5 Ingredients or Fewer

Homemade Russian Dressing can be made in minutes from stuff you probably have on hand, and its flavor is fresher and brighter than bottled.

We hope you have a microplane grater (see page 290), because the quality of the lemon zest makes a big difference.

A basic vinaigrette can be quickly made with only a few key ingredients found in the pantry.

Easy to put together in a couple of minutes and much fresher-tasting than commercial products. Makes a familiar topping for fish and other seafood and a great sandwich spread.

The clean, fresh flavors of cilantro and lime make this one of our all-time favorite dressings. If you like a smooth, emulsified dressing, make it in a blender.

We rely on this little carrot salad over and over to add color, sweetness, and crunch to many meals. It’s even prettier topped with fresh raspberries. (See photo)

We make this summer salad from the beginning to the end of tomato season, and we love it every time. It’s beautiful made with heirloom tomatoes of different colors.

What an effortless way to add a nutritious side dish to almost any supper. Make up the whole package of slaw mix and snack on the leftovers—the slaw improves with time.

A perfect balance of flavors and textures, this salad is sure to become a favorite first course to enjoy while supper cooks. Replace the pecans with Sweet Spiced Nuts (page 261) for a special touch.

This vitamin-rich salad pairs well with an unfussy egg dish, seafood, or cheesy pasta. It can be a very simple salad, or dress it up with extras and make it into a meal on its own.

Sour citrus and spicy peppercorns are perfect foils for salty feta. (See photo)

These crescents are perfect simple supper fare; there’s hardly any prep time involved, and while they bake, you can make the rest of the meal.

Roasting intensifies the natural sugars in sweet potatoes. These sweeter sweet potatoes come out of the oven soft in the center and crisp around the edges.

Made ahead and warmed up just before serving, these glazed carrots retain their color and flavor beautifully. A splash of lemon juice cuts the sweetness just a bit.

After you taste these perfectly seasoned potatoes, you’ll never go back to butter-drenched ones.

A side dish so good you’ll make it again and again. When the main dish is creamy and rich, these beans provide lightness and balance.

A light vinegar and dark sesame oil dressing brightens the flavor of broccoli. The sesame dressing is also delicious on other vegetables, such as bok choy, green beans, carrots, and asparagus.

Polenta can be made with any grind of cornmeal. We call for polenta cornmeal because it makes a particularly smooth and creamy polenta that also cooks quickly.