Lemon

This dish can be prepared several hours ahead and served chilled or at room temperature. Peel and slice the cucumbers just before serving.

If using prepared horseradish, reduce the amount of lemon juice to 1 tablespoon.

When you look at recipes for European holiday breads like panettone, stollen, tsoureki, and christopsomo, it seems as if they are all related, often sharing similar ingredients and proportions of fat and sugar. Often, the main difference is in the shaping and in the history and symbolism of each bread. But heaven help any of us if we propose that thought to someone who grew up with any of those breads. I once made stollen, panettone, and kulich (Russian Easter bread) from a recipe for multipurpose holiday bread for a group of chefs and explained my theory of their similarities. Later, one of the American chefs told me I had offended some of the Germans who grew up on stollen and who were adamant that stollen is nothing like panettone. So I will resist the temptation to call this formula a multipurpose holiday bread (though I have made many types of bread from it) and instead limit it to its application as Dresden stollen. Dresden is considered the spiritual home of this traditional Christmas bread. The bread symbolizes the blanket of the baby Jesus, and the colored fruits represent the gifts of the Magi. As in nearly every festival bread, the story aspect of this loaf is culturally important, for it is a way parents teach their children about their heritage. When such a story is accompanied by the flavor memory of a particular food, you have a tool much more powerful than didactic or pedagogical teaching. I’m convinced this must be the reason I offended those Germans that day when I implied that a stollen was like a panettone. Perhaps in taste and ingredients, yes, but never in association.

Fresh lemon, fresh parsley, and lots of dried herbs tucked between the skin and the meat infuse this turkey with sensational flavors. If there is leftover turkey, you can use it in Turkey Stew (page 167).

Preparation of this entrée is very fast paced, so have your side dishes ready before you begin cooking it. Mixed salad greens topped with Cider Vinaigrette (page 96) and Rice and Vegetable Pilaf (page 252) make good accompaniments.

Lots of fresh seasonings make this stovetop entrée sparkle. Try it with steamed brown rice and Greens with Tomatoes and Parmesan (page 245) on the side.

Now you can have all the richness of Alfredo sauce with only a fraction of the usual sodium, saturated fat, and calories. The addition of lemon gives this dish a fresh twist.

A summery salsa tops these simply prepared trout fillets. If trout isn’t available, serve the salsa with any other sautéed or grilled fish or with shrimp.

You’ll have time to do some stretches, go for a walk, and even begin to make a green salad while the tuna absorbs the flavors of an herby lemon juice mixture.

Fragrant herbs, tart fresh lemon juice, and a bit of dry mustard flavor these moist broiled sole fillets.

This intensely flavored entrée is ready in less than 15 minutes. Try it with Zesty Oven-Fried Potatoes (page 250) and stewed okra.

A citrusy aroma will fill your kitchen as fish fillets and a variety of vegetables bake in foil packets. Spoon on the sauce and enjoy!

Oregano, shallots, and lemon juice enhance the vegetables in this barley-based dish. You can replace the chard with other greens, such as spinach, turnip greens, or collard greens, if you prefer, adjusting the cooking time as needed.

Just a bit of Worcestershire is all it takes to give zing to this side dish.

Sprinkle, bake, and serve—any easier and it wouldn’t be called cooking!

Fresh salmon with fresh herbs and lemon—a stellar combination. If you prefer your fish with sauce, this entrée is also great topped with Pineapple-Kiwi Salsa (page 270).

A mildly spicy, citrus-tinged sour cream sauce tops these baked salmon fillets. The ground chipotle adds just a hint of smokiness.

This fresh salmon dish, which gets its distinctive flavor from a hint of cloves, is so quick and easy that it will become an on-the-go favorite. For a change of taste, try topping the salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce (page 263).