Vegan

This starter, from Colby Garrelts, chef and co-owner of Bluestem in Kansas City, Missouri, is ideal for any summer get-together. For only 72 calories per serving, you'll get nearly 30 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A, plus 4 grams of fiber.

This creation from Salvatore Marino, chef at Il Grano in Los Angeles, is the perfect finger food: tasty and healthy.

Dried chipotle chiles become smoky-hot packages for a filling made from subtly sweet ripe plantains. Don'erestimate the heat of dried chiles—it's important to wear rubber gloves when working with them, since they can be just as potent as fresh ones.

This savory soup is thickened with masa harina, a flour made from dried corn cured in limewater. Dried ancho chiles give the vegetable broth a stunning brick-red color, and epazote (a pungent wild herb native to Mexico) contributes authentic flavor. Cubed potatoes and hefty chunks of fresh corn on the cob make the soup hearty enough to serve as a main course.

From the menu at Vongerichten's TriBeCa restaurant, 66.

Work more soy into your diet with this delicious vegetarian dish. Serve with: rice noodles or steamed rice.

Gemma Sanita Sciabica of Modesto, California, writes: "My husband's family produces olive oil, and I'm the company's recipe developer. We often hear from customers who love our oil but complain that they don't have the time to cook. Their comments inspired me to share my favorite recipes, which show just how simple great Italian food can be." Caponata is a Sicilian specialty typically served as a relish or side dish. It also works as an appetizer on bread rounds.

Our youth culture has even reached the green market: Baby vegetables are among the most sought-after produce, whether we buy them because they are sweeter and more tender than their full-grown counterparts or just because they look great on the plate. Seek out golden yellow, chioggia (an Italian heirloom variety that has white and pink rings inside), and Albino beets at farmers' markets.

Rettichsalat The large white radish is an indispensable ingredient of a typical Bavarian Brotzeit (hearty snack), which many outdoor beer gardens still allow their patrons to bring along. For that occasion, the radish is simply cut into very thin slices and sprinkled with a bit of salt. Here is the recipe for radish salad, a Bavarian classic that requires minimum preparation.

(Chickpeas Cooked in a Spicy Tomato Sauce) Cholay can be served as a snack with tea or as a vegetarian side dish. Some people like to add plain yogurt on the side to balance the spices.

(Deep-Fried Pastry Stuffed with Spicy Potatoes)

Nothing melts in the mouth like baked bananas. Served with any kind of cream topping, it is a simple, unsurpassed dessert. Adjust the ingredients and flavors to your personal taste.

This sauce adds a nice kick to Shabu-Shabu. Use it as you would wasabi in sushi restaurants.

To make the prep easier, buy pre-sliced meat and vegetables; they're sold at some Asian markets. If you can't find pre-sliced meat, ask your butcher to slice it for you. Improv: Substitute bok choy for the cabbage, and onions for the leeks.

Look for chayote at supermarkets, Latin markets, and natural foods stores — it's a light-green pear-shaped squash that's mild and crisp.

Virtually every island has some kind of coconut industry, since there's a use for every part of the coconut, from soap to cooking oil to mattress stuffing. Here, the fresh "meat" is used in a classic candy. There are many variations on this tasty treat, which is sold on the street and in grocery stores, where it's usually homemade.