Saute

This addictive appetizer is a delicious combination of sour cream, cheese, and corn. A little minced jalapeño adds heat.

This satisfyingly viscous, tomatoey condiment is richer and more rustic in flavor than commercial brands. It is absolutely delicious.

These pearls may not be from the sea—couscous is actually a type of pasta—but their firm texture makes them a natural partner for sautéed shrimp. The simple tomato and white-wine sauce adds spark.

If your grill is already fired up, why not give it a quick brushing and throw dessert on there, too? A balanced tropical marinade brings depth to caramelized pineapple.

Crumb toppings normally appear on fruit desserts, but a savory mixture of grated pecorino and toasted walnuts works in much the same way, adding textural contrast to delicate fettuccine and grilled zucchini. Garlic-chile oil jazzes up the flavor.

A couple of rosemary sprigs are all you need to flavor each whole trout. Serve with tabbouleh.

This dish is like risotto (only quicker and easier) and features cooked orzo topped with garlicky shrimp.

In this impressive main course, sautéed scallops and shrimp are paired with a vibrant sweet-savory salsa. Serve the seafood and the side dishes with warm corn or flour tortillas.

Why get takeout when you can make orange chicken so quickly at home?

A sprinkling of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) adds color and crunch to this delicious side dish.

Serve with warm tortillas. 1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over, patted dry

Tinga de Puerco Pork shoulder is a humble cut of meat, but it packs a lot of flavor. Here it is simmered with a chipotle-spiked tomato sauce to make a smoky-spicy topping for crisp little tortilla chips. They can be served on a plate as a first course or passed on a tray as a nibble with cocktails or beer. Tinga is also very good as a filling for warm corn smoked Spanish sausage.

If you can’t find haricots verts, look for slender green beans.

This shows how well green beans play with other vegetables.

Buy the freshest seasonal vegetables for this pasta. A trip to your local farmers’ market might be in order.

This well-known Philippine starter combines attributes of many of the wrapped foods of other countries. It's filled like an egg roll, has an egg wrapper like a crêpe, and is served warm but not fried. All the components, which can be varied according to what you have in your kitchen, are cooked before assembly.

Rosemary does something splendid for chicken livers, and using sprigs of the herb as skewers perfumes the livers while they cook gently in butter. The unexpected bite of peppery radishes is a stroke of genius—thinly sliced, then tossed quickly in the pan butter and lemon juice, they help offset the richness of the dish.

Good-quality ingredients brought together with a minimum of fuss: That kitchen philosophy is inventively illustrated by this dish. Tender, delicate crab usually shows up amid other tender, delicate things, but when teamed with a rustic, chewy homemade semolina pasta (the real star of the show), it develops a certain swagger. Spring onions, fresh chile, and a bit of lemon juice add even more verve.