Lamb

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The White Horse tavern accompanies this with lightly sautéed swiss chard.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Lovely dinner fare from L'Auberge Chez François in Great Falls, Virginia. Serve with roasted new potatoes and asparagus.

An elegant main course from Xaviar’s restaurant in Garrison. Ask the butcher to bone the lamb for you.

Grilled lamb (how special!) is best when marinated overnight. For a less salty flavor, use light soy sauce.

A cold couscous salad and steamed carrots sprinkled with mint would be lovely alongside. Finish with baklava.

You'll want to get this started a day ahead.

Serve with: Sesame noodle salad with chopped fresh cilantro, and cucumber slices tossed in rice wine vinaigrette.

Cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped red or green onion and salsa would be great toppings. Look for chorizo in the refrigerated meat or deli case.

These Asian-inspired lamb shanks are wrapped and baked in individual foil packets, then placed atop bowls of steamed rice. Serve with stir-fried bok choy or other Chinese greens. What to drink: Asian lager beer or a fruity red Zinfandel.

This is exactly the kind of dish that conjures up visions of Greeks spit-roasting lamb on rocky hills above the sea, and basting it with branches of thyme dipped in olive oil. (Which is not a bad recipe itself, especially if you have the rocky hills and sea.)

The size and thickness of lamb chops can vary greatly, so you may have to adjust your cooking time (see cooks' note, below).