Rice & Grains

Hot chili paste gives the rice its kick. The heat is balanced by the briny olives and the sweet raisins.

The steaks need to marinate overnight.

Dried cracked corn, after being soaked and cooked, is mixed with milk and brown sugar to make a soupy sweet for indigenous peoples in the highlands of Colombia. Here it adds the thickening base that potatoes would in a traditional chowder. Chipotle and bacon mingle to form a low, smoky whisper of heat.

There have been Lebanese living in Latin America for more than 100 years, and the community in Mexico is particularly large, so creating a Mexican version of tabbouleh is not as odd as it might seem. This version is less time-consuming than the original, because cilantro can be chopped up, stems and all, whereas parsley leaves need to be picked off the stems.

The charm of this simple dessert is obvious: It takes sweet summer fruits and cooks them down so that everything good about them becomes even better.

The tang of citrus and the refreshing flavor of fennel give this side dish a lightness that other rice preparations just can't match.

Like most foods they can pick up and dip, this gentle introduction to sushi, which takes only 30 minutes to prepare, is a hit with kids. Serve with low-sodium soy sauce (or whatever dip will get your child excited about eating).

Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed whole grain. Steamed, it makes a perfect partner for lime-spiked black beans and fresh tomato.

These chewy oatmeal cookies are spicy with ginger and not too sweet. Look for candied ginger that's cut into cubes and is not dusted with sugar — it'll be more tender and easier to chop.

To turn this starter into a main course, top it with skewers of grilled shrimp.

Studded with delectably nutty wheat berries, this substantial salad of charred tomatoes, peppers, and tofu truly deserves its billing as a main course.

This side, originally 575 calories and 26 grams of fat, was a meal in itself. SELF cut 277 calories and 17 grams of fat.

Short-grain rice has an especially high starch content, which makes it sticky — and easy to press into a lettuce or nori wrapper.

Bibimbop A glorious combination of fresh stir-fried vegetables, each cooked separately to allow its flavors to stay true, is liberally seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. To gild the lily, every serving is topped off with a rich fried egg that gets added just before eating.

We've made this colorful dish using fresh cooked rice instead of leftover takeout. There's plenty here for a hearty breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Sink your teeth into a ssäm, Korea's answer to a burrito. This recipe from David Chang, co-chef at Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City, trades tortillas for crisp lettuce to save calories and fat.

This rice is delicious with Amber's Pineapple and Cardamom Chicken with Mint, but would also be great alongside curried shrimp or grilled lamb chops.