Bean and Legume

There is no oil in this most original salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Start with vegetable sticks and dip from the supermarket. Warm tortillas and a plate of sliced red onion, orange and avocado are nice sides. To end, sprinkle rum and brown sugar over fresh pineapple chunks. Look for the coconut milk in the Asian foods section of the grocery store.

This recipe can be made in 45 minutes or less.

Basil is one of the favorite ingredients of the Italian region of Liguria, and there is no place in the world where it is more fragrant or put to such delicious use. It's the basis of the classic Genoese sauce, pesto, in which it is partnered with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses. It shows up most typically floating atop minestrone, drizzled over potato gnocchi, or - as here - tossed with trenette (the local ribbon pasta), potatoes and green beans.

This simple and hearty meatless main course has intriguing Indian accents.

With some warm corn bread, this chili is a meal in itself. You wouldn't know there was chocolate in the recipe, but it adds a subtle depth of flavor to the dish.

You'll need a big glass bowl or a trifle dish to show off the salad to its best advantage. An accompaniment to Chicken Chili Verde .

If hojiblanca or cacereña olives are unavailable, use other Mediterranean olives.

Thick slices of eggplant are topped with a salad of roasted red bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garbanzo beans; then the salad is drizzled with a tangy balsamic dressing. It's nice with a Pinot Blanc or a Chardonnay. Pears poached in red wine and served with chocolate sauce and a glass of Sauternes make a lovely dessert.

Barley gives this a wonderful chewy texture.

Great with tortilla chips as a dip. Or try it as a vegetarian filling for burritos adding grated Monterey Jack cheese, too.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Just like some Mexican moles, this chili has a bit of chocolate in it. Serve sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar cheese alongside.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This dish is a characteristic Moroccan Jewish preparation. North Africans, Jews and non-Jews alike, are particularly skilled at cooking fish because the long coastline yields so much. Dried chickpeas, a staple starch in the Mediterranean, traveled with the Jews when they emigrated.