No-Cook

Dressing up jarred eggplant and canned tuna results in an incredibly lusty lunch. An easy tomato and mint salad spooned on top adds just the right touch of fresh acidity.

Folding fruit into guacamole is an inspired tradition in Mexican cooking. Tropical mangoes are a natural pairing, their silky flesh adding a subtle tartness to creamy avocado. To herald the holiday season, pomegranate seeds flash bright red against the guacamole's cilantro-flecked green. Head over here for our guide to how to cut a pomegranate.

With just a touch of sugar, this tender crust cradles the pastry cream and glazed-pear filling especially well.

Ruggiero was so smitten with the kohlrabi salad at St. JOHN Bread & Wine, in London, that she snapped a photo of her plate and vowed to create her own version back in the States. Kohlrabi, which looks a lot like an alien spaceship, is as crisp as celery and has a pleasant mustardy flavor. Here, paper-thin slices get some additional zip from capers. The salad is so refreshing, it’s an ideal interlude between the extravagant meal and the dessert to come.

The combination of condensed milk and lime gives this dessert a bit of tropical flair.

Yellow tomatoes bring a touch of sunshine to this delicious chilled soup, which can be made as spicy or as mellow as you like.

The keys to this fast, simple dish, which was inspired by a crab-stuffed tomato at Yves Camdeborde's Paris brasserie, Le Comptoir du Relais, are ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, and excellent crabmeat.

After a rich main course, you'll love the clean flavors of this minimally dressed salad. Watercress and fris´e are tamed by slivers of celery root and green apple, which also makes for a seamless segue into the next course—Camembert with apple butter from a local market.

This dip is similar to the original green goddess dressing, which was created in the 1920s at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel. Here, sour cream stands in for mayo.

Celery seeds add nice flavor to this tangy oil-free slaw.

Save any leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to three days.

A Syrian roasted-pepper and walnut spread, muhammara is a great alternative to hummus. 1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers in olive oil with garlic, drained.

Pomegranate seeds add brightness to the look and flavor of this starter.

To make this fresh salad, you'll need the following on hand: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, walnuts, a Gala apple, tart cherries, minced shallots, honey, and frisée.

Each squeezed lemon yields about 1/6 cup of juice.