Cucumber

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

When we think of gazpacho most of us think of a cold chunky tomato-based soup. But this world-renowned export from the Andalucian region of Spain is actually one of many different types of soup — cold, hot, thin, red, green and white — which share the name gazpacho. White gazpacho remains closer than most modern varieties to the soup's origins as a simple combination of bread, nuts, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. Cucumbers, grapes and a pinch of cayenne elevate what was once a poor man's meal to a refined soup.

Here, sea scallops take an Asian turn when they are flavored with toasted coriander seeds, grilled, and teamed with a hoisin-orange sauce and vegetable salad.

Be sure to chop the lettuce into small pieces so that it's easy to eat when serving buffet-style. My homemade Ranch Dressing complements all of the flavors. To keep down the calories in the dressing, I use nonfat yogurt. The taste is in no way affected.

Freezing the steak for about 30 minutes makes it much easier to slice; using a grill pan is the simplest way to cook the slices.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr 20 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Thai spicing brings new flavor to an avocado classic. Add more color by serving this in a large leaf of red cabbage.

Nice with the chicken, as a side dish for burgers, or on its own as a snappy vegetarian main course.

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Cheese with Smoked Turkey and Avocado. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Jícama spears with lime juice and chili powder are a popular street snack in Mexico — crunchy, sour, and spicy all in one bite.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with dill sprigs and sliced ripe tomatoes or pile onto whole wheat bread with crisp lettuce for a satisfying sandwich.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

All the good taste of deep-fried egg rolls without all the fat.

This version of the French classic has only raw vegetables.

Wrapped foods, such as the Vietnamese spring roll, the Filipino lumpia and the Chinese egg roll, have a long history in Asian cooking and are hot items right now all across America. The lime juice, ginger, cilantro, cucumber and mint in this recipe are found in the cuisines of all Southeast Asian countries. Round out this dinner with hot or iced jasmine tea and cold Thai beer.