Leafy Greens

Here's a hearty main-course soup perfect for a simple winter dinner. The chopped escarole fills a large bowl but wilts considerably when cooked.

Serve this main-course salad with some crusty bread, and offer fresh fruit for dessert. To prepare the dish, use leftovers from the Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary , or broil two 4-ounce boneless pork loin chops until cooked through and then dice. Note that nutritional numbers are for either cut of pork.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Calcutta, former seat of the British Empire and today capital of West Bengal, sits just above the Ganges delta. Fish is cooked here in harmonious combinations with root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, incorporating Bengali seasonings such as pungent kalonji seeds and ground mustard seeds. In the following recipe, for a truly authentic taste use mustard oil instead of vegetable oil. Be sure, though, to heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it smoke for 3 to 5 seconds. This tempers its pungency.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a classic Irish combination.

This delicious entrée takes just minutes, making it perfect for a quick weekday supper.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. A popular Japanese sauce perks up the grilled shrimp. For side dishes, garnish purchased sesame noodle salad with chopped green onions and peanuts, and put out a plate of carrot and celery sticks. As long as the coals are hot, grill slices of fresh pineapple, then top them with vanilla ice cream and shredded coconut.

A spicy arugula and tomato salad accompaniment makes this a perfect light summer entrée that could easily serve as a one-dish meal, or a piatto unico as they are known in Italy. The trick is to cook the chops slowly over even, meduim heat, so that they cook through without burning the bread-crumb crust.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Complete the entrée with a dilled cucumber salad, steamed squash and popovers (from a mix). End with purchased strawberry tarts.

This soup is from Russia and Poland.

The walnut oil adds a distinctive flavor here. You can substitute olive oil and just sprinkle toasted walnuts over each serving.

"Blue Moon in Dayton serves a fabulous goat cheese salad with a raspberry-poppy seed dressing," writes Susan M. Berry of Dayton, Ohio. "Would they share the recipe?"

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Cold cooked rice (made at least 1 day ahead) is the secret to delicious fried rice, so don't cook a fresh pot for this recipe.

For an especially elegant presentation, this salad can be arranged on individual plates instead of one large platter. When trimming the base of the romaine hearts, be sure to leave a small part of each base attached to hold the leaves together.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min