J.M. HIRSCH,AP Food Editor

I'm all about food that can multitask. As in, if I'm going to put the effort into something, I want it to be not just a dinner, but a building block for other meals later in the week.

That was the inspiration for this ridiculously easy caramelized onion recipe. I wanted something effortless, versatile and really flavorful that could be used in a number of ways.

Here's the theory: spend about 10 minutes active time making a massive pot of caramelized onions, then use them as the basis for meals throughout the week.

This recipe is easiest if you use a food processor or mandoline to slice the onions. After that, it's just a matter of dumping the ingredients in a pot and stirring it every now and again. The red pepper flakes add a mild bite. Don't like bite? Leave it out.

Also, as long as you have a very large stockpot or Dutch oven, this recipe is easily doubled or even tripled.

The first night I made them, I ate the onions warm spread over toast and topped with shaved Parmesan...

JIM ROMANOFF, for the Associated Press

Studies have found that if you think your meal isn't filling, it won't be. Combined with the effects of Supersized restaurant portions, this can leave people disappointed when they try to limit themselves to healthy portion sizes.

But with a little creativity in presentation, a healthy portion can look and feel like a satisfying feast.

One easy trick is to avoid serving small amounts of food on large plates. Instead, serve meals on smaller plates that make healthy portions appear larger.

Another way to trick your brain is to heap healthy whole grains and vegetables on the plate before adding any of the protein or main course. This gives the feeling of an oversized serving without all the fat and calories.

You also can borrow a trick from restaurants. Stack and arrange foods in a way that gives them height and suggests greater volume.

These garam masala-spiced shrimp and asparagus towers are a good example of this technique. Healthy, low-fat shrimp and asparagus...

Recipe by Lynda Homer for Family Living

Lightly brown 3 to 4 TB butter in a skillet. Add two cored and sliced apples (Fuji, golden delicious or gala varieties are good). Cook and stir for about 5 minutes until soft, then add 1 cup maple syrup. Heat through and serve over the warm pancake. Yummy!

JIM ROMANOFF, for the Associated Press

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts may be great nutritionally speaking, but they can fall pretty flat when it comes to flavor.

Consider that a plus, a healthy blank canvas on which other flavors can shine. And there are two techniques that can make that easier — cooking them quickly to avoid drying them out and using the cooking process to create a flavorful pan sauce.

Quick and even cooking is easiest when the chicken breasts are thin. Thick breasts take longer to cook and are more likely to become dry. While you can buy thin-sliced breasts, it's cheaper to buy regular breasts and pound them thin.

To do this, place the chicken breasts on a clean surface, cover them with plastic wrap, then pound them to a uniform thickness using the flat side of a meat mallet, a heavy skillet or a rolling pin.

Next, take advantage of the cooking process to make a sauce. When chicken (or any meat) is cooked in a pan, browned bits stick to the bottom. Once the chicken is done, those...


ALISON LADMAN, for the Associated Press

Cheesecake isn't a terribly difficult dessert, it just requires a bit of attention to detail. This recipe is perfect for those that love sweet-tart desserts. It has a classic graham cracker crust and a rich and creamy berry cheesecake, all topped with a sweet-tart blackberry lime curd.

The recipe for the curd makes more than what you need for the cheesecake. That's because it's easier to make it in quantity. Leftovers are delicious on toast or waffles in place of jam, or spooned over vanilla ice cream.

___

BLACKBERRY LIME CHEESECAKE

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (1 hour active), plus cooling

Servings: 6

For the crust:

2/3 cup (2 ounces) graham cracker crumbs (about 5 whole crackers)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the cheesecake:

16 ounce-package frozen blackberries, thawed 30 minutes at room temperature, divided

3/4 cup sugar, divided

16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages), room temperature

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon...

ALISON LADMAN,For The Associated Press

This pie resembles a smooth, glassy lake of ice perfect for skating. It also sports a spicy gingersnap crust, but you could easily substitute a more classic pastry or graham cracker crust to go with the buttermilk filling. Part 7 in a series of 11 recipes inspired by the sports to be played at the upcoming winter Olympics in Vancouver.

BUTTERMILK PIE

Start to finish: 1 hour (15 minutes active)

Servings: 8

8 ounces gingersnap cookies

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg, separated into white and yolk

3 whole eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk, warmed

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of 1 orange

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat the oven to 375 F.

In a food processor, grind the gingersnap cookies to fine crumbs. You should have about 1 1/2 cups. With the processor running, add the melted butter and process until well mixed.

Press the crumb mixture into a deep 9-inch pie plate, making sure to go up the sides.

In a small bowl,...

RYAN KING, For The Associated Press

If you're looking to feed a Super Bowl crowd fast and cheap, giant subs are the way to go. Depending on how much other food you plan to serve, one 24-inch sub can make as many as 12 servings. And it takes just minutes to assemble.

Alternatively, and for even less effort, set up a sub buffet — a variety of rolls, deli sliced meats and cheeses, roasted and fresh vegetables, and a bunch of condiments — then let your guests assemble their own. You even could turn on the oven for guests who want their subs heated.

Consider these easy recipes for giant Italian and pastrami subs just a jumping off point. Head to the deli, buy whatever meats and cheeses inspire, then head home and create.

If you have a little extra time, you also could marinate and roast some vegetables the night before. These make a great addition to warm or cold subs. For an easy marinade, use a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing.

___

WARM ITALIAN PARTY SUB

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Servings:...

As promised, here's Jenny's tried-and-true sauce recipe referenced in our February issue. Enjoy!

Sauce

In a medium saucepan combine:

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 7-½ oz. can undrained whole tomatoes, cut up (fresh tomatoes from your garden that have been frozen and peeled can also be used)

½ finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon pepper

Bring to boiling, reduce heat, let simmer, covered for about 10 minutes or until the onion is tender. Enough for one pizza.

Regardless of what you've got in your kitchen, there's a good chance you can find something tasty to make with items on hand, thanks to a host of recipe blogs and Web sites available online. Here's a list of some of the best; if you know of others, please add them in the comments section.

makeyourtastebudsdance.blogspot.com

picky-palate.com

thecookinmamas.blogspot.com

howtoeatacupcake.net

thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen

ourbestbites.com

getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com

simplyrecipes.com

cupcakeblog.com/index.php

recipesecrets.net/blog

tastethejoy.blogspot.com

bakerella.com

dyannbakes.com

J.M. HIRSCH,AP Food Editor

Great things can come from letting children play in the kitchen.

This recipe for brown sugar and spice rubbed pork tenderloin is a great example. It came about after I let my 5-year-old son play with whatever he could reach from the spice cabinet one afternoon.

He got a bowl and a whisk and started mixing. The result was an amazing dry rub that on scent alone got the attention of everyone in the test kitchen. We all agreed the mix was perfect for a pork rub.

So test kitchen cook Ryan King set to work putting my son's mixture to good use. This intensely savory pork is the result. Thinly sliced and served with the onions it is roasted over, this dish is perfect for a holiday buffet.

If you'd rather skip the brining, feel free (though it does result in wonderfully moist meat). Just jump ahead to the rubbing step and use half of the spice mixture.

If you do skip the brining, consider serving the pork drizzled with a simple vinaigrette to get that extra moisture.

BROWN SUGAR AND...

1 pkg crunchy chow mein noodles 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips 1 cup finely chopped nuts (opt) Melt the chips in saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add nuts and stir. Add the crunchy noodles and mix well. Drop by small spoonfuls onto parchment paper (or waxed paper) to cool

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter 22 NILLA Wafers, crushed 2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 of 8-oz. tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.) 3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate LINE 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Beat butter and peanut butter with mixer until blended. Mix in wafer crumbs. Gradually add sugar, mixing well after each addition. Press onto bottom of pan. MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir. Microwave 15 to 30 sec. or until chocolate is melted; stir until blended. Spread over peanut butter layer. REFRIGERATE 2 hours. Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting to serve. http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/buckeye-bars-111450.asp

1 bar dark or milk chocolate "Bakers" bars 1 bar of white chocolate "Bakers" bar oreo cookies wax paper cookie sheet In a Microwave safe bowl melt 6 squares of dark /milk chocolate In different mircowave safe bowl melt 6 white chocolate sqaures crumble about 8 oreo cookies up add half to dark chocolate and half into white chocolate, mix on the cookie sheet covered with wax paper pour dark chocolate into little piles on sheet, skipping spaces for the white chocolate in go down file in spots with white chocolate and then take a knife and drag it throw the chocolates making it marbled refrigerate for about 30 mins ENJOY!

Cupcake Chocolate frosting 3 oval shortbread cookies (we used Keebler Sandies Right Bites Shortbread) 6 to 10 candy corn pieces White icing Black decorators' gel Red fruit leather (we used strawberry Fruit by the Foot) Frost the cupcake, then press in a cookie head and 2 cookie wings. Press in a row or two of candy corn tail feathers. To make an eye, add a small dot of white icing to the head, then add a dot of black decorators' gel for a pupil. For a beak, cut the white tip from a piece of candy corn and press it in place. To make the wattle, cut a 1-inch square of fruit leather. Roll it into a tube and stick it in place over the beak.

1/4 cup dark rum 1 packet (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin powder 1 (15-ounce can) pumpkin (not pie filling) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 2 extra-large egg yolks 2 teaspoons grated orange zest 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Sweetened whipped cream 8 to 10 chopped ginger cookies Crystallized ginger, for decoration, optional Directions Place the rum in a heat-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set the bowl of gelatin over a pan of simmering water and cook until the gelatin is clear. Immediately whisk the hot gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks...

6 hard boiled eggs 6 oz Whipped cream cheese 7 oz Green olives -- with pimientos Red food coloring Peel eggs cut in half lengthwise. Remove the discard yolks. Fill the holes with cream cheese. Press an olive into each cream cheese eyeball, pimiento facing up, for an eerie green iris and startling red pupil! For a final touch, dip the tip of a toothpick in red food coloring and draw broken blood vessels in the cream cheese.

4 C. rice crisp cereal 4 C. miniature marshmallows (10 oz.) or 40 large marshmallows 1/2 C. peanut butter 1/4 C. butter or margarine 2 C. (1 lb.) Candy Corn Cellophane and orange ribbon Combine cereal and Candy Corn in large bowl and set aside. Melt margarine and peanut butter in large saucepan. Add marshmallows, stirring until completely melted.Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and stir to coat.With buttered fingers roll into balls, (or press into 9 x 13 inch pan and cut into squares.) Cut a 8-inch square of cellophane. Roll each ball in cellophane and twist ends closed. Tie with ribbon.

2 – two liter bottles of orange soda 1 – one liter bottle of club soda 1 container of orange sherbet 1 small container of whipped topping marshmallow ghosts, either homemade or purchased (To make, roll out marshmallows, cutting them into small ghost shapes. Sprinkle with some ‘sugar glitter’ - a product used when making wedding cakes - if desired for an illuminating effect.) Small plastic or rubber skeletons – about 6-12 inches long. Mix the two sodas together; gently add the sherbet, then dollop the whipped topping onto the punch. Carefully add the ghosts on top of the punch, then drape the skeletons around the punchbowl by their arms (rather arm bones!).

hot dogs can of biscuit dough peppercorns cut the dough into strips and wrap them around the hot dogs overlapping them to make them look like a mummy. Leave room for the face and add the peppercorns for the eyes. Cook as directed on biscuit can. Or until golden brown.

2 cups cold fat-free milk 1 package (1.4 ounces) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix 1 carton (8 ounces) reduced-fat whipped topping 1 package (16 ounces) reduced-fat chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed Gummy worms, optional Directions In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Divide a third of the cookie crumbs and half of the pudding mixture among 10 dessert cups; repeat layers. Top with remaining crumbs. Garnish with gummy worms if desired. Yield: 10 servings.

First, you need a kitty litter pan, a plastic liner and a pooper scooper. Most recipes tell you to use a new pan and scoop that's never been used before (for the purpose that it is intended). 1 German chocolate cake mix 1 white cake mix 1 or 2 large packages of vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared. Some people think two pudding packages are too many. It's a matter of preference. 1 large package of vanilla sandwich cookies green food coloring, optional 12 small Tootsie Rolls. Bake the two cake mixes according to package directions. Cool. Prepare the pudding mix or mixes. Crumble up the sandwich cookies. Its easier with a good food processor like the KitchenAid? 12-Cup Food Processor. take 1/4 cup of the crumbled cookies and add the green food coloring. Mix the coloring in well. This represents the green chlorophyl that you find in some litter Omit this step if desired. Crumble the cooled cakes into a large bowl. Add half of the remaining cookie crumbs. Mix in the pudding, adding just...

Making dinner easier is the goal here. We can't fix the economy or cure global warming, but we can help make your weeknights a little less stressful and your eating throughout the week a little more healthful. (Consider it our contribution to health-care reform.)

Call this move toward meal simplification the Sunday Strategy. On Sunday, you make two slower-cooking but decidedly uncomplicated dishes, which you then use as the basis of your meals during the week. We take you as far as Thursday on the assumption that Friday and Saturday are cook's nights out. You don't have to spend a lot or resort to using highly processed foods. At times, we use frozen vegetables, which can be just as nutritious — sometimes more so — than fresh, but never if it means sacrificing flavor or texture. The same is true for the other "shortcut" products, such as quick-cooking rice or pre-chopped garlic: We use them only after determining there is no loss of nutrients or flavor.

Our Sunday Strategy in a nutshell: Cook a little extra...

Pizzaioli Sauce is a typical Neapolitan dish. This tomato sauce was originally used to disguise poor-quality meat, and the chicken had to be simmered a long time until it was tender. For this recipe boneless, skinless chicken breast cooks in no time flat and the sauce adds a delicious complement.

Fennel is a white bulbous vegetable with feathery dark green leaves. It has a slight anise flavor and a texture similar to celery. It's crisp and refreshing when eaten raw and takes on a mild delicate flavor when cooked.

This meal contains 626 calories per serving with 23 percent of calories from fat.

Helpful Hints:
Minced garlic can be found in jars in the produce section of the supermarket.
A quick way to use fennel leaves is to snip them from the stalks with a scissors.
Use a skillet that just fits the chicken in one layer.
If the skillet is too large, the sauce will spread over the large surface and burn.

Countdown:
Place water for pasta on to boil.
Prepare ingredients.
Make chicken.
While chicken cooks, make pasta....

Hurrah! Autumn has arrived. It is officially time to begin baking. Think of it as a dress rehearsal for the holidays. Our 30th Annual Homer Pie Party is coming up in November, so I must be at the top of my game. This month I want to share two very easy crust recipes and some fillings that are always favorites at our house. Just a note: These recipes can all be done by one person, but, in the spirit of family and the season, the more hands, the merrier. Let’s get baking!

Basic Crust
Yield: Two 9-inch crusts
-2 ½ cups flour
-1 teaspoon­ salt
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1 cup butter (2 sticks, cut in pats)
-¼ to ½ cup ice water
Mix dry ingredients.
Cut in pieces of butter with a pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas.
Add water a little at a time, mixing with a fork until dough barely sticks together.
Divide in two; form into balls. Handle the dough as little as possible.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out on a floured surface.


Sweet Crust
Yield: Two 9-inch crusts
-2 ½ cups flour<...

Potatoes mayo mustard pickles eggs onion (if you want) salt and pepper Peel potatoes, cut into bite size pieces or if you are like me bigger then bite size pieces. Boil until fork sticks into them but they dont fall apart. You dont want mashed potates. Boil about 6 eggs until cooked. Drain potatoes, let cool off a little. Cut as many pickles as you want into small pieces. After potatoes cool, put in a good sized bowl add salt and pepper to taste (taste after add mayo & mustard) add Mayo and mustard. About half of large container of mayo and about a talbs. mustard. Just until creamy but not over loaded with mayo. and shouldnt be yellow. Add pickles and cut eggs into good size and add. Add onion. How ever much you like. I hate onions. So I leave out.