Spinach

Here, you get an entire meal with a single, 45-minute recipe. Udon, Japanese wheat noodles with a chewy, stretchy texture, are available dried in the Asian food section of most supermarkets (along with mirin and chile paste with garlic) or fresh in the produce section. Sliced pineapple or mango sorbet would be an ideal dessert.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

A lovely dish that's a snap to prepare.

Low-fat milk is the base for the cream sauce in this homey main course.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes. You don't know where the fish ends and the potatoes begin in this beautiful and satisfying dish Chef Desmond, of Island Cottage on Hare Island in Ireland, uses turbot that comes from the waters off nearby Clear Island. We call for halibut, which is more readily available here.

Fillets of sole will work equally well in the following recipe.

This entrée from Anzu restaurant in Dallas partners Japanese miso and sake with Italian balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Food writer Janet Fletcher says, "During my childhood, the only salad on the Thanksgiving buffet was an old-fashioned Waldorf with chopped apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise. Frankly, I don’t miss it. This contemporary salad has the walnuts and the crunch, but is much fresher and far more inviting."