Leafy Greens

Watch out, potato chips. Kale chips are this year's latest craze in the snack department. Suddenly they seem to be everywhere, and for a hefty price. You won't believe how easy these crisps are to make at home for a fraction of the cost, and the Parmigiano and freshly ground pepper seasoning complements the kale beautifully. Bet you can't eat just one! Take it from us: When it comes to kale chips, curly kale beats Tuscan kale. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A New Years' Eve Pasrty. Menu also includes Turkish Spiced Meatballs with Pomegranate Yogurt Sauce and Bite-Size Chipotle Chicken Soft Tacos (tinga de pollo) .

If you're trying to incorporate more dark leafy greens into your meals, Swiss chard is a great starter vegetable. It cooks quickly compared to kale and collards, and the stems are as delicious as the leaves. In fact, the stems are the prized portion of the plant in Provence, and that's not something kale or collards can brag about. We prefer green Swiss chard in this recipe because it cooks up a brighter green than red or rainbow chard and the stems are more tender, but if you can't find the green, don't hesitate to use other chards. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Hanukkah Feast. Menu also includes Salmon with Potato "Scales" and Apple Fritters with Orange Glaze .

These tempting appetizers look like they’re difficult to make... but they’re not. They feature a spinach, onion and cheese filling simply rolled up in flaky puff pastry and sliced into pinwheels.

Give Swiss chard a flavor boost by adding whole chopped lemon instead of just the juice. Simmering it first softens the texture and bitter undertones. Serve this dish with Red Quinoa with Pistachios .

Spoon this spicy and acidic sauce over a steak salad, serve alongside pan-fried chicken, or try it on a taco.

We're skipping the classic cubes in favor of tangled butternut ribbons baked into a moist flat cake for a seriously showstopping first course. Pair the squash with a mix of spicy arugula and ever-so-slightly-bitter chicory enhanced with savory pancetta and toasted hazelnuts. A sweet-tart apple vinaigrette is the final touch atop the most refreshing fall salad we've tasted in a long time. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of our Gourmet Modern Menu for Thanksgiving for 2 or 20. Menu also includes: Citrus-Sage Roast Turkey with Gravy (whole turkey or breast ); Mashed Potato and Cauliflower Gratin; Cabernet-Cranberry Sauce with Figs; Challah, Sausage, and Dried Cherry Stuffing; and for dessert, Apple Crostata with Spiced Caramel Sauce .

This is perfect to serve with some quinoa or wild rice as a main to a non-meat eater, or as a side with some roast chicken for the carnivorous. It's also good served warm the following day with a little grilled tofu added.

With a savory salad. Dress kale a day ahead; toss at the table.

A malfatto (Italian for "badly made") is a tender dumpling with rustic character. It's a bit of work to trim and cook the chard; you can simplify the recipe by substituting frozen spinach, if desired.

Blanching the mustard greens and kale ahead of time both softens them up and helps keep their color.

Sake-infused flounder fillets cook over a bed of pan-seared bok choy in this simple, one-skillet dinner.

Let’s be clear: If you’re hosting the dinner party to end all dinner parties—Grandma’s good china is out of storage, the napkins have been ironed, and you’re polishing the silver—this is the ultimate first course. At first glance it may resemble a basic pear-and-arugula salad, but look closer and you’ll find that everything about it is just a little bit special, from the Champagne vinaigrette, to the creamy, salty ricotta salata, to the rich and savory pancetta. The ingredients do cost a little more, but it’s worth it.

Iceberg-wedge salads have been a restaurant staple, but this simple starter begs to be made at home. Hot pepper sauce adds zing to the blue cheese dressing, which is easy and delicious enough that you’ll want to save any extra and use as a dip for veggies or toss with cold cooked pasta for lunch. Serve with a grilled fillet of fish or steak, and you’ve got yourself an at-home meal that trumps anything you’d find on a menu.

With tender acorn squash, salty pancetta, a pungent and tart vinaigrette, and bitter chicory, this hearty salad is layered in flavor and texture. It will take you through all of winter, and would fit perfectly on most holiday buffets. You can use other winter squashes, including butternut, and bacon or prosciutto can easily stand in for the pancetta.

A homemade chicken stock spiced with a Scotch bonnet or habanero chile lays the foundation for this tropical dish. Coconut powder and sweet potatoes add to the island feel. “It’s a sweet soup and is more appropriate as an appetizer than an entrée, though I have to admit I’ve indulged in several bowls for dinner,” Epicurious member JTucci says. Although Tucci calls it a soup, the coconut chicken broth will be scant—just enough to cover the chicken and cabbage at the bottom of the bowl.

Creamy, tangy, cheesy, and easy, this time-tested recipe for a party dip from Epicurious member Kristen Warner of Stamford, Connecticut, might just be the reason pita chips were invented. But it’s just as delicious with salty tortilla chips, which stand up well to the chunky bits of artichoke and deliciously gooey spinach.

This fusion pizza was inspired by one that Wolfgang Puck created years ago. Traditional Asian ingredients—Chinese five-spice powder, hoisin sauce, scallions, and black sesame seeds—are an excellent change of pace from your usual pizza seasonings. Bonus: At fewer than 150 calories per serving, these mini pizzas, or pizzettes, are a low-fat alternative to traditional tomato and cheese pies. Just 3 inches across, they are designed to be canapés or hors d’oeuvres, but you can, of course, easily bake one large pizza for a family-style meal.

A signature item on the lunch menu of Chicago’s famed Chop House, this salad is perfect for a hearty meal, day or night. The classic pairing of blue cheese and steak gets extra oomph from a zesty spice mixture. If you are expecting guests, throw the butter-drenched beef tenderloins on a hot grill for a minute or two before serving for a hint of smoky flavor, and pair the dish with a full-bodied red wine.