Papaya

Does your morning routine need a wake-up call? This smoothie will energize you—and might even make you look forward to getting out of bed!

This sunny combination of fruits will ease the monotony of winter’s limited fresh fruit choices.

Red O bartender Steve Calabro was inspired by chef Rick Bayless's fresh, ingredient-driven style to create this bright summer drink. After testing an early version, Bayless grated lime zest into the Margarita, Calabro added a red orchid to the glass, and they pronounced it finished.

Thai papaya salad is an ideal summer side dish and packs up well if you want to take it with you.

When I was growing up, my mom would cut up fresh fruit and arrange it on a plate with a shot glass full of toothpicks. She would also toss fresh fruit with some orange or lime juice and sugar. Taking inspiration from her, I came up with my own version: lime, lemon, a little maple syrup, and an herb syrup with rosemary or mint.
Cut your fruit into chunks rather than into small pieces; I find that small pieces of fruit get mealy and mushy. Make the salad the morning you're going to serve it, but if you're determined to make it the night before, cut up the fruit, store it in separate containers, and then toss it together in the morning. Use whatever fruit you'd like (bananas, apples, berries—the possibilities are endless), but unless you're using the ripest, sweetest seasonal fruit, add a little sugar.

Simple grilled shrimp combined with papaya mustard becomes wondrous. The fabulous dipping sauce, which combines mustard powder for heat and Dijon-style mustard for complexity, is also wonderful over tuna, crab, or scallops. I like it on hot dogs too.

For this dish, I recommend using leftover chicken or a pre-roasted chicken from the supermarket.

Papaya brings a fresh twist to the traditional tomato salsa.

This gorgeously scented, lush dessert radiates the tropics: As the guanabana—otherwise known as soursop—sherbet melts on the tongue, it releases notes of exotic fruits and flowers that are beautifully complemented by the other fresh fruits served with it.

This dessert needs some last-minute assembly, so appoint a helper or line up the components to make it all go smoothly.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Skinny: How to Fit Into Your Little Black Dress Forever by Melissa Clark and Robin Aronson. Use a soft whole grain loaf for this recipe — anything crusty or crunchy would distract from the smooth, custardy texture of the French toast. Papayas are an underappreciated fruit that deserve more play. We chose to pair them with this recipe because their juicy, bright flavor is a nice contrast to the fried bread, and, well, because we love them. But feel free to substitute whatever fruit you like.

What to drink: Serve a splurge-worthy aged rum in a snifter, to sip like brandy.

The sweetness of a ripe papaya brings a Caribbean taste to a classic English dessert.

Round out your dinner: Add 1/2 cup cooked wild rice, 1/2 cup steamed spinach; 3/4 cup cream of carrot soup.

A delicious recipe from the eat-right doc Sure, this dish is heavy on the fat, but it's the healthy omega-3 kind found in salmon, says leading health researcher Walter Willett, M.D. The recipe comes from his new book, Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical Guide to Healthy Eating (Simon & Schuster Source).

Kerabu Bok Kwa This fresh, zesty salad cuts through the richness of the heavier main courses. Sambal belacan is a classic Nonya dressing. We've reduced the amount from what would traditionally be used because belacan (shrimp paste) can be rather strong for those who aren't used to it. The paste has a salty fish taste and pungent smell (the odor dissipates once it's added to the dish), but it lends a dimension of flavor very characteristic of Nonya cuisine — were you to eliminate it, you wouldn't really be eating Nonya food. For a more authentic version, use 2 tablespoons belacan and 4 tablespoons lime juice.