Artichoke

The olive oil-and-cheese dressing is a nice alternative to drawn butter.

Migas is the name of a popular Spanish starter of breadcrumbs fried with ham; it's typically served with fried eggs. Here, migas becomes a crouton topping for the salad.

If you prefer to serve prosciutto without the mayonnaise, the spread here can be replaced by tomato slices sprinkled with a little chopped rosemary.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In this classic vegetable preparation, the cooking liquid is used to make the velvety sauce. The dish is normally served at room temperature, but it's equally good warm.

Hummus, a dip/spread traditional in many Middle Eastern countries, is usually made with chick-peas (garbanzo beans), but we use white beans for a change of pace. It is delicious with steamed potatoes and artichokes as well as blanched broccoli, cauliflower and green beans.

Ragoût de petits L
égumes au Parmesan et Vinaigre Balsamique Also nice as a meatless entrée—with some crusty French bread, of course.

Unlike their big brothers, baby artichokes are almost completely edible and require minimal preparation. For this first course, sautéing the artichokes instead of steaming adds good flavor. Some people don't like to have artichokes with wine because they can make the wine taste either metallic or strangely sweet. In Italy, though, artichokes and wine are usually served together. A crisp, steely Pinot Grigio does the trick.

For a nice vegetarian meal, offer these latkes with a Greek salad. Stir chopped fresh mint into yogurt to have with the latkes.

This low-fat rendition of the classic dish comes from Gil Martínez Soto of Restaurante Virrey de Palafox in El Burgo de Osma, Spain.

Use the extra dressing with boiled potatoes or green beans to make an instant salad later in the week.

Warm pita bread would make a delicious accompaniment to this dish.

Toasted baguette slices topped with purchased pesto or caponata make a quick starter; a salad of mixed greens and sliced red onions is perfect alongside the pasta. Offer lemon mousse for a refreshing finale. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(POULET AUX ARTICHAUTS)

For this salad choose a very fresh, tightly closed artichoke with no brown edges and do all the prep work right before serving to prevent discoloration. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min