Salad

Here's a unique no-cabbage slaw with a dressing that is spicy and a little sweet.

This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101021"Pork Medallions with Mustard Cream Sauce</epi:recipeLink>.

The delicate beet greens — which are an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, and magnesium — make this dish even more healthful.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Quinoa, though technically a seed in the herb category, has traditionally been considered a valuable member of the grain family. A sacred source of strength for the ancient Incas, it is enjoying as a new popularity here in the United States. The secret of the success of this salad is the steaming of the quinoa. (The traditonal cooking method for quinoa, boiling it in a measured amount of water, does not produce the light, fluffy texture that works so well in a salad.) This dish provides a complete protein and can stand alone as a luncheon or light supper entrée.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Begin this dish early in the day to allow the polenta to set.

This recipe was created to accompany Smoked Salmon on Cream Cheese Toasts with Chives . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Don't marinate the fish more than 15 minutes, or it will be cooked by the citric acid in the lemon juice (like the Latin dish seviche). And don't toss the vegetables until serving time, or the vinegar will discolor the beans.

The delicate grapeseed oil in the dressing allows all the delicious flavors to come out. Regular vegetable oil can be substituted.

All of these fruits have lots of water in them, so I hold off on the salt, which will only draw out more water and make the dressing soupy. Pepper and basil lend a good kick. Have a bowl of coarse salt nearby if desired.

This can be served immediately as a warm salad or made ahead and served chilled.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Aioli, the garlicky Provençal mayonnaise, is accented with chives and Dijon mustard.

When dressing a salad in the classic Italian style, each vinaigrette ingredient is tossed individually with the greens in a specific order, rather than being whisked together. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.