Rice

This recipe is a template, open to endless riffs depending on what vegetables you have on hand. No matter what seasonal produce you use, remember to keep an eye out for a mix of colors.

You can easily adapt this recipe to vegetables you already have to make a quick, healthy dinner.

All of these dishes would benefit from a scoop of rice on the side, but Pelaccio's twist on northeastern Malaysia's rice salad is meant to be served over the grains. (He prefers jasmine.) The smoky grilled vegetables are enlivened by a generous final flourish of fresh herbs.

Thai-flavored rice pudding is frozen into creamy ice pops. Dried apricots add subtle color and a satisfyingly chewy texture.

Lentils, rice, olive oil, and onions—this Middle Eastern standard is the ultimate pantry recipe. It's also the classic example of a dish that's greater than the sum of its parts. There are literally dozens of recipes for mujadara out there—each country, possibly even each family, seems to have its own version. The one I like best is adapted from Claudia Roden's Book of Jewish Food. The crispy onion topping is the best part, so go ahead and make a lot. NOTE: Lentils, like all dried beans, vary in their cooking time depending on several factors, including age. Yours may take longer to become tender, but they shouldn't take much more than an hour. Hard water can also affect the cooking time—if your water is hard, use bottled water.

Nothing puts a smile on people's faces faster while at the same time setting their tongues ablaze, like these grilled jalapeño poppers. Sans cheese, and debuting with a snazzy new look, these Shiny Happy Poppers are every bit a modern twist on what still remains a classic firebrand when it comes to pregame appetizers. However, a word to the wise: Having an ice-cold beer nearby is highly recommended, should this blaze get out of control.

Heart-protecting fats in salmon also help your skin stay healthy.

Fruit is a welcome addition to savory grain salads. Here, mangoes and oranges add color and sweetness to the deep-purple hue of black rice. It's delicious with grilled fish.

Create endless riffs on this salad by using the bright herb dressing with your favorite grains and vegetables.

Toasted seeds and nuts add bite to this nutrition-packed salad. We use dried sprouted legumes, which are even more healthful than ordinary beans and more convenient than sprouting your own. (Cooked lentils and mung beans work well, too.) A vibrant chive vinaigrette brings it all together.

Soft, creamy risotto topped with warm roasted vegetables makes a complete meal in a bowl. If you don't like the idea of standing at the stove and stirring risotto to a perfect consistency, this is the method for you. Thirty minutes in the oven and this risotto comes out cooked to perfection while you and your beloved wind down from your day. If you've made Roasted Winter Vegetables earlier in the week, you can reheat leftovers as a topping here. If not, roast a favorite combination {mine is winter squash, yellow onion, and tomato} in the oven with your risotto.

Briefly blanching whole onions makes them easy to separate and fill.

The browned, crusty layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pan is considered the most treasured part of this Middle Eastern classic.

Serve this fragrant, Indian-inspired side dish with all things chicken.

Although Nelly Custis omitted sugar in her recipe for these lovely, delicate pancakes, published cookbooks of the period often suggested "strewing" sugar over them before sending them to the table. E. Smith, for one, additionally recommended garnishing them with orange, a suggestion also included here. This recipe can be readily doubled.

This is the South Indian equivalent of cake: essential at every wedding, birthday, and holiday. Indians like to serve it warm and soupy. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

South Indian rice is parboiled during processing, which creates a more nutritious but harder grain that needs to be boiled like pasta for 40 minutes. The grains are puffy and separate, and they absorb the curries beautifully. Indian parboiled rice can be ordered from iShopIndian.com; but if this type is not available, American-style converted rice or regular long-grain white rice are both good substitutes. (North Indian basmati rice would not be served at a Sadhya.) This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

If you’re cooking for someone special, you won’t find many dishes more romantic than this one. It looks sophisticated, tastes rich, and makes a real statement. It’s one of my standbys when I want to make a cozy dinner for me and my husband.

Broiling is a good way to brown the salmon without adding fat. For a golden color and crisp finish, don’t turn the fish while it is under the broiler; it will still cook all the way through without this extra step.

Brown rice is the foundation of a simple, protein-filled vegetarian dish when it’s paired with tofu. Spinach is “steamed” in the same pan for the ultimate in ease—and nutritional value.