Bean and Legume

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This sauce, allegedly from Hong Kong, is called XO to equate its extravagance with that of "extra old" fine brandy (though there is none in the recipe). Many versions of this sauce exist, but they all include dried scallops (sometimes called conpoy), an ingredient highly prized in Chinese cooking for its flavor and texture, and costly Chinese Yunnan ham, which is unavailable in the U.S.

In this take on a classic salad, we combine bulgur with the usual tomatoes, green onions, parsley and mint, then add garbanzo beans and broiled lamb for a change of pace.

Try this as part of a barbecue buffet.

Accompany this light main course with Buttery Rice Timbales.

A one-pot Moroccan meal from Lotfi's in New York. Serve the stew with couscous or flat bread.

This salad was inspired by a classic Salade Niçoise with its fresh anchovies, potatoes and green beans, and one offered to me by Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse, who comes to France every year to avail herself of, among other things, the fine green beans of summer.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 50 min

Chicken broth is combined with oil to stir-fry the vegetables.

Serve this newfangled main-course salad with a crisp flatbread, such as lavash, and white wine or rosé spritzers.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.