chopped
1 tomato, chopped
5 fresh basil leaves 1 lemon

Saute celery and onion over medium heat for five minutes. Add chicken stock and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add tomato, basil, spinach and chicken. Continue cooking another 3 minutes or so until heated through.

Remove from stove, and add juice from lemon. It’s Soup and it’s GOOD

No oregano, noodles not orzo so definitely not “Italian Wedding Soup”. But ginger, soy sauce and ramen noodles so “Asian”. Ok?

Meatballs:

8 oz lean ground beef or beef and pork
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
White from 1 large egg
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced garlic

Soup:

5 cups water
1 bag (16 oz) fresh broccoli florets and baby carrots
2 pkg (3 oz each) Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup with seasoning pkts
6 oz fresh snow peas, stems and strings removed (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 tsp dark Oriental sesame oil

Garnish: Sliced scallions

Start Boiling water to a gentle boil in a 4 or 5-qt pot.

Cut each carrot in half lengthwise and again lengthwise. Add to boiling water, cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes until almost tender.

Use that time to mix meatball ingredients until well blended. Place on waxed paper and pat into a 6-in. square. Cut in 36 1-in. squares.

When carrots have softened add meatballs to pot, 1 at a time and stir in contents of seasoning packets and broccoli. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 6 to 7 minutes until all veggies are tender.

Break each block of noodles in 4 pieces. Add to soup and cook, stirring to separate strands, about 1 minute.

Stir in snow peas and boil gently 2 minutes or until noodles are tender and peas turn bright green.

Stir in sesame oil, remove from heat, garnish servings with scallions and present this very special soup to your lucky eaters.

Why would you pay $4 for a single serving of canned “gourmet” soup when you can make it better and cheaper yourself? So do it.

1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup chopped onion (from a jar)
1 tsp minced garlic (from a jar)
2 14 oz cans crushed or chopped tomatoes pre-seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano (no pre-seasoned ones to be found? Add ½ tsp basil, garlic and oregano to plain tomatoes)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup 2% or whole milk or half-and-half (I say, go for ½ & ½)
1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
Croutons, for garnish, optional

Heat the oil in a 4'/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Peel and finely chop the onion, and add it to the pot. Stir and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, stir and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the tomato sauce and raise the heat to high, bringing the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the milk and Parmesan cheese and cook for 2 minutes. Stir. (Don’t boil the soup after the milk has been added.)

Remove from the heat and serve at once, garnished with croutons, if you like. And now for about the same money, you’re presenting your own fine product to four instead of “gourmet canned” to just one. Makes “cents” to me.

The title says it all - real borscht, really delicious in five minutes. And only spinach & kale beat beets in the antioxidant department.

1 14 oz can/jar sliced beets
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white ground pepper

In a food processor, puree beets (drained), broth, vinegar, sugar & pepper.

Serve at room temp with sour cream and chopped chives.

Plantains, as you probably know, look almost identical to bananas. But instead of buying the perfect yellow ones you want to buy grungy-looking, almost black ones to be sure they're ripe. Plantains are abundantly used in Cuban and other Carib cooking. This sweet soup is ridiculously easy and ridiculously delicious.

1 Tbsp butter
3 large ripe plantains, peeled and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch slices
4 cups water
Juice from 1/ 2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the plantains, flat side down, and saute until lightly browned on both sides and tender in the middle.

Remove and puree in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 cup of the water and transfer to a medium-size saucepan. Whisk in the remaining 3 cups water.

Add the lemon juice and place over medium-high heat until the soup reaches a low boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

This staple of most Greek restaurants is so good and those Greek guys are so proprietary that making it in under 10 minutes must never be revealed. Oops, I just revealed it. Sorry, guys.

8 cups chicken stock
l cup orzo pasta (tiny little stuff)
3 eggs
Juice of 1&1/2 large lemons (Real ones.)
salt and ground black pepper
Lemon slices, sliced very thin, to garnish

Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, then add the pasta and boil slowly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, beat the eggs in a large bowl until foamy, about 2 minutes, then add the lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of cold water. Slowly stir in two ladles full of the hot chicken stock.

Return this mixture to the pasta & stock, still off the heat and stir well. Season lightly with salt and pepper and serve at once, garnished with lemon slices.

CAUTION: Once the eggs have been added don't let the soup boil or it will curdle.

It’s pretty hard to find real andouille sausage but it’s worth trying. It makes this a more “authentic” Cajun one-dish meal.(And don't forget to start the rice before getting into this very quick cooking recipe.)

1/4 lb andouille sausage, sliced (Polish or smoked sausage is ok)
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes with liquid
1 tsp Cajun-style seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 cup thawed frozen cut okra

Heat a large nonstick skillet and add sausage & bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes. Add shrimp and seasonings; sauté 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 or 2 minutes until shrimp are cooked through. Serve over rice.

Don't worry about the garlic; there's not enough in this quick and easy soup to even keep a vampire away. You do know they hate garlic and mirrors, don't you?

1 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 16-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 small rib of celery, chopped fine
1 & 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup spicy or regular tomato juice
Salt

Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook gently, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes.

Add celery and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add drained chickpeas, chicken broth, and tomato juice. Cover; heat to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently until vegetables are soft, 10 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender; puree. Add salt to taste.

Emeril or Chef Paul might sneer at a soup this quick and easy, but I'll bet if they tasted it they would smile and eat it all.

1 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
4 oz chicken andouille sausage, sliced
1 14½-oz can diced tomatoes
2 14½-oz cans chicken broth
1/2 cup instant rice
1 to 2 tsp Creole seasoning
1/4 tsp each ground red and ground black pepper
Salt
1/2 lb frozen medium-sized cooked shrimp

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until sausage begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their liquid, broth, rice, and Creole seasoning and red pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste. Heat to boil; reduce heat. Simmer 2 minutes; add shrimp. Simmer 3 more minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings and serve. It's that simple, quick and easy.

Here's a hot weather special that doesn't even require turning on the stove.

It's based on a recipe by the late chef and food writer, James Beard. Famous chefs do sometimes create quick and easy recipes.

Double all ingredients for four (or triple for six, or...oh, you know)

1 can tomato soup
1 & 1/2 Cup sour cream
1 tsp. finely chopped basil
1 Tbsp granulated onion (or powder)
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Several ice cubes
Chopped parsley (for garnish)

Place everything but the parsley into your blender and give it a ten second spin - don't forget to put the lid on unless you want a red ceiling.

Pour into chilled mugs, sprinkle parsley on top and serve. See - no cooking.

Just three main ingredients - onions, cream & chicken stock. Don't let that fool you - when this soup is served no one will imagine how easy it was.

But don't cheat by using a substitue for butter - that's what makes this soup so special.

5 medium-sized yellow onions
2 14 oz cans chicken stock
2/3 Cup whipping cream
1/2 Cup unsalted butter

Cut the onions in quarters (hold your breath and you won't cry) and process them briefly in your processor. Stir the onions into the melted butter in a deep frying pan over low heat. Cover the pan and cook gently until very soft, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat to cool down a bit before pureeing them in your blender (in two batches).

Pour the puree into a large sauce pan, stir in the whipping cream and reheat but don't boil. Salt and pepper to taste and fill those bowls.

Add crisp croutons and a sprinkle of parsley to each bowl of this heavenly soup and wait for the compliments.

In southern Italy this is usually pronounced "pasta fajhool" (also on the Sopranos). However you say it, it means easy, quick and delicious.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 30 oz can crushed Italian tomatoes in
puree 1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 14 oz can chicken stock
2 16 oz cans small white beans
1/2 lb small (ditalini or elbow macaroni Salt, pepper & grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

Start the salted water boiling in a large sauce pan.

Briefly chop the onion and garlic in your mini-processor. Add this to the olive oil in a Dutch oven (heavy pan with high sides) and saute (stir around) for 3 or 4 minutes.

The pasta water should be boiling now so add the ditalini or macaroni to boil gently for 5 minutes.

Stir into the softened onions the stock and tomatoes and as much dried red pepper flakes as you like and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Drain and add the pasta to the soup and simmer for the final 15 minutes. (That's about thirty minutes total for a great dish - not bad.)

Salt & pepper to taste and serve in large soup plates with grated parmesan and crusty white bread on the side.

Another hot weather soup that will produce massive complements. And your nutritionist will be very happy about the avocados.

Important! - plan ahead, like I always do(Hah!), and put the 'cados and the can of soup in the fridge with the cream and the half-and-half in the morning so when you make the soup later it's immediately cold and ready for the table.

2 Cups peeled and sliced avocados
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1/2 tsp onion juice or minced onion
1 Cup half & half
1 Cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
Seasonings & Garnish

Puree the first 3 ingredients in your processor and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the next 3 ingredients plus salt & pepper to the bowl and stir until smooth.

If the liquids were cold when you built this dish it's ready to serve, otherwise chill it in the fridge.

Garnish with whatever - parsley and chopped scallions, anyone?

It can be yours, too, if you like quick, easy and really good - if I may say so myself.

1 lb button or cremini mushrooms
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 14 oz can chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp Sherry
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt

Put everything in your blender and blend until almost smooth - very important that "almost".

Heat it and eat it. Now how easy was that?