Mushroom

For this rustic French meal, start with mixed greens dressed with lemon vinaigrette; serve new potatoes tossed in butter and parsley with the beef; and end with plum tarts topped with whipped cream. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A vegetarian takeoff on the classic Chinese minced squab dish. Chopped raw vegetables, not fried noodles, add crunch.

A little pork goes a long way in this Chinese dinner. Chicken breast can be used as a substitute for the pork. Chinese crepes are available frozen in most Asian markets, but easy-to-find tortillas work, too.

Mushrooms and cashews give a slight seventies flavor to this terrific salad.

"I have a 'stragglers Thanksgiving' — that's what I call it — at my house every year," writes Frances Teasley of North Hollywood, California. "I know a lot of people who, like me, don't have any family nearby. Thirteen years ago I started inviting a few people for dinner. And that small holiday gathering has become a big tradition among my friends. For weekday meals, I look for shortcuts and do-aheads. But for holiday meals, I like to do everything the same day because I love the smell of cooking that fills the house." An impressive holiday entrée.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

Rich, flavorful and perfect for the Thanksgiving table. This side dish is great for the cook, too, as it can be made one day ahead.

Although polenta is traditionally made with cornmeal, we substituted matzo meal—with great results. It's far more tender than regular polenta, and tastes especially wonderful with the sauce from the braised veal with gremolata .

White asparagus has a delicate flavor that works especially well with our truffle vinaigrette, but try the dish with green asparagus, too.

Look for dried wild mushrooms at most supermarkets; they lend a wonderful richness to this dish, which is great with garlic bread. Begin with a colorful salad of escarole and roasted red bell peppers, and finish with a winter fruit salad of sliced bananas and kiwi, fresh pineapple chunks and red grapes.

This chicken is delicious over rice or pasta, which absorbs the tangy sauce. A salad and some crusty French bread would be fine accompaniments.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.