Vegan

Prepared shredded coleslaw mix is one of our favorite items in the produce aisle because it’s so easy to toss in a bowl—all the work’s already done. You can bring this slaw to a potluck supper and get raves, and it takes less than ten minutes to put together. It’s no surprise that this is also terrific with Sweet and Spicy Pork (page 128), and kids will love it with Mini Macaroni Pies (page 168).

When Jamie craves salad (believe it or not, he does!), this is what he’s after: something you can chow down on. Hearty, crunchy romaine is perfect for that. We also love it with Mama’s Tasty Baked Beans and Sausage Soup (page 126) and Sautéed Ravioli with Cheese and Bread Crumbs (page 166).

If there’s no time to pick up a bottle of BBQ sauce in the after-work rush, here’s a simple homemade recipe using ingredients you probably already have in the fridge or pantry.

If you’ve already got the grill going, this is a surefire way to get great veggies fast. They get deliciously smoky-sweet, and all you need is a handy grill basket to keep the small pieces from falling into the fire (or you can use a sheet of aluminum foil). A colorful assortment of veggies makes this especially fun. You can serve it with any of the grilling recipes in the chapter, but it’s especially great with Grilled Tilapia Po’boys with Homemade Tartar Sauce (page 95) and Easy After-Work BBQ Chicken (page 91).

If you’ve ever baked frozen fries inside while you were flipping your burgers outside on the grill, you might have wished you could just grill your fries, too. Well, we got sick of wishing and gave it a shot. These get nice and crisp, and we toss them with a little spice to make them that much more special.

We’ve had some incredible West Indian food on some of the cruises we’ve taken, and this is our nod to those island flavors. Adventurous kids will like this slightly sweet, creamy, nutty rice. You should also try it with Broiled Tuna with Pineapple-Chipotle Salsa (page 57) and Spicy Honey Chicken Salad over Spinach (page 150).

As soon as we discovered how fast couscous is to make—we’re talking five minutes-there was no holding us back. We serve it with everything from Balsamic-Glazed London Broil (page 15) to Peppery Turkey Scaloppini (page 46).

You’ll be amazed at how much two ingredients can transform green beans. Blending olives with olive oil creates a chunky sauce with enough flavor to carry the day. We also love this with Italian-Style Pork Chops (page 23) and Braised Chicken with Peppers and Mushrooms (page 129).

When we were kids, just a little older than Jack is now, we used to run over to Granny Paul’s house to pick the baby lettuce in her spring garden. Now we can find bagged conveniently baby lettuce in our supermarket. We like to make this salad to accompany and lighten up all kinds of heartier fare, like Creamy Chicken Alfredo Bake (page 32). If you can’t get baby lettuce, you can make this recipe with any kind of lettuce you’ve got in the fridge.

This salad looks almost too pretty to eat! Try it with other Asian-inspired dishes like Broiled Tuna with Pineapple-Chipotle Salsa (page 57) or Bobby’s Favorite Beef Teriyaki Stir-fry with Broccoli and Peppers (page 18).