Orange

Serve this attractive side dish with your holiday meal or with roast beef for Sunday dinner. Baking at a high temperature slightly caramelizes the bottom of the squash for a delightful taste.

A small amount of intensely flavored dressing goes a long way in this brilliantly colored salad.

You won’t want to go back to traditional mayonnaise-based tuna salad after experiencing the fresh crispness of this citrusy version.

Buttermilk heightens the flavors of the fruit in this kid- and adult-pleasing salad or dessert.

Serve this chilled fruit soup as a light summer appetizer or with your favorite sandwich or salad.

Though this shake isn’t as thick as some, it’s still incredibly rich and really satisfies that chocolate craving. In the evening, I love to add Triple Sec or orange liqueur to make it even more indulgent. The liqueur really adds even more depth and makes the shake something special. But either way, I’m sure you’ll find it delicious!

The exotic flavor of this dish was really surprising to me, considering it uses only a few very basic ingredients. Just note that the rice noodles do stick together slightly (rice noodles are very starchy so they can be a bit sticky). Adding a touch of olive oil keeps them manageable. Sticky or not, I love them, especially used here in this delicious Asian-inspired dish, reminiscent of those super popular boxed noodles. It’s sophisticated enough for guests, yet your kids will love it, too! Note that though these noodles might seem scary to the novice, they’re incredibly easy to work with. Try to keep them as intact as possible when pulling them apart. Pull them the long way, so the noodles stay longer, instead of being broken in half. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, just estimate and use about 1/4 of a 16-ounce package.

You know those rich, saucy Chinese takeout dishes that are so popular, but that a lot of us avoid because we know they’re full of sugar, salt, and fat? Well, this recipe tastes just like those bad-for-you dishes, but it’s incredibly low-fat and low in sodium. It also packs a ton of flavor, especially when you consider how few ingredients are used. If you buy shrimp frozen when it’s on sale and keep it in your freezer, you’ll likely have all of the necessary ingredients on hand the next time you find yourself tempted by Chinese takeout. Fortunately, this recipe doesn’t skimp on sauce—there’s plenty. So it’s perfect to toss with steamed snow peas, broccoli, or your favorite vegetables, and/or to serve over brown rice. You can even cook the vegetables in the pan along with the shrimp, but just be aware that the flavor of the vegetables could overpower the delicious orange flavor if you do that.

What can I say, girlfriends? It is not uncommon for my husband to serve me mimosas, along with breakfast in bed, on a Sunday morning. You think he’s looking for something in return? I figure we work hard all week and he’s just treating me special. I tell you what, though: Nothing kicks off a lazy, loving Sunday like a sip of bubbles. We make these drinks one at a time, allowing the shifting strawberries to mix the drink as you sip, but you could also combine the ingredients in a large serving pitcher.

Stir-fry is a perfect work-night dish. You cook every ingredient from start to finish in the same pan and make the sauce in the pan as well. This all happens in a matter of minutes, when you have all of your ingredients prepared ahead of time, because you are working with high heat. There aren’t many home stoves that have the BTUs of a real wok in a Chinese kitchen, so use a heavy-bottomed skillet like cast iron or a stainless steel pan with a clad bottom, and get it very hot before you start. Gather your ingredients and wait until the pan is almost smoking before you begin cooking. High heat = high flavor and less need for fat. It’s the original nonstick cooking technique.

Almost all of the fat in this dish comes from the salmon. Fish fat is a “good” fat, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. While this specific dish may not be an American classic yet, salmon sure is, and it’s a wonderful ingredient to include as a staple in your diet. Its rich flavor, ease of use, and availability make it a perfect three-times-a-week feature. Dijon mustard, citrus, and spinach are some of my favorite flavors for salmon. You can cook this in minutes under a broiler or on a grill.

This recipe takes a little planning, as it needs to chill before cutting. It comes together in a snap, however, and is truly yummy—just like the Creamsicles you had as a kid!

We eat a lot of swordfish when we are in Sicily, where my mom is from. She always orders a salad of oranges and fennel or oranges and onions to accompany it. When I cook swordfish anything at home, I always have oranges in the salad, for Mama.