Instant noodles may be the perfect cheap food. It's good by itself, but there are always creative ways to transform it into something better. My favourite thing to do is to crack an egg into the pot while my noodles are cooking.

I like company. I don't even mind unexpected, last-minute, "hey, I'm in your neighbourhood" company. In fact, if I am home, I am almost always ready to receive guests, but my kitchen is another story. But even if there is a pile of dishes in the sink and a weird smell hovering in the air, I can get it in decent shape in about 10 minutes. Here's how I do it.

A good sandwich doesn't need more than meat, cheese and bread, but adding some tomato, onion or other vegetable can make it truly great through the addition of fresh flavour and texture. Instead of slicing and dicing each of these components individually, you can save time by piling on the salsa.

Do you ever have those moments when you just need a warm chocolate chip cookie, but don't feel like making several dozen? I know I do, which is why I am happy to have found this 2-minute cookie recipe from Epicurious.

Whole, perfectly roasted poultry is a beautiful thing, but it's not exactly known for being a speedy dish. Thankfully, it's possible to cook an entire bird in an hour or less by cutting it up before popping it in the oven.

Roasted garlic is somewhat magical, but leaving the oven on for 50 minutes or so isn't always feasible (or desired in these hot-weather months). If you want to mellow out the pungent allium without heating up the house, turn to your skillet.