Rice/4 recipes

Chilled shrimp salad tossed with fresh dill, cucumber, celery, and a tangy dressing of mayo, sour cream, Dijon, and anchovy paste. Serve it on lettuce or stuffed into hollowed tomatoes for a gorgeous lunch.

Colorful vegetable soup with fennel, carrots, zucchini, red pepper, and mushrooms in herb-infused chicken broth. Freezes beautifully and feeds a crowd with a Parmesan finish.

This quick Mexican bean dip is packed with flavor. It can be a dip or a filling to make burrito. Within about 10 minutes, you will be able to enjoy a quick delicious meal.

There are hundreds versions of this very Polish soup. Here you have an original proposition of mine. I used to cook it on the base of my favorite duck and chicken stock. The cream is a must to create wonderful pink color. Optionally you may add a quarter or a half of hard boiled egg to your bowl. By the way, I change my recipe sometimes, for instance by adding dried California prunes instead of sugar, or by adding some white vinegar instead of lemon juice.

So yummy, store-bought seven-layer dip can never beat freshly homemade version, no doubt.

A three-meat, no-bean chili loaded with ground beef, pork, and hot Italian sausage simmered with Mexican beer and V8 juice. Florida-style heat that feeds a crowd.

Loaded au gratin potatoes with hash browns, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green chiles, and a crunchy cornflake topping. The ultimate cheesy potato casserole for potlucks and holidays.

Made this for supper tonight, so easy and tasted delicious. Used whole wheat pasta to make it a bit healthier, a definite 5-star one pot meal.

Southern fried okra with green tomatoes, jalapeno, and cornmeal crust. Pan-fried as one big cake then flipped, giving you golden crunchy edges with tender vegetables inside.

Samosas are crisp Indian fried pastries filled with spiced potato and pea, or curried lamb and beef. Two filling options, one homemade dough, fried golden in 48-piece batches.

Ranch cornbread baked in a hot cast-iron skillet with diced ham, sharp cheddar, red bell pepper, and pimentos. A loaded Southern cornbread with crispy edges and savory filling.

This recipe is for a Cuban stew/soup that I used to enjoy con mucho gusto. This version of Ajiaco was prepared by Senora Garcia in her little store front restaurant on Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. Although this is not her exact recipe, it's the closest I could get to it. Ajico del Restaurant Garcia

Classic Tuscan ribollita, a thick bread soup with cannellini beans, cabbage, spinach, zucchini, and rosemary. Finished with Romano cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Ham crescent rolls stuff soft, buttery yeast dough with diced ham, rolled into crescents and baked golden. A Venezuelan-style homemade take on the supermarket classic.

Herbed beef and vegetable stew braises chunks of beef in tomato, white wine, and Italian herbs, then finishes with carrots, mushrooms, green beans, and celery. A classic Sunday Dutch oven dinner.

Feed a crowd with this hearty six-bean casserole loaded with ground beef, tomato soup, and brown sugar. Serves 25 and freezes like a champ. The ultimate potluck and cookout dish.