Rachael Ray didn't necessarily invent the 30-minute meal, but she certainly made them the norm for weeknight dinners. Anything longer, and we save it for the weekend. Anything shorter starts to feel like we're not really cooking. But a recipe that claims to be ready in 30 minutes says, "I'm quick and easy! Make me tonight!" But how real is the 30-minute meal? Is it a myth? After our conversation yesterday about how long we spend making dinner, today we're wondering about the 30-minute meal. Have any of you have actually cooked a full meal from start to finish in just 30 minutes?

When I think about throwing a dinner party, especially a big one like this polenta supper I'm sharing with you this week, my thoughts immediately go to: What can I make ahead? Last week, I had an easy answer: a shredded, succulent mess of beef braised in red wine and tomatoes, falling apart in its juices. It's a terrific make-ahead dish, since like most braises, this beef gets better overnight, and takes all the stress of a main dish off your hands entirely. Sound good? It gets better. 

Frozen pizzas have their time and place, like as back-up meals when we don't have time to shop and easy heat-and-serve dinners for babysitters. Nothing wrong with a good store-bought frozen pizza in these situations, but making your own homemade frozen pizzas from scratch will probably save you some pennies — plus you get exactly the toppings you want! It's easy to do: just two little tricks and you can fill your freezer with all the made-ahead frozen pizzas you could ever want.

Lately I've been looking to add more healthy seafood to my diet without breaking the bank, and while canned fish will never have the allure of a fresh filet, today's good-quality canned salmon is not the fishy, bone-studded mush you may be picturing. The boneless and skinless fish — once flaked and mixed with brown rice, cilantro, shallots and lime juice — cooks up into crisp-edged cakes that make an easy and satisfying weeknight meal, especially when topped with a dollop of Sriracha-spiked mayonnaise.

The right bread can really make a meal. I love a warm, cheesy biscuit with a hearty stew, or a soft, chewy bun to soak up the last bits of savory sauce on my plate. From sweet potato rolls to cheese gougères, from butter dips to soda bread buns, you really can't go wrong with any one of these 10 favorite supper sides for the bread basket.

I love going to the store, choosing which apple looks perfect to me, and stumbling upon products that weren't necessarily on my shopping list. But there are weeks when it all gets tiresome, and I find myself going to the grocery store more times than makes sense. I've started to get smarter with each trip to the store, acknowledging that there are easy steps that alleviate the potential headache. More

When I see cabbage at the market, I think about it in one of two ways: coleslaw in the warmer months or braised red cabbage in the cooler months. Sometimes I'll make an Asian-type salad with peanut dressing that veers from this, but generally I sit pretty reliably in the two camps. This week, Mark Bittman set me straight. There is, indeed, a whole other world of cabbage that goes far beyond braising and chopping it for slaw. More

Here we are on Monday with five nights of dinners staring us in the face. A weeknight dinner can be a tricky thing, something that gets squeezed into that narrow time slot between getting home from work and the desperate desire to just kick back and relax. We're curious — how long does it usually take you to make dinner? Have you streamlined your cooking to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible? Or do you linger over meal prep with a glass of wine?

I picked up a bunch of asparagus and a spaghetti squash at the farmers' market over the weekend, which is an excellent reflection of the season right now: the very end of winter transitioning into the briefest hint of spring. What fun it would be to come up with a light supper dish that uses both of these ingredients! Inspired by Emily's Spaghetti Squash with Ricotta, Sage and Pine Nuts recipe, I roasted the squash and the asparagus and combined them with ricotta and pine nuts for richness. I used lemon and thyme to add brightness and acidity, resulting in a fresh, tasty dish that hints at spring's arrival while still anchored in a favorite winter staple. More

Beans! Whether we're talking black beans, white beans, or even heirloom beans, beans make up some of the most satisfying meals in our repertoire. Add this to the fact that these humble legumes are packed with protein and cost much less than meat, and we have to wonder why we don't eat them more often. Well, here are 15 very tasty ways to stop wondering and start eating!