Leafy Greens

Meyer lemons add a floral note, but if you can't find them, regular lemons work just fine.

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.

Thin ribbons of Parmigiano-Reggiano carry the mushrooms' meaty robustness through each bite of greens. It might look like a lot of mushrooms when you're putting the salad together, but it allows everyone to have a generous helping.

Left whole and baked, these plump tomatoes encase a soft-cooked egg and romaine pesto. Their interesting presentation is sure to turn some heads.

A crisp potato cake would be tempting enough—even without the surprise of garlicky kale sandwiched between its layers.

The richness of pork is lightened with tangy cabbage for a hearty German-style meal that seems made for autumn.

If you haven't thought of duck as comfort food before, this will change your mind. Pasta, confit duck, and Savoy cabbage become the perfect cool-weather dinner—rich and succulent without seeming heavy. If you haven't had confit duck before, trust us: It's just as good as you would imagine duck cooked in rendered fat would be.

A few simple ingredients come together in an unexpected way to create a delicate beginning for a luxurious dinner.

Chef Kerry Simon (celebrity fans at his showy Las Vegas restaurant, Simon Kitchen and Bar, include Kate Hudson and Lucy Liu) is bringing his simple, organic American cuisine closer to the stars with the planned opening of Simon LA at the Sofitel Hotel this month. This succulent salad provides vitamins, including A, C and folate, among others, plus some zinc from the hearts of palm and juicy ruby red grapefruit.

One of the perks of fame: getting five-star food without leaving the sofa. Whenever Denise Richards craves a healthy, delicious meal, she calls private chef Dorte Lambert, founder of DL Creations. Don't be put off by the high fat count in this dish; it's mostly the heart-friendly unsaturated kind.

Taste restaurant is something of an anomaly in Tinseltown: low-key, affordable and friendly; the hostess smiles whether you're wearing Chanel or Old Navy. It's no wonder that stars such as Cameron Diaz and Selma Blair like to dine here. This salad, from chef Cathy Halter, is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce heart disease risk.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Cal-a-Vie Living: Gourmet Spa Cuisine and is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Cal-a-Vie. This salad was inspired by Chef Dave Armour in 1989 and can be prepared with any lettuce. We like to add hoisin-crusted shrimp to this, just warm enough to wilt the spinach, and, of course, some homemade bread hot out of the oven.

The pesto is also great on portobello mushroom burgers, chicken burgers, and turkey burgers.