Keto

Pesto made with basil also works beautifully in this dish.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Ensalada de Ejote, Espinaca, y Betabel The green beans and the poblano chiles in the salad dressing may be the only ingredients that are indigenous to Mexico, but the colorful combination of vegetables, with their contrasting textures, results in a fitting accompaniment to any Mexican dinner.

The versatile seasoning mixture is just as nice on lamb, pork and poultry.

This simple marinade and a fast grilling bring out the best in a great cut of meat.

The habanero, reputedly the "hottest chile in the world" has a complex, citrusy aroma and flavor. This salsa from the Yucatan is a classic accompaniment to meat and seafood cooked in an achiote recado a brick-red paste made with achiote, or annatto, seeds. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Because I love to cook, I'll use any excuse to make dinner for my family or friends. Most of the recipes I concoct are partly based on how the ingredients look—presentation is very important to me," Dave Purdy of Hopewell, New Jersey. "Here, I combined celery root with Swiss chard because the colors and textures contrast so nicely." This tangy side dish would be good with roasted poultry or meat.

This Portuguese classic cooked in the style of the Ribatejo region, consists of pork and shellfish in a red wine sauce. The recipe comes from Antonio's restaurant, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they accompany the stew with fried potatoes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you trim and blanch the green beans and turnips one day ahead of time, this dish will come together in just minutes.

An easy version of the famous Cobb salad.

The classic — and amazingly easy — French sauce made with butter and wine gets a glamorous makeover with Champagne. Feel free to use less-expensive sparkling wine for cooking, but keep the blanc de blancs flowing as an accompaniment.

Judy Rodgers is currently working on a cookbook from her Zuni Café in San Francisco. Grilling the mushrooms for this salad (which will appear in the new book) intensifies their flavor. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min