Edamame

Edamame roasted in a spiced soy sauce mixture makes a fantastic snack and is also incredibly easy to make.

One of the basic rules of pairing wines with food is that rich dishes match well with wines that have good acidity. This silky soup--a simple puree of onion, edamame and chicken stock--is no exception.

The crunchy mix of ingredients in this salad is unexpected and fun. And the dressing is equally unusual: It's made with chopped candied lemon as well as soy sauce, toasted-sesame oil and Sriracha, so it's both sweet and spicy.

The half-cup of edamame (soybeans) in each serving of this basil-scented salad has more protein than two large eggs and lots of fiber--more than 20 percent of the FDA's daily recommendation.

David Chang was inspired to make these playful rolls by a snack he had at Yunpilam, a temple in South Korea, where the nuns served him edamame mixed with walnuts and molasses. His rolls have an edamame-and-walnut filling; unlike other sushi rolls, they can be served warm.

Enjoy this classic soup with a bright and filling addition. Using frozen edamame saves time by avoiding the peeling of the soybeans.

This delicious Asian-inspired chicken salad is stuffed with spicy Sriracha chicken and healthy edamame.

Fish sauce, lime juice and lemongrass make such a delicious dressing that it's easy to forget how healthy this salad is.

Blanched broccoli gets mixed with fresh edamame in this great salad, which has a delicious lemon-garlic dressing.

Black forbidden rice was made for salads, with its pleasantly chewy texture and mild taste. It absorbs the flavors of the dressing, giving other ingredients a solid background and a chance to shine. The beauty of this dish is undeniable, and it would make a great addition to any holiday spread, with the striking colors of green edamame and crimson pomegranate seeds against the purplish hue of the rice. Shaved raw brussels sprouts bring seasonal freshness and crunch to this flavorful salad.

Canned chipotles in adobo sauce, sold at Latin markets and many supermarkets, give this clever, creamy dip an enticing heat and smokiness. The spiced pepitas (roasted and salted pumpkin seeds) scattered over the dip are addictive and great as a snack on their own.

Edamame is a great addition to this simple fried brown rice dish, which works beautifully if you use day-old rice.

Jeff Smith loves cooking with his children and often lets them pick the ingredients. "Kids come up with cool flavor combinations that an adult would never think of," he says. "I learn a lot that way." This risotto was created when Smith's daughter, Isabelle, tossed some Laughing Cow cheese into a pot of risotto. "It adds a lot of richness without making the dish taste too sharp," Smith says. The cup of Budweiser beer is his own addition, a last-minute fix on a night he found himself without white wine in the house. "I ended up preferring it to wine in this dish," he says.