Cabbage

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Based on the classic Thai dish called larb, this pretty appetizer is easy to put together.

My mother always made wonderful side dishes — and made them look so easy. Indeed, they were! A few fresh vegetables, great herbs, a little mustard or vinegar, and kosher salt were all it took for her to make something taste like it came right from the garden. Here's her incredibly simple recipe for coleslaw — a step removed from traditional recipes that are typically bland and smothered in mayonnaise, this slaw is sharp and crunchy and great with salads, roast meats, and sandwiches.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Save the beet tops for a quick side dish: just sauté them with garlic and olive oil, sprinkle with lemon, salt and pepper, and serve.

Turmeric add color and chilies add heat to this superb side dish. Mound it in the middle of the Vegetable Stir-fry.

A platter of thickly sliced tomatoes topped with buttermilk-herb dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs is a colorful partner for the soup. For dessert, have some fresh berries with whipped cream. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sunset salad originated at the '21' Club early in the restaurant's history. The name comes from the colors of its ingredients. The salad is most often served with Lorenzo dressing, which was invented by one of the waiters, whose first name, not surprisingly, was Lorenzo.

At the fish market, ask them to remove the head, tail and bones from the trout, then to cut each trout into two fillets, leaving the skin intact.

For a colorful presentation, serve the salad in red cabbage leaves.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Transforming cabbage into sauerkraut was one way the Germans preserved summer's crop for the hard winter ahead. A combination of rinsing the kraut of its salty brine and baking it with dried fruit mellows its bite. Smoked pork chops can be substituted; just omit the browning step. Offer some dark and light German beers to drink.

Favorite Danish ingredients get dressed up in pretty packages for the holidays. Complete the side dish offerings with some oven-roasted potatoes topped with butter and lightly sprinkled with caraway.

In many parts of the country, pierogi, Eastern European dumplings, are sold fresh and frozen in supermarkets. Like premade egg rolls, they've become a convenience food for cooks with limited time. Served with the cabbage and bacon, they're all you need for dinner. These turnovers are typically deep-fried, or boiled and then panfried. Instead, we used a method often employed for cooking frozen Asian dumplings and found it works very well. If pierogi aren't sold in your supermarket, try a local Polish or Eastern European deli.