74 new recipes

New Year's Eve polenta squares crisp tube polenta under the broiler, then top each bite with a tangy sun-dried tomato, caper, and parsley pesto. A make-ahead cocktail-party appetizer that feeds a crowd.

Spanish pan con tomate with Serrano ham slow-roasts plum tomatoes for a sweet, garlicky spread piled onto toasted baguette and topped with thin slices of jamón. A classic tapas party platter.

My version of Bobby Flay's very distinctive southwestern, egg-less potato salad from his restaurant, Mesa Grill. Make sure you pour the sauce over the potatoes while they're still warm to ensure the flavors soak in. This salad goes nicely with grilled meat, poultry or seafood.

Potato salad with pomegranate seeds, plain yogurt, and fresh cilantro. A bright, mayo-free side with jewel-like crunch and a tangy, lighter dressing.

Cheese puffs made from choux pastry, light and airy bites packed with sharp cheddar, baked golden and crisp outside, tender within. A French gougere-style appetizer for any party.

SPAM, sliced potatoes, carrots, and onions baked in foil packets with a sweet-tangy brown sugar, beer, and stone ground mustard glaze. A hands-off foil packet dinner with almost no cleanup.

Warm potato and tuna salad with new potatoes, spring onions, lemon, tarragon vinegar, and fresh parsley. A light, no-mayo fish salad ready in 35 minutes.

Two-potato gratin layers thin slices of sweet potatoes and new potatoes with minced onion and skim milk for a lighter take on classic scalloped potatoes. Naturally low-fat side dish.

Southern pimiento cheese sandwiches with sharp New York cheddar, mashed pimientos, cayenne, and Worcestershire. Hand-grated cheese makes all the difference in this classic spread.

"SOUTH TO NORTH -- `Everything' Salsa Adds Zing to, Well, Everything." Jacqueline Higuera McMahan

Red new potatoes tossed with teriyaki sauce, butter, Italian seasoning and a kick of red pepper, then microwaved until tender. A savory, fuss-free side dish ready in under 40 minutes.

Thick-cut cowboy steak rubbed with smoky chipotle paste, grilled over high heat, then slathered with homemade jalapeno jelly. Includes a from-scratch pepper jelly recipe.

Truffled potato stew with new potatoes braised in white wine and vegetable consomme with leeks, garlic, and thyme. Finished with shaved fresh truffles and asparagus tips.

Layers of cubed potatoes, zucchini, mozzarella, scallions, and fresh basil bake in egg substitute for this veggie-packed Italian frittata. Broiled tomatoes finish it.

Pesto potato salad with steamed new potatoes, fresh tomatoes, red onion, and celery in a basil pesto, mayo, and yogurt dressing. Includes homemade pesto recipe.

Crispy-skinned red snapper seared until the skin shatters, served over a light stew of new potatoes, summer squash, and zucchini in a white wine, lemon, and tarragon broth. A healthy Mediterranean-style fish dinner.