Leafy Greens

This refreshing salad serves as a palate cleanser before dessert. Oltranti updates a traditional Italian-style salad dressing with the modern flavors of California cuisine: Floral Meyer lemon amplifies the acidity of red-wine vinegar in a bright shallot vinaigrette.

Fresh mint and sliced cucumbers give this American-style salad a lightness that leaves you feeling satisfied, not stuffed.

(Salade Tiede aux Oeufs en Meurette) Two grand bistro classics meet here: the frisée aux lardons salad with a poached egg, and oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in a red-wine sauce). Frisée, with its slightly bitter flavor and sturdy but delicate texture, stands up beautifully to the rich, concentrated sauce and the warm poached egg.

This no-cook quickie dinner is less than 18 percent fat. Dig in!

It's the classic brunch dish—in salad form. Frisée, edamame, radishes, and red onions are sprinkled with prosciutto, then topped with a poached egg and hollandaise.

In this simple side, humble apple cider vinegar is transformed into a gastrique (a slightly syrupy reduction).

Start making the dough one day in advance; it needs to be refrigerated overnight.

Packed with veggies and two kinds of cheese, this dish is hearty and surprisingly luxurious.

The sandwiches can be refrigerated one day ahead (chill the chicken and spinach before assembling).

Fresh truffles cost hundreds of dollars per pound. A drizzle of truffle oil gives a similar flavor and aroma for a fraction of the price.

Apples make this salad appealing even to young children.

Less expensive than crab but just as good.

This recipe originally accompanied Mushroom and Thyme Risotto Cakes with Roasted Tomato and Arugula Salad . If you're not keeping kosher or serving this salad with meat, you could top it with crumbled blue cheese.

At first glance, your guests will think this is creamed spinach. One bite and they'll be thrilled to find it's much more exciting than that. Kale, a hearty green, brightens potatoes that have been cooked in cream. Smooth and substantial, this dish is a welcome foil for pork roast with winter fruits or other roasted meats.

Quickly braised cabbage adds subtle crunch to scallops infused with a combination of warm, aromatic spices.

A salad of oranges and slightly bitter endive and escarole rounds out the buffet of fried latkes and rich toppings.

Lemon-tahini dressing unexpectedly emboldens kale and cheesy potatoes with its creaminess and tart richness. We went back for seconds and thirds.

Here, we pepped up the fail-safe brunch combination of bacon, egg, and cheese by adding handfuls of flavorful sautéed arugula. They'll be jumping out of bed for this one.

For this interactive dinner, use a camping or induction burner at the table, or just get cozy around a warm stove. As the broth cooks the chicken and vegetables, it becomes a flavorful homemade soup.

This simple dish has a quiche-like filling and baguette slices for a crust.