Onion

Accompanies Alambre de Camarones, Alambres de Camarones.

Don't worry about the fat; it's mostly the healthy kind in the avocado. Mixing in fruits boosts this appetizer's fiber count.

This is an unusual use for pistou, a Provençal variant of pesto made of basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt. It's normally stirred into simple vegetable soups to give them some oomph, but it brings the same lively savoriness to green beans, contrasting nicely with their buttery quality. Don't worry about being knocked over by raw onions on top of all the other strong flavors-soaking them in cold water for 15 minutes removes some of their pungency while preserving their crunch.

Steamed quinoa has an unbelievably light and fluffy texture. If you can get fresh-picked corn, you can add it to the salad raw—even without cooking, the kernels will be sweet and tender.

Frances Foley—mother of Gourmet's freelance photography assistant, Stephanie Foley—found that when she grilled an entire coil of Italian sausage, everyone clamored for the well-browned outer ring. Rather than draw straws, Mrs. Foley now grills individual small coils so each person gets their own crispy edge to savor. We've used her method as the basis for these meaty sandwiches, and piled on some of our own quick-cooking toppings.

Lightly blanched squid makes a simple and elegant salad with the tang of fish sauce and fresh lime juice.

Quinotto de Hongos y Camarones
This dish—quinoa prepared risotto-style—is so good, you'll forget it's good for you. Quinoa, whose name means "mother grain," is indigenous to Peru and dates from the time of the Inca civilization. Compared with other grains, quinoa is very high in protein and relatively low in carbohydrates. If you're pressed for time, we found a great substitute for fresh clam broth.

Find a good-quality jerk paste, and it's like Caribbean magic—you can make a complete island meal in a flash.

In this homey recipe, chicken is cooked with a thick creamy sauce. Kishk is traditionally eaten cold, but it's equally delicious warm.

Using roast chicken from the grocery store makes this recipe super-easy. Improv: Add sweet and crunchy accents by mixing a few chopped toasted pecans and some dried cranberries into the chicken salad. Instead of rolls, use crusty French bread or thick slices of sourdough bread.

Improv: Substitute chopped red or yellow bell peppers for the tomatoes in the salad; try basil instead of cilantro in the dressing.

Fish sauce lends a tantalizing Asian twist to the butter sauce here, and makes simple grilled corn into something altogether new.

Big, thick slices of sweet onion get a quick glaze.

Pasta, cheese, and a few summer vegetables make a quick and easy main course.

Start this recipe one day ahead.

He may be executive chef at London's luxe Conservatory at The Lanesborough, but Paul Gayler knows a thing or two about American cuisine, too. In The Gourmet Burger, he rethinks the barbecue classic using premium and international ingredients. Here, he adds mildly spicy North African flavors.

Inspired by Britain's classic drink — lager topped with stout — the sauce is a natural for lamb. Taste it and add more honey to offset any bitterness and get just the balance you want.

With two hues of cabbage and two kinds of apples, as well as carrots and yams, this multi-colored slaw will look gorgeous on a picnic or buffet table.

All of the ingredients that make gazpacho so yummy — tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and bell peppers — turn up in this main-course salad.

Potatoes in three colors give this salad an all-American look.