Dairy Free

Cooking rice on the stove is easy, as long as you keep these tips in mind: To trap the steam, leave the lid on as much as possible while cooking; let the rice sit afterward to absorb the water completely; and always fluff it with a fork just before serving. It also helps to have a basic understanding about the different types of rice. Most rice is classified as either white or brown; the color is determined by the way that the grain is processed. White rice is stripped of its husk, bran, and germ. Brown rice has the bran and germ intact, and takes longer to cook. In general, the shorter the grain, the more starch it contains. Some types of rice, especially Asian varieties such as basmati and jasmine, benefit from rinsing to remove the excess starch and any impurities. American enriched rices, however, have been coated with vitamins, and rinsing will only serve to wash those away. If you do rinse the rice (either under running water or by submerging it in cold water and then draining it), reduce the amount of water you cook with by 1/4 cup. Finally, although many recipes call for cooking 1 cup rice with 2 cups water, try reducing the water to 1 1/2 cups; this ratio produces lighter, fluffier results.

This island staple is also known as “Jamaican coat of arms.” Some people add chiles to make it spicy, but we like it mild and slightly sweet to complement the heat of jerk chicken. For this dish, there’s no need to soak the kidney beans before cooking.

The tapenade can also be served as a dip for crudités or a zesty sauce for grilled fish. For best results, choose olives with distinctive flavors, such as those suggested below.

Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, contains significant amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, and riboflavin.

Similar greens—such as yow choy, also known as choy sum (which looks almost identical to bok choy but bears small yellow flowers), broccolini, or even regular broccoli—will work well in this dish if you can’t find Chinese broccoli. You can buy wide rice noodles at Asian grocery stores, or use the narrow rice noodles (often labeled “pad thai noodles”) that many supermarkets carry.

If you like, grate some Parmesan cheese over the tossed pasta just before serving, or offer grated cheese on the side.

You can use this recipe to make spinach gnocchi: Thaw 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, very finely chop the leaves, and squeeze out the moisture. Add it to the potatoes in the bowl, and sprinkle with an additional 2 tablespoons flour. Formed gnocchi can be refrigerated on a floured baking sheet, uncovered, up to 12 hours.