HINTS HELOISE FROM

DEAR HELOISE: When you have extra coffee filters that don’t fit your new coffee pot, don’t throw them away. I like to use mine to line small bowls for snacking. No washing afterward; I just toss the liner away.

— Mary Ann K., Fishersville, Virginia

DEAR HELOISE: I’m out on my own now and cooking a lot of my meals. I’m hoping you’ll reprint your one-pot chicken dish for me, because as I recall, it was not only easy to make but very tasty as well. I’m learning to cook a number of things, but that recipe is one of my all-time favorites. — Jacob Q., Jacksonville, Florida

JACOB, THIS IS ONE of my most requested recipes and is a fan favorite:

One-Pot Chicken

1 teaspoon oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced potato (1/2-inch cubes)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped celery

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon thyme

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup canned peas

2 3-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Heat oil in a heavy, large skillet and add onions and potatoes. Cook over medium heat while stirring until they begin to brown. Add the remaining ingredients as listed except peas and chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. Place chicken in sauce, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes. Then add peas and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes or so. To serve, place one chicken breast on each plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

This is a delicious but simple recipe, just like the other recipes in my pamphlet “Heloise’s Main Dishes and More.” With so many people working these days, no one has the time to cook the way our parents did. To get a copy of my pamphlet, just go to www.Heloise.com or send $3, along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/Main Dishes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Whenever you need a fast, economical and easy recipe, you’ll have this pamphlet at your fingertips.

DEAR HELOISE: My family loves soup, and I like to make it rather than buy prepared soup from a can. My only problem with my own homemade version is that it’s often too watery. That also applies to my gravy. How do I fix this problem?

— Monica D., Bogota, New Jersey

MONICA, JUST ADD some instant mashed potatoes to either your soup or gravy. If your stews are too thin, then puree some vegetables and add that to the stew.

— Heloise DEAR HELOISE: I have an automatic rice cooker, but rice sticks to the bottom, and I have a terrible time getting all of it out. Help! — Nancy H., Dolores, Colorado

NANCY, SPRAY THE bottom of the rice cooker with a non-sticking spray, and your problem should be solved.

— Heloise