Garlic

Home cooking doesn't get any easier than this. So if you're serious about getting maximum flavor for a minimum amount of effort, this Cuban way of preparing chicken is for you. The onions and Mojito Marinade melt together into a tasty sauce that mingles well with some of our Perfect Rice.

Chef-owner Neath Pal is known for his fusion of French-Asian and New England cooking. So serve this dish with slender noodles tossed in a purchased peanut sauce. Finish with coconut ice cream.

This would also be delicious sprinkled over roast meat, poultry and seafood.

Maple syrup lends sweetness and chipotle chilies add smoky heat to a terrific glaze for grilled corn on the cob.

This quick, casual recipe endows beef burgers with the flavors of a great pizza.

Asparagus or peas may be added to this recipe. Gremolata—a mixture of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley typically sprinkled over osso buco (braised veal shank)—is not traditionally used in Italian Jewish vegetable dishes, but it gives this one lightness and sparkle.

Here's a simple, richly flavored recipe from Josefina Howard, owner of Rosa Mexicano restaurant in New York.

Teamed with pita bread triangles and a variety of raw vegetables, this Middle Eastern dip makes a great snack or hors d'oeuvre for a dinner party. Tahini is available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you're feeling extravagant, try replacing the scallops with half a pound of lobster. Or substitute a pound of cubed chicken for the seafood and chicken broth for the clam juice.

Use this snappy seasoning on pork, lamb and beef as well.

Called fattoush in Lebanon, this colorful dish is offered as a first course at Al-Amir restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

A full-flavored Italian blue cheese adds pizzazz to this pasta. Serve the dish with a salad, bread and a glass of white wine for a lovely weekday dinner.

An elegant but easy first course. Frozen artichoke hearts are used for the filling, and purchased gyoza or wonton wrappers replace homemade pasta.

Bruschetta — a rustic Italian canapé — is the perfect vehicle for the robust flavors of late summer. Serve these topped toasts as a first course or, with a salad and a glass of wine, as a light supper.