Jasmine Rice

Adding lemon peel shortly before the rice has finished cooking gives it a bright flavor.

Look for the black sesame seeds in the Asian foods section of a specialty market; they add a dramatic touch to this simple side dish. If you can't find them, just use all white seeds instead.

Here we've cooked the rice like pasta—a method that can be applied to any long-grain rice (preferably not converted). As for the fresh herbs, we used lemon thyme and chives, but take advantage of whatever you have on hand.

Cold cooked rice (made at least 1 day ahead) is the secret to delicious fried rice, so don't cook a fresh pot for this recipe.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 35 min Cumin and mustard seeds give jasmine rice a subtle Indian flavor. It's a nice change from plain rice; try it as a side dish for grilled steak, fish, or the spiced chicken breast.

Active time: 5 min Start to finish: 40 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Using shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe makes for an equally delicious soup.