Steam

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Here is a lovely seasonal dish that's fresh and delicate. Note that there is no raw fish in this recipe; the word sushi simply denotes that a dish features seasoned rice, which can be served with a variety of accompaniments, including raw seafood. This type of sushi is called chirashi-sushi (chirashi means "scattered"), and the rice is mixed with asparagus, thin strips of carrot, and cooked shrimp.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Two favorite spring salads get combined into one easy, lower-fat version.

Plain old mash potatoes just may be a thing of the past. Nowadays, everything from turnips to kohlrabi end up partnering Idaho's most famous crop; we team the russets with rutabagas and parsnips. While this homey and healthful side dish is a must with lamb shanks, it also goes well with any number of meat dishes.

This looks like sushi, but it's really a new way to present the familiar Passover fish course.

Serve crusty bread and a chilled Pinot Grigio throughout the meal. Beer would be fun, too.

These delicate fish dumplings are steamed and chilled between layers of cabbage leaves to keep them moist. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a couple of days.

A fresh and colorful accompaniment to simply poached salmon.

English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy.

Browned butter is butter cooked to a browner, nutty-tasting stage. It adds lots of flavor to the steamed squash.