Bell Pepper

Sweet and crunchy jicama and smoky grill-roasted peppers and green onions combine in this attractive side dish.

Everyone's favorite childhood dish gets a sophisticated twist with the addition of red bell peppers, celery and blue cheese. But never fear: The kid in you — and all the kids — will love it.

The lobster and vegetables are tossed with an orange, shallot and tarragon dressing, then served over mixed green. Offer lavash crackers and white wine spritzers.

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

When you want to put on the "dog" but not the fat, try this colorful salad.

Try tucking this simple make-ahead salad into pita bread halves and adding some ruffly-edged lettuce for color.

Chicken flavored with ham or bacon is an age-old Irish marriage. At Drimcong House in Moycullen, Ireland, the combination is translated into a stunning contemporary dish. Ask your butcher to skin and bone the chicken legs for you, which will make this easier to prepare.

Called chakchouka, this specialty is perfect for brunch, lunch or even a quick supper.Traditionally, it is prepared with a slender, spicy beef or lamb merguez sausage, and a soft bread is used in place of a fork to "grab and eat".

A little pork goes a long way in this Chinese dinner. Chicken breast can be used as a substitute for the pork. Chinese crepes are available frozen in most Asian markets, but easy-to-find tortillas work, too.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Jean Anderson, author of The American Century Cookbook, traces the origin of sloppy joes to the depression-era 1930s, and the popularity of this messy ground-beef sandwich increased markedly in the fifties and sixties. We update it with ground turkey, canned diced chilies and ale.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

Unlike most tamal recipes, which use dried corn (masa harina), this one is Cuban-style, made with fresh corn kernels. I've also added a different touch by replacing the traditional pork filling with conch. The flavor and texture proved very popular at Yuca, and it remained on the menu as a fixture. These tamales are very convenient for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, or kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the microwave. In fact, it's not worth making a smaller batch, so you'll probably want to freeze some of them. Likewise, the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

Parmesan isn't usually served with seafood pasta, but the cheese adds a nice richness to this linguine.