Cabbage

The steaks need to marinate overnight.

Spicing up store-bought barbecue sauce with a touch of cayenne and a splash of vinegar is an easy trick that makes a big difference. Here, pork burgers get a triple hit of flavor: The sauce gets mixed into the meat, slathered onto the cooked burgers for the last minute of grilling, and brushed on the bun. A cabbage slaw with a creamy dressing tops them off with just the right crunch.

Korean hot-pepper paste gives this Asian-inspired dish not only heat but also full, deep flavor. Rich with umami, edamame and buckwheat noodles satisfy even the heartiest appetites.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body, by Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg. This fabulous salad is the most requested recipe in our Bikini Bootcamp repertoire! It works great with either grilled fish or chicken, and over the course of the program, you'll enjoy it both ways. It packs quality nutrition into very few calories, plus it delivers a hefty dose of healthy fiber to fill you up so you're never hungry. We guarantee that you'll be making it long after these two weeks are up!

Sukiyaki The term comfort food might have been coined for this bowl of rich, home-style broth surrounding thinly cut beef and a selection of Asian vegetables. The traditional accompaniment of beaten egg makes a silky dipping sauce.

This vegetarian showstopper will bowl you over with its layers of flavor — one bite is enough to understand why it's often called one of the world's great dishes. Barley couscous, lighter and more aromatic than the well-known semolina version, serves as a nutty, fluffy base; tender-firm vegetables and a fragrant, golden broth are ladled over; and crunchy fried almonds and sweet onion confit add even more texture and flavor to the beguiling complexity.

Fresh radishes (plentiful at the market this time of year) add color and crunch to this slightly sweet vinaigrette-based slaw.

The spice in this dish from Jennifer Maeng, executive chef at Korean Temple Cuisine in New York City, adds more than taste. A compound found in red-hot pepper may also rev up your metabolism. Wok star!

Editor's Note: This recipe is adapted from chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan, Ireland. In Ireland, boiled bacon and cabbage is a domestic staple. The bacon is usually a "collar" or shoulder, a moderately marbled cut with less fat than American bacon but a bit more than Canadian. The ingredients are boiled together and served with potatoes and a parsley cream sauce. Among contemporary Irish chefs, it's become popular to reinvent this hearty, homey recipe in the more rarefied form of bacon and cabbage terrine. Flynn's version, however, stays closer to dish's comforting roots, while adding a touch of elegance.

Early-spring evenings often feel a lot like winter, but you won't mind so much with this warm and robust German-style supper at the ready.

The hearty pork stew known as cocido is eaten all over Spain but varies from region to region. This one comes from Liébana, the westernmost part of Cantabria, where it's traditionally served in stages—beginning with the broth and fideos (fine pasta) and followed by the meat, chickpeas, and cabbage arranged on a large platter. We prefer to eat it all together, as the broth lends a nice moistness to the other elements.

The cabbage and carrots in this dish supply 126 percent of your daily vitamin A, key to maintaining healthy eyes.

Wasabi peas are dried green peas that are covered in a spicy coating made from wasabi powder. They can be found at some supermarkets and natural foods stores, and at Asian markets. Serve this dish with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice.

Look for panko in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Use leftover corned beef or a few slices from the deli. Trim the fat from the corned beef and use it to sauté the vegetables. If there's not enough fat, supplement with butter.

"Rundown" (also called "oiled down" or "oil dong") is a classic stew served throughout the islands, often using saltfish or mackerel. Stories proliferate as to where the term comes from, but Jamaicans say "cook it down" when they mean to cook something for a long time. This vegetarian take is luxurious and satisfying. Serve this as a side dish or over rice as an entrée.

Anne Marie Gaspard of Gros Islet, St. Lucia, writes: "I've always enjoyed cooking — for my family and for myself. My children are grown, so when they visit on Sundays, I spoil them with good home-cooked meals. During the week I like to make dishes that are different but still easy."

Called bun bo hue in Vietnam, this is the heartier, spicier cousin to pho, the famous noodle soup.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Alex Jamieson's book, The Great American Detox Diet.