The best chili ever.

Here I cook chicken breasts fast so they remain moist. A balsamic vinegar sauce lifts their flavor. In place of the colorful side dish of corn and peas, you could serve a starch, such as potatoes or pasta, or other vegetables, such as string beans or spinach.

Here’s an excellent example of convenience cooking that produces superb results. Slow-baked tuna steaks are served with a relish of tomato, sweet onion, and hot salsa. This slow-baking technique works with other fish steaks, too, such as halibut.

My mother loved gratins, and leftover meat and cold cuts always found their way into our pasta, usually along with zucchini or peas. I have made gratins for my family through the years. The gratin can be made ahead, sprinkled with Parmesan, and kept, covered, at room temperature for a few hours or refrigerated for up to a day before it is finished in the oven. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature and bake on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 425-degree oven until heated through and lightly browned on top. Do not try to keep the cooked gratin in a warm oven for more than 10 to 15 minutes, or the pasta will swell up in the liquid and become gooey.

A versatile dish, this is good as an accompaniment to fish, poutry, and meat, and it can also be served as a first course or, with a couple of fried eggs, as a light main course. It’s great poured over pasta, and with the addition of a sausage such as kielbasa, it makes a whole meal. You can also substitute canned red or white beans for the chickpeas.