Blender

Compound butters are a great way to add flavor in a flash. Try your leftovers slathered on roasted vegetables or a seared steak.

How do you make lemon bars even better? Turn them pink. Add bright color and tangy flavor with a splash of fresh raspberry purée.

At Selamat Pagi, our Balinese restaurant, lime, ginger, and lemongrass are mainstay ingredients, appearing in many dishes. We were thinking about making a sorbet that reflected some of these ingredients and wondered what would happen if we threw all of them together. Our initial taste transported us back to the lush green hills of Bali, after which we were all too disappointed to find ourselves standing in our test kitchen. Along with lemon sorbet, this might be our go-to refreshment when we desperately need to cool off.

Leaving the skins on the peaches for the purée makes for a beautifully pink swirl in this refreshing summer dessert.

This pretty green soup is creamy, cool, and refreshing. Top each bowl with a flavorful mix of parsley, mint, olive oil, and lemon zest.

No one will know this umami-packed creamy dressing is made with tofu; they'll just think it's delicious.

Serve this ultra-creamy tahini sauce with grilled meats or roasted vegetables, or use it as a base for a silky avocado dip or an herby salad dressing.

Toss the first juicy, sweet cherries of the season into this salad, along with rotisserie chicken and a vibrant creamy horseradish dressing.

Choose the best-quality fish for this simple ceviche.

Tart and fiery, this classic bright-green salsa shows off the flavor of tomatillos and the lovable grassy sharpness of fresh unripe chiles. Serve it with anything that would benefit from lively contrast, such as Chopped Fried-Fish Tacos .

Once a way to make use of stale tortillas (by toasting and/or frying them), tostadas are so good that it wasn't long before people simply started using fresh tortillas. After biting into these layers of flavor—crunchy, creamy, luscious—you'll see why.

Spring is abundant with greens of all types, both wild and cultivated. You never know what might show up at your market in any given week. It just so happened that I was able to get pepper y watercress, wild stinging nettles, and sour sorrel at the same time. I love the idea of a watercress or nettles soup, but it always leaves me wanting acid, which inevitably turns the vibrant green soup to a drab olive. Naturally sour sorrel solves this by adding brightness without acid to balance the flavor. If you have trouble finding nettles, just use more watercress, or substitute arugula, mizuna, or dandelion.

This spicy condiment is ubiquitous at Tex-Mex restaurants and taco trucks all over Texas. People are shocked when they learn the light green, creamy sauce is made without avocado or dairy. Our version is full of fresh jalapeño heat and bright lime, emulsified using only neutral vegetable oil.

This homemade yogurt works well as a dairy-free alternative. We prefer making our own coconut milk over using canned—the flavor is much more fresh. To reuse the pressed coconut, dry it out in a low oven until no longer moist, then use in baked goods or sprinkle over yogurt.

This ingenious technique cooks the chicken in a purse with its own juices and a mix of spices. It slowly simmers the bird to a silky richness—an enticing side of chicken that we rarely see.

All the flavors of guacamole meet up in this creamy soup, with yogurt adding body and refreshment. Serve with pita or tortilla chips. For lunch, add a salad of frisée, jicama, and oranges. For dinner, serve in small portions and follow with grilled ribs, grilled salmon, or just about anything grilled.