Yogurt

Serve with warm flatbread or pita bread.

Dried fruit, nuts, and oil-cured olives make this fruitcake something special.

This appetizer from chef Joe Bonaparte, academic director of culinary arts at The Art Institute of Charlotte in North Carolina, provides bone-building calcium.

Like tsatsiki, but with cilantro standing in for the mint, this tangy sauce packs a sneaky cayenne kick and makes an ideal accompaniment to grilled shrimp as well as the rice pilaf and the chicken kebabs.

Soaking the chicken overnight in a yogurt marinade results in pillow-tender chunks faintly flavored with garlic. Turmeric adds a spark of Middle Eastern flavor and a happy orange hue.

Serve this with a side of steamed basmati rice or Savory Semolina . Be sure to let guests know that there are whole cloves in the finished dish.

The lamb needs to marinate overnight.

Many Indian families have their own recipe for this popular dish. While most versions are mild and flavorful, this one pays special attention to the spices, so it won't be too hot for young palettes—and it's a surefire winner with kids. Garam masala and other spices are available by mail order at Kalustyan's.

Offering a good dose of calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and C, this Middle Eastern-inspired combination makes a healthy handheld breakfast or snack. Topped with honey, nuts, and yogurt as thick as ice cream, it might even pass for dessert.

Raita is India's signature yogurt and vegetable condiment. This one would also be good on pita or naan.

Assemble the berries and yogurt up to a few hours ahead, then pour the caramel over shortly before serving.

This thick, cheesy dip is delicious with broccoli spears or bread sticks, or even as a spread on slices of bread. Serve any leftovers on baked potatoes or tossed with potato salad.

A green relish, inspired by the Yemeni cilantro sauce zhoug, is swirled into luscious, tangy Greek yogurt, so that each swipe with a strip of crunchy toasted pita or crisp bell pepper gathers a different combination of fresh, hot, and cooling flavors.

This sophisticated blend of strawberries, red-currant jelly, balsamic vinegar, and bay leaves may just replace chocolate sauce as your favorite ice cream topping.

This quick and healthy shake is a great breakfast on-the-go.

Turkish cooks have long loved eggplant with lamb. Here's one reason why.