Saute

The combination of raisins and pine nuts was brought by the Arabs all the way to Spain and Sicily.

Use raw king prawns for this dish; they are gray and turn pink when they are cooked. Some supermarkets sell them ready-peeled.

Cooked in this way, in olive oil, the dish is normally served cold as a salad, but I also like it hot with rice or as a side dish with meat or chicken.

Fried onions, feta cheese, and herbs lift what is otherwise a bland vegetable. These little fritters can be served hot or cold. They can be made in advance and reheated.

Sautéed chicken kebabs are more tender and juicy than the grilled ones on skewers, which are served in kebab houses. Accompany these with tomato pilaf and a Cucumber and Yogurt Salad (see page 156). The dark, wine-red spice called sumac (see page 7) lends a sharp lemony taste to the chicken

This is a dish of Georgian origin. Georgia, which borders on northwest Turkey, is famous for its plum trees and plum sauces. Our slightly sour, dark red plums will do well.

This is the best-known Moroccan chicken dish. It was the only one, apart from appetizers, served during an evening of Arab poetry and storytelling, accompanied by musicians, that I attended in a Paris restaurant. The olives do not have to be pitted. If you find them too salty, soak them in 2 changes of water for up to an hour.

All kinds of white fish fillets can be cooked in this way, but I am particularly fond of skate wings with these flavors. The flesh is fine and delicate and easily parts from the layer of soft cartilaginous ribs. Small skate wings can be sautéed but the thicker, more prized wings of the larger fish must be poached (see Variations).

Preserved lemons bring one of the defining flavors to Moroccan salads and are often used together with olives. Cook the spinach in two batches if your saucepan is not large enough for all the bulky spinach leaves. Keep back 4 or 5 whole olives as a garnish.

Carrot salads are very common in Morocco. This one is sold by street vendors and is particularly delicious. Use older carrots, which have a better taste than young ones.

I consider spaghetti squash a “fun” vegetable and enjoy serving it to anyone who has never tried it. Everyone seems delighted by this unique squash and its spaghetti-like flesh. This is delicious accompanied by Long-Grain and Wild Rice Salad (page 50).

An appealing vegetable trio is enlivened by a wine-scented sauté.

Use a variety of peppers to make this side dish colorful. Use leftovers to make sandwiches on fresh bread with spreadable goat cheese.

Raw turnips have a pleasantly bitter bite like radishes, but sautéed they are delectably sweet.

Leeks and carrots both have a natural sweetness that mingles nicely. This is a mild and pleasant side dish, good with pasta, potatoes, and soy dishes.

Here’s a summer harvest dish that I absolutely love. Fresh corn kernels are a must if you want to get the full impact of the fresh flavors. This is great with veggie burgers, soy hot dogs, and tortilla specialties.

Convenient shredded coleslaw cabbage is put to good use in this simple sauté. Try to use a blend with a little red cabbage and carrot for added color. This makes a good side dish for potato dishes and veggie burgers. Use leftovers on sandwiches with soy “bacon” and deli slices.

The pleasant bite of goat cheese contrasts deliciously with the smooth sweetness of potatoes.

This tasty Irish classic features potatoes and cabbage browned in a skillet and is embellished with lots of scallions. For a simply delicious meal, serve this with veggie burgers and a tossed salad.