Easy

Sour cream replaces mayonnaise as the base for the tartar sauce here. Serve this fish with corn on the cob and chilled slices of melon on the side.

A crust of whole-wheat crumbs and snipped fresh parsley with just a few drops of hot-pepper sauce kicks up the flavor of mild fish.

Quinoa, an excellent source of protein that counts toward your whole-grain goal, is the base for this citrusy side. Be sure to use fresh mint leaves—dried mint won’t provide the flavor boost you want for this dish.

This is finger food at its finest! Invite some friends over for a meal of these oven-fries, stovetop pork chops, and Balsamic-Marinated Vegetables (page 78).

Fresh lemon juice, capers, basil, and olive oil provide your palate with a taste from the Greek Isles.

You’ll attract an audience when you take these yummy potatoes out of the oven. The star of the meal, they go well with almost anything. Try them with grilled flank steak and zucchini.

Quickly sear the fish fillets, then keep them moist by reducing the heat. Top them with a mild zing of jalapeño and a splash of fresh lime—that’s dinner in a snap!

This dish is an excellent accompaniment to almost any Asian entrée, such as Chicken with Ginger and Snow Peas (page 157) or Pacific Rim Flank Steak (page 180). Add some chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork cooked without salt to transform this into a main dish.

Full of mushrooms and carrots, this dish tastes great with Herbed Fillet of Sole (page 118).

Spoon this dressing over fresh fruit, such as melon or pineapple, when you want a pretty side salad or a light dessert.

A light cream sauce enhanced with Parmesan cheese coats fresh spinach in this side dish. Try it with pork chops, fish fillets, or turkey cutlets.

Fresh dillweed and parsley perk up this low-salt version of a classic.

Creamy and just a wee bit spicy, this classic dressing is the finishing touch that will make your salad creations irresistible.

With this recipe, you don’t need to buy many ingredients or spend much time in the kitchen to get a colorful and tasty side dish.

Roasting veggies over high heat retains those delightful concentrated flavors.

Instead of making the traditional recipe for this southern holiday favorite, give our version a try. It tastes just as good but is much lower in sodium and contains no saturated fat.

Cooking the squash in a nonstick skillet gives it a caramelized crust that heightens its sweetness, which in turn is complemented by a light glaze of orange.

Green tea on your salad? Yes, it makes a great base for this Asian-style dressing, which lets you duplicate the flavor of restaurant salads at home without all the extra salt. Toss the dressing with a variety of salad greens and raw vegetables for a side salad or add grilled chicken, shrimp, or lean beef strips for an entrée.

Simple main dishes, such as broiled or grilled steak, pork chops, chicken breasts, or leftover Meat Loaf (page 184), get all dressed up with the addition of this sauce.

Fresh lemon juice and garlic intensify the flavor of this dressing. You’ll be able to complement many different types of salad with it and its variations.