A recent trip to British Columbia on a culinary exchange with my students inspired the recipes for this issue. These meals are impressive to serve to guests, but they’re so simple to make they work for a casual night in, too.

Smoked salmon is low in fat and high in B vitamins, and the root vegetable salad takes advantage of harvest time. Lamb may be something you end up having only occasionally, but while lean cuts like leg and loin are higher in saturated fat than other lean red meats, lamb is a great source of protein, zinc and B vitamins. (And my recipe takes advantage of the season’s ripe tomatoes!) As for mussels, while they may seem intimidating to prepare, they are actually super-easy. This dish is great for entertaining because you can do the prep ahead of time, then slip away from your guests to steam them in just a couple of minutes.