Cumin and coriander immediately bring the flavor of the Middle East to your kitchen and chickpeas are typical of their cuisine. The idea of adding celery and mushrooms came from one of these recipes cards that you pick up in supermarkets and grocery stores. The original recipe card was lost a long time ago, but this version of their recipe has been a success many times.

A typical country bean soup. We have found versions of this classic soup in each country we visited. Our favorite is the traditional soup prepared in Galicia, Spain, with their local ham (lacon), green vegetables (grelos) and potatoes (cachelos), ask for "Caldo Gallego" or "Pote Gallego" if you visit the region.

This spicy okra can also be served stuffed into Indian bread.

This is one of many ways to create a rustic style chicken meal.

An Easy White Sauce Lasagna.

Plan to make the amaretto sauce before hand, keeping it warm in a double boiler.

This salad is easy and quick to prepare, so that you will have time for more interesting matters.

Baked potatoes are easy to prepare. They make an incredibly varied dish because the fillings and toppings for baked potatoes have the same limits as your imagination. Some of them really flavorful and nourishing enough to make a light meal out of a baked potato. Potatoes baked in a conventional oven taste much better and you can almost set and forget until the cooking time is finished. But microwaved potatoes will do nicely when you are pressed for time or you are just preparing one or two and don't want to bother with the oven.

This is the most basic recipe for chili

Chili keeps well frozen, so go ahead, cook extra and freeze some portions for future meals.

To make brownies surpassing even your grandmother's, try this one.

Do you need to an spectacular dessert for unexpected entertaining? Try this one. Although we prefer to cook from scratch than using packages, well, sometimes you must. We have not been able to get similar texture and flavorful results other way without spending too long in the kitchen. Once in a while is not going to kill you and you have an astounding dessert to serve your guests.

High in acid, low in sugar, and wit a fluffy texture, Bramleys are extremely popular cooking apples. They keep some tang and tend to melt in the mouth when cooked.

Bramley apples are a great choice for apple pies and tarts or great in an apple crisp mixed with berries; serve them simply stewed ith custard or pureed and sweetened in an apple sauce to accompany roast pork... or filled with dried fruit and nuts and baked with honey, as in this irresistible recipe.

This is the most traditional recipe for this children's favorite.

Tart cranberries and crunchy pecans give the stuffing flavor and texture.

Make this one week evening, when you are in hurry but you need to whip something flavorful.

The recipe for Christmas pudding is often a tradition in the family, passed down from one generation to the other. If that is not your case, this recipe will live up to traditional Christmas expectations.

No oven baking, pan cooking this time. Have scones for breakfast.

No baking in this chocolate almond cookies recipe, and very suitable to let the kids cook with you.

The best recipe I know for sponge cake is the traditional same quantities of everything, but using heavy cream or whipping cream instead of butter. The cake comes out very light and airy. Using a food processor makes the mixture even more so.

Use Monterey Jack or Chihuahua cheese in this recipe. Mexican oregano will render a more authentic flavor.

In the colder autumn days, warm up by the fire with some melted cheese, however, let's make it a bit special.

Mince pies are made with crumbly pastry filled with mincemeat. If you don';t have a favorite recipe, you can well use this one.