Arugula

Don't add salt to the fried eggs or arugula—the pancetta and cheese are salty and add plenty of flavor.

As with tomatoes, the profusion of heirloom varieties of potatoes at farmers' markets has helped us rediscover them as a seasonal ingredient in a rainbow of flavors, colors, and textures. This recipe is the perfect vehicle for trying any number of them. Nutty, creamy La Ratte fingerlings are a favorite of French chefs. German Butterballs, as their name suggests, are soft and buttery. For even cooking, choose potatoes that are about the same size.

Thin ribbons of Parmigiano-Reggiano carry the mushrooms' meaty robustness through each bite of greens. It might look like a lot of mushrooms when you're putting the salad together, but it allows everyone to have a generous helping.

A few simple ingredients come together in an unexpected way to create a delicate beginning for a luxurious dinner.

The pesto is also great on portobello mushroom burgers, chicken burgers, and turkey burgers.

If you can't find green garlic, just blanch a regular garlic clove in boiling water for two minutes to soften its bite.

Shrimp transforms a Middle Eastern salad into a light yet satisfying main course.

In French, the term tartine can refer to a buttered slice of bread that's topped with a spread, or an open-faced sandwich, such as the one here. Piment d'Espelette, a dried red pepper from the French Basque region, can be found online at surfasonline.com. If you can't find fresh sardines, use trout or branzino fillets instead.

Bresaola-a beef lover's prosciutto equivalent-gives this virtually no-cook dish a bright platform with deep flavor.

Make these sandwiches when you don't want to turn on the stove.

A meat-free carpaccio, this crisp mix of zucchini and arugula gets a boost from olive oil and salty cheese.

This dish is a welcome departure from run-of-the-mill sides. Lemon zest and golden garlic give wilted arugula and tender green beans multidimensional flavor.

Juicy pork replaces the traditional lamb in these sandwiches. Tomato and capers are a lively addition to the yogurt sauce.

The nutty flavor and firm bite of wheat berries make them a perfect addition to salads. Paired with roasted red peppers, smoked chicken, and hazelnuts, they make for a remarkably satisfying meal.

This recipe is adapted from Argentine chef Francis Mallman. Mallman also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. There's little Argentines love more than a good milanesa — that irresistible combination of pounded-out beefsteak (or sometimes chicken) breaded, sautéed, and served up with a lemon wedge. As the name implies, the milanesa originally hails from Milan, where it's known as cottolette alla milanese, and is perhaps the city's most familiar — and exported — dish. Among its many far-flung cousins are Wiener Schnitzel and chicken-fried steak. In Argentina, arriving Italians adapted their beloved recipe to the country's endless supply of beef. Ever the mischievous traditionalist, Francis Mallman returns milanesa to its source. "If I were to serve this in Buenos Aires," Mallman admits, "people might say, 'What is this?' It's a milanesa from Milan, that's really what it is."

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Katie Brown Entertains. To read more about Katie Brown and to get her tips on throwing a headache-free cocktail party, click here.

SALAT TIS LESVOV Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Aglaia Kremezi's book The Foods of the Greek Islands. To read more about Kremezi and Greek Easter, click here. From the first October rains up until the end of April, the greengrocers of Mytilini, the capital of Lesbos, sell each head of romaine lettuce tied together with two or three sprigs of borage (often with its little blue flowers), two or three scallions, several sprigs of peppery arugula, four or five sprigs of dill or fennel fronds, a few sprigs of peppery wild cress and either fresh mint or a little wild celery. Once home, these essential ingredients for the local green winter salad are thinly sliced and tossed with a simple vinaigrette. It's important to cut the greens at the last moment and to slice them very thin. If they are coarsely cut, the salad will taste different.

Healthy bonus: Bone-building magnesium and calcium from arugula

Lean, smoked chicken breast gets a special — and healthy — treatment in this creative mix. The couscous absorbs the citrus juices (or use quinoa for extra protein — it has the highest amount of all the grains) for a tartness that plays well off the sweetness of the grapes. The bed of arugula is more than merely dish dressing: It's high in calcium and magnesium, making it a bone builder.

Plain old pasta goes low-fat gourmet. Creamy pasta, good-for-you greens... What's wrong with this picture? Nothing! It's a weeknight-easy, flavor-packed treat from Alfred Portale, chef at New York City's famed Gotham Bar and Grill and author of the new Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook (Broadway Books). Make this low-fat dish even healthier by using reduced-fat goat cheese, which we think is one of the best-tasting slimmed-down cheeses around.