Lettuce

Migas is the name of a popular Spanish starter of breadcrumbs fried with ham; it's typically served with fried eggs. Here, migas becomes a crouton topping for the salad.

Be sure to chop the lettuce into small pieces so that it's easy to eat when serving buffet-style. My homemade Ranch Dressing complements all of the flavors. To keep down the calories in the dressing, I use nonfat yogurt. The taste is in no way affected.

You can make the salad with roast chicken if you prefer. Offer purchased sesame noodles as an accompaniment. For dessert, serve sugared sliced plums, topped with vanilla ice cream and chopped crystallized ginger. Look for the Thai fish sauce in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Use leftover cooked chicken, or buy a cooked chicken at the market or a take-out place. Serve the salad with warm tortillas, or try the chicken mixture (without the lettuce) as a sandwich filling.

Red pears are first choice here, but any ripe, firm pears would be delicious. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here we've adapted the classic Chinese dish "squab in jade," in which the meat is minced, stir-fried, and served in "cups" of lettuce.

Scaffata This is a wonderful Roman spring dish that can be made when peas and favas in their shells are young and sweet. The name comes from the word scaffare — "to shell" in Roman dialect. It is especially good when served with roasted spring lamb or goat. The outermost, less tender leaves of a head of romaine, which you may not want to use in a salad, are perfect for this dish.

Bibb and Boston are both types of butter lettuce; you can use either in this recipe. What to drink: An Australian Sémillon, or a California Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc will stand up to the rich flavors in this meal.

Fragrant lemongrass, chilies and a sweet and tangy sauce flavor this classic Thai appetizer.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min