Sun-Dried Tomato

Can be prepared in 45 or less.

"Cooking is my passion, and my husband and some of our friends share it," Kim Bartel, Youngstown, Ohio. "Our favorite weekend activity is making dinner together and pairing it with wine. When developing new recipes, I often refine and retest, but everyone loved this chicken dish the first time around. I serve it with rice, green beans and a crisp Chardonnay."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Vito's Waterfront, a charming restaurant on Marco Island off Florida's Gulf Coast, offers a house salad that comes with a thick and tangy sun-dried tomato dressing," says Joanne Lawrence of Norwell, Massachusetts.

Made with spicy sausages and smoky grilled onion, these are not your standard burgers.

To begin, fill a platter with slices of bresaola and mozzarella, and also serve a warm salad of roasted peppers. The spinach, basil and ricotta puree and orzo with lemon peel are terrific with the chicken, as is a dry white wine like a Greco di Tufo. Dessert should have an Italian accent, too: Try slices of fresh pears topped with mascarpone and a warm walnut-caramel sauce.

"One night, I promised to make dinner for a blind date, and—as usual—I was running late," writes Hollander Finegold of Eugene, Oregon. "I had few ingredients and little time. Luckily, the dinner was a success, and this recipe has been a staple of mine ever since."

Chef Laurent Manrique is a big fan of Laura Chenel goat cheese in Sonoma, which is available at many cheese shops across the country.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 9‚ hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This relish is best at room temperature. Note that the nutritional numbers following the recipe are for the relish only.