Chicken Breast

To give this salad more crunch, add blanched soybeans (edamame) or fried wonton strips.

Look for deveined shrimp still in the shell at the seafood counter or in the frozen foods section of the market. If you like, marinate the chicken and shrimp for an hour at room temperature or two hours in the fridge, turning skewers occasionally.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body, by Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg. This tasty curry goes wonderfully on top of couscous and makes for a filling meal.

Many of the minority peoples of Yunnan traditionally boil a chicken to show respect to their dead. Once the ceremony is finished, they shred the meat and mix it with ginger, garlic, and cilantro to make "ghost chicken." The lime in this recipe, unusual for Chinese cooking, suggests the influence of Southeast Asia, which the province borders.

Though there are plenty of chiles in this paste, they don't overpower it. The aromatic bite of coriander, the earthiness of cumin, and the licorice trace of caraway seeds create a pleasingly complex flavor. This paste is also delicious with pork.

It's no surprise that American cooks have adopted Asian peanut sauce as their own. The tantalizing balance of creaminess and heat has universal appeal.

Pollo Monte Cristo Chicken is lean and satiating; vitamin A in spinach protects eyes.

This version of the famous jerk method from Boston Bay in Jamaica is a classic example of why spice pastes work so well in grilling: They're easier to make and impart flavors more directly than a liquid marinade. Sweet-and-sour chutney and an incendiary but hyper-flavorful Scotch bonnet pepper sauce complement the chicken. You probably won't use all the sauce, but extra keeps, covered and refrigerated, indefinitely. Important note: This dish is EXTREMELY SPICY. While adored by spicy-food lovers for their distinctive flavor, the Scotch bonnet peppers that feature prominently here are some of the hottest chiles you can find. If you prefer a lower heat level, you can dial it down a bit by removing the seeds (which contain much of the heat) from the Scotch bonnets or substituting another type of fresh red or green chile that packs less of a punch.

A balsamic vinaigrette flavors the chicken and dresses the salad.

Char Kway Teow These slightly sweet, salty rice noodles, with lots of garlic and a hint of heat, are a popular street food in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. There's a bit of chopping involved, but the ingredients are remarkably easy to put together.

Cutlets get an indulgent topping of rich ham and nutty melted Gruyère in a contemporary take on chicken Cordon Bleu.

Executive chef Shawn Edelman of Ruby Foo's in New York City dresses up ho-hum chicken breasts with a blend of ginger and spicy miso paste.

Pungent and salty, preserved snow cabbage is a great flavor-booster in this fresh-tasting stir-fry.

Enjoy generous portions of this low-calorie dish from Red Mountain Spa's executive chef Chad S. Luethje.

Toss and broil: Charred peppers and red onion bring color and sweetness to workaday chicken breasts.

Using goat cheese and nonfat ricotta skims fat, not flavor.