Leafy Greens

Thai chiles are small, fresh red or green chiles, and are very hot. For a milder flavor, remove the seeds. You can substitute 1 fresh serrano chile. The flavors of Southeast Asia were the inspiration for these lean burgers, which are wrapped, Vietnamese-style, in lettuce.

Remade as a club, the lobster roll trades its usual bun for brioche and takes on the customary bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

To julienne the vegetables, cut them into thin matchstick-size pieces using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Refrigerate them in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 3 hours.

The ingredients can be prepared the day before and refrigerated.

The lentils can be made up to a day in advance and the salad assembled at the last minute. Poached or grilled chicken breast would produce equally appetizing results.

To reduce the fat, we eliminated the cheese and toasted the corn tortillas in the oven rather than frying them in oil.

Although fresh mackerel can be hard to find, smoked mackerel is often sold in the refrigerated section of supermarkets; it is also available from mail-order sources. We used the peppered variety, but any type will do.

The broth left over from poaching chicken breasts makes a delicious soup base. Refrigerate it in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks; bring to a boil before using.

Ground, toasted rice adds crunch and a slight nuttiness to this salad. Thai basil, available at gourmet and farmers’ markets, has a licorice flavor, but you can use regular basil instead.

In this nutritious salad, papaya, red bell pepper, and cabbage provide vitamins A and C, while carrots contribute large amounts of beta carotene. Cilantro and mint supply flavonoids, and peanuts add vitamin E and selenium, all potent antioxidants.