Think you don't have time to prepare a good meal?

Let Emeril Lagasse show you how to work culinary magic in minutes.

The celebrity chef, star of "Emeril Green" and owner of 11 restaurants, recently debuted his latest cookbook, "Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast" (HarperStudio, $24.99).

The concept in a nutshell?

"What I wanted to do with this cookbook is encourage people to cook a meal in 20 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less and 60 minutes or less," said Lagasse, during a recent phone interview.

"I really enjoyed working on this project. It's a new child for sure," he said.

Targeting harried individuals who want to avoid rushing through the local drive-thru for dinner was a priority for Lagasse.

"We're all busy and we're all working harder than ever and running in all kinds of directions and I want to reassure people that they can make fresh food. The recipes don't have crazy ingredients. These are things that people have, for the most part, in their pantries," he said.

In "Emeril 20-40-60," home cooks will find a variety of dishes: chicken salad with fresh herbs and celery; linguine alla carbonara; kicked-up tuna melts; steak au Poivre; broccoli and cheese soup; turkey and pinto bean tostadas; quick and easy lamb kebabs; roasted red pepper hummus; and peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies.

Lagasse began working on his new book 15 months ago when people were beginning to struggle with the country's -- and the world's -- economic downturn.

He kept that in mind when coming up with recipes.

"I'm trying to keep people encouraged without getting discouraged about dollars," Lagasse said. "Emeril 20-40-60" is the second of 10 in a series of softcover cookbooks.

With appearances on "Good Morning America" and "Emeril Green," the chef's "plugged into Middle America," he said. He receives many requests from viewers and gets a great deal of feedback from budget watchers.

"Sometimes I can do a simple casserole and get 100,000 responses," he said.

In the new book, Lagasse used a different approach for some recipes. He demonstrates a few in stages, with pictures documenting every step from raw ingredients to the completed dish.

"We organized them to show the beginning stage, middle stage and the end result. It takes away the intimidation factor," he said.

And recipes in the book were tested extensively.

"We brought the entire culinary team from New Orleans to our test kitchen in New York and tested and re-tested the recipes. We timed them, styled them and ate them. If they weren't good, we did them again," he said.

Even individuals looking for good holiday dishes, whether they be pasta, seafood or meat-based, will find them in "20-40-60."

"I think there's something for everybody," he said.

Football fans and tailgaters aren't left out, either.

"There are nachos and dips that are perfect for Super Bowl. And no matter what level that you are in cooking, there's going to be an interest in many of these recipes," he said.

When it comes to easy dishes he'd gladly eat over and over again, Lagasse's favorite is his mother Hilda's Portuguese kale soup or caldo verde. (An Emeril's New-Style Caldo Verde, a take-off on his mother's dish, is featured in the book).

"I also never get tired of a simply perfect roasted chicken," he added.

The following recipes are from "Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast"

Kicked-Up Tuna Melts

Four 5-ounce cans solid white tuna packed in water, drained

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, plus more for spreading

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon nonpareil capers, drained

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled between your fingers

4 slices rustic white bread or other dense white bread

8 thin slices tomato

4 ounces sliced Provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS: Position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler. Combine the tuna, mayonnaise, red onion, capers, lemon juice, pepper, salt and oregano in a medium bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and spread additional mayonnaise over each slice. Divide the tuna salad evenly among the bread slices, then top with the tomato slices. Arrange the sliced Provolone evenly over the sandwiches. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cook until the cheese is golden and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 4 open-face sandwiches, 2 to 4 servings.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1- 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

5 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups broccoli florets

1- 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese

Croutons for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS: Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat. When it is hot, add the onions, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, add the broccoli and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. Then puree the soup, in batches, in a blender, adding the cheese in three additions while blending. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with croutons if desired, and serve hot.

Note: Please use caution when blending hot liquids; blend only small amounts at a time, with the blender tightly covered and a kitchen towel held over the top. Makes 1- 1/2 quarts, 4 to 6 servings.