Asian

If you can’t find Vietnamese coriander, you can use fresh cilantro.

Some varieties of noodles suggest soaking them in boiling water instead of cooking them; check your package instructions before preparing them.

This recipe will serve four as a first course or light lunch. To serve the noodles as a meal, add a few cups of diced firm tofu or cooked chicken breast to the simmering broth in step 3.

Buying beets with the greens attached—as required for this recipe—is a sure way to know they’re fresh. Beets are often cooked before they’re peeled or cut to keep nutrients intact. Here, the prep work is done first without sacrifice: The juices that result make up the nutritious broth and give the soup its deep flavor and color.

The stock must be refrigerated at least 6 hours; make it 1 day ahead.

You can use the mushroom broth from this recipe in other soups and dishes as well; it is particularly good in risottos. For a heartier version, add cooked and drained soba or udon noodles, or serve brown rice on the side. This soup can be prepared through step 2 up to 3 days in advance; for best results, store the broth separately from all other items. Proceed with step 3 the day the soup will be served.

Serve this dal as a dip with pita chips or as a side dish with grilled meats or fish.

When you’ve had enough sandwiches made of leftover turkey, try this colorful stir-fry.

Serve this Asian-inspired dish with a colorful fruit salad and soba noodles.

Colorful and quick, this stir-fry is tossed in hoisin sauce and toasted sesame oil, then served over brown rice and garnished with chopped nuts.

Stir-fry fresh albacore tuna, plump sugar snap peas, and thin slices of green onions, carrot, and red bell pepper, then serve over brown rice.

This dish is an excellent accompaniment to almost any Asian entrée, such as Chicken with Ginger and Snow Peas (page 157) or Pacific Rim Flank Steak (page 180). Add some chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork cooked without salt to transform this into a main dish.

Green tea on your salad? Yes, it makes a great base for this Asian-style dressing, which lets you duplicate the flavor of restaurant salads at home without all the extra salt. Toss the dressing with a variety of salad greens and raw vegetables for a side salad or add grilled chicken, shrimp, or lean beef strips for an entrée.

Dinner is on the table in minutes when Pacific Rim Flank Steak (page 180) or other cooked steak becomes part of this entrée salad.

This main-dish salad, topped with a sesame-wasabi dressing, is an interesting combination of colors, textures, aromas, and flavors.