30 Minutes or Less

Leaping off the backs of onion-soup-mix boxes and showing up at cocktail parties everywhere, Lipton’s sour cream-and-onion dip took the country by storm. Convenient and quick, the dip also tasted great on potato chips, without which, in the fifties anyway, it wasn’t a party. These days it isn’t a party without little toasts topped by something Mediterranean-hence this zesty update.

To offset its bitterness, the endive is caramelized with sugar in this recipe.

Reduced-fat cream cheese gives this dish a nice texture. Put out some sliced melon with grapes, and offer coffee and orange juice.

Transform flounder fillets into an elegant dinner with this classic French technique.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Start with hearts of romaine topped with balsamic dressing and diced feta cheese, and pass whole grain bread. Have chocolate cupcakes afterward.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ghee Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min

"I've always taken a scientific, as well as an artistic, approach to food," writes Mark Van Wye of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "My family dined out a lot when I was young, and I became an adventurous eater. I would try anything and everything, and eventually I'd attempt to re-create those restaurant dishes at home. I never asked for recipes; I liked the detective work and the sense of discovery as I experimented with ingredients, just as a novice painter learns by copying the masters." Look for green peppercorns where capers and pickles are sold in the supermarket. (They're also good in salad dressings.)

Called "French pasta" at the restaurant, this Provençal-style special (using no butter and a minimum of oil) is typical of Méteigner's light French fare.

We thought of this dish as a main course for lunch, but it would also be great for dinner, particularly with grilled steak. (Serves four as a starter or side dish.)

Look for diced potatoes with onion in the supermarket's refrigerated deli case or in the freezer section. Pair the main course with sautéed spinach, coleslaw, good mustard and dark bread. A pint of ale adds gusto; apple pie is the finishing touch.

Be sure to brush the grill clean while it's hot before adding the fruit.

(Batido) This milk shake is a Puerto Rican and Cuban favorite; Palacio de Los Jugos on Flagler Street in Miami specializes in jugos and makes great tropical-fruit batidos. The fruit combinations are endless — try a mixture of strawberry and kiwi or guava and pineapple — and you can even use coconut milk instead of whole and spike with a shot of rum.

Here's a real treat for the lunch box. Adding dried cherries and chocolate chips turns classic oatmeal cookies into something new.