Starter

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This delicate dish is also a nice first course.

If you like, sauté some wild mushrooms and stir them into the finished risotto. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In the West Indies, salads are rarely leafy; rather they are often based on avocado and onion. We added hearts of palm for an additional tropical touch. Can be prepared in less that 45 minutes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offered at A Pacific Cafe, in Kapaa, on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.

A new twist on the usual bean dip.

Serve these with a salad and some sausage for a hearty main course.

You can steam, grill, boil or broil the shrimp or, even easier, buy them already cooked. Saffron rice and greens mixed with some olives, red onion slices and a garlicky olive oil dressing are perfect side dishes. Sliced oranges sprinkled with a bit of sweet Sherry and paired with some crisp sugar cookies would round out the Spanish-inspired menu.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe comes from my brother, Chris, a high-school athletic coach. If you think stuffed mushrooms sound too foofy for Super Bowl Sunday, I refer you to "Little" Brother. He tells me they are winners every time. There's plenty of room for play in the recipe. The only firm rule: Use more crab than cream cheese.

At Woodside in West Los Angeles, owner Noel Ampel and executive chef Nigel Faulkner both believe in taking the freshest ingredients and combining them in simple, yet highly sophisticated ways. This pasta is a fine example of that philosophy. A basket of crusty warm rolls and a salad of mixed baby greens with a Sherry vinaigrette are great accompaniments. End with coffee gelato and chocolate-dipped biscotti. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.