By Refinery29

.Let's face it: You're busy - too busy to mess around with complicated cooking at the end of the day. Still, dinner should be more than just a cup full of cereal and the dream of a brighter tomorrow. Enter: Jenny Rosenstratch, a busy mom who makes dinner happen with style, simplicity, and just the right amount of sizzle. Whether or not you're cooking for kids, we love her easy, delicious approach. In fact, we love it so much, we'll be sharing one of her recipes every week, so you can have a life - and a REALLY good meal, too.

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Chicken Chorizo Taco with Spinach and Avocado
Serves 4

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt
2 links smoked chicken chorizo sausage, sliced into rounds (or 1/2 link per eater)
4 whole wheat tortillas
4 handfuls fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped
1 avocado, chopped

Make creamy cilantro dressing: Using a small food processor, blend together yogurt,

Clayton Junior"I'm making guacamole, but the avocados are hard as rocks."

Vivian Tran, via e-mail

Originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

The Fix: Place avocados in a brown paper bag with a banana, then leave the bag on a sunny windowsill for 18 to 24 hours, says Joe Quintana, the New York City-based regional executive chef for the Rosa Mexicano restaurants. Together, the banana and the avocados release a large amount of ethylene gas, which can hasten ripening. (The heat may help speed the process, too.) If you can't wait a day, try this trick from California avocado grower Carol Steed: Place 2 peeled, pitted avocados in a blender with 1 cup peas (fresh, or frozen and thawed); pulse until smooth. The peas will help soften the consistency of the unripe avocados but won't affect the flavor.

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10 Party Dips
9 Healthy Store-Bought Snacks
Kitchen Tricks and Tips from Our Expert Cooks
How to Fix 17 Basic Cooking Mistakes

Strawberry shortcake never tasted so good -- or so nuanced. Heavy cream is steeped with basil then whipped, infusing it with its essence. Cover the cream with plastic wrap while it steeps to ensure that the basil flavor doesn't evaporate.

Shortcake is best served within 4 hours of baking but can be stored, untopped, at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Basil cream can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; whip just before using. Berries can macerate for up to 3 hours.

Strawberry Shortcake with Basil

2 1/4 cups cold heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons, for brushing
20 large basil leaves, plus 1/3 cup small or torn basil leaves
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more if needed
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
Salt
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pound 4 ounces)
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Related: Exciting Uses for Spring Strawberries

1. Bring 1

Frosting! Icing! Buttercream! Whatever you call it, it's the best part of any cake, cookie, or cupcake. You're gonna have all sorts of sweet treats in your face, because we've pulled together 7 of the most unbelievable frosting recipes and popped them all in one place. From cream cheese to buttercream and even Nutella chocolate frosting, this is the good stuff, baby! - By Brooke McLay

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By Food & Wine

A tangy, caper-studded couscous with butter beans and lemon juice makes a delicious base for quickly sautéed spicy shrimp. Amazing 7-Minute Recipes

Chile Shrimp with Butter Beans and Lemony CouscousChile Shrimp with Butter Beans and Lemony Couscous

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup couscous
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
One 15-ounce can butter beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons capers
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley


DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, stir the couscous with 3/4 cup of boiling water. Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the butter to the skillet. Add the beans, capers and lemon juice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Fold the bean mixture, parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon of

By Food & Wine

Perfect for a graduation party, this is a giant, crowd-pleasing cake, layering light, white cake with fluffy, rich chocolate ganache. Beautiful Layer Cakes

Giant Black-and-White Layer CakeGiant Black-and-White Layer Cake
INGREDIENTS
CAKE
6 cups cake flour (28 ounces or 800 grams)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
FROSTING AND FILLING
1 quart heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 pounds extra-dark (75 to 85 percent) chocolate, chopped
4 sticks unsalted butter (1 pound), softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. MAKE THE CAKE Preheat the oven to 350°; arrange 3 racks in the oven. Line three 12-by-17-inch baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the cake flour with the baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla. In the bowl

By Food & Wine

F&W's Grace Parisi creates a delicious peanut sauce for these juicy burgers using creamy peanut butter and coconut milk. Best Burgers in the U.S.

Chicken Burgers with Peanut SauceChicken Burgers with Spicy Peanut Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 pounds ground chicken
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons very finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 teaspoons chile powder
Salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts
4 round ciabatta rolls, split and toasted
Lettuce, for serving

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken with 1/4 cup of the chopped onion, 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of the chile powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and the garam masala. Using slightly moistened hands, form the ground-chicken mixture into four 4-inch patties.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped onion and 1