Cilantro

Doña Tomasa and other Oaxacans often thin their guacamole with water to make a dipping sauce. Sometimes a little cream or milk is added as well.

A colorful and delicious side dish reminiscent of succotash.

Thai cooking frequently makes use of cilantro roots; their flavor is more pronounced than that of the leaves.

Cool and refreshing yogurt enhanced with fresh mint, cilantro and basil tops this hearty curry-flavored soup.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min Peas, noodles, beef—everything you need for dinner in one dish.

This is a great pasta dish to serve for company. Chances are good that you'll find the Asian ingredients— increasingly carried by everyday food shops—at your local supermarket. We used the Thai Kitchen brand, which is widely available.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This salsa from Café Iguana in Denver, Colorado is terrific with tortilla chips.

There are many versions of special-occasion green rice in Mexico. My current favorite is this one, green with the richness and welcoming spiciness of poblano chiles, backed up by herbal cilantro and sweet onion and garlic. This full-flavored rice can accompany a simple grilled fish or chicken or any dish that weaves a little green chile into its sauce. The rice is made pilaf style, like most Mexican rices, meaning that the raw rice is fried first so that the grains will be separate when cooked. Dependable as that method is, this rice comes out a touch sticky because of all the poblano pureed into the broth. I make it ahead, spread it onto a baking sheet to cool and allow excess moisture to evaporate, so the rice will fluff up into separate grains. Then I reheat it in a steamer.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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

Chopped cilantro in the dressing and whole leaves mixed with the spinach add a double dose of cilantro flavor to this salad.

In New Mexico, chili verde is prepared with lots of meat — and no beans. This recipe uses chicken, and you can make it spicier by adding jalapeño chilies. Serve it with the Layered Rice Salad and the Toasted Jalapeño Corn Bread .

Serve this alongside quesadillas.