Rice and beans are served at every single meal in Nicaragua. It's either rice and beans, or riceandbeans, otherwise known as gallopinto ("red rooster," though friends and I used to call it "painted rooster" due to odd translations and plain old foolishness). The name alludes to the color of the mixture of white rice and small red kidney beans, which mirrors that of the king of the coop. More

They don't call Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything The Basics, The Minimalist for nothing. His recipes are simple, straightforward, and often pared down to their bare essential ingredients. Plus, he's not one to add in labor intensive steps. Take this Rice Pudding in the Oven—it's a solid dessert that requires nothing more than tossing rice, milk, and sugar into a gratin dish, and baking for roughly two hours. Sure, you have to stir the pot every now and again, but really, it's nearly effortless. And the pudding? Well, it's a beautiful batch of rice pudding: mild, milky, and entirely comforting. More

Notes: This recipe can be cut in half. Chicken may be poached 2 days in advance. To store, place chicken and 3 cups strained broth in airtight container and refrigerate. Rice may be prepared up to 2 days in advance.... More

[Photograph: Leela Punyaratabandhu] An easier, quicker, more stovetop-friendly version of the iconic Thai dessert, Khao Niao Ma-muang, this coconut rice pudding and mango retains all of the flavors found in the original dish by which it is inspired. Pandan leaves... More

When peas are in season, one of the first dishes they are dashed into is this subtle Peas Pulav. Jewel green spheres adorn this delicious rice preparation that can be had with almost any Indian gravy or lentil side-dish. More

Biryani is a rice-based dish cooked with a whole mess of different spices, and usually, though not always, some kind of meat. When that meat is lamb or beef, it consequently takes some time to cook, which means I don't get to write about this dish too often. But this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's At Home with Madhur Jaffrey solves that problem by using shrimp, so that this dish can be whipped up in less than hour with absolutely no shortcuts. More

Render bacon till really crisp, fry Korean rice cakes in the bacon fat, then stir fry half a head of napa cabbage in what's left. Combine everything together with enough gochujang to make a sauce for a meal that takes almost no effort but reaps boundless rewards. More

This isn't the most traditional recipe for oyakodon in that I just can't resist slightly caramelizing the onions. I also use leftover chicken, the small scraggly bits of dark meat pulled off a chicken carcass are my favorites. Upgrade the water to homemade dashi or chicken stock if you're feeling fancy, but I proudly endorse powdered kombu dashi. More

While most versions of bibimbap include beef and/or an egg, this Korean rice dish is really all about the vegetables, namely quick sautéed namul seasoned with plenty of sesame oil. This vegan variation adapted from The Occasional Vegetarian uses a cast iron pan to replicate dolsot bibimbap, typically served in a hot stone pot. More

Nutty, chewy Camargue red rice goes green with parsley dressing, spinach, haricots verts, zucchini, green olives, scallions, and walnuts. Healthy never had it so good. More