Cilantro

Be sure to accompany this with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the rich broth.

The juices from the clams combine with spicy Asian flavors to make a great pasta sauce.

Some cooks may prefer to substitute more readily available angel's-hair pasta for the rice noodles called for in this recipe.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These easy-to-make meatless sandwiches are nice for a picnic. Wrap them in plastic, and transport them in a cooler.

This easy-to-make dip is also great as a topping for burritos and enchiladas. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

In Morocco, the word tagine refers to any of the country's slowly simmered meat, chicken, fish or vegetable stews that often have both savory and sweet flavors. It also refers to the earthenware dish with a conical lid in which the stew is cooked and served. Couscous or bread is a typical accompaniment.

Ask the butcher to halve the Cornish game hens for you.

You can also make these with chicken, ham or roast pork.

This casserole is a delicious meatless dish. Serve it with salsa and sour cream.

For snacking, try this tropical topper with Hawaiian lavash crackers, or serve over grilled chicken.

LaVerl Daily, director of Le Panier cooking school in Houston, suggests supplementing this slightly tropical entrée with rice, black beans and buttered green beans sprinkled with chopped macadamia nuts. Finish with sweet potato pie or coconut cream pie.

Sofrito is a sautéed vegetable mixture used as a seasoning in much of Latin America and the Caribbean. It typically contains garlic, onion, bell pepper, coriander, and sometimes tomatoes or ham, although the recipe varies among countries. In our version, we've omitted the oil normally used to cook the ingredients and instead simply puréed the vegetables. This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Citrus Salmon. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This unusual salsa calls for canned or bottled nopalitos, the stems of the prickly pear cactus. Available in the Mexican section of many supermarkets, they're sometimes labeled natural tender cactus. If you cannot find nopalitos at your local market, simply substitute cooked green beans. Use this tasty salsa as you would any other--with meats, chips and tacos.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.