Easy

You’ll know the holidays have arrived when the spicy aroma of gingerbread cookies fills your home!

Pair this smooth, cumin-rich soup with unsalted baked corn tortilla strips and a deep green salad for a simple, hearty meal.

A rustic whole-wheat biscuit topping complements the lightly sweetened fruit of this homey dessert.

For a flavor change, replace beef or chicken broth with this tasty, so-easy-to-make broth. If you have extra broth, see the Cook’s Tip on Freezing Broth (page 51).

Sliced almonds add crunch to the crumbles topping plump slices of sweet, firm-fleshed nectarines in this fragrant dessert.

Spoon sliced peaches or nectarines and caramel topping over these extra-creamy flans for a special treat.

Get hooked on this crunchy, low-salt snack mix and use it to replace high-sodium potato chips.

Attractive, fragrant, and so tasty, these kebabs are a great way to fit more servings of fruit into your diet.

Lower in sodium than commercially baked chips, these crunchy snacks are very easy to make, especially if you have a mandolin or a food processor to slice the veggies quickly and uniformly.

Terrific all by itself, this lemon cream is even more delicious with a double dose of raspberries, plus gingersnaps and lemon zest.

By roasting bell peppers instead of using the bottled roasted variety, you will cut a lot of sodium from these crostini, or “little toasts.” For an attractive presentation, arrange the hors d’oeuvres in a pinwheel design on a serving platter.

Sautéed mixed mushrooms become delectable appetizers when you combine them with garlic, feta, and horseradish sauce, then use the filling in flaky mini phyllo shells.

Creamy texture, pretty green color, and assertive taste—this dip has it all!

Easy enough for weeknights and special enough for guests, this dessert pairs cool and creamy ricotta cheese with liqueur-soaked fruits. You can substitute two cups of almost any other fruit you like, and you may want to try other flavors of liqueur as well.

This spicy mixture is delicious on cucumber rounds or unsalted baked corn tortillas.

Bananas Foster goes tropical with the addition of pineapple and toasted coconut.

For a double dose of spice, serve this “scent-sational” dip with crisp gingersnaps. The combination is perfect as a slightly sweet appetizer or a bite of quick dessert.

When the bananas on your counter start to freckle, it’s time to make sorbet!

Fear of falling? Not with these frosty, airy soufflés.

Adding horseradish to sour cream and dill gives you a dip with zip!