Leafy Greens

This recipe originally accompanied Monte Cristo Chicken.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Kimberly Kennedy's The Art and Craft of Entertaining. For Kennedy's baby shower tips click here.

These Italian kebabs make a very stylish one-dish supper.

A balsamic vinaigrette flavors the chicken and dresses the salad.

Veal in Switzerland often presupposes sauerkraut, but we prefer a lighter take. With crunchy radishes and bitter frisée, this salad brings its vinegar note in the form of a spicy mustard dressing.

We're all for those simple dishes in which every ingredient tastes radiantly of itself. Sometimes, though, we're reminded of how ingredients can become even more special from their interaction. This veal preparation is definitely one of those reminders — you don't taste cheese or anchovy or wine or butter, just gorgeous meat with a green freshness from the spinach. You'll want some good crusty bread to soak up every last drop of the incredibly flavorful sauce.

These crisp golden crêpes, filled with shrimp, pork, and vegetables, are both delicious and fun to eat. Simply wrap each crêpe in a lettuce leaf, tuck in fresh herbs like mint and basil, and dip it in the sweet-and-sour sauce.

Sukiyaki The term comfort food might have been coined for this bowl of rich, home-style broth surrounding thinly cut beef and a selection of Asian vegetables. The traditional accompaniment of beaten egg makes a silky dipping sauce.

Bibimbop A glorious combination of fresh stir-fried vegetables, each cooked separately to allow its flavors to stay true, is liberally seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. To gild the lily, every serving is topped off with a rich fried egg that gets added just before eating.

This vegetarian showstopper will bowl you over with its layers of flavor — one bite is enough to understand why it's often called one of the world's great dishes. Barley couscous, lighter and more aromatic than the well-known semolina version, serves as a nutty, fluffy base; tender-firm vegetables and a fragrant, golden broth are ladled over; and crunchy fried almonds and sweet onion confit add even more texture and flavor to the beguiling complexity.

Contrasting textures — crunchy salad and creamy chickpeas spread over freshly grilled pita — make this vegetarian meal something truly special.

Cutlets get an indulgent topping of rich ham and nutty melted Gruyère in a contemporary take on chicken Cordon Bleu.

Flavorful smoked mackerel (a nice change from tuna) stars in an effortless combination of crisp, refreshing ingredients that require no cooking.

Fresh radishes (plentiful at the market this time of year) add color and crunch to this slightly sweet vinaigrette-based slaw.

The spice in this dish from Jennifer Maeng, executive chef at Korean Temple Cuisine in New York City, adds more than taste. A compound found in red-hot pepper may also rev up your metabolism. Wok star!

Sink your teeth into a ssäm, Korea's answer to a burrito. This recipe from David Chang, co-chef at Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City, trades tortillas for crisp lettuce to save calories and fat.

Israeli couscous, which is larger and chewier than the more common variety, takes the place of arborio rice in this risotto-style dish.