When these come out right, they are airy, tender, and wholesome. When they come out wrong (rising is a tricky business), they are still very enjoyable, especially with preserves. The dough is very sticky and hard to handle, so it requires a stint in the fridge. Makes 12 biscuits, 128 cal each

Serve with baked potatoes, baked butternut squash, steamed broccoli, and a green salad.

Per serving: calories 206, fat 13.1g, 54% calories from fat, cholesterol 15mg, protein 10.3g, carbohydrates 14.6g, fiber 2.4g, sugar 3.8g, sodium 352mg, diet points 5.2.

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie is usually made with ground meat and white potatoes. I like this one because it has sweet potatoes mixed in and omits the meat filling. The curried lentil filling is sandwiched between two layers of creamy potato filling sitting on a crouton crust baked on top of sweet zucchini. I serve this as an entree with a simple chopped tomato salad.

This lush smooth soup from Thai-Lao cuisine lends itself beautifully to a Thanksgiving feast. Large wedges of cooking pumpkin, with pale gray-green skins, are sold in Caribbean and Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian groceries. Choose the pumpkin with the reddest flesh. You can also use North American pumpkin or kabocha squash.