Cheese

Using goat cheese and nonfat ricotta skims fat, not flavor.

Protein-packed chickpeas and feta satisfy you for hours; bell pepper offers immunity-enhancing vitamin C.

This recipe was created by chef Ryan Hardy of the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This recipe makes more than enough pesto for Chef Ryan Hardy's Artichoke and green garlic soup . Leftovers, which freeze wonderfully, are great with pasta.

The broccoli gives bright flavor and color to this easy vegetarian pasta dish.

Serve these mini pizzas as an appetizer with drinks.

Great with orange or Romanesco cauliflower. Serve with a green salad.

A V-slicer— sold at some supermarkets and most cookware stores—makes quick work of slicing the potatoes very thinly. Serve these alongside Martinis.

This big-deal cake can be made a day ahead.

Add a salad and your meal is set. Or serve small squares for an appetizer.

Mac and cheese goes southwestern with corn chips and salsa verde.

Look for panko in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

The combination of potatoes and cheese just can't be beat, especially here, in this rich, filling soup.

Guava and sautéed mango add subtle sweetness to this elegant dish. What to drink: A crisp, dry white wine with tropical fruit notes, like Pinot Gris.

A layer of sliced fried plantains forms the crust; picadillo — a Latin dish of ground meat, tomatoes, and spices — makes a savory filling. This would be a lovely supper with bread and a salad.