No-Cook

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Asian cucumber ribbon salad can fill a pita pocket — with other ingredients or on its own — or it can accompany fish or meat as a side dish.

Choose a medium-sized head of cabbage and remove the tough outer leaves. It is important to slice the cabbage very thinly. The dressing will break down the harsh texture and soften the slaw.

This is said to be the cavalryman's answer to Artillery Punch.

If you can't find the Moroccan spice blend at the supermarket, combine 1 tablespoon ground cumin with 1/4 teaspoon each of ground coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Serve with: Romaine salad and bowls of mixed green and black olives. Dessert: Purchased apricot tart.

One bite of this exemplary antipasto entirely changed the way I thought about Italian cooking—and cooking in general. So Zen-like in their elegance and simplicity, so little and yet so much said, these delicious little dreamboats truly capture the dreamlike state of the Amalfi coast and the cooking that defines it. The cured anchovies will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Just a bit of intensely flavored oriental sesame oil goes a long way in the dressing of this refreshing salad. To retain the crispness of the watercress, toss it with the remaining ingredients right before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The peppery flavor of arugula is nice with the slightly bitter endive and sweet orange.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. From Maryland to Georgia, crabs are a prized part of the African-American diet. If the crabs need to be boiled before other steps in preparation (as are the pickled shrimp above), a commercial crab boil such as Old Bay seasoning is often used. For the lucky few, though, there's homemade crab boil, an all-purpose seasoning that, besides for shrimp and crab, can also be used for crawfish.

The layered salad was popular in the Midwest throughout the seventies. We've updated it for today's speedy lifestyles and lightened-up diets. Round out the meal with a basket of corn bread, and mugs of tomato soup. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This take on classic Caesar salad uses nonfat yogurt in place of oil and egg (or oil and mayonnaise) for a lean but creamy dressing that is enhanced by grated Parmesan.

Variations of this salad are often served on Christmas Eve in both old and New Mexico.

This recipe originally accompanied Chocolate Mint Layer Cake .