Chicken Fingers with Peanut Apricot Sauce

These kid-friendly chicken fingers take minutes to make and contain far less fat and sodium than the store-bought kind. Serve with crunchy vegetable sticks on the side for a very healthy meal.

Mixed Greens With Pomegranate Vinaigrette

The pecans that complement this salad are so tasty that you might want to make extra to munch on with appetizers. Instead of premixed greens, look for a selection, such as frisee, radicchio and baby spinach or romaine leaves, to create your own signature mixture.

Grilled Flank Steak Salad

Although flank steak is tender enough to grill and eat right away, it's even better when you marinate it. A resealable plastic bag makes a useful transportable marinating container. Slicing across the grain and serving no more than medium-rare ensures maximum tenderness.

Herbed Edamame Salad with Pancetta

Crispy bits of pancetta take this herb-packed salad a notch over the top. To ensure that the dressing clings, pat the cooked edamame and peas dry before tossing with the other ingredients. If you like, top with grilled chicken or fish for a more filling meal.

Beet Carpaccio & Quail Eggs

Watercress "Cappuccino"

Pour the soup over the whipped cream at the table so guests can watch it foam to the surface (resembling the froth on a cappuccino coffee). This vibrant peppery soup is an impressive kickoff to a spring dinner party! 

Earl Grey Pot de Creme

Delicately infused with tea, this custard is cool, creamy and not too sweet.

Halloumi and Quinoa Salad With Sumac-Lime Dressing

Sumac, a fragrant and tangy Middle Eastern spice, adds tons of flavour to the simple dressing in this salad. If you can't find it on store shelves, substitute with sweet paprika. Also, feta makes a suitable stand-in for firm, salty halloumi. To enjoy this salad on the go, pack the dressing in a separate airtight container. Right before eating, drizzle the dressing over the salad, reseal the container and shake to coat.

Orange Ginger Steak & Chicken Kabobs

Skewer the orange segments through the rind to keep them secure while grilling.

Hazelnut Coffee Cake

With a hint of coffee and lots of hazelnuts, this European-style cake is drier than North American–style coffee cakes, but it's sure to impress guests with its old-world charm. The chocolate hazelnut glaze adds a rich, luxurious finish. Look for toasted skinned hazelnuts in the bulk section of your grocery store.