Chicken

A hearty Moroccan-style one-dish meal.

We adapted this dish from a recipe in La Cuisine Spontanée by Swiss chef Frédy Girardet. Braising the chicken breasts over the leeks keeps them satisfyingly moist and tender. Crusty bread is a good accompaniment.

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 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.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offer your favorite corn bread along with the kebabs and salads.

(Chicken Wing Braised with Soy Sauce, Cinnamon, and Star Anise)

When I was growing up, my mom periodically brewed a pot of this bitter, allegedly medicinal soup and forced me to drink a bowl (she says the ginseng promotes general well-being). Although I used to sit at the kitchen table for an hour, slowly spooning each dreadful bit into my mouth, I've since discovered that the only way to tolerate it is to gulp the liquid down as quickly as possible. Now nearly every time I go home, she prepares this special (and unfortunately simple-to-make) soup just for me — which probably explains why I don't go home very often.

LaVerl Daily, director of Le Panier cooking school in Houston, suggests supplementing this slightly tropical entrée with rice, black beans and buttered green beans sprinkled with chopped macadamia nuts. Finish with sweet potato pie or coconut cream pie.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.