Salad

A lovely salad in which the citrus fruit strikes a nice balance with the fish.

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Cheese with Smoked Turkey and Avocado. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offer some crusty bread with this lovely main-course salad.

This lively Asian-style salad is terrific on its own or teamed with roast chicken, roast lamb or broiled shrimp.

Like many recipes, Cobb salad evolved as a solution to a rather mundane problem. In the late 1920s, Bob Cobb, manager of the original Brown Derby in Hollywood, California, was becoming tired of his daily meals, which consisted mostly of hamburgers and hot dogs. Then one day he chopped up an avocado, along with lettuce, tomato, and bacon, added some salad dressing, and had the result for dinner. A few days later he elaborated on his creation, adding other ingredients he had picked up on his way to the restaurant: chicken breast, chives, egg, watercress, and a wedge of Roquefort. This salad became a staple at the Brown Derby and, eventually, an American classic.

Although this recipe calls for hearts of romaine, either radicchio or iceberg lettuce would make a nice substitute.

Bibb and Boston are both types of butter lettuce; you can use either in this recipe. What to drink: An Australian Sémillon, or a California Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc will stand up to the rich flavors in this meal.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with dill sprigs and sliced ripe tomatoes or pile onto whole wheat bread with crisp lettuce for a satisfying sandwich.

Fragrant lemongrass, chilies and a sweet and tangy sauce flavor this classic Thai appetizer.

Set out black beans, rice, lettuce, salsa and hot flour tortillas to go with the chicken.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The rich flavor of sautéed onions gives the salad dressing high-fat taste.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is a coleslaw-style salad — its sweet, spicy, and crunchy elements make it a terrific accompaniment to anything fried. Sichuan peppercorns, sometimes called fagara, can be found at many Asian markets (though they're technically banned from import because they come from a plant that is susceptible to citrus canker, a disease that devastates citrus orchards). There's no substitute for their flavor, but if you can't find them, the recipe works perfectly well without them.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

We thought of this dish as a main course for lunch, but it would also be great for dinner, particularly with grilled steak. (Serves four as a starter or side dish.)

Look for diced potatoes with onion in the supermarket's refrigerated deli case or in the freezer section. Pair the main course with sautéed spinach, coleslaw, good mustard and dark bread. A pint of ale adds gusto; apple pie is the finishing touch.