Weeknight Meals

Baked yams and steamed spinach make colorful accompaniments. Ice cream alongside hot apple turnovers tops off the meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Mensaf This recipe, adapted from Kathy Sullivan and Janine El Tal, international educators and longtime residents of Jordan, is a scaled-down version of that country's national dish, which is usually served in large quantities at important gatherings. Mensaf is eaten standing up, using the right hand to form a little ball of rice and meat. Traditionally, jameed, a ball of reconstituted sun-dried yogurt, is used to make the sauce, but it is replaced here by regular plain yogurt that has been stabilized (with egg white and cornstarch) for cooking. Buy the richest, tangiest yogurt you can find. Active time: 55 min Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

At the restaurant, this spectacular starter also has a tomato confit vinaigrette. Here, we've substituted chopped seeded peeled tomatoes to simplify the recipe.

A nonstick skillet and an adjustable-blade slicer make this elegant dish easy. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 30 min

Offer this Italian cornmeal side dish in place of potatoes or rice. It's best served immediately out of the oven.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Corn bread and a black bean, green onion and red bell pepper salad with lime vinaigrette are good barbecue side dishes. End with lemon bar cookies from the bakery.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Marinated peppers, mushrooms and eggplant make nice accompaniments to these Mediterranean-style pizzas. Finish up with almond cookies and mixed berries.

Although lamb is not commonly found in Chinese dishes, Hong Kong restaurants reach out to explore every nuance of Asian cuisine. Lamb is popular with the nomads of Mongolia and Manchuria; they would most likely cook the meat in a firepot. Here it's used in a more delicate stir-fry.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Serve this terrific dish with crusty bread and soup spoons so that your guests can enjoy every last drop.

Salatat Baqduness wa Bassal This salad is common throughout the eastern and southern Mediterranean from Turkey to Egypt. It is always laid on the bread on which grilled meat and poultry are served. In Turkey the salad is seasoned with only sumac; in Egypt, with lemon juice; and in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel it is seasoned with both. A chef friend of mine, Sami Tamimi, whose recipe this is, taught me to soak the sliced onions in boiling water for a few minutes before using. This softens them slightly and, more significantly, takes away some of the sharpness. Be sure to dry the onions well before adding the seasonings.