Preparing dinner is even easier when you roast everything on a sheet pan… oh, and clean-up is a snap!

This is a great recipe to whip out during the week because you can mix and match the spices based on what you have on hand: Greek (lemon+garlic+oregano), Chinese (ginger+garlic+soysauce) or Italian (basil+garlic+tomatoes). Steam some veggies or make a big salad and voilà! Dinner Dilemma solved.

I like using chicken thighs for sheet pan meals because they won’t dry out in the oven like boneless skinless chicken breasts often do. They’re also less expensive, which is always a plus in my book! Click here for the step-by-step tutorial on how to make the fabulous Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken.

Tip: Get the kids to help with dinner by letting them peel and section the citrus fruit!

Like this recipe? Here’s more super easy dinner ideas: Easy Ravioli Bake and Island Chicken Drummies.

Spaghetti squash can be a bright, beautiful drop of sunshine in your autumn kitchen.

After it’s cooked, those long yellow strands of flesh are a brilliant substitute for pasta. It’s also one of the best vitamin-packed vegetables you can eat. With a little seasoning, it’s a perfect side dish for whatever you’re serving.

Like most winter squash, these babies can be hard to open… but preparing them is so very easy. If you’ve got a microwave-safe dish with a lid, you’re all set. Some recipes call for covering the squash with plastic wrap… but that bothers me. Here’s my method and all you need is a pie plate and a microwave.

Ready? Here’s how to cook spaghetti squash in a microwave in 5 easy steps:

1. Wash and dry the 3 to 4 pound squash thoroughly.

2. Place the squash on your cutting board. Insert a large, heavy-duty chef’s knife lengthwise in the middle of the squash. Carefully slice the squash towards the end. Remove the knife, turn the squash. Insert the knife again and slice toward the uncut end until it opens.

3. With a metal spoon, scrape out the seeds and pulp until you reach the hard flesh. (Be sure to save the seeds and roast them!)

4. Pour ¼ cup of water into the bottom of a microwave-safe pie plate. Place one half of the squash face down in the water. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on high in the microwave. You’ll know it’s ready when the squash is soft and you can easily squeeze or press it. (Note: If your microwave doesn’t rotate, turn the dish ¼-way around after 8 minutes of cooking. Continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked). Remove the cooked squash half from the pie plate. Place remaining squash half on the pie plate with ¼ cup water if necessary. Repeat.

5. When both squash halves cool, remove the yellow “spaghetti” flesh with a fork.

Pretty easy, don’t you think? So don’t avoid these beauties! Bring a little sunshine into your kitchen this week… spaghetti squash is in season now!

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So you’re ready to make caramel apples, eh? Well knowledge is power, so here are some ways to guarantee success.

10 TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMEL APPLES

1. BUY INDIVIDUAL APPLES. You don’t know what you are getting if you buy apples in a bag. Yes, buying the bag is cheaper, but you want to bite into a hard, crisp apple… not one that’s soft with bruises.

2. WASH THE APPLES. Apples produce their own wax naturally. Many growers (even organic) also add another layer of USDA-approved wax to give them shine and retain moisture. You’ll want to remove this wax so the caramel will stick. Simply place the apples in a colander and pour on boiling water. Dry completely to remove the white film.

3. USE FOOD-SAFE STICKS. Chopsticks, craft sticks or pop sticks are perfect for holding the apples. It’s very Pinteresty to use sticks you’ve gathered outside. Unless you’re going to boil these twigs and let them dry out thoroughly, pass up this idea. Do you really want to use something that a squirrel sat on earlier in the day?

4. CHILL YOUR APPLES. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, put the sticks in the apples and then put the apples on the tray. Refrigerate until ready to dip. This will help the caramel stick!

5. USE THE RIGHT POT. Use a heavy pot. A heavier pot distributes the heat evenly so you won’t get “hotspots” and burn the caramel.

6. GET A THERMOMETER. A candy thermometer is absolutely essential. Many recipes give you visual clues, but what I may consider “dark amber” someone else may find to be “already burned.” Don’t risk it.

7. USE A SILICONE SPATULA. A heat-resistant spatula allows you to really scrape the sides of the pot so the caramel doesn’t overcook and burn.

8. HAVE THE DECORATIONS READY. This goes back to basic mise en place; have everything in place before you begin. You want the decorations on plates and ready to go before the caramel on the dipped apples cools too much.

9. DECORATION PERFECTION. When decorating the caramel-covered apples, roll the apples in the decorations (nuts, candy, whatever) or put the decorations in your palm and press them gently into the apple. If you try to sprinkle on the decorations, they will just fall off. Get ‘em to stick the first time.

10. HAVE PATIENCE. Making caramel apples takes lots of patience. Waiting for the caramel to reach the right temperature. Waiting for the caramel to cool before decorating the apples. Waiting for the decorated apples to set before you can dive in and finally eat them…

Now that you’re armed with these 10 Tips for Making Caramel Apples, click here to find the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe. And if, by chance, you have any leftover caramel… pop some popcorn and pour it on top. Now that’s enchantment!

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Cilantro. I’m predicting that in the next few days you’ll probably eat a dish prepared with this flavorful citrusy herb.

Why? Well, Cinco de Mayo is just a few days away, and cilantro has become the go-to herb for most of the Mexican food we eat this country. I won’t bother telling you that REAL Mexican food isn’t buried under a pile of this chopped green stuff because that might spoil your Drinko de Mayo fun.

That sounded a little ugly, didn’t it? Sorry. Let’s move on…

Cilantro, which comes from the coriander seed, was first grown in Greece… so it garnished gyros long before it topped those food truck tacos. Because it’s considered both an herb and a spice (since the leaves and seeds are used), cilantro/coriander is popular around the world. Think about that. You’ll find it in Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food and Central and South American food. Wow.

But cilantro is definitely an acquired taste. My daughter, Sistie, says it tastes grassy and green. I’ve heard others say it tastes like soap. I know a food scientist who thinks some people are born with a gene that makes them not like it. Maybe that’s why cilantro is not particularly popular in Europe and in the Mediterranean (but the coriander seed is used).

Cilantro is also known for its medicinal powers. I was once given a cilantro tea (when I was in the jungles of Nicaragua) to soothe a stomach ailment. It has been called the “anti-diabetic” herb (because it supposedly helps the secretion of insulin). Long ago in China, it’s was thought of as an aphrodisiac, (like in that West and South Asian collection of stories, “The Thousand and One Nights,” remember?).

Cilantro is mostly used as a garnish because it loses its flavor if it’s cooked for a long time. If you try to puree cilantro, its vibrant color and flavor quickly fade… unless it’s blended with oil (like in Chimichurri).

The best way to store cilantro is to cut off the lower stems, wash it really well, roll it in a damp paper towel and refrigerate it in a plastic bag. You can also snip off the bottom stems, make a bouquet, immerse it in a glass filled with a little water and cover it with a plastic bag.

Before you’re ready to chop cilantro, make sure it’s thoroughly dry or it will clump together. Gather the leaf ends together in a bunch and, using a sharp knife, thinly slice across the cilantro in one direction. Don’t randomly chop or you’ll bruise the tender leaves and they’ll turn black!

Oh, one other thing. Don’t buy dried cilantro. It’s worthless. That stuff really does taste like grass!