Recipes: Easy meals with limited kitchen equipment

Serves 2 to 4.

Note: Pantry staples potatoes, onions and apples are a classic combination of sweet and savory flavors for any meal of the day. Baking the eggs right on the baking sheet makes for a no-fuss meal in minutes, plus a quick cleanup. Mix and match the ingredients according to whatever is on hand — different types of potatoes, onions and apples will work equally well, from Yukon Gold potatoes to Vidalia onions to Honeycrisp apples. From Kristen Hartke.

• 2 russet potatoes, peeled, then cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped

• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 1 apple (a sweeter variety), cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 4 eggs

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the potatoes, onion and apples with the oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet until evenly coated, spreading them in an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and apples begin to brown and soften. Push aside some of the hash to create 4 spaces for the eggs, then carefully crack each egg into one of the cleared spaces. Roast for 5 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are just set but the yolks are still runny. Season with the pepper and more salt, if you like. Serve warm.

Calories280Fat12 gSodium670 mg

Carbohydrates33 gSaturated fat3 gTotal sugars11 mg

Protein9 gCholesterol185 mgDietary fiber5 g

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Five minutes of prep yield a flavorful dinner with little cleanup, thanks to a baking sheet and a handful of ingredients. Tossing the chicken and vegetables with red wine vinaigrette allows for some extra layers of flavor, although vegetable oil will work fine. Flank steak, pork tenderloin or portobello mushrooms can be substituted for the chicken with no change to the cooking method. Adapted from a Whole Foods Market recipe.

• 2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

• 2 tbsp. store-bought red wine vinaigrette or vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp. chili powder

• 6 flour tortillas, warmed, for serving

• Sour cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss together the chicken, peppers, onion, garlic, vinaigrette or oil, chili powder and salt in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated. Spread on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, stirring halfway through cooking.

Divide the fajita mixture among warm tortillas; serve warm with sour cream.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Calories140Fat5 gSodium500 mg

Carbohydrates5 gSaturated fat1 gTotal sugars2 mg

Protein18 gCholesterol55 mgDietary fiber2 g

Note: A package of wonton wrappers and a muffin pan combine for handy single-serving portions of lasagna, ready to grab and go for a quick lunch or dinner. This version is made with vegetables straight out of the freezer but is easily adaptable to your favorite fillings, including crumbled Italian sausage, mushrooms and bell peppers. You'll need a standard muffin pan with 12 wells. Wonton wrappers are available in Asian markets, and in most grocery stores, often in the produce section. From Kristen Hartke.

• 1 c. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

• 1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese

• 1 tsp. seasoning blend, such as Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or Mrs. Dash

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• Cooking spray

• 36 square wonton wrappers

• 1 c. frozen diced carrots, defrosted

• 1 1/2 c. store-bought tomato sauce of your choice

• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wrap the defrosted spinach in a few layers of paper towels and squeeze out any excess moisture, then transfer the spinach to a mixing bowl with the ricotta cheese, seasoning blend and salt, stirring until well incorporated. Place half of the mixture in a separate mixing bowl; stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella.

Use cooking oil spray to lightly grease the muffin pan. Fit a wonton wrapper into each well with the corners of the wrappers up and over the edges of the well.

Evenly divide the ricotta-spinach blend in each wonton-wrapper-covered well, then fit in another wonton wrapper on top. Then divide the diced carrots among the cups, and then top with a generous teaspoon of the marinara sauce. Fit a third wonton wrapper over the sauce.

Evenly divide the ricotta-spinach-mozzarella blend mixture on the last layer of wonton wrappers, then finish by evenly dividing the remaining marinara sauce, about a tablespoon of shredded mozzarella, and some freshly ground black pepper. (At this point, you can cover the entire pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.)

Serve hot, or let cool completely before storing.

To prepare in advance: The cups can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated in the pan until ready to bake. The baked mini lasagna cups can be refrigerated, covered or individually wrapped, for up to 3 days.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories150Fat4 gSodium580 mg

Carbohydrates19 gSaturated fat3 gTotal sugars2 mg

Makes 3 (1-cup) servings.

Note: Originally developed for a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix, this recipe is easily adapted to a standard blender and allows for plenty of variation depending on what you have on hand. Frozen broccoli, stems and/or florets, is a good option. But when you want to use fresh broccoli, just steam it until it is tender first; raw onion will work as well, but cooking the onion until soft helps to minimize the sharpness. You can freeze tablespoon portions of cooked onion in advance. The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Adapted from a recipe at Vitamix.com.

• 2 c. no-salt-added vegetable broth

• 3 c. frozen broccoli, defrosted, plus a few florets for garnish, divided

• 2 tbsp. diced onion

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the broth, 2 1/2 cups of the broccoli and onion in a blender; begin to blend on low, then gradually increase to high until puréed and smooth.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of broccoli florets; pulse a few times to retain some texture. Pour into a medium saucepan; cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring a few times, then stir in the cheese until melted. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories240Fat15 gSodium440 mg

Carbohydrates13 gSaturated fat7 gTotal sugars7 mg

Protein14 gCholesterol40 mgDietary fiber3 g

Makes 4 (1 cup) servings.

• 1/3 c. olive oil

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/2 c. chopped onion

• 1 slice white or whole-wheat bread (crusts removed), torn into 1-in. pieces

• 1 (28 oz.) canned, no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, plus their juices

• 1 tsp. seasoning blend, such as Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or Mrs. Dash

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the oil, garlic, onion, bread pieces, tomatoes and their juices, broth and seasoning blend in a blender; begin to blend on low, then gradually increase to high until puréed and smooth.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories270Fat19 gSodium560 mg

Carbohydrates22 gSaturated fat3 gTotal sugars12 mg

Protein3 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber4 g

Serves 2 to 4.

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 lb.), cut in half lengthwise, seeds reserved

• 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for the seeds

• 1 (15 oz.) canned/cooked no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 c. currants

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the squash, cut sides down, on a baking sheet.

Meanwhile, toss together the chickpeas, currants, garlic, seasoning blend and 2 tablespoons oil in a mixing bowl until evenly coated.

After the squash and seeds have roasted for 15 minutes, spread the chickpea mixture around the squash on the baking sheet; return to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until the squash is softened to the touch.

Remove the squash from the oven. Invert the squash halves. Use a fork to shred the squash flesh into noodle-like strands. Top with the chickpea mixture and the roasted squash seeds. Season lightly with salt and pepper; serve right away.

Nutrition information per each of 4 servings:

Calories400Fat13 gSodium350 mg