3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
12 oz. mushrooms (white or portobello are good, but use any kind you like), cut in 3/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
2 1/2 cups well-seasoned chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. (or more) chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring until tender but not brown. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook briefly, then stir in the five-spice powder.

Add remaining oil and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the rice.

Add stock, bring to a boil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook about 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes.

Fold in the cilantro/coriander and serve.

Serves 6.

This little side dish, taken from The New York Times ages ago, isn’t just delicious — it’s also an easy way to sneak vegetables into your meal. Great for mothers to make for kids, or for reluctant vegetarians to make for themselves.

8 servings

2 cups loosely packed trimmed spinach, rinsed and dried
1/2 bunch parsley, stemmed, washed, and dried
1/2 bunch cilantro (coriander), stemmed, washed, and dried
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups long-grain rice, like American
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Tear the spinach, parsley, and cilantro into rough bits and put in a food processor with salt and 1/2 cup water, then puree.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the rice. Stir to coat and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the pureed spinach mixture and 2 1/2 cups water. Heat to boiling, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 14 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve topped with toasted pine nuts.

“Arugula. It’s a vegetable.” So said Steve Martin’s character in the movie My Blue Heaven. My brother and I used to love to repeat that line. Arugula — known as rocket in Britain — is actually more of a salad leaf with a distinctive flavor. Here, it balances the cheese wonderfully.

2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz./225g Gorgonzola
6 oz. arugula (rocket), washed and dried
1 lb. cut pasta (shell shapes work best)

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.

Meanwhile, melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Add Gorgonzola and cook, stirring frequently, until cheese melts. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.

While the sauce keeps warm and the pasta cooks, tear the arugula apart (pieces should not be too small).

When pasta is al dente, remove, drain, and toss with arugula and cheese mixture. Add plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

I’ll be the first to admit that this may not be the real thing. I’ve never been to Singapore and I haven’t tasted their noodles. But this is a darn good dish — a mildly spicy version of fried rice noodles — so, original or not, it’s a recipe I’ve saved.

You can use the spices below, or use a hot (madras) curry powder. The dish can be eaten hot or cold and you can vary the contents. This version is meat-free, but you could add a small amount of pork or chicken.

300g rice vermicelli noodles
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch spring (green) onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 dried red chillies, or 1 heaping teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 red pepper, julienned
2-3 curry leaves
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 level tsp. turmeric
100g peas, cooked if fresh, thawed if frozen
100ml vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges to serve

Soak the rice noodles in hot, but not boiling, water for about 10 minutes, until they’re soft. Drain and cool thoroughly, toss with 1 Tbsp. oil, and set aside.

In a wok or wide frying pan, heat the remaining oil until very hot. Add the eggs and start to fry them as if you were making an omelette. As it sets, break it apart with the edge of a wooden spoon. Remove egg from pan and set aside.

Keeping the wok on the heat, fry the onions, garlic, chilli, red pepper and curry leaves for about a minute. Add the remaining dry spices and stir thoroughly. Now add the peas, stock, soy sauce and lime juice, followed by the noodles and the cooked egg. Keep everything moving and stir until the stock has disappeared, at which point the dish is ready to serve.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and extra lime wedges.

This is a great twist on a plain risotto. The key to getting the creaminess is to add the liquid bit by bit rather than all at once — maybe half a cup at a time.

Serves 6

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 canned artichoke hearts, gently rinsed and thinly sliced
1 cup water, divided
3 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cups white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped nuts (hazelnuts or walnuts)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in large saucepan. Add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and saute about a minute longer. Add artichokes along with 1/2 cup water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine vegetable broth with the remaining 1/2 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer.

When artichoke liquid has evaporated, add remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and rice. Cook and stir constantly a few minutes until rice is translucent. Add the wine and stir until liquid has disappeared. Add enough broth to cover and as the liquid disappears, keep adding the broth, little by little.

The risotto is done when the rice is tender but firm, about 20 minutes. If broth runs out, use hot water. Just before it finishes cooking, add cheese, nuts, and parsley.

Garnish with a parsley sprig and serve with extra cheese at the table.