Saute

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Perfect before grilled fish or roast chicken.

Serve with steamed rice and some traditional condiments, such as chopped red and green onions, raisins, shredded coconut, peanuts and diced bananas.

To serve alongside this version of a southern favorite, toss some boiled new potatoes and cherry tomatoes with melted butter and chopped parsley in a skillet. Finish with a purchased lemon meringue pie.

"The warm asparagus salad I had at Figs restaurant in Boston was as original as it was delicious," says Lena Madore of Los Altos, California. "They served it with a chickpea pancake. I'd love to try both recipes." This salad is great with or without the wedge of farinata, a flat savory cake of Italian origin made from chickpea flour.

A colorful and delicious side dish reminiscent of succotash.

Pan-roasting or toasting in a dry cast-iron skillet is a cooking technique used often in Mexican cuisine. We use it here to bring up the flavors of corn, onion, and pumpkin seeds. We created this salad as a main course, but it's also a terrific side dish. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Western ingredients are particularly well suited to the Thanksgiving feast, as evidenced by this robust, satisfying gravy. It comes from Montana-based Greg Patent, the author of New Cooking from the Old West (Ten Speed Press, 1996), and it has an appealing home-on-the-range quality, thanks to plenty of fresh sage and the smoky taste of bacon. It's rich, delicious and perfect for smothering turkey and potatoes. Follow these directions to make a foolproof gravy no matter what recipe you use for roasting the turkey. Since the broth and giblets can be prepared one day ahead, the last-minute steps are kept to a minimum.

This attractive and flavorful main course is perfect for weeknight entertaining.

Dried udon noodles are found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets; if unavailable, use linguine instead.

Dried porcini are sold at Italian delis and in many supermarkets.

Serve the waffles with sautéed green beans and mushrooms, and end the meal with fresh pineapple and giant gingersnaps.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min Peas, noodles, beef—everything you need for dinner in one dish.

"To celebrate my birthday, my husband took me to Assaggio, one of my favorite restaurants here," writes Christy Wall of Portland, Oregon. "As I always do, I ordered the bow-tie pasta with wild mushrooms, butternut squash, spinach, garlic and olive oil."

By cooking the rice and toasting the walnuts ahead, you can take this dish from skillet to table in a very short time.