World Recipes that are Quick and Easy in Any Language

If you're a hot 'n spicy fan this soup can be as hot as you like - just be sure everyone else feels the same. Worst case? They don't eat it so all of it is for you. Aw-w-w.

4 cans (14.5 oz each) low sodium beef broth
6 oz rice noodles
1 bag (5 oz) baby spinach
1 cup fresh basil leaves
16 thin slices (8 oz) deli roast beef, torn in strips
1 scallion, sliced diagonally in 1/4-in. pieces
2 tsp chili garlic sauce or chili oil
4 lime wedges

Put broth in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the noodles, reduce heat to medium-high and boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring in the spinach and basil leaves for the last minute of cooking time.

This Indonesian quick & easy will become one of everybody's favorite desserts, especially the kiddies.

2 large bananas, ripe but firm
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Peel the bananas and cut into bite-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.

Add the bananas, return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the bananas are tender but before they become mushy.

Go ahead, take a guess. Okay, it means "Better Than Take-Out". And it is, if you follow the recipe because it comes from an authentic Chinese person - come to think of it, I don't remember a Chinese take-out restaurant that wasn't run by an authentic Chinese person. Well, sorry, but I'm not changing the name.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Pinch sugar
Pinch salt
2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce plus more for drizzling
1/4 tsp sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1 Tbsp dry sherry
½ tsp jarred minced ginger root
1 tsp jarred minced garlic
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 large carrot, peeled and trimmed
1 rib celery
1 shallot bulb
3 to 4 scallions
2 Tbsp peanut oil
2 Tbsp low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup roasted, whole cashews

Cut the chicken into small chunks and place in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, ginger, garlic and black pepper; mix well and set aside. Cut the carrot, celery and shallot into 2-inch pieces, then into julienne strips. Cut the scallions crosswise into thin slices.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until it is almost smoking. Add a pinch of salt to the oil, then add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes, constantly smooshing them around. Transfer them to a plate and add the chicken to the hot skillet; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken broth and cook for 30 seconds, stirring to form a thin sauce.

A lot happens in a few minute, eh?

Add the veggies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, just to heat through.

I don't think you can be in Jamaica or any other Caribbean country for two meals before this appears on your plate, even if you didn't order it.

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
3/4 cup uncooked short grain rice
1 14-oz can vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 15-1/2-oz can small red beans, rinsed and drained
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
1 Tbsp snipped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

In a medium saucepan cook chopped onion and garlic in hot butter until onion is tender. Add rice: cook and stir constantly over medium heat about 5 minutes more or until rice is golden.

Add broth,coconut milk,beans, jalapeno pepper, thyme,salt and allspice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and mixture is creamy.

This pea, which is really a bean, garbanzo, that is, appears in the dishes of many countries. It's probably most familiar to fans of middle-eastern mainstay, hummus. If you have time to exceed our thirty minute limit, by, say, 5 or 10 minutes, try basmati rice which adds another exotic flavor to this quick dish. Of course, I'm sure some store somewhere sells "quick-cooking" Basmati if you care to search.

1 large onion, chopped coarsely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
2-15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), half of liquid reserved (or half disposed of,depending on your outlook)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp peanut butter
2 cups quick-cooking brown rice

Prepare rice & water and nuke for the prescribed time.

Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic in nonstick pot until slightly browned. Add cumin and cook about 30 seconds, or until spices start to emit wonderful smells and darken slightly.

Add chick peas and the reserved liquid. Add lemon juice and tomato paste and cook for about five minutes. Process half of this mixture in a blender for about 15-20 seconds. put it back into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, until heated through.

Finally, stir in the peanut butter and heat for another few minutes.

AND

This traditional UK version of Welsh Rabbit is especially appropriate for those of us who “enjoy” cold, blustery winters. However, it’s ok to whip up this quick and easy dish even if you're sweating out the summer.

1 lb good-quality shredded cheddar cheese,
2 (10-oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp white or black pepper
8 thick slices whole-grain bread
2 Tbsp snipped chives

Put cheese, tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce, onion, pepper in skillet and stir over medium heat until cheese is fully melted.

Remove skillet from heat for a minute or 2 so the cheese can firm up slightly.

Ladle mixture onto slices of toast and broil until tops start to bubble-but don't let them burn. Garnish with chives and serve hot.

Boy, what some raisins and cinnamon do for this dish! You'll love it.

3/4 lb bulk hot or mild Italian sausage
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups water
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1/3 cup raisins
1 14-1/2-oz can diced tomatoes

In a large pot,cook and stir sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink. Drain off fat and stir in cinnamon and allspice; cook for 1 minute.

Stir in water, kidney beans, and rainsins. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

While waiting, boil a pan of water and drop in a bag or two of quick cooking brown rice.

Time's up on the sausage so stir in tomatoes and heat for a couple minutes. Serve over the rice and get fancy: garnish each serving with snipped fresh parsley.

Here’s a quick and easy one-dish meal that you know is healthful. Because you made it – in about 25 minutes , start to finish.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
1 carton (8 oz) sliced mixed mushrooms
2 cans (141/2 oz each)chicken broth
1 package (12 oz) cooked chicken sausage
1 bag (16 oz baby carrots
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup light teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbsp water
'/2 pound angel hair, broken into thirds
Chives for garnish, optional

Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan. Add onion and sliced mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat about 7 minutes or until softened. Add broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil.

Cut sausage on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices and cut carrots in half, also on the diagonal. Add to saucepan along with snow peas and red pepper flakes. Bring back to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Raise heat back to medium-high and add teriyaki sauce and cornstarch mixture. Simmer 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the pasta and simmer about 4 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Serve garnished with chives, if desired.

Simple, yes delicious, yes. These quick and easy scallops are based on the Chilean Pil-Pil sauce (Does that make us “Pil-Pushers"?) For an authentic Chilean dish you must use dried hot red chiles. garlic and olive oil Use crusty bread to scoop up the wonderful sauce.

1 lb scallops, quartered if large
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 small dried chipotle chile with seeds, stemmed and finely chopped
Fine sea salt
1/2 lb capellini or similar pasta

iPreheat the oven to 400°.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large glass or ceramic baking dish, toss the scallops with the olive oil, wine, parsley, garlic and chipotle. Season with salt and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the oil is sizzling and the scallops are firm.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just al dente, about 4 or 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the scallops and their juices to the pasta, toss well and serve immediately.

This is one Asian recipe that doen't require a trip to the specialty store. And, boy, is it quick.

2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 & 1/2 cups cubed smoked or marinated firm tofu
3 scallions, sliced diagonally
2 garlic cloves, cut into thin strips
1 carrot, finely sliced
1 quart vegetable stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
I lablespoon dry sherry or vermouth
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a wok & add the tofu cubes stir-frying until they are brown. Drain on paper towels & set aside.

Add the scallions, garlic, and carrot to the wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, soy sauce, sherry or vermouth, sugar, lettuce, and fried tofu. Heat through for 1 minute over low heat. Season to taste, and serve.

Serve this hot or cool it in the fridge if it’s a hot day when cold soup would be warmly received. Got all those temperatures straight?

5 cups defatted, salt-free chicken stock
1/2 lb daikon radish (from Asian food store), peeled and sliced paper thin
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
5 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and split in half
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
Pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp cilantro leaves

Place chicken stock in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and add radish. Simmer about five minutes, until radish becomes translucent.

While they’re cooking, place chili, vinegar and salt in a blender or mini food processor and process to make a pale green liquid. Stir this into soup.with shrimp, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Simmer about 2 minutes longer, until shrimp are cooked.

Serve right away or transfer soup to a container, cover and refrigerate.

To serve, float cilantro leaves on top of each portion. Pretty and more than pretty good.

You can omit the curry powder and use tiny shell pasta instead of couscous, but if you do you’ll have to change the name because it’s no longer "Middle Eastern".

1 cup couscous (or any really small pasta)
1 & 1/4 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup canned pineapple tidbits, drained
2 Tbsp raisins
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1 1-lb can tomatoes
Salted cashews or peanuts, chopped

Set pasta to cooking (If you have time, you might do this dish with half a cup of brown rice which, of course, takes a bit longer to cook than pasta.)

Brown beef in skillet - break it up with a fork to avoid building a pan-sized burger.

Add pasta when done al dente (or rice) and remaining ingredients, except nuts. Mix well, bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle with nuts and there it is - meat, veggie, fruit and starch, all in one.

If you're going to serve with rice be sure you get that going before you start the rest.

1 lb boneless chicken breast portions
1 red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
4 dried red chillies
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1l tbsp soy sauce
pinch of granulated sugar
1 bunch spring onions (scallions), cut into 2in lengths
1 & 12 cups cashews, roasted
Cilantro leaves, to garnish

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.

Halve the red pepper, scrape out the seeds and membranes and discard, then cut the flesh into 3/4 in dice. Peel and thinly slice the garlic and chop the dried red chillies.

Preheat a wok and then heat the oil. (Drizzle a ring of oil around the inner rim of the wok, so that it drops down to coat the entire inner surface.) Make sure the coating is even by swirling the wok.

Add the garlic and dried chillies to the wok and stir-fry over a medium heat until golden. Don’t burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.

If you've been to a Latin or Carribean city (or Los Angeles or most fairs in America) you've seen and probably eaten churros. Delicious deep-fried dough tossed with cinnamon and sugar, they are made in a special churros machine where mass-production is critical. You can just use your deep fryer. It will take about half an hour to make a big bunch and about 5 minutes for them to vanish.

Canola oil for frying
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 Tbsp baking powder
4 cups flour
Cinnamon and sugar mixed for sprinkling

Heat your deep fryer to 375°F.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, milk, butter, and baking powder. Add the flour slowly, 1 cup at a time, stirring well between each addition.

Fry dough, a tablespoonful for each, 8 or 9 at a time, for 5 to 7 minutes, turning so all sides are browned.

Remove from the fryer with a frying basket or slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. When all the churros are ready, place on a large platter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and serve warm.

Cumin is a very unique, very flavorful spice (think chili) that truly "makes" this quick & easy dish.

3-4 carrots, thinly sliced
1. tsp ground cumin, of to Taste
4 Tbsp garlic-flavored oil and vinegar dressing
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cllantro) leaves or a mixture of coriander and parsley
salt and ground black pepper

Cook the thinly sliced carrots by either steaming or boiling in lightly salted water until they are just tender but not soft. Drain the carrots, leave for a few minutes to dry and cool, then put into a mixing bowl. Add the cumin, garlic dressing and herbs. Season to taste and chill well before serving. Check the seasoning just before serving and add more ground cumin, salt or black pepper, if required.

Try to use Choice graded beef, not Select, in recipes like this. Even if you only spend 20 minutes making an exciting dish it shouldn't suffer from "tough" meat.

1/4 cup seasoned rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 & 1/2 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce 2 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp canola oil
3/4 lb sirloin steak, trimmed of fat, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
10 raw medium shrimp, peeled and chopped (why spend more $ for big shrimp when you're chopping them up)
1 lb bok choy, preferably baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces

Whisk rice wine, oyster sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until the beef begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring, until the shrimp is opaque and pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the beef, shrimp and any juices to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat in the same pan. Add bok choy and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return the beef-shrimp mixture to the pan and cook, stirring, until heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 1 minute.

Punster that I am (oh, you noticed?)this recipe is almost too much for me. Lots of thyme in it so too great a temptation to warn about having ****** on your hands. Or to make some crack related to pulling the beards off the mussels.

So I will resist and let you have all the pun-fun with this recipe which France takes credit for popularizing.

4 lbs. fresh mussels
2 Cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
2 Large onions, finely minced
1 Celery rib, finely minced
2 Large sprigs of fresh thyme (or 2 heaping tsp dried thyme)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch of fresh finely minced parsley
1/2 stick of butter, melted

Thoroughly scrub the mussels and rinse with several changes of water (I hate that sand!). Beard the mussels. (Don't do it in advance, or they will die and spoil. And, remember get rid of any that are open before cooking.)

Combine the mussels, wine, onions, celery, and thyme in a non reactive 6 quart Dutch oven (a large heavy sauce pan). Bring the wine to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook just until the mussels open (now it's ok), about 5 minutes. Toss any mussels that stay closed.

Ladle the mussels, in their shells,and the sauce into a large bowl. Sprinkle with plenty of fresh ground black pepper and the parsley and serve immediately with the melted butter for dipping the tasty little fellows. Use more of that wine (in glasses) and some crusty French bread, of course.

Kai Phat Khing, as we like to call it in Thailand, is another international delight that is not really spicy and contains no ingredient that's not available at any decent supermarket in your area. So no excuses! Make this dish!

2 oz. dried sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. corn or peanut oil
2 Small onions, thinly sliced
4 Cloves garlic, finely minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,cut into bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. finely grated ginger root (or 2 teaspoons ground ginger)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Cup chopped scallions with tops
1/2 teaspoon dried coriander

Combine mushrooms with hot water to cover and let stand 20 minutes.

While you're waiting cut the chicken to bite-size, grate the ginger, slice the scallions and in a large skillet or wok heat the oil.

Now drain the shrooms and set aside (not you, the mushrooms).

Add to the hot oil the onion rings and garlic and stir until onion rings start to brown. Add chicken and mushrooms. Sauté, stirring until opaque. Stir in ginger.

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and add to the skillet. Cover and cook no more than 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in scallions and coriander.

Another gift from the French. A nice alternative to garlic bread (which we also love).

1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 lb. butter or margarine, softened
4 small loaves French bread

Mix salts and herbs with butter. Slice loaves not quite all the way through 3/4 inch thick diagonally. Spread butter mixture between slices and over top of the loaves. Place loaves on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 425° oven until slightly browned. Watch carefully, you'd hate to burn those delicious loaves.

Serve while the loaves are nice and warm.

Sure they have vegetarians in Italy, too. But everyone, even carnivores, will love this quick and easy recipe.

1 lb. fresh tortellini
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Red pepper, chopped
1 lb. eggplant, chopped in cubes
14 oz. can tomatoes
1 Cup vegetable stock
1/2 Cup chopped basil

Add Tortellini to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender (al dente).

While this is happening heat oil in a large pan; add garlic and pepper. Stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Add eggplant (cube them just before cooking) and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add the undrained, crushed tomato and vegetable stock. Stir to combine and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pan; cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the basil and drained pasta and you have a sensational Italian import in 20 minutes or less.