Dill

On the Cycladic islands, homemade salted pork flavors most vegetable dishes. Pancetta makes a good substitute here.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Although the most authentic Swedish meatballs are not sauced, this creamy dill-and mustard-spiked dish is nevertheless hearty, comforting and flavored with ingredients popular in Swedish cooking. The meatballs are served over caraway noodles to capture every drop of the delectable sauce. Uncork a Chardonnay to go with the meal.

Here's a tangy dressing that is great on sliced tomatoes, mixed greens, hard-boiled eggs, or cold steamed potatoes.

A quick low-fat, no-cholesterol side dish.

Accompanied by Champagne, this beautiful and delicious appetizer starts the meal on a sophisticated note.

Serve as an entrée with salad and wine, or as a side dish with steak, ham or roast beef.

Tah-dig—the crunchy crust of rice on the bottom of the pot—is considered by many to be the prize of Persian rice. Here it is rivaled by the surprise of pistachios, whose natural sweetness is brought out by the dill.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Serve thick-cut french fries and a mixed-greens, beet and onion salad alongside the fish. Finish with a purchased custard pie; tall glasses of mint iced tea would complement all of it nicely.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

This simple side dish from River's End Restaurant is terrific with grilled fish. For a pretty presentation, serve the slaw on radicchio leaves.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. For side dishes, mix grated carrots into deli macaroni salad, and pass corn on the cob. Strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce and sliced strawberries is a sweet ending.

This looks like sushi, but it's really a new way to present the familiar Passover fish course.

It seems that we're always agreeing to bring a big salad to an informal dinner party only to discover, too late, that there's no time to make a last-minute salad. No one would guess that this wonderfully fresh salad started its journey to dinner two days earlier — in fact, it requires that extra time to mellow its flavors. It's a very portable salad that can sit for hours at room temperature with no ill effects.

Here's an easy-to-make sauce for shrimp or crab claws. It's also good prepared with fresh dill or thyme instead of tarragon. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.