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Fresh laurel’s sweet fragrance lends a simple and elegant touch to steamed broccoli.

Chef Jackson uses curly-leafed Savoy or Bloomsdale spinach, but regular spinach works too. The killer dressing gives the fresh ingredients a real kick.

With no weighty pasta, this vegetable-studded soup makes a lovely first course—or an excellent weeknight dinner.

Farro (hulled spelt berries), an ancient, nutty grain, makes a delicious side dish. Look for it in specialty markets, Italian groceries, and well-stocked bulk bins. Prep tip: No need to remove small herb leaves from stems; they’ll fall off during cooking.

Cornish hens make a fun presentation, but this fantastic, breadless stuffing works just as well with turkey. Simply stuff the turkey lightly and adjust cooking time based on size. Serving tips: Mound leftover stuffing in a heatproof bowl; reheat and serve alongside poultry. Use kitchen shears to cut each cooked hen lengthwise.

Hominy, an unexpected change from pasta, cuts cooking time in half.

Prep tip: Substitute dried cranberries or cherries for the pomegranate seeds for extra convenience. Ingredient tip: One 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce contains eight to ten peppers; you only need 11/2 peppers for this recipe. Use leftovers to add a smoky, spicy element to dressings or sauces (try them puréed into enchilada sauce).

Prep tips: Baked, roasted, or canned sweet potatoes work equally well; just adjust the amount of flour to make a stiff dough. If you’re using sweet potatoes from a leftover roasted vegetable dish, include other veggies, such as carrots and parsnips, for extra flavor.

This recipe was inspired by seafood dishes we encountered in Fujian, China, the source of fragrant oolong tea and many orchard fruits.