Parmesan

The chef at Kristina's makes this dish with haddock; we call for sea bass, which is more readily available.

Even easier: Use purchased pesto to help speed up the preparation.

To complete the menu, serve seeded Italian breadsticks and a salad of radicchio and marinated artichoke hearts tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Spumoni ice cream is a perfect ending.

Although raw asparagus might seem unusual to those who have only eaten asparagus cooked, it is delicious. The slightly different flavor is highlighted in the following salad.

If you like, sauté some wild mushrooms and stir them into the finished risotto. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe comes from my brother, Chris, a high-school athletic coach. If you think stuffed mushrooms sound too foofy for Super Bowl Sunday, I refer you to "Little" Brother. He tells me they are winners every time. There's plenty of room for play in the recipe. The only firm rule: Use more crab than cream cheese.

Ragoût de petits L
égumes au Parmesan et Vinaigre Balsamique Also nice as a meatless entrée—with some crusty French bread, of course.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You can use purchased sauce here, your own homemade or the versatile This is terrific over pasta.

Here's a versatile recipe that can be served as a first course, a side dish or even a meatless main course. For extra flavor, add sautéed mushrooms, diced salami, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or sautéed strips of bell peppers to the topping before baking.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.