220 lounge recipes

Chicken and rice with chipotle peppers, turmeric, bell peppers, cumin, and garlic. A smoky, colorful one-pot dinner with adjustable heat levels for chile lovers and mild palates alike.

Mageritsa is the traditional Greek Easter lamb soup served after midnight Resurrection Mass. Lamb offal, rice, dill and scallions in a tart avgolemono broth thickened with egg and lemon.

Tropical chicken salad with rice, pineapple, banana, grapes, and coconut in a light yogurt-mayo dressing. No cooking required, just toss and serve for a refreshing lunch in 10 minutes.

Traditional Greek dolmas stuffed with rice, pine nuts, fresh herbs, cinnamon, and allspice, simmered in olive oil and lemon juice. This recipe makes about 50 stuffed grape leaves served at room temperature.

A chunky vegetarian minestrone loaded with cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, and spinach, thickened with rice instead of pasta. A hearty, one-pot Italian soup finished with Parmesan.

Low-calorie saffron chicken braised with mushrooms, peas, and olives in a creamy paprika sauce, served over rice. Skinless chicken breasts keep it light and lean.

Pork jambalaya browns cubed pork in olive oil, then simmers with long-grain rice, bell pepper, scallions, white wine, and hot sauce. One-pot Cajun classic with a Bayou-style mint accent.

Roasted Cornish hen halves perched on sage-scented wild rice mounds, glazed with apple juice concentrate and served with roasted apple slices. An elegant dinner for four.

Marinated wild rice salad with porcini and white mushrooms, julienned carrots, walnuts, and Dijon vinaigrette. A make-ahead grain salad that gets better as it sits.

Savory phyllo strudel filled with Spam, rice, mushrooms, and colorful vegetables seasoned with Dijon mustard and basil. A creative way to dress up canned meat.

Wild rice and lentil salad with brown rice, tri-color bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a fat-free tomato-herb vinaigrette. A colorful, high-fiber grain salad.

Grilled bonito fillets over rice with a Caribbean Andalouse sauce of eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, and white wine spiked with Bajan seasoning and pepper sauce.

NOTE: I think paste food color works better than liquid food coloring when tinting cookie dough. It's available in specialty markets and some party stores. Be careful: A little goes a long, long way.

All veggies are young, fresh and full of spring garden aroma. Is there anything more lovely?

Roasting is one of most delicious way to enjoy asparagus, especially when it's freshly picked from your local farmer's market. This simple and tasty recipe doesn't take long to be ready. Make sure that you roast enough of it, because it won't last long.

Masala coffee, the South Indian spiced coffee with cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, and milk. Boiled, strained, and pulled between pans for a thick, frothy cup.