AUBURN – Kim Ellis likes to solve puzzles. And to her, cooking is a puzzle, a scientific experiment of sorts. “If you do it right, people will like it,” she said.

Ellis enjoys trying all kinds of recipes, especially ones from www.allrecipes.com or popular Food Network chef Rachael Ray. “Allrecipes.com is a great source for finding everything. If you have just certain ingredients on hand and you want to figure out what you can make, this is a great Web site,” she said.

An administrative assistant for Medical Rehabilitation Associates of Lewiston, Ellis makes healthy meals a priority. She credits the Weight Watchers program for helping her to make healthy choices, such as baking versus frying meat. She focuses on cooking healthy every day and then once in a while, she said, “You’ve got to have treats.”

One of Ellis’s favorite kitchen appliances is her Black & Decker vegetable steamer. “You don’t have to occupy a burner, and I use it for rice, too. It’s great because steaming doesn’t take away any of the nutrients,” she added.

One of her favorite times to cook is when her family gets together. “I like to get everything going at once and have fun cooking all together,” she said.

One of Ellis’ favorite cooking tips from Rachael Ray is to keep a “garbage bowl” nearby for scraps and garbage when preparing a meal, instead of making several trips to the trash can.

Just as Ellis enjoys cooking for its puzzlelike aspects, she also enjoys origami, the decorative Japanese art of folding paper into different shapes such as a flower or a bird. “I do it every day. It’s therapy,” said Ellis, who also teaches piano.

Tomato/cucumber salad

Ingredients:

3 cucumbers

4 tomatoes

1 bunch of green onions

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Peel and chop cucumbers. If the seeds are tough, you may want to seed the cukes. Chop tomatoes. Chop green onions, leaving out the white ends. Put all into a glass bowl and mix together gently. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the salad. Mix together. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

Broccoli salad

Ingredients:

2-3 bunches of raw broccoli

¼ cup raisins (optional)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

6-8 slices of cooked bacon

¾ cup Miracle Whip

Method:

Cut broccoli into small bite-size pieces. Mix the vinegar, sugar and Miracle Whip together to make dressing. Crumble the bacon over the broccoli. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and mix gently, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Serve chilled.

French crepes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon white sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3 eggs

2 cups milk

2 tablespoon butter, melted

Method:

Sift flour, sugar and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth, stir in melted butter. Heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan on medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using about 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate the pan to spread batter as thinly and evenly as possible. Use a very thin spatula to turn the crepes. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Possible toppings: Strawberries and whipped cream, cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, syrup and butter, or blueberries and lemon sauce

Homemade macaroni and cheese (adapted from Rachael Ray’s 30-minute meals)

Ingredients:

2 pounds elbow macaroni

1 regular-size bag frozen broccoli

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

6 cups milk

1 pound shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Method:

Bring water to boil in large pot. Add macaroni and broccoli and cook until pasta is tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add chicken broth and milk at the same time. Stir until sauce is thickened. Add shredded cheddar cheese. Stir thoroughly until melted. Add Dijon mustard and sweet paprika. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and place in 9- by 13-inch glass pan. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and mix carefully. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Serves 8.