Salad

The oats in this salad are a distant cousin of the familiar breakfast staple oatmeal. As whole grain, oats have a wonderful, slightly chewy texture and nutty flavor.

If you're short on time, use a roast chicken from the supermarket instead of grilling chicken breasts. Serve Mexican beers alongside and tortilla chips for extra crunch.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This salad — named after the famous New Orleans sandwich — would also be good on oversize rolls. Suitable sides include onion rings and carrot sticks with blue cheese dip. End with praline ice cream cones.

This innovative take on the classic features an intensely flavored olive and raisin tapenade that is also great teamed with breadsticks or spread onto bruschetta. Crispy egg-bread croutons are also a nice addition

The idea for this salad came from Carlos Conrique, who worked at Billy Cross's cooking school in Morelia, a beautiful 16th-century Mexican town. Today, Conrique is a chef at the Blue Door, in Miami's Delano Hotel, where his dishes are still influenced by his childhood in Guadalajara.

Cut and toss the avocado garnish in lemon juice just before serving to prevent discoloration. Then sprinkle it over the top without tossing, or the salad will be mushy.

This recipe is inspired by our trip to London aboard the Eurostar. The light, delicate sauce, which I make with fresh goat cheese from the market in Louviers, is perfect with freshly steamed asparagus (preferably white, though it is wonderful with green as well). If you can't find fresh goat cheese you may make this with fresh cow's cheese — the flavor will be different but as delectable.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The griddled persimmon cakes we had with duck in Xi'an inspired this salad.

Sliced tomatoes are topped with sun-dried tomatoes, olives and capers.

Although it may sound heavy, this dressing has a light, silky texture that keeps it from weighing down the delicate lettuce. The salad needs to be eaten immediately, before the dressing cools. Serve it as a first course or a side dish—it would go especially well with grilled steak.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 40 min

When slicing the cabbage, try to go nice and thin. Toss with the dressing and let it rest before serving, so the vegetables will soften. The slaw becomes creamy then.

Anchovies really perk up plain wax beans, while celery adds a crisp, clean element to the dish. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min