Bell Pepper

Chilies and corn—staples of the southwestern diet—are the hallmarks of this stuffing. Its intense corn flavor comes from a mixture of corn bread, corn chips, corn kernels and cream-style corn. It gets its zip from poblano and jalapeño chilies.

This version of the French classic has only raw vegetables.

The new stir-fry oil accented with garlic, ginger and sesame is a terrific way to season main courses. Use fresh vegetables (the cut-up ones at the salad bar work well) or frozen. Rice and watercress salad are fine accompaniments. Drizzle sliced fresh mango and pineapple with honey for a suitable finish.

Purchased tabbouleh spooned onto whole romaine lettuce leaves is ideal with these Mediterranean-inspired sandwiches. Follow with baklava and fresh grapes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A stylish dinner party dish with a bonus: Much of the prep work can be done a day ahead. At the store, have the butcher bone and trim all of the fat and membrane from a 4 3/4-pound center-cut veal rib roast, resulting in a 3-pound oblong boneless veal loin.

Boiling the vinegar concentrates and sweetens it, so the dressing doesn't require as much oil to balance the acid. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The pile of raw fresh chard may look daunting, but don't worry: It cooks down to about two cups. As a meatless main course, the casserole will serve six.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Because these crab cakes are made with lots of crab meat and not much filler, they require gentle handling during cooking, but the results are well worth the extra effort. At the restaurant '21' the chef makes decorative squiggles with the chili mayonnaise using a plastic squeeze-bottle of the type used for ketchup at hot dog stands.

A great side dish for chicken or fish.

For a nice picnic, pack up this salad (chill it well first), some bread and wine.