Starter

Although this recipe has a long ingredients list, it's a snap to throw together, even when you're zapped by sneezes and sniffles. Best of all, you'll be feeling better in a flash — chicken soup is a true germ conqueror, and the spiciness kicks up the cure a notch.

If you spend evenings camped out on your sofa staring at the boob tube, take note: People who spend four hours or more in front of the TV are twice as likely to be overweight as those who watch less than an hour a day, a new study from Australia reports. Study participants' body-mass index (which measures how much of your weight is fat) increased for every hour of TV time. If you watch two hours a day, you're 57 percent more likely to be overweight than those who keep tube time to an hour or less; if you watch three or more hours, you're 91 percent more likely to be overweight. What's worse, past studies show that this pastime triggers the munchies for high-fat snacks, though researchers aren't sure why. If you must gaze at the box, channel your snack urges toward something healthful, like this creamy, low-fat dip.

This classic soup is a no-brainer, no-cook meal: Simply chop and blend. Serve it with crusty bread and spreadable goat cheese. Any leftovers will keep in your fridge for up to five days.

La Merenda di Victor When my husband was a schoolboy in Bologna, his favorite afternoon merenda was a crusty slice of grilled bread that his grandmother would top with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. It doesn't need a recipe, just a description.

Slow-cooking these colorful vegetables renders them soft and silky. And serving them Mediterranean-style — at room temperature — makes entertaining easy, because you don't have to run back and forth between the table and the kitchen.

This fennel-and-scallion-enriched version of tyropita (Greek cheese pie) uses feta and cottage cheese to create a filling that's mildly tangy yet mellow.

Po Ho Thng Although this fragrant soup, reminiscent of Chinese egg drop, is meant to be sipped throughout the meal (its clean flavor cools the palate between dishes), we'd make it even if we weren't preparing the rest of this menu. It's incredibly easy (the stock can be made ahead) and requires only a few ingredients.

Kerabu Bok Kwa This fresh, zesty salad cuts through the richness of the heavier main courses. Sambal belacan is a classic Nonya dressing. We've reduced the amount from what would traditionally be used because belacan (shrimp paste) can be rather strong for those who aren't used to it. The paste has a salty fish taste and pungent smell (the odor dissipates once it's added to the dish), but it lends a dimension of flavor very characteristic of Nonya cuisine — were you to eliminate it, you wouldn't really be eating Nonya food. For a more authentic version, use 2 tablespoons belacan and 4 tablespoons lime juice.

Ideal for a picnic, these sesame-speckled chicken wings are so good, you'll be happy to lick your fingers clean.

Dipped in peanut sauce, these beef satés are flavor bombs on a stick. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients — we promise you won't be disappointed if you make the sauce from scratch. (It's so much fresher and more complex than any bottled product you may have used in the past.) The meat can be marinated and the sauce prepared ahead, so you just need to grill the satés before serving.

This Mediterranean dish can be served with bread or crackers as a meze (appetizer), and it's also great as a sandwich filling.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Lake Austin Spa Resort. As a way of helping you to meet your daily cactus requirements, we offer you this absolutely delicious and completely refreshing salad inspired by the cooking of coastal Mexico. Cactus paddles are available in Latin or Mexican markets.

The chicken and vegetables are strained out for a clear soup. If you'd like, save some chicken and vegetables to serve along with the matzo balls in the soup.

Requiring just a few ingredients and minimal cooking, this hors d'oeuvre is the epitome of elegant simplicity.

These are great with salsa.

Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking , by Harumi Kurihara. Hotate no Sauté Miso Sauce These scallops make a good starter or they can be served as part of larger Japanese-style meal. I think that the combination of Japanese flavors, such as miso, and the western flavor of Parmesan cheese makes for a delicious and exciting dish.

Here, lemon vinaigrette sharpens creamy white beans for a lively vegetarian meal.