Side

All the flavor of individual tamales, but much easier to make.

This not-too-sweet potato dish is reminiscent of tzimmes, a traditional sweet potato, carrot and short rib stew. Using a four-millimeter slicing blade in processor makes the preparation a snap.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This salad's delicious dressing is popular with my children as a dip for vegetables (I make a bottle of it to keep in the refrigerator). The salad is great for lunch boxes, or as a side dish served warm or cold. Use three-color pasta, if possible. Preparation: 10 minutes/Cooking: 12 minutes Nutritional information: Rich source of beta-carotene, fiber, and folic acid

Ginger, curry powder and Chinese five-spice powder turn up in this northwestern version of a classic holiday relish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An easy-to-make salad, perfect for a picnic. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

I lived in the Canary Islands for ten years and am reminded in a small way of that happy time whenever I make my former neighbor's spicy potatoes (tradition has it that the real thing is cooked in sea water). I hope that you will enjoy them--they go wonderfully well with grilled fish and meat. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(From Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, License to Grill, Morrow, 1997) Tommy who? Chris and John explain: "This classic Latin American dish is that rare bird, a completely healthful vegetarian meal that appeals to the taste buds of teenagers. Or at least it appeals to the buds of Tommy, a teenager who lives in the apartment above one of us and is the nephew of the other one. Tommy prefers his rice and beans cooked separately, rather than together, and likes lots of garlic and only a few bell peppers in the mix; so that's how we make it here. For some reason, it has almost as high an appeal rating as pizza and chips, those quintessential meatless teenage favorites."