Weeknight Meals

Mild fillets get zing from a coating of wasabi mayonnaise.

Splashes of lemon add a bright note to this simple chicken dish seasoned in the Provençal tradition with rosemary and garlic.

A fresh summer catch from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, bluefish has a rich, fine-textured flesh that makes it perfect for baking, broiling, or grilling.

Hearty soba noodles and tangy feta cheese create a lightning-quick vegetarian dish that even meat eaters will flock to. Served cold or at room temperature, it's just what we want on a warm evening.

Just a sprinkle of zest and a dab of lime butter sauce beautifully highlight the flavor of grilled salmon.

Delicate crabmeat gives sweetness to a light citrus sauce served on top of pasta.

This dish focuses on the goodness of ripe tomatoes, letting them be just what they're meant to be — wonderful.

Lamb shoulder is meltingly tender here, and a natural partner for earthy-sweet artichokes.

Tofu absorbs the richness of sesame oil and the tang of rice vinegar in a fresh salad that pops with crisp celery.

With authentic Asian flavor, this soup is a perfect light supper.

Smoky chipotle marries lime juice and mild honey in this irresistible chicken dish, perfect for your next barbecue.

The classic combination of sausage and greens takes on a pasta companion in this warming dish that peaks with red-pepper flakes and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Burgul Bi Bandoura This hearty side dish is typical of everyday cooking in the Lebanese and Syrian mountains, where cracked wheat, or bulgur, is far more abundant and less expensive than rice, which is reserved for special-occasion dishes.

Dau hu xa ot Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham and are part of our story on Lunar New Year. While traveling on a train one time to the coastal town of Nha Trang, I sat next to an elderly nun. Over the course of our bumpy eight-hour ride, she shared stories of life at the temple and the difficult years after the end of the war when the Communist government cracked down on religious factions. Toward the end of our chat, she pulled out a bag of food she'd prepared for the trip. It was tofu that had been cooked in chilies, lemongrass and la lot, an aromatic leaf also known as pepper leaf. When she gave me a taste, I knew immediately that I had to learn how to make it. This is my rendition of that fabulous dish. Make sure to pat the tofu dry before marinating it and use very fresh lemongrass. I always love serving this to friends who think tofu dishes are bland.

Fish stews abound throughout the Mediterranean and most evolved from the fishing boats themselves, as fishermen reserved the worst of their catch for themselves and cooked it on-board.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown's Weekends. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

The way most people make Italian sausage and peppers is to smother the sausage in lots of sautéed peppers. It's good, but I expand on the theme with plump, juicy tomatoes and a big handful of basil. And turkey sausage adds a healthy twist to this traditional dish. Try it spooned over pasta for a truly Italian experience.

Talk about convenient! Baking a whole sweet potato takes about an hour, but sautéing the grated potato takes only fifteen minutes from start to finish — and you end up concentrating the flavor to boot. This recipe dresses up your potato with Southwestern ingredients, but there's no reason not to go Asian (add ginger and soy) or Italian (add sage, brown butter, and pine nuts) as the mood strikes you. For that matter, you could swap out the sweet potato and use butternut squash instead.

Maccheroncini al Pesce Spada This dish epitomizes what I have found true Sicilian cooking to be: fresh tasting, light, and fragrant.